I am a storyteller, telling stories that are personal, familiar and an investigation of our relationship with the world. Telling stories through movement and cross-disciplinary collaborations, bringing in objects, sound, visual design elements, or specific costumes I use are intentional and part of the story. My creative process is inspired by my lived experiences as a Mexican woman, an immigrant, a wife and a mother. Nurturing and caring for my dancers while carefully fine tuning the story we are sharing is where I thrive. I am interested in dance as a powerful art form that can bring us together and can spark feelings to bring out thoughtful platicas. I enjoy making dances outside; in galleries, canals, museums, gardens, rivers, libraries, art centers and more. Check out the places where dance has blessed public spaces!
"FIRE.WORK" for ASU Dance Department
2020-2021
"Cuentos" at Tempe Center for the Arts
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Cuentos was choreographed for Breaking Ground 2019, Tiny Dances at Tempe Center for the Arts
"Memories of Mexico" Phoenix Art Museum
2018 "Memories of Mexico" for Phoenix Art Museum's December First Friday. Inspired by museums newest exhibit "Mexican Photos. Mexican Views." Liliana gathered a cast of all Mexican dancers to come together and share stories of their memories of Mexico, each dancer brought in photos of themselves to create the work.
"Possessions" Mesa Art Center
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2018:. Liliana Gomez and Rashaad Thomas present “Possessions.” The two Artist have been talking about collaborating for some time now and this year, 2018 they did so! The two came together to create a new piece exploring the fusion of possession, dance, poetry and music. Everyone added their individual voice and perspective evolving into one creative process. As a community our creative process was very intentional. Research and engaging in discourse helped develop this piece; creating movement with the sound of the music and the images from the poem. Our piece provides us with of being art elements possessed by each present moment.
Possessions;
the state of having, owning, or controlling something. Holding on to tradition, rituals of our ancestors.
the state of being controlled by a spirit.
the state of being completely under the influence of an idea or emotion.
Possessions was first created for NueBox's Spark After Dark, then went to BETA Dance at Phoenix Center for the Arts, and to The Northlight Gallery at Grant Street Studios.
Possessions;
the state of having, owning, or controlling something. Holding on to tradition, rituals of our ancestors.
the state of being controlled by a spirit.
the state of being completely under the influence of an idea or emotion.
Possessions was first created for NueBox's Spark After Dark, then went to BETA Dance at Phoenix Center for the Arts, and to The Northlight Gallery at Grant Street Studios.
"Museum Plays" Teen Night at Phoenix Art Museum
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2018:. Rising Youth Theatre and The Teen council at Phoenix Art Museum took the concept of LightRail Plays and created The Museum Plays. The plays were created inspired by and research by Phoenix Arts current exhibit; Teotihuacan. One teen from RYT and one teen from TAC were paired up to create an original play based on our group research of the lost city. The teens came up with Celestial Bodies and created an evening length show that took the audience throughout the museum. It Debuted on Phoenix Art Museum's TEEN NIGHT! A night where the museum closes down for Teens only, a special night curated by TEENS!
Liliana co direct The Museum Plays with Director Xanthia Walker.
For more information about the amazing work of Rising Youth Theater please go to risingyouththeatre.org/
Liliana co direct The Museum Plays with Director Xanthia Walker.
For more information about the amazing work of Rising Youth Theater please go to risingyouththeatre.org/
"La Mano" Arcosanti for FORM Festival
2018:. In the canyons of Arizona's high desert lies the otherworldly eco-city of Arcosanti. Each May 1,500 participants gather for FORM, a weekend of creative immersion, adventure and retreat. The festival host national acts and local acts. In 2017 FROM invited local Arizona Artist to showcase and present their art work.
Liliana Gomez collaborated with Jorge Ignacio Torres of Palabra Art Collective to choreograph "La Mano" a piece of art that was created to celebrate lifes losses, gains The performance traveled through the grounds of Arcosanti making its way in and out of festival goers.
