BRONX, N.Y.: Kayla Hamilton has announced the creation of Circle O, a new organization created by and for Black disabled artists. The organization will operate in the areas of performance, education, and consultation.
“Circle O reimagines a dance world where Black disabled, and other multiply marginalized creatives, are central and every body is worthy of care,” Hamilton said in a statement. “In a world where there is no singular ‘right’ way to look, move, or be, who might you become? What might we build together?”
The Circle O performance wing will support the development and presentation of Hamilton’s work, including the upcoming premiere of How to Bend Down/How to Pick it Up at The Shed in August. Educational offerings will include the Crip Movement Lab, a methodology created by Hamilton and Elisabeth Motley; TEACHING Dance for Every Body, a training model for dance instructors to prioritize the inclusion of students across disabilities; Audio Description in Performance, a dive into the art of audio description; and K-12 Education to introduce educators to practices to support students across disabilities. Finally, the org’s consultation wing will work with organizations to offer analysis, strategy work, and implementation of Disability Arts programming and intersectional access practices.
“I worked with Kayla as a consultant and cannot overstate the positive impact of her work and expertise,” culture worker Emily Waters said in a statement. “I believe Kayla to be one of the most thoughtful and considered minds working in our field today and would recommend Circle O’s services to anyone seeking to center access and disability justice as part of their ongoing work.”
Hamilton, who will serve as Circle O’s artistic director, is a dancer, educator, and consultant who is also the co-director of Angela’s Pulse/Dancing While Black. Other members of the Circle O team will include Ellen Chenoweth, Vanessa Hernández Cruz, Joselia Hughes, Ziiomi Law, Shannon Meredith, Ita Segev, and Motley.
Circle O has released a short film about Hamilton’s journey from Texas and Arkansas to the Bronx and the creation of Circle O. Circle O is supported by the Bronx Council on the Arts, the Jerome Foundation’s Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, and the Mellon Foundation.
