Storytellers, caregivers, world creators, and narrative disruptors, Black Femme (Femme, Women, Non-Binary) dancers hold unique perspectives on our culture. Harnessing our Gardens is a collection of essays, poems, and conversations with Black Femme movement artists that archive the necessity, impact, and journey of these artists.

Here we provide space for Black Femme movement artists to contemplate and consider a portion of their story, within their own voice, archive Black dance lineage within Massachusetts, and encourage our communities to engage with dance as a liberating activity.

The world denies Black Femmes our right to simply, be, and yet our persistence and contributions in the face of this erasure are astounding. I question what it means to reveal truths, rather than swallow pain.

I wonder how to protect our sacred beauty while showcasing our complexity. This work is heavily inspired by choreographers like Ntozake Shange who effortlessly bridged dance and writing. The project’s namesake is an ode to one of my favorite poets, Alice Walker. As I re-read Walker’s essay “In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens” I felt a deep sensation that the questions I ask through this project have been pondered by my ancestors. Walker writes, “Guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength, in search of my mother's garden, I found my own.” How far deep do our roots grow? How far forward will our legacies bloom?

Harnessing our Gardens was conceived, written, and edited by Victoria Lynn Awkward with contributions from Sarah “Nnenna Loveth” Nwafor and illustrations by Katiana Rodriguez-Veytsman. This project is funded by Mass Humanities: Expand Massachusetts Stories.

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Joanne
"Mrs. JoJo"
Caidor

Laila J. Franklin

Annalise
“River”
Guidry

Adrienne Hawkins

Sarah
“Nnenna Loveth”
Nwafor

Isaura Oliveira

Jenny Oliver

Ellice Patterson

Nailah
Randall-Bellinger

Lilly Rose Valore

Jessica Roseman

Saturn

Von

Makeda Wallace

Ella Wechsler-Matthaei

Pearl Young

Interviews With:

"Victoria’s work here is an incredibly moving and in-depth exploration of community, movement, self-love, and how to honor their ... dance community ... with great care, curiosity and intention. My favorite parts were the moments that Awkward brought us into her own practice, like in her essay, The Uses of Dance: “ The deeper I let this authentic dance into my heart, the more I honor my own body. The more I honor my body, the harder it becomes to be complacent within violent systems that exist outside of my body. “ Truly an extension of Audre Lorde’s work on the power of the erotic, Awkward’s masterful collection of interviews is a must-read for artists looking for inspiration, wisdom, and joy."

- Devon Gates Musician, Writer

Victoria Lynn Awkward (she/her) is a multidisciplinary creator, educator, producer, and the Director of VLA DANCE. She pursued her multiple interests at Goucher College and graduated with high honors in Dance, Visual Art and Secondary Education. As the Director of VLA DANCE she is currently directing projects: “For Nina” - a multidisciplinary show celebrating the lineage of Nina Simone, “In The Space Between” - a production where dance, textile, and audio brings audiences into a world of queer imagination, and “Harnessing our Gardens” - a book celebrating the stories of Black femme movement artists. Notably, Victoria is a Brother Thomas Fellow as well as a recipient of the Queer (Re)public Theater Offensive Residency. Additionally, Victoria is a producer of Performance and Live Art for the Museum of Modern Art, NYC.