Millie Heckler: Dancer for Social Justice

The UH Dance program welcomes Millie Heckler, a professional dancer, choreographer and videographer, to campus for a mini-residency that culminates with a presentation entitled "Dancer for Social Justice." The lecture/demonstration is free and open to the public.

About the Artist
Originally from Vermont, Millie Heckler toured with Street Dance Theater pioneer Rennie Harris, both nationally and internationally, assisting Harris in the creation of legendary dance choreographies for world-renowned companies, pedestaling and preserving legacies of African-American and Latinx cultural movement traditions. Heckler received an M.F.A. in dance and social justice at UT Austin, and currently dances for the acclaimed afro-contemporary company Charles O. Anderson/dance theater X. Heckler's artistic work centers community outreach, multi-disciplinary performance, collaborative art making and facilitation, and equitable community dialogue. Outside the university, she has received recognition for winning the KRW Project: The Rounds Colorado dance battle and the Urban Renewal All-Styles Battle NYC. Also known as SoulFunktion, she facilitates public dance jams and classes throughout the city of Austin with an intention to create safe spaces for anyone interested in uniting through music, dance and self-expression. SoulFunktion core values include creativity, individuality, innovation, social equity, inclusivity, relentless self-progression and the pursuit of fearlessness. She is also a videographer, documentarian, singer/songwriter and actress. She will be premiering an original evening-length dance work, alongside her first music album and innovative videography in the spring of 2020. Her solo projects have been commissioned throughout the state of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, New York, Vermont and Massachusetts.