Sierra Sanders
Yes. Just adolescence in general. I was the only black girl or one of two in my grade. My town was very suburban white and sentences like “black girls are not attractive” was a common thing I always heard. Just having that insecurity of not feeling beautiful as a brown woman growing up, just unsupported by my peers. But dance made me feel at home. I loved to dance and used it as a way of communicating. I danced with people who looked like me, or if they didn't look like me they spoke the same language as me. With dancers I could connect in a different way, I felt there was a deeper understanding between us that I didn’t feel with everyone else who I called “regular people.” That was a way to discover who I was away from the drama in my house or feeling just alone in the world. Dance made me feel not alone.
I think dance can be a platform for social justice issues by creating statements that aren't spoken. Sometimes you think you hear the other person and you feel like you know what they're talking about. However, until you see it said in a different language, it can be communicated through dance.
