Leila Mire (she/her/hers) is a choreographer, dancer, researcher, curator, community organizer, educator, and writer. She is currently studying to receive her PhD in Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley where she researches how dance is co-opted, appropriated, and performed for imperial interests, particularly as it pertains to Palestine and its occupation. Mire also has an MA in Performance Studies from NYU Tisch and a BFA in Dance Performance from George Mason University. She has performed with various dance companies and has created solo work supported through a number of grants and fellowships such as Aseemkala Fellowship and the Young Alumni Commissioning Grant. She has been featured in publications like the New York Times and Washington Post and done public scholarship with groups like the Dance Union and Dancer’s Group. Currently she dances with Al-Juthoor, a dabke troupe in Oakland, CA, organizes with Students for Justice in Palestine and the Arab Resources and Organizing Center, is a Palestine Solidarity Organizing Fellow through the Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Vivan Las Autonomas, and Potency, and is this year’s recipient of the Michael Mansfield and Randy Sweringen Social Justice Award for Artistic Excellence in Creating a More Equitable and Inclusive World. For more information on her work or to get in touch, feel free to reach out via leilamiredance.com or @leila.posts on instagram.