Liliana Gomez collaborated with Jorge Ignacio Torres of Palabra Art Collective to choreograph "La Mano" a piece of art that was created to celebrate lifes losses, gains The performance traveled through the grounds of Arcosanti making its way in and out of festival goers.
"Fantastic Planet" Mesa Arts Center
2018:. Liliana was invited to help kick off Mesa Arts Center "Fantastic Planet" by Amanda Parer. Liliana took inspiration from the film Fantastic Planet and created original an original dance work that was fun, quirky and a little weird, with dancers in all white unitards. The dance took much inspiration from the tall structures and also titled it "Fantastic Planet"
"The Light Rail Plays" Valley Metro Light Rail, Phoenix
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2017:. Liliana Gomez is the co-director of Lightrail Plays for Rising Youth Theater. She has been involved with Light-rail plays as a performer since its first show five years ago. On December 2017 she stepped out of the plays and co-directed the plays with Director Xanthia Walker of Rising Youth Theater. In that year the LightRail Plays took a new approach, performing only on platforms in Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. Performers traveled between platforms to maximize the number of people who can experience performances.
In the process the LightRail Plays teams up youth and adult artists to work together to explore the public transit experience with original plays from a youth perspective. Liliana guided the team with an opening and closing dance number where all the performers came together before branching out as groups.
The Phoenix New Times named it "Best things we saw in 2017."
For more information about the amazing work of Rising Youth Theater please go to risingyouththeatre.org/
Photos: Eduardo Robles
In the process the LightRail Plays teams up youth and adult artists to work together to explore the public transit experience with original plays from a youth perspective. Liliana guided the team with an opening and closing dance number where all the performers came together before branching out as groups.
The Phoenix New Times named it "Best things we saw in 2017."
For more information about the amazing work of Rising Youth Theater please go to risingyouththeatre.org/
Photos: Eduardo Robles
"Parasol" CityScape for Phoenix Art Museum
2017:. The Phoenix Art Museum took over a retail space at the CityScape complex and hosted special installations, performances, pop-up shop, and more, during the annual CitySkate ice-skating event in downtown Phoenix. The space was called PhxArt Project: CityScape.
Liliana Gomez choreographed a dance piece titled "Parasol" for the PhxArt Project, inspired by Melissa Martinez's installation of "Drip, Dribble, Drop."
On two different nights, one dancer; Nicole Olson with a pink umbrella lead 'audience members' up a set of stairs to the top where the umbrellas where installed for a solo performance. The project was a success and gave those waiting to ice skate more to experience on their night out on the town.
Photography: Airi Katsuta courtesy of the Phoenix Art Museum
Liliana Gomez choreographed a dance piece titled "Parasol" for the PhxArt Project, inspired by Melissa Martinez's installation of "Drip, Dribble, Drop."
On two different nights, one dancer; Nicole Olson with a pink umbrella lead 'audience members' up a set of stairs to the top where the umbrellas where installed for a solo performance. The project was a success and gave those waiting to ice skate more to experience on their night out on the town.
Photography: Airi Katsuta courtesy of the Phoenix Art Museum
"Re:Birth" Arcosanti FORM Festival
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2017:. In the canyons of Arizona's high desert lies the otherworldly eco-city of Arcosanti. Each May 1,500 participants gather for FORM, a weekend of creative immersion, adventure and retreat. The festival host national acts and local acts. In 2017 FROM invited local Arizona Artist to showcase and present their art work.
Liliana Gomez collaborated with Jorge Ignacio Torres of Palabra Art Collective to choreograph Re:Birth, a politically driven site specific performance that traveled through the grounds of Arcosanti making its way in and out of festival goers.
This work was first commissioned for the First Friday opening of Phoenix Art Museums Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic.
Photography by: Jeff Sredni (top) Liliana Gomez (bottom)
Liliana Gomez collaborated with Jorge Ignacio Torres of Palabra Art Collective to choreograph Re:Birth, a politically driven site specific performance that traveled through the grounds of Arcosanti making its way in and out of festival goers.
