Makini Makes

Choreographer, performer, video artist, fabulist... based between traditional lands of the Tutelo-Saponi speaking peoples and lands of the Lenape peoples. I grew up dancing around the living room and at parties with my siblings and cousins. My work continues to be influenced by various sources, including my foundations in those living rooms and parties, my foundation in contemporary African dance (Umfundalai), my continued study of contemporary performance, my movement trainings with dancer and anatomist Irene Dowd, my research and training in J-sette performance with Jermone Donte Beacham. I strive to engage in and further dialogues with Black queer folks, create lovingly agitating performance work that recognizes History as only one option for the contextualization of the present, and continue to encourage artists to understand themselves as part of a larger community of workers who are imagining pathways toward economic ecosystems that prioritize care, interdependence, and delight.