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Race Unwrapped

Race Unwrapped

'I see my work as insistence.' amara tabor-smith reframes the concept of protest art

Jun 24, 2026 · 37 min · 13 segments

While her work is often rooted in choreography and movement, amara tabor-smith calls herself a performance maker. She’s the founder of Deep Waters Dance Theater and an educator at Stanford University…

While her work is often rooted in choreography and movement, amara tabor-smith calls herself a performance maker. She’s the founder of Deep Waters Dance Theater and an educator at Stanford University, where she teaches not just dance, but a very sought-after class called Conjure Art 101: Performances of Ritual, Spirituality and Decolonial Black Feminist Magic. Amara challenged us to reframe our entire thinking about art and protest, by moving from resistance to *insistence*. “Protest… still centers what you’re protesting against,” she points out. “How do we recenter our awareness on what it is that we are wanting to affirm and insist upon?” She also shared her belief in art as a spiritual practice that can shift vibrations around real-world issues, and we talked about cultivating joy, even while we grieve. Learn more about amara tabor-smith at deepwatersdance.com. *This season of Race Unwrapped is supported by the* Kentucky Center for African American Heritage*, and by our listeners.* Click here *to help make this work possible (and we'll send you a sticker)!*

While her work is often rooted in choreography and movement, amara tabor-smith calls herself a performance maker. She’s the founder of Deep Waters Dance Theater and an educator at Stanford University…

Speakers: Amara Tabor-SmithGuestMichelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

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Amara’s Artistic Background & Identity1:18 – 3:09

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

1:18

I've been reading all about you, and man, you do some interesting work.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:22

[laughs]

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

1:23

Could you tell me a little bit about w- uh, where you work? You're an, an artist and a teacher.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:30

I just wanna say thank you for this invitation, uh, to be in conversation with you.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:35

Um, I teach at Stanford University.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:39

I'm based in Oakland, California, and, uh, m- my teaching at Stanford also supports my artistic practice.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:52

Um, and I usually am rehearsing and doing my offerings, performance offerings in the Bay in Oakland.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

2:03

I love that you identify as a performance maker.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:07

Mm-hmm.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

2:07

What does that mean to you?

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:10

Well, when I use, uh, that term performance maker, it...

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:14

I feel like it's, it encompasses the range and scope of the work I do.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:20

I am a choreographer and dance maker, um, but I also am very interdisciplinary in my practice.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:31

It's, it's also theater.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:33

It's also installation.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:36

And so I feel like saying a performance maker actually allows for the all-encompassing of my work so that I am not, um, being perceived just as a dance maker.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:51

But, you know, it's very theatrical what I do as well.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

2:55

Well, it's funny because that is exactly what, what sort of drew me to you when someone had recommended you, and it, it's...

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:02

I'm a, I'm a theater maker myself-

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

3:05

Mm-hmm

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:05

...

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:05

so no dance involved in anything I do.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:08

[laughs] Um, but I, I...

Social IssuesSociety
Society
Performing ArtsArts
Protest MusicMusic
Artistic CollaborationCulture > Community Engagement
Performance ArtArts > Performing Arts > Theater
TheaterArts > Performing Arts
Racial IssuesSociety > Social Issues > Gender Issues
Community EngagementCulture
Gender IssuesSociety > Social Issues
Art EducationEducation > Higher Education > University Teaching
Site-Specific PerformanceArts > Performing Arts > Theater > Performance Art
University TeachingEducation > Higher Education
Education
Music
Culture
Interdisciplinary StudiesEducation > Higher Education > University Teaching > Art Education
Black Women EmpowermentSociety > Social Issues > Gender Issues > Racial Issues
Ritual PracticesCulture > Community Engagement > Artistic Collaboration
Cultural AppropriationCulture > Community Engagement > Artistic Collaboration > Ritual Practices
Spiritual MusicMusic > Protest Music
Cultural HeritageMusic > Protest Music > Spiritual Music
Community SongsMusic > Protest Music > Spiritual Music > Cultural Heritage
Arts
Higher EducationEducation

Amara’s Artistic Background & Identity1:18 – 3:09

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

1:18

I've been reading all about you, and man, you do some interesting work.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:22

[laughs]

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

1:23

Could you tell me a little bit about w- uh, where you work? You're an, an artist and a teacher.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:30

I just wanna say thank you for this invitation, uh, to be in conversation with you.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:35

Um, I teach at Stanford University.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:39

I'm based in Oakland, California, and, uh, m- my teaching at Stanford also supports my artistic practice.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

1:52

Um, and I usually am rehearsing and doing my offerings, performance offerings in the Bay in Oakland.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

2:03

I love that you identify as a performance maker.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:07

Mm-hmm.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

2:07

What does that mean to you?

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:10

Well, when I use, uh, that term performance maker, it...

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:14

I feel like it's, it encompasses the range and scope of the work I do.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:20

I am a choreographer and dance maker, um, but I also am very interdisciplinary in my practice.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:31

It's, it's also theater.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:33

It's also installation.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:36

And so I feel like saying a performance maker actually allows for the all-encompassing of my work so that I am not, um, being perceived just as a dance maker.

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

2:51

But, you know, it's very theatrical what I do as well.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

2:55

Well, it's funny because that is exactly what, what sort of drew me to you when someone had recommended you, and it, it's...

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:02

I'm a, I'm a theater maker myself-

Amara Tabor-SmithGuest

3:05

Mm-hmm

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:05

...

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:05

so no dance involved in anything I do.

Michelle Tyreen JohnsonHost

3:08

[laughs] Um, but I, I...

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