Daily Inspiration: Meet Justice Miles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justice Miles.

Hi Justice, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In high school I took a flamenco class and was really interested in learning more, I remember I was 17 years old and my father encouraged me to try studying modern dance and ballet since I loved to dance so much but was hesitant because there was a lot of people who think all dancers of all styles start at 3 years old, although many dancers start at many different ages and there are many styles of dance. Little did I know at that 17 years old just how diverse the dance field is and that there are many styles of dance and dancers come in all ages, sizes, colors of the rainbow, and more.

I tried my father’s suggestion and really felt passionate about dance so I got a BA in Dance and immediately went into an MFA in Choreography/Dance where I studied flamenco with guest artists from Spain and contemporary dance. The more I learned about dance history I learned so many dancers have a unique start and there are so many styles and dancers of all ages, shapes, sizes, sexual orientations, with illnesses and different abilities , and more.

There are many styles and icons in the dance field that have super interesting styles and stories on how they got into dance. I wish I had known how diverse dance was when I first started and so now as a visiting professor of dance, I try to expose my students to diverse choreographers and dancers that exist in the world.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Dance is very challenging, there are so many styles and it’s a process of learning and growing, there’s always something new to learn, discover, or rediscover. In my lifetime, I’ve been in the room with contemporary dancers learning floor work patterns and also had to learn Spanish in order to learn for example Alegrias from different flamenco artists from Spain.

I feel like each style of dance has its unique challenges and beauty. But I think the best advice I can give to someone in the arts or dance is to listen to your heart’s voice and your body’s voice as well. There will be nay-sayers, the arts are a difficult field but do it because you love it and do it because you want to communicate something true to you. I think if you center yourself spiritually, things will start to fall into place.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think one thing that is unique about me is I’m a biracial African American/Norwegian American choreographer/dancer who creates work experimenting with elements of flamenco and contemporary dance. I am an advocate for other black artists who love flamenco globally around the world and with the current research in the field of dance in the US and in Spain there’s much more visibilization around blackness in flamenco, which has historically been invisibilized. I also think there’s more visibilization of blackness in the arts and history as well.

I’ve also published an article on Carmen Amaya and Josephine Baker on hybrid-gendered performance in their careers. I would say themes around my choreographic and scholarly work are hybridity, blackness, flamenco and contemporary dance, and nature.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
So many mentors, so many friends, and so many teachers and professors have helped me along the path I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me in my journey but I’d also love to thank my family as well. And I’d like to thank my late father who was an international jazz musician and music professor who recently passed away because he was and still is my guiding light and rainbow in my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://justicemiles.wixsite.com/choreo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justice.miles/

Image Credits
Amanda Tipton Photography and Nir Arieli