Efren Adkins did not make it to the floor at their middle school dance.
“I don’t dance. I don’t dance,” Adkins remembers saying. “I had a real disconnection with my body.”
Today, Adkins is both an arts teacher and a part of Chicago’s vibrant and diverse performance art scene. They’ve danced in Mexico, Russia and Japan, and they’re fully planted in the 60608 zip code.
In this episode, Adkins explains their evolution in self-expression and their journey to teaching youngsters about art in Chicago schools.
This episode)* was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series. *