I am honored to have been able to return to Vietnam to participate in Project Dance Together with Evolve Dance Inc, Pacific Links Foundation, Hagar International Vietnam, and Vietnam Dance College. Through this multifaceted program, we connected through dance classes, workshops, exchanges, and residencies towards the overall effort of establishing dance programs for survivors of human trafficking.
Being able to return to continue our collaboration was such an amazing opportunity to strengthen connections and develop new questions and ideas.
The amazing dance students and faculty of Vietnam Dance College in Hanoi deepened my appreciation of collaboration. Daily interaction without a common language meant finding various ways to exchange ideas; it meant migrating through moments of confusion, clarity, challenges and successes. We journeyed together, and I learned so much from the process! Above all, it was inspiring to be a part of their dancing environment for a short time and let their artistry and passion for dance broaden my perspective and fuel my desire to explore community interaction and dance.
It was so wonderful to reunite with the residents and staff of the Compassion House in Lao Cai, operated by Pacific Links Fnd, and to meet new friends there. Karenne Koo did a fantastic job facilitating creative movement sessions. Annie Tucker and I had a blast dancing with the young women who all contributed their ideas, curiosities, and movement explorations. One of my favorite moments was when we "danced the environment," drawing inspiration (literally and figuratively) from the outdoor spaces of the shelter to create collaborative choreography.
To learn more about the 2014 trip, visit Evolve Dance Inc., or read about the first trip in 2013 here.
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