Maura García
Maura García (non-enrolled Cherokee/Mattamuskeet) is an award-winning Dancer specializing in Performance, Dance-making and Facilitation. Recognized as a 2025 Finalist for the Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists program, Maura inspires people to liberate themselves through vibrant performances that channel the sensual rhythms of the natural world. She has toured throughout the United States, Canada and Australia, sharing her dance in theaters, nightclubs, museums, Urban Indian Organizations, universities, private events, and site-specific outdoor performances. Maura's artistic vision is to heal by making more space for joy in the world.
Mixed Media
- Medium
- Dance
- Style
- Choreography | Conga | Contemporary | Contemporary Indigenous Performance | Cuban Folkloric (Orisha, Palo) | Go-go Dancer | Hype Dancer | Footwork | Freestyle | Improvisation | Modern | North & South American Indigenous Social Dances (multiple) | Ori Tahi
- Exhibitions
- Maura García (non-enrolled Cherokee/Mattamuskeet) is a dancer, dancemaker, facilitator, and thought leader. She inspires people to liberate themselves through vibrant performances that channel the sensual rhythms of the natural world. From theater stages, to nightclubs, to museums, to conferences, to universities, to private events, to site-specific outdoor performances, Maura’s powerful work transforms time and space. At the root of all of her endeavors is the desire to heal and create more space for joy in the world. Maura collaborates with Indigenous and POC artists to direct multi-media dance performances featuring storytelling through movement, original music scores, and new and ancient technologies. Creations take the form of site-responsive commissions, touring theater work and longer-term community arts projects. Her narrative driven work uncovers stories hidden by colonialism and unleashes the power they have to change our realities. As a human and as a creator, Maura works to uplift Indigenous cultural values, perpetuate ancestral knowledge and actively respect the living earth. Maura is an international touring artist and shares her work with the world via specially-designed commissions, repertoire performances, multi-day residencies and longer-term community programs. Her performances have been presented throughout North America, notably at: Denison University (OH, USA) La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (NY, USA) Movement Research at Judson Church (NY, USA) Performance Space NYC (NY, USA) The Dance Centre (BC, Canada) Woodland Cultural Centre (ON, Canada) the ArtsCenter (NC), Kansas City Repertory Theater (MO), Lawrence Arts Center (KS), Links Hall (IL), New York Theater Workshop (NY), Rhythmically Speaking Festival (MN), Talking Stick Festival (BC, Canada), Unedited Series (SC) and the Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival (ON, Canada). ln addition to dance for the stage, Maura devises choreographic responses to specific places. She is particularly interested in creating stunning performance that is accessible, sustainable and has a low carbon foot print. Her first commission was a performance for the Charleston Library Society (SC) incorporating interviews with library patrons, local Indigenous Natchez creation stories and audience participation. She recognized the value of collaborating with already established community-serving institutions and accepted a commission from the Ackland Art Museum (NC) to co-create a performance with sound artist Mark Gabriel Little in response to their featured exhibition. In 2019, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art commissioned a locally-specific remount of her work that took place in 3 different outdoor sites in northwest Arkansas. Maura is dedicated to collaborating with communities to celebrate group narratives through dance and other art forms. As a fellow in the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s Artist Leadership Program, Maura worked with members of the Kansas City Indian Center and local Indigenous artists to realize an 8-month long arts project exploring ancient and contemporary urban Indian identity. To date she has partnered with numerous organizations to carry out long-term projects, workshop series and/or masterclasses: Duke University Native American/Indigenous Student Alliance (NC, USA) Haskell Indian Nations University (KS, USA) Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MO, USA) Multicultural Arts Victoria (VIC, Australia) Onkwehón:we Original People’s Festival (ON, Canada) Raven Spirit Dance (BC, Canada) Warm Springs Reservation (various agencies) American Indian Mothers (NC), First Nations Graduate Association (NC), Ikidowin Peer Educators and Acting Ensemble (MN), Kansas City Cherokee Community (MO), Native Youth Inaugural Event (DC), Orange County Rape Crisis Center (NC), Two Rivers Gallery (MN) and University of Kansas Department of Dance (KS, USA). She is sought out for her vibrant performances, community engagement and cultural advocacy work. As a result, she has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the: Creative Capital Short List (national, USA) Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists finalist (national, USA) InterCultural Indigenous Choreographers Creation Lab (international, Canada) Lighton International Artists Exchange Program (international, USA) MAP Fund Grant (national, USA) Western Arts Alliance Native Launchpad Artist (national, USA) Full Circle First Nations Performance development grant (BC, Canada), Grants for Artist Progress awardee (WA), Heads in the Clouds development program (AB, Canada), and the Rocket Grant Project Award (KS/MO). Additionally Maura has served as a reviewer for various grants and festivals including the Kansas City Festival of Dance, MAP Fund, McKnight Fellowships for Dancers, Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Native Arts & Culture Fund’s LIFT grant and the NEA's Art Works grant. She enjoys sharing her industry expertise with Indigenous artists of all ages so that all can rise together. Maura currently resides on A-ma-ye-(t)li, also known as turtle island. She believes that every interaction with a living being is an opportunity to positively affect the world. As she travels the world, she continues to seek out opportunities that will allow her to dance, connect and create with others.
- Upcoming
- NOVEMBER TBA, 2026 Multi-Artist Performance Collaboration “Resisting the Long Wars” Veteran Art Triennial & Summit Chicago Cultural Center Traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe (aka Chicago, IL, USA)
- Education
- I have an undergraduate degree in multimedia painting from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an multidisciplinary MFA in performance, choreography, and design from Howard University.
- Awards
- ● Creative Disruptors Learning Collaborative scholarship, 2025 ● Creative Capital Short List, 2025 ● Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists finalist, 2025 ● Artist Residency, Houston MET Dance, 2024 - 2025 ● MAP Fund Grantee, 2024 ● DEMIL Art Fund Spring cohort, 2024 ● Young Lungs Dance Exchange Artist-in-Residence, 2024 ● Grants for Artist Progress awardee, Artist Trust, 2023 ● Western Arts Alliance Opportunity Award, 2022 ● Banff Centre Indigenous Arts scholarship, 2022 ● First Nations Performing Arts/MANCC artist, 2022 ● Artist Relief Project awardee, 2021 ● Lighton International Artists Exchange Program, 2020 ● Caldera Artist Residency grant, 2020 ● Interchange Grant, MidAmerica Arts Alliance, 2019 ● Native Launchpad, Western Arts Alliance (WAA), 2019 ● Advancing Indigenous Performance, WAA, 2018 ● Tall Grass Residency, Kansas Creative Arts, 2018 ● Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training, 2017 ● Artist in Residence, Lawrence Arts Center, 2017 ● Inspiration Grant, ArtsKC, 2016 ● Artist Leadership Program, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, 2016 ● Rocket Grant, Charlotte Street Foundation, 2016 ● Dance Development Grant, Full Circle, 2016
- Current projects
- 1) https://maurathedancer.com/heygoogle 2)https://maurathedancer.com/hawinaditlv 3) https://maurathedancer.com/lessonsoferoticlabor
- Inspiration
- Maura's earliest dance/movement training was in Mandinka social dances, ballet, modern, tae-kwon-do, and pow-wow dance. As an adult she has studied with Dance Exchange, STREB, celebrated Maori choreographer Charles Koroneho, and the Indigenous Choreographers Creation Lab at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She continues her professional development via intensives and classes in Horton technique with M-Intensive University and in Ori Tahiti with Kanani Lokelani. As a professional performer and entertainer, she currently specializes in rhythm-based dance, contemporary Indigenous performance, martial arts fusion and sensual expression. As a community member she also participates in the traditional stomp dance ceremonies of her people and is shell shaker.