Arts Activism
I feel there are many opportunities to bring people together. Our society is ever evolving and shifting- my passion and commitment for bringing our communities together through the arts and education is my way to cope and respond in a positive way. The arts provide an outlet to engage our feelings and feed our spirit. An important part of my mission as an artist is to bring people and communities together as we explore the human condition through movement.
I partner with grassroots organizations who work tirelessly to make our communities a better place by providing services that directly help various populations of people. I find inspiration from these people and research 'why' these organizations exist and 'who' they serve as I create a response through movement.
Over the years, my practice has evolved by including explorations of how innate human traits and behavior can inform choreography by providing images, ideas, emotion, and facts that are then used to set conditions to provide a framework to create within. This allows an overarching theme to develop for the topic of my work as I comment on social issues through dance. I have collaborated with organizations and artists as I have created work that has addressed issues such as domestic violence, water quality, civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Syria, Mexican immigration, youth homelessness, sex trafficking, gun violence, and mental health. These challenging themes become a catalyst for research, response, and conversation as I work side by side with dancers and members of the community as we raise awareness to promote social change.
Collaborations
I value the expressions that other genres of art can bring into existence. As a choreographer, I strive to bridge the gap between art forms by collaborating with local artists to create deep, meaningful work that moves our audiences.
I have fostered collaborations with painters, installation artists, sculptors, videographers, photographers, fashion designers, and composers to provide opportunities for creating original work that challenges viewers as we work to expand our reach within the community and beyond.
"Working with Danielle was a pleasure. She took the time to learn about us and how we approach the problem of youth homelessness, then crafted a moving performance that really got to the heart of the loneliness and fear faced by youth on the streets."
Craig Freeman, Community Engagement Manager: Avenues for Homeless Youth
“My first collaboration with Danielle Ricci was performed in April 2015. The performance created for Recovery Chair was effectual beyond my wildest expectations. I hope that Social Practice collaborations across art forms and social service organizations will be the wave of the future. The dancers were informed through interviews with family members, community members and the The Retreat, a recovery center in Minneapolis." Artist, Dr. Barbara Bridges
Found in the Water (2015) Collaboration with Visual Artist, Dr. Barbara Bridges
El Camino que Queda por Delante (2014)
“The Road Ahead”
Collaboration with Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
Threads of My Cloth: A Hmong Refugee's Journey to Freedom (MFA Thesis Research and Tour)
Collaboration with members of the Hmong community in the Twin Cities