ARTIST STATEMENT

I create dance that expands the art form of ballet beyond its white European roots. As a queer Sri Lankan-American I provide the dance world a wide array of narratives audiences aren’t used to seeing. My movement style is an abstraction of the classical ballet vocabulary, allowing for bodylines and shapes that aren’t permissible under ballet's exacting standards but nonetheless are still beautiful. My job is to find the emotional connections that allow audiences to see themselves in the narratives and perspectives presented. My work creates a safe space for audiences to learn, relate, and expand their scope of understanding. I invite audiences to be empowered to action and make a difference in the world.