Roxi Victorian (she/her/sis/ma/girl), who is a classically trained ballerina, Distinguished Professor of Dance at Southern University, and researcher who explores both dance as research methodology and the intersections of race and gender in the arts and education. 

Victorian's scholarship centers Black Womanist creative practices, Black girlhood studies, and the somatic gestural communications of Black girls. Theoretically, she swims in an ecology of feminisms, including Hip-hop feminism, Ratchet feminism, and others, as analytic tools that honor Black girlhoods. Drawing from her personal experiences and academic pursuits, Victorian weaves a narrative that underscores the significance of acknowledging and embracing the interconnectedness that binds life, purpose, and research. In this talk, she shares her unique methods and practices, revealing the symbiotic relationship between her roles as a researcher and a dance educator, while underscoring the importance of taking up space, and the idea that research is not isolated but rather intricately linked to the pulsating rhythm of existence. Through the lens of relational accountability, Victorian invites the audience to consider the ethical dimensions of research, emphasizing the responsibility researchers bear towards the communities and subjects they study. This captivating exploration provides a glimpse into the transformative power of research when grounded in a profound understanding of interconnectedness.