About Kimberly Miguel Mullen

“To dance was at once to worship and to pray…the gods themselves danced, as the stars dance in the sky…To dance is to take part in the cosmic control of the world.” — Havelock Ellis, Dance of Life

About
Kimberly Miguel Mullen brings to the world of dance strength, humility, and natural grace augmented by extensive training and research in the US, the Caribbean, and Brazil. With a Master’s degree in dance from UCLA and international training experience, she makes a unique contribution to the field and spirit of dance ethnology. Her style embraces all genres of dance enabling her to work in both traditional and contemporary performance realms. Kimberly’s performance and choreography credits include concert, theater, film and television. The Los Angeles Times calls Mullen, “spectacularly supple,” owing to her comprehensive mastery of the dance discipline.

Artist Statement
To dance is more than executing steps. For me, dance is life. My love for dance is rooted in the process of training with Master teachers and traveling to the origins of the places where cultural dance forms persist. Dance is my vehicle for contributing to the preservation of culture and for celebrating the similarities and differences of our humanity. This is important to me because of my own mixed cultural heritage and the experiences my parents, grandparents, and ancestors endured to give me a better life. Dance found me as the result of my own longing for a creative and spiritual outlet to physically express the issues in my life to which I am dedicated. For the past 15 years, I have humbly immersed myself in the center of many dance communities in the US, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Transcending issues of race, politics, class, gender, age, language, etc – I have been witness to the joy, purpose, and abundance dance brings to the lives of the most modest communities. I am very gracious to my teachers who have gifted me with the knowledge and acknowledgement to perform and teach. It is through performance and instruction that I share the profound magic of dance in my life with others…

Education
Master of Arts in Dance, UCLA Department of World Arts and Culture
Bachelor of Arts in International Studies of Africa, Portland State University
Certificate, Black Studies

University Teaching
UCLA, Department of World Arts and Culture
Occidental College, Department of Theater and Dance
Cal State University Los Angeles, Department of Theater and Dance
Portland State University, Department of Black Studies

Youth Teaching
Los Angeles Public Library Young Adults Program
Segev and Sara’s Super Duper Arts Camp
Focus Fish Youth Outreach Program

Acacia Dance Fitness DVD Titles
Dance and Be Fit: Brazilian Body (Creator and Star)
Dance and Be Fit: Lower Body Burn (Creator and Star)
Dance and Be Fit: Abs Burn (Creator and Star)
Dance and Be Fit: Latin Groove (Choreographer and Talent)
Hemalayaa: Bollywood Dance Workout (Choreographer and Talent)
Hemalayaa: Bollywood Burn (Choreographer and Talent)
Hemalayaa: Beautiful Belly (Choreographer and Talent)
Hemalayaa: Bollywood Booty (Choreographer)

Dance Companies
Francisco Aguabella
The ABC Project
Viver Brasil Dance Company
El Grupo Folklorico Omo Ache Folkloric Dance Company
El Grupo Folklorico Olorun Folkloric Dance Company
Milagro Bailadores

Performance Venues
Town Hall (New York City), UCLA Fowler Museum, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The House Of Blues (Anaheim & Sunset Blvd), The John Ansen Ford Theater (Hollywood), The Hollywood Bowl (Summer Sounds), Highways Performance Space (Santa Monica), The Alex Theater (Glendale), Temple Bar (Santa Monica), The Conduit (Portland), Mission District Carnival (San Francisco), Wesleyan College (Connecticut), Bergamont Station (Santa Monica), Museum of Latin American Art (Long Beach), National Hispanic Cultural Center (Albuquerque), Lensic Performing Arts Center (Santa Fe), Taos Performing Arts Center (Taos), Lincoln Performing Arts Center (Ft. Collins), Memorial Union (Oregon), Villa Velha (Salvador, Bahia), etc

International Dance and Cultural Studies Research
International – Technica Silvestre (Bahia, Brasil) 2005 & 2006
Fundacao de Pierre Verger – Dona Cici (Bahia, Brasil) 2004 – 2008
CIRCE (San Juan, Puerto Rico) 2002 
El Conjunto Folclorico Raices Profundas (Havana, Cuba) 2000
El Conjunto Folclorico Nacional de Cuba (Havana, Cuba) 1998
Ajokeh Dance Company (Trinidad and Tobago) 1997 

Apprenticeships
Francisco Aguabella, Juan De Dios de Morejon, Rosangela Silvestre, Dona Cici, Jose Ricardo Souza Luiz Badaro, Teresita Dome Perez, Juan Carlos Blanco, Silfredo La’O Vigo, Susana Arenas Pedroso, Ramon Ramos Alayo, Candice Goucher, Kofi E. Agorsah, Catherine Evleshin, Halbert Barton, and Keith V. Goodman.

Consulting/Grant Writing
18th Street Arts Center
Viver Brasil Dance Company
Leonida Flipside Productions