We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimberly Mullen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“To dance was at once to worship and to pray…the gods themselves danced, as the stars dance in the sky…To dance is to take part in the cosmic control of the world.”

— Havelock Ellis, Dance of Life

I came across this quote while I attending graduate school at UCLA’s Department of World Arts & Culture. I was conducting dance research around the politics of performing ritual dances in non-sacred, secular settings to the extent in which the performer would embody or portray religious deities or Orichas to establish an authentic performance within certain parameters in respect to the religious culture. I was spending time inside the religious tradition in and out of Cuba to immerse myself in the nuances of ceremonial dances in order inform my theatrical performances and witnessed for the first time, the mounting of a religious practitioner by an Oricha and melted because it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I felt the overwhelming presence of the divine and in this moment I felt the deeper connection of these dances as divine expressions to bring peace, harmony, and balance to the lives of the individuals and the religious community.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I see myself as a bridge between cultures; an advocate and ally in the preservation of African diaspora traditions and the indigenous healing practices that helped humans survive, overcome struggle and discover freedom.

I feel blessed that I was exposed to these rich cultural traditions when I was 19-years old and was able to discover early on, my life’s passion. At the time, Portland State University had a very strong Caribbean studies curriculum with many top authorities and professors on the subject. I was able to pursue my interest from both the academic / intellectual context and the cultural arts perspective via the dance classes. I loved every aspect of my learning process – never getting bored or distracted but rather the more I studied the deeper my passion grew.

I think at first the dancing aspect of the work was something that I considered to be fun and I enjoyed taking the classes and being a part of the larger community. My dance teacher, Catherine Evleshin was incredible at creating an inclusive environment and making everyone feel a sense of belonging. Dancing to live drumming was big draw and I loved learning the deeper meaning behind the dances and connecting them to historical events that I was learning in my cultural studies classes. It was not very long after I started taking classes that Catherine invited me to become a member of the performance company, Milagros Bailadores and I started performing these dances soon thereafter.

Academically, I was studying with Dr. Kofi E Agorsah, an Archaeologist from Ghana and learned about the AmerIndians and the Maroons – the escaped slaves societies throughout the Caribbean but specifically Jamaica and Surinam. I took all his classes and traveled with him to Trinidad and Tobago to conduct Archaeology digs. My advisor, Dr. Candice Goucher advocated for me to become an exchange student at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, USVI. During the first quarter of my exchange, Hurricane Marilyn wiped out the entire island and I had to come home early but my studies continued.

A few years later I was able to return to the Caribbean and complete a 6-month internship at the Tobago Museum in Trinidad and Tobago and assist the museum in archiving the artifacts that were donated during the archaeology digs with Dr. Kofi E. Agorsah. While I was in Tobago, I received confirmation that my application was approved to join a research group led by Author & Dance Anthropologist, :Dr. Yvonne Daniels to study with the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba in Cuba.

It was this trip that solidified my passion for dance and the direction that I would take to attend graduate school at UCLA and make dance my method for learning about and engaging with culture.

I believe what got me to where I am at in my career today is the length of time (27 years) that I have been doing this work and the unique experiences that I have gained along the way while going deeper and deeper into this work. There is no career template for pursuing a life dedicated to sacred cultural dances but following my heart and my joy has never led me a stray and this is what has kept me going all these years even in spite of health issues, natural disasters, injuries, accidents, etc. I strongly believe in the power of these dances to heal and it’s my life’s work to advocate for their survival and protect the people who keep these traditions alive.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would prepare a weekend of nature, beach, and eating healthy foods… In Ocean Beach, we go walk along the Pier, eat Acai Bowls & Pho at OB Noodle House and shop at People’s Coop.

On Wednesday evenings and Saturday Mornings we would go Ocean Beach and Little Italy for Farmer’s Markets.

We would hike at Torrey Pines and watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma and walk around Balboa Park and go to the Botanical Gardens. We would catch a dance class at La Vie Dance & Culture and with Juan Carlos Blanco and go paddle boarding in the Marina. 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have a long list of dance & academic teachers, mentors, producers, students in addition to my family and dear friends who have supported my passion and love for AfroCuban, AfroCaribbean and AfroBrazilian dance cultures and have encouraged me to keep going…

Teresita Dome Perez, Juan Carlos Blanco, Susana Arenas, Jose Barroso, Juan D’Dios Ramos Morejon, Silfredo La’O, Catherine Evleshin, Rosangela Silvestre, Luis Badaro, Dona Cici Souza, Jose Ricardo Santos, Josie Walsh, Candice Goucher, Kofi E. Agorsah, Donald Cosentino, Al Roberts, Halbert Barton, Dallas Travers, James Wvinner, Dr. Marlene Bassett, Keith V. Goodman, Conceicao Damensco, etc. etc.

Website: https://kmmdancestudio.com

Instagram: @kmm_virtual_dance_studio

Facebook: @kmmullen

Youtube: https://youtube.com/kimmipeli

Image Credits
Melissa Maurer John Decindis Brooks Anderson

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