Consulting
Equity Statement
Throughout my dance practice & engagement with audiences & collaborators; I am continuously working through the Disability Justice Framework (Sins Invalid). This framework has allowed me to expand my worldview and amplify our multi-marginalized communities in dance & beyond. This takes form in numerous ways that includes providing & advocating for accessibility, working on dismantling internalized systems of oppression that are rooted in white supremacy, disrupting privileged spaces to uplift other voices, etc.
I am continuously learning from our Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Disabled & 2SLGBTQIA+ communities to better support them through my dance and activism work. When I acknowledge the stolen lands of our Indigenous communities, it is my way of showing solidarity and to disrupt privileged spaces. I am open to being called in and working towards true equity in our dance field and beyond.
Current & Past Work
Vanessa has been implementing the Disability Justice framework (Sins Invalid) through her activism & dance work. She is currently working with DANC (Dance Artists’ National Collective) as their Communications & Social Media Co-Coordinator. She also serves as a consultant in their BIPOC & Disabled Circle. She is also working as an Accessibility Advisor for HomeLA.
In the past, she guided Cal State Long Beach Department of Dance to adopt Disability Justice elements into their dance productions and curriculum with the support of CSULB Affinity AIDE (Advocates for Inclusion & Dancer Equity). She has developed two workshops: Dismantling Ableism in Dance & Accessibility at the Forefront of Dance Making Series. In addition she offers accessibility consulting to individuals & a variety of arts organizations.
Vanessa is committed to generating substantial changes in the dance field and making the dance field an equitable space for our multi-marginalized disabled communities.
Services
Disability Justice & Accessibility Consulting
Vanessa has been implementing the Disability Justice framework in her artistry & activism! She has worked with individuals, dance organizations, & institutions to help further their Disability inclusion.
*Rates Starting at $500+
Sliding Scale options are available for small organizations & for individuals.
Workshops
Vanessa has developed two workshops that addresses ways in which we can further support our Disabled communities & Disabled dance artists in our equity efforts and dance making journey.
Accessibility at the Forefront of Dance making Series: Audio Description & Closed Captioning
Making our dance work accessible for our disability community is a pathway towards creating an equitable dance performance experience! In this workshop we will explore Audio Description and ways we can begin crafting our own AD in our artistic practice.
Introductory Discussion: Duration 1 hr
Deeper Discussion: Duration 1.5-2 hr
Dismantling Ableism in Dance Series Workshop
Through an intersectional Disability Justice lens, we will learn & investigate how ableism is deeply embedded in dance education and in our dance practices. This workshop will provide educational information along with interactive prompts that will help ignite the process of dismantling our biases and internalized ableism in our dance practices.
Introductory Discussion: Duration 1 hr
Deeper Discussion: Duration 1.5-2 hr
*Rates Starting at $600+
Sliding Scale options are available for small organizations & for individuals.
Audio Description
Need an Audio Describer? Vanessa has been creating and crafting audio description that is invigorating & exciting for those who use audio description. She weaves storytelling and textures into the AD to ensure that what's being described is engaging for the audience and that it honors the artist's message/intention.
*Starting rates may vary on length & turn around time
Sliding Scale options are available for small organizations & for individuals.