{"id":4607,"date":"2023-07-31T17:19:23","date_gmt":"2023-07-31T21:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.goucher.edu\/magazine\/?p=4607"},"modified":"2025-07-23T16:04:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T20:04:04","slug":"victoria-awkward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.goucher.edu\/magazine\/victoria-awkward\/","title":{"rendered":"Victoria Awkward \u201918"},"content":{"rendered":"

W<\/span>hen Victoria Awkward \u201918<\/strong><\/span> heard that WBUR, a public radio station in Boston, named her on their \u201cMakers\u201d list as one of the artists of color making a difference in Boston, she was honored. The greatest element, she says, \u201cwas just meeting the other artists they selected, being reminded that I\u2019m not alone in the work I\u2019m in. It\u2019s important for other Boston residents to see that we\u2019re here, especially that BIPOC artists are here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sustaining a healthy community has always been Awkward\u2019s mission. When she founded her dance company\u2014VLA Dance\u2014in 2019, it was to promote inclusion for all. Those merits are championed in her company, with specific references to collaborating with racially diverse artists, respecting body image and gender fluidity, and utilizing ethical practices. Encouraging inclusion highlights how dance is not only a skill but a rejuvenation. \u201cI really think dance is a form of liberation, especially for queer and BIPOC bodies,\u201d Awkward says. \u201cIt\u2019s a really good way to embody the emotions that you\u2019re feeling and to claim your space. What I\u2019m doing in dance now is really a tool to inspire people to find their own liberation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her journey with dance began when Awkward was 13 and participated in musical theater. She later pursued an honors interdisciplinary degree in dance, visual arts, and secondary education at Goucher. Her mentors trained her thoroughly, with the fluidity of contemporary dance challenging and inspiring her the most. \u201cIn college, I had many moments thinking maybe this isn\u2019t the right choice. But I have to point to my mentors and all the teachers within the program who really informed my technique. [They] showed me other paths to being a dancer, like being a choreographer, which is mainly what I do now,\u201d states Awkward. Taking a dance certificate program while studying abroad in Italy reaffirmed her love for the freedom of improvisation in contemporary dance.<\/p>\n

Now, she\u2019s happy to instruct young and adult dancers to embrace their bodies, their diverging passions, and the community around them. If a young artist ever has doubt, Awkward tells them to give themselves grace: \u201cJust know that your path is not really going to look like the people\u2019s next to you, and, to the best of your ability, don\u2019t judge what that is,\u201d she says. \u201cAlso know that being a professional dancer is what you make it.\u201d In following her own winding path, Awkward now participates in the teaching organization Midday Movement Series and runs VLA Dance. She\u2019s also an advocate for equitable payment for artists and ensures financial sustainability and transparency for dancers in her community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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