“Nothing to prove, only to share.”
As I walk up to our meeting place, I am greeted on the sidewalk with a warm and welcome smile and wave from Paige. We made our way into The Rooted Space as we chatted. Our conversation flowed as Paige warmed up her body so she could be ready to move for my camera. As a dancer with scoliosis, she takes this step very seriously and focuses on what her body needs. Paige’s warmup and movements are very deliberate and intricate to ensure safe movement and full mobility for her body. She takes pride in her movement, and I could watch her dance and explore shapes with her body for hours.
Currently, Paige is performing in The Lion King on Broadway, which has just started back up again. Her training and professional experience is extensive and includes, The Ballet Academy in Westchester, The Alvin Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Rock School, Juilliard, Complexions, Visceral Dance Chicago and Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre. As a dancer and scoliosis advocate, Paige is the cofounder of The Paige Fraser Foundation. The mission of this foundation is to create a safe space for artists with or without disabilities. They are creating amazing opportunities for dancers and have a goal of establishing a Performance Arts and Wellness Center, a safe space for inner-city youths to study and practice dance, theater, music, visual arts, and wellness. The foundation continues to offer many amazing opportunities to the community, and Paige is proud of the work being done by her foundation, as she should be.
Something I love to ask dancers is “How is dance a part of your life and what boundaries have or do you face as a dancer?” Paige responded with “Dance has been with me through each phase of my life. It is where I feel safe to explore new things and overcome my challenges. Dance is a healing space for me, and I use movement to express how I feel. Having scoliosis creates many limitations. However, I have worked very hard to overcome this challenge! In addition, being a black female dancer has also presented certain challenges. What keeps me going is the strength to continuously embrace who I am and what I represent. People may make you feel like something is wrong with you or that you may not be what they’re looking for. The arts is incredibly subjective. I always remind myself that where I’m supposed to be, will always happen when it should.”
I am grateful for the time Paige spent with me as we shared space and a passion for dance and movement, while creating beautiful images to tell her story. For more information on The Paige Fraser Foundation, follow these links to their Facebook and Instagram.
If you know someone who should be featured in #danceknowsnoboundaries please send me an email at movementinmotionphotography@gmail.com.
