Millie Heckler is an interdisciplinary artist who merges movement, voice and original music to tell stories of rage, sensuality and forgiveness. Her practice lies in unlocking voices of the body. Through a practice of (re)opening embodied instruments—such as movement, vocalization, storytelling and imagination—she leans into self-remembrance: What am I capable of creating?
Heckler holds an MFA in Dance and Social Justice from University of Texas Austin and a BFA in Dance from University of Colorado Boulder. Her work has been supported by Vermont Arts Council, Cultural Arts Funding Program in Texas, New York Live Arts and Vermont Dance Alliance, among others. Heckler is co-founder of the Vermont-based interdisciplinary female collective, lunch, exploring multiple shades of intimacy. She is also co-founder of the Austin-based Yes Body dance and music event dedicated to relentless self-progression and the pursuit of fearlessness. Her dance-for-camera project Pink Booth Confessions deals with the complexities of sexual harm and healing and has received international recognition. Heckler has worked as a Lecturer in Dance at University of Vermont and University of Texas, as well as many other universities, schools and studios nationally and abroad. She danced for Charles O. Anderson/dance theater X and was a principal dancer for Rennie Harris Grass Roots Project.
Heckler uses art as a catalyst for claiming the sensuality of her authentic experience and as an instrument for building community.
Millie will be presenting an excerpt of “Subtle Rage” a multidisciplinary performance piece that merges dance, voice and original music to tell stories of rage, sensuality and forgiveness. This work asks: In what ways—subtle and obvious—does rage take shape in your body and life? How can we move with rage in a way that transforms its destructive impact into weapons of mass creation?
With a haunting, original soundtrack, soulful vocals, and the expertise of six eclectic performers, “Subtle Rage” takes shape as a funeral, putting to rest victim identities and offering embodied tools for healing and dealing with a rage-inducing world.