artist statement

For me, dance is a spiritual practice that embraces healing for the individual and the collective. I am a dancer, choreographer, creative director, and educator. The principles I believe in for my work and in my teaching are parallel to those I live by in daily life. I believe in embracing the human condition, the healing properties of movement, and collaboration. I construct from a place of collective action, transparency, compassion, and persistence.

 

 In my work I strive to empower others in their authenticity and personal stories, cultivating an experience of return to oneself for both the mover and the viewer.  Blurring the lines between the performer and the human, seeing the dancer as a full person, is one of my greatest priorities. 

 

Much of the inspiration I pull is deeply personal rooted in nostalgic memory and honored grief. Tapping into nostalgia and provoking it in others is one of my treasured inspirations and intents. A cup of coffee in the morning, a deep laugh with a friend, the warm embrace of someone you love…There is so much revelation to be found in ordinary moments that call on potentially universally shared emotional experiences. Having always had an interest in movement within film, my internal creation process first sees material through a cinematic lens. My desire to bring forth this cinematic quality manifests in concert, commercial, and dance for film in the hopes of enticing moments of memory, identification or reflection for the observer. 

 

I collaborate with dancers, musicians, digital artists, live performance venues, and visual artists. In my work I value sharing, receiving, understanding, gratitude, and equality. Art is better created when it is open for a shared experience. Focusing on the process rather than the product is where joy and progress is found. I seek progress rather than perfection because more will always be revealed. 

 -Dani Burd