A New Performance at the Arab American National Museum Explores Identity and Place Through Dance

Dancing Identities/Defining Place brings two talented dancers together for a night of cathartic and healing performances.

Meta Stange
Meta Stange

Palestinian American dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker Leila Adawallah work examines how the trauma of losing one’s home can be expressed and possibly healed through dance. 

Meanwhile, Detroit native Audrey Johnson’s dance discipline incorporates black feminist metaphysics, afrofuturism, joy, and more as ways to remain resilient against systemic oppression.  

The two have joined forces for a transformative night of performances on Saturday, November 23 at the Arab American National Museum.

Dancing Identities/Defining Place shares themes of identity, place, and imagination. It’s a partnership with the University of Michigan’s social justice-focused Daring Dance program, created by curator and dance historian Clare Croft.  

Click the audio player to hear CultureShift’s Amanda LeClaire speak with Adawallah and Croft about how dance can heal both the performer and the audience. 

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Author

  • Amanda LeClaire is an award-winning host and producer of CultureShift on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. She’s a founding producer of WDET’s flagship news talk show Detroit Today, and a former host/reporter for Arizona Public Media. Amanda is also an artist, certified intuitive and energy healer, and professional tarot reader.