Virtual dance festival from Seattle-area artists celebrates Indigenous and Black performing arts and culture

We may not be able to go out to dance performances this fall, but dance is still coming to us. “Reflections: What the Water Holds,” a virtual dance festival celebrating Indigenous and Black performing arts and culture, will stream on Thursday, Nov. 12. The five dances included, all from local artists, were filmed against the backdrop of the newly reopened Pier 62 on the Seattle waterfront. For each work, the artist considered this question: “If you could sum up 2020 with a dance, what would it be?”

The participating artists are Cipher Goings, a 19-year-old dancer and instructor with Northwest Tap Connection; Nia-Amina Minor, a dancer/choreographer currently with Spectrum Dance Theater; multidisciplinary artist Kimisha Turner, a Cornish College of the Arts graduate who has recently collaborated with Seattle Art Museum, Northwest African American Museum, Pratt Fine Arts and Seattle Theatre Group; the Muckleshoot Canoe Family, which represents a revitalization of Coast Salish culture in the Muckleshoot community, specifically tied to ocean journeys; and Mackenzie Neusiok (Coharie), a choreographer, dancer, actress, and musical theater artist based in Coast Salish territory.

Presented by Seattle Public Library, Friends of Waterfront Seattle, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and Seattle Art Museum, “Reflections” is free to view, though RSVP’ing on the event’s Facebook page is recommended. The festival, which will also include artist interviews and discussion, will stream at 6 p.m. on Nov. 12, on Facebook and YouTube; links will be posted on Facebook and at Seattle Public Library’s website. For those unable to view the Nov. 12 stream, links will be posted in December.