Aquila Kikora Franklin grew up dancing at her mother’s studio in Atlanta. As a sensitive and emotional child, it was there that she found dance to be a safe outlet to channel her emotions. Her love of creative movement has taken her around the world as a performer and choreographer and ultimately led to her becoming a professor of theater/dance at the Penn State School of Theatre. It also inspired her to co-found and direct Roots of Life Performing Arts Ensemble, an art education program housed in the State College Area School District. In this episode of I’m Your Neighbor, Kikora reflects on the role dance has played in her life and shares how she uses it to build community among diverse groups of students.
