T H E S T O R Y O F Y O U R F A C E
W I T H E X P R E S S I O N W I T H O U T
M A N Y W O R D S

Applying tactile touch to facial muscles evolves into a dance of exploring facial expressions using this as a form of communication. The dance is made up of dynamic connections of different styles of communicating; including touch, conversation, and shapes the dancers find while slabbed up against each other creating moving masses and different dancing forms. 

Created by: Elle Erdman
For: First Drafts series at Human Resources Gallery
Dancers & Co-Creators: Kendra Adler, Laura Bartczak, Elle Erdman

M Y O P I A

Developed by Kendra Adler, Myopia is a somatic exploration where dancers use improvisational movement to engage with natural materials and historical narratives, uncovering the myopic perspectives embedded in colonial histories. Centered on the palm tree—a symbol of Los Angeles’ colonial facade—this work examines its displacement from the sacred and its journey back to authenticity, mirroring our own masks and migratory paths. By peeling back layers of facade, dancers honor the palm’s story as an echo of ancestral trauma, exploring themes of resilience, healing, and belonging in non-native landscapes. Through this shared movement, we uncover pathways to collective transformation and connection.

Created by: Kendra Adler
For: Ecology of the Edge at Human Resources Gallery curated by
Paige Emery
Dancers: Kendra Adler, Josie Jay (divinebrick), Phoenix Losavio
Visual Score: Kendra Adler
Press: Artillery Mag

W A T E R S P E A K

Water Speak is a "Word As Movement" offering of remembrance to water’s capacity to hold and the power of language to transform. Embraced by a melodic waterscape, dancers explore the energetic relationship between word, water, sound and the creative process; improvising movement to words and phrases uncovered by collective inquiry: Out Of Control - Starved - Wound - Termination - Illumination - Patience - Pleasure - Winged. Water Speak is inspired by the research of Masaru Emoto.

Created by: Kendra Adler
For: SOMA Arts Festival at Performance Highways
Dancers: Kendra Adler, Sandra Orellana Sears, Kaley Isabella
Visual Score: Kendra Adler
Audio Score: Jean-Paul Jenkins