An update on our MA Diasporic Dance Styles graduate - Kadeja Braun

I began my dance education at IRIE! Dance Theatre on the BA Diverse Dance Styles, where I loved exploring the cultural history and context behind each style. I was drawn to learning African and Caribbean dance alongside contemporary and urban practices, developing a versatile movement language that continues to evolve. During my third-year research project, I started shaping a practice that felt meaningful and aligned with my interest in holistic healing, which led me to continue this work on the MA Diasporic Dance Styles. 

Sharing my practice and how it developed through my research with peers and tutors has been a lasting memory of the MA. What began during my independent research project grew into a meaningful mode of learning I could never have imagined. Having the space to reflect, test ideas, and be witnessed in this process has been incredibly affirming. 

I admire how IRIE! feels like being part of a community. It is where I developed versatility, both in my movement and in my approach to dance itself. Dance became not only about performance, but also improvised, somatic, a mode of healing, a way to connect with others and the world around me. 

I am now working as a freelance dance artist, creating movement experiences that centre nature and holistic wellbeing. The MA has helped me grow my practice from being about individual healing to supporting the wellbeing of others and their connection to the world around them. I am currently exploring how my work can engage communities in environmental contexts, using movement to inspire care and connection with outdoor spaces.