Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance History
Stories are among our most potent tools. We need to unearth old stories that live in a place and begin to create new ones. We are story makers, not just story tellers. All stories are connected, new ones woven from threads of the old. (Paraphrased – Robin Wall Kimmerer)
Join ARENA DANCES every Thursday lunch break for new podcasts, hosted by Artistic Director Mathew Janczewski. This series will share the histories of notable Twin Cities dance artists and the evolution of the industry’s landscape through time. Each week will feature a new guest of honor, sharing their story and impact on this gem of an arts town.
— Our special guests this week are Nieya Amezquita & Kaitlyn Hawkins —
To listen to previous episodes, click HERE!
More about today’s special guest –
Nieya Amezquita is a Minnesota-based artist currently working with Threads Dance Project, Rhythmically Speaking, Elayna Waxse Movement Projects and eMartin Dance while collaborating with independent artists like Kaitlyn Hawkins. She has also performed works with Concerto Dance, Yuki Tokuda, Off-Leash Area and Alexandra Bodnarchuk Dance Projects. Nieya earned a BFA in Dance from the University of Georgia. There she had the opportunity to perform nationally and internationally with founding company CADE:NCE before studying in Portugal with the Addo Platform. Most recently, Nieya has been a featured artist in the Blackness Is Arts festival produced by the Guthrie Theater, choreographed for Threads Dance Project and Alternative Motion Project, and launched her own dance company in 2023, Amez Dance.
Kaitlyn Hawkins (she/her) is a freelance dance artist and choreographer based in NYC who likes to research an endless list of questions with movement and conversation. She has performed with TU Dance, Shapiro & Smith, Honeyworks, Hatch Dance, Contempo Physical, Doma Dance, and Black Label Movement. She has self-presented work in Minneapolis, MN and Brooklyn, NY, and participated as a choreographer in the Movers Make showcase and the Candybox Dance Festival in Minnesota.
Missed last week’s episode? You can find all our previous interviews by clicking here!