Award Winning Dancer Talks About a ‘Dance Quilt’ at Ucross

On August 2nd, Ucross artist-in-residence Helanius J. Wilkins, an award-winning choreographer, performance artist, activist and educator based in Boulder, Colorado, invited the local community members to participate in “The Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging,” a project that includes new choreographies, a documentary film and a digital archive of the process and performance.

Wilkins engages artmaking to forge paths towards social change and equitable landscapes. to movement that deepens awareness, and that prepares students for the demands of an ever-changing field.

Bill Belcher president of Ucross, introduced Wilkins, saying they met at the opening of the dance studio at Ucross last winter, and said, “I heard about the project, and Tracy talked to you about becoming a resident and coming here, and now you’re here.”

Wilkins explained why the title of his project is so long.

“The work stitches together a ‘dance-quilt’ to broaden our understandings of what it means to be American and sew ourselves together anew,” explained Wilkins. “It is humbling and also an honor to have Ucross as an organizational partner to create one of my landing places in the state of Wyoming.”

He talked about his time at Ucross saying this was his first time for a long-term stay, but he had visited Ucross before.

Over several years, Wilkins plans to travel to all 50 states, Washington, DC., and five inhabited territories to discover the histories and stories of diverse communities and engage in conversations centering on belonging. He is guided by the question: “How can we get the world that we deserve —one that works for everyone?”

Presented and supported in part by Ucross, Wilkins will facilitate a series of these gatherings in Sheridan County. He will begin by meeting privately with different groups, then engage the greater community.

One photo on the video showed Wilkins in a Mardi-Gras costume. He explained the significance of the costume, which weighed 40 pounds.

The costume also included his high school colors, his elementary school colors, the music and culture of Louisiana; it’s food and the celebration of Madri Gras.

In September, Wilkins will return to Ucross to follow-up on the community conversations.

The visit will culminate in a site-based choreographic ritual presentation at Ucross on September 9. Open to the public, this finale will be a response that is part meditation, part dance and part performance art to everything the community shared with him.

A good crowd was in attendance for the event.