When Jade Charon Robertson was preparing to move to Los Angeles to study in the M.F.A program in the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance (WACD), prominent examples of police brutality including the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, and others came under close public scrutiny. As she began her studies at UCLA, she was inspired to create work that brought awareness to social issues. Inspired by the Black Arts Movement, Jade believes that as an artist in our current climate, her work must be functional in order to be beautiful. For the past three years, she has been creating choreographic studies around Black Lives Matter and black social issues, including her thesis project, which she presented at UCLA in 2018.
In addition to developing her research and artistic practice at UCLA, Jade has founded a mentorship program for young girls of color, produced a dance festival for women of color to showcase their artistic projects, and created an inclusive and affordable line of dance clothing. she also worked with students in the Watts-Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club in a variety of contexts, including a dance film that garnered attention from the New York Times.
An artist, choreographer, dancer, mentor, scholar, and entrepreneur, Jade’s experience at UCLA has been one of transformation and growth. This spring, before a rehearsal for her thesis presentation, she spoke with UCLA Arts about her experiences over the past three years. Read more…