Intro: Making Purple Lemonade

At this point in my artistic development, I am more concerned with being an artist with a holistic advent, than a dancer from solely a commercial approach.

Dance as an art form will always be an appliance in my creative repertoire. However, I have come to the realization that exclusively operating within the confines of the dance community leaves me feeling quite limited in my options; I want to do more. I want inspiration without reservation, to create without limits and most of all, love without fear. For me, that means laying the foundation for a platform to fully express myself and share my vision.

A new outlet spawned as a result of my first dance home; Westlake Dance Center, closing its space. I can only describe the events leading up to this as a complete metamorphosis in my artistic vision; as one door closed, another chamber of my creativity opened. The closing of the studio would prove to be the catalyst for a journey towards self-discovery, and I was fortunate enough to have had my friend, Ryan Kam, document this exact moment for me. The original, sole intention of this footage was to add to a series for a grant submission, and in turn, lead to the birth of The Purple Lemonade Collective. This weekend we will debut The Purple Lemonade to the world, and I’d like share with you a glimpse of the moments that lead us to this point.