2026 Dance Concert

A Message to the Dance Community,

I want to begin by thanking each and everyone of you in the audience for attending our 2026 dance concert- Revelation. Thank you to Jane Moulding, Lise Chalier, Diana Baruni, Andy Bell, the facilities team and the Communication department for your support over the years. Just as in the past, I truly believe that all of you will leave today fulfilled and inspired by the performance of Revelation. 

What a special moment this is.This season marks my fifteenth and the final time that I will stand here on this stage for our annual dance concert. And of course I am overwhelmed with emotions and memories of a teaching career well spent. It’s hard to believe that time has flown so swiftly, and yet the magic and energetic frequency that has been created through each year’s creative process of storytelling through dance will exist forever. As I reflect back on all of the incredible moments I've shared with the CSW dance community, including all of the dancers, alumni and current and with my esteemed dance colleagues I realize that the universe has been on my side throughout this part of my life’s journey. 

To Jeryl Palana Pilapil- Brown and Matthew Hooper, my first true CSW dance colleagues, thank you for believing in my vision and helping me bring it into fruition; cultivating an inclusive space where EVERY BODY is welcomed to dance. You are genius, artistic educators who truly understand that dance is more than art; it is the kinesthetic intelligentsia that allows human beings to experience life holistically. I am so blessed to have been in deep creative interchange with you both. And to Ella Wechsler- Matthaei, who I met during my Alorie Parkhill teaching Grant in Kenya. And here we are three years later calling each other colleagues. Welcome back to CSW. Thank you for pushing the envelope and instilling confidence in our dance students.

To the CSW dancers, past and present, you are amazing humans. You have dared to explore beyond the norm, take uncharted chances and share your creative discoveries with the public. I thank you so much for Grey Matters, Shifting Sky, Push, Hidden Heroes, Mirage, Eternal Momentum, Untold, Cerebration, Convergence, Illuminate, Eternal Momentum, Still Human, Interlinked and this year’s Revelation. And while the titles and the themes and exploration of movement differed each year they all shared a common ethos; that dance holds a powerful voice in our lives.

Dance is not only a vehicle through which we celebrate life but even more importantly it is a  practice that allows us to transform who we are. As I depart this scene, I hope you remember two of my mantras,  “If you mess up, It’s your solo” and “There are no mistakes, just variations on a  theme.”  

Keep creating and dancing, for joy… for justice... It is our lifeline.