How Artists Work, Now
The Dance Program hosted two public conversations on art and healthcare, November 8 & 9, 2022.
The first panel discussed dance, health and the military, spotlighting the collaborative complexities at play in building participatory arts programs in US and Australian military mental health contexts.
Christine Suárez is a choreographer, performer, educator and community activist based in Los Angeles. Born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she founded Suarez Dance Theater in 2003. She and collaborators create at the intersection of collaborative dance-making and community outreach. Her work has been seen in theaters, parks, classrooms, houses and hospitals and toured nationally and internationally. She has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Santa Monica Cultural Affairs, Flourish Foundation and Foundation for Contemporary Arts. She is co-creator of Dance for Veterans - a program that builds creative expression, social cohesion and bodily authority at the Greater Los Angeles VA Hospitals. Now in its 12th year, she is fortunate to continue to serve veterans in a wide range of primarily mental health programs. Her work with veterans would not be possible without support from the California Arts Council and the Artists in Residence Program at the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. She holds an MFA in choreography from UCLA's World Arts and Cultures/Dance Department and a BA in Theater and English from Emory University. She is a founding member of the Pieter board of directors and served as board chair from 2018-20.
Dance Program