MSP 199: Balancing Dance and Academia with Bhumi B Patel

Dance is a beautiful medium to honor the past while building community in the present. Today, we are joined by Bhumi B Patel of Patel Dance Works to discuss her distinguished career. In this episode, you'll hear all about Bhumi's life, her creative interests, her college education at a women's liberal arts institution, her love for constant learning and education, and so much more! We delve into her MFA experience and working through injury before discussing her dissertation on how queer of color performance is informed by improvisational practice and the 'ghosts' of the past. She even tells us about getting her Ph.D. during COVID, what her research was about, and how she managed to finish it in just four years. Lastly, Bhumi tells us how she plans on expanding her dissertation work into a book and what else we can expect from her in the future. From her master's thesis encompassing the upheaval after World War Two, to her deep love for dance writing, Bhumi's talents, interests, and achievements are fascinating! This is a conversation you don't want to miss, so be sure to tune in now!  Key Points From This Episode: Introducing Bhumi Patel to the show.  How she became interested in dance, and why she chose a women's college.  What inspired Bhumi to pursue a career in dance during her undergrad.  Bhumi tells us about her master's thesis on Anna Sokolow's Rooms.  What kept drawing Bhumi back into an academic setting.  Bhumi's experience doing her MFA at Mills College and her focus on grief.  Her dissertation on how queer of color performance is informed by improvisation.  How she advocated for change through writing and starting her dance company.  Bhumi tells us about the content of her Ph.D. and her determination to finish it fast.  What she plans to do with her research and her plans for the future. For more on this podcast episode: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast Connect with us on Facebook & Instagram