Harnessing our Gardens

In Harnessing our Gardens, Victoria Lynn Awkward gathers stories of resilience, pleasure, joy, and love through the lens of Black Femme -- women, trans, non-binary -- movement artists. The collective message celebrates dance as a space to combat the harshness of this world. Poems, essays, and interviews with 17 artists answer some of the most pressing questions we are facing in 2026: How do we continue forward in the face of violence, how do we create and maintain a belonging, and how we lead with the understanding that the earth's abundance is not reserved for a few but is the inherent right of us all. ​Harnessing our Gardens has contributions from Sarah "Nnenna Loveth" Nwafor and illustrations by Katiana Rodriguez. ​​

Harnessing our Gardens features interviews with Joanne "Mrs. JoJo" Caidor, Laila J. Franklin, Annalise "River" Guidry, Adrienne Hawkins, Sarah "Nnenna Loveth" Nwafor, Isaura Oliveira, Jenny Oliver, Ellice Patterson, Nailah Randall-Bellinger, Lilly Rose Valore, Jessica Roseman, Saturn, Von, Makeda Wallace, Ella Wechsler-Matthaei, Pearl Young, and additional artists whose insights echo throughout its pages.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Vla Dance
Published: 06/01/2026
ISBN: 9798240901300
Pages: 298
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.81d