Fellow – Amanda Harris - Pseads

Amanda Harris is an artist, dancer, choreographer, movement educator from Los Angeles, CA. and an alumna of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University. She began her training under the tutelage of Debbie Allen, and has since immersed herself in a wide range of various styles of dance and movement traditions, including contemporary and classical ballet, multiple modern techniques (Limon, Horton, Graham), flamenco, tap, hip hop, jazz, West African dance, and Dunham. During her time in the LINES BFA program, Amanda had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Gregory Dawson, Carmen Rozestraten, Maurya Kerr, Laura O’Malley, and Anne-Rene Petrarca, gaining valuable knowledge and meaningful experience with diverse creative processes and artistic lineages.

Following graduation, she’s had the honor of working with Charlotte Smith, Santiago Rivera and Valkyrie Yao through Deborah Brockus’ Match Residency. Soon after the residency she joined Maura Townsend Dance Project. In addition to her work as a performer and educator, Amanda is exploring expression through poetry and writing. Guided by a deep hunger for knowledge and understanding, her creative work often delves into questions of the human experience and the state of the world.

Fellowship Project Description

Amanda is developing a poetry collection that weaves together movement, memory, and identity. Her poems explore her experience as a mixed-race artist, the complexities of trauma and healing, and the ways dance continues to shape her voice and sense of authenticity. 

Through themes of polyrhythm, unexpected movement, and creative lineage, Amanda’s work explores current cultural dynamics, and what it would mean to imagine a future rooted in awareness, care, empathy, and respect for the gifts and dignity of all people.

Photo Credit: Steve Disenof and Doug Kaye