This work was first commissioned for the First Friday opening of Phoenix Art Museums Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic.
Photography by: Jeff Sredni (top) Liliana Gomez (bottom)
"Los Muertos" Desert Botanical Gardens
2016:. In collaboration with Cultural Coalition, Inc. Whose mission is to provide community engagement through unique cultural programs dedicated to the promotion of Indigenous artists in Arizona. These two collaborated on a dance piece performed at the Desert Botanical Gardens during their annual Dia De Los Muertos festivities.
Photography: Liliana Gomez
Photography: Liliana Gomez
"The Looking Glass" Burton Barr Central Library
2016:. "The Looking Glass" Liliana choreographed a dance game that was performed on the 2nd floor of the Burton Barr Central Library. The game consisted of ten dancers who stood in a circle. Liliana gave each dancer a piece of paper with a word written on it, the dancers did not know the words in advance, it happened live! While in performance they where to say the word out loud for then all the dancers where to act out the word in movement.
"Where Water is Found" Rio Salado Audubon Center
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2016:. "Oasis" A collaboration between CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas) and Performance in the Borderlands, an event that unveiled Ana Teresa Fernandez’s site-specific installation at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area at 7th Avenue and lower Buckeye. The work grapples with Fernandez’s ongoing themes of beauty and destruction, human rights and land displacement as well as referencing the history of land art. During the event four female Phoenix Artist where invited to perform work in conversation with the evings theme, Liliana being one of them.
Liliana Gomez created "Where Water is Found" A site specific performance that used 4 dancers in white, the white represented water, and the dancers danced in the space, using blocks of concrete that were actually removed from the river when the clean up / restoration happened.
Photography: (top) Liliana Gomez (bottom) Alonso Parra
Liliana Gomez created "Where Water is Found" A site specific performance that used 4 dancers in white, the white represented water, and the dancers danced in the space, using blocks of concrete that were actually removed from the river when the clean up / restoration happened.
Photography: (top) Liliana Gomez (bottom) Alonso Parra
"Crystals and Lasers" Unexpected Gallery Phoenix
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2016:. Crystals and Lasers at unexpected Gallery A fusion of metallic prints and projected videos depicting meditative ceremonies incorporating quartz crystals and laser light, Crystals and Lasers by Francisco Flores, functioned as a spiritual retreat of sorts for visitors. Accompanying the more tangible works was a series of event programming spread across 21 days, focusing on meditation and rejuvenation. Liliana's collaboration was an improvisational jam session where dancers were given an opportunity to dance from theirs hearts, no rules just a place, a time and one word for inspiration.
Photography: Karina Nino De Rivera
Photography: Karina Nino De Rivera
"FRIDA" The Heard Museum First Friday
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2015:. "FRIDA" Frida Kahlo - Her Photos exhibit, for The Heard Museum. Liliana gathered seven dancers and casted them in different solos and duets based on Kahlo’s paintings; The Two Fridas, Frida and Diego Rivera, Self Portrait with Cropped Hair, and a beautiful image of Frida taken by Nicholas Muray. The dances Liliana created were based on research she did on each painting and also reflects what she means to Liliana as a female artist. Each dance is emotional and heartfelt, and after viewing them all, Liliana believes Frida was a strong woman who knew physical and emotional pain and suffering, yet was still driven to create good work, simply by being herself.
The dancers performed in and around the museum, at times behind blue panels covered in colorful Mexican flowers made of bright tissue paper. The event was a huge success and more the 1,600 the museums event.
Photography: 1) Sean Decker 2,4) Enrique Garcia 3)Lynn Trimble
In the news;
"Frida" at the Heard Museum
Liliana Gomez Choreographs Frida Kahlo-Inspired Dances for Heard Museum Event in Central Phoenix
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/liliana-gomez-choreographs-frida-kahlo-inspired-dances-for-heard-museum-event-in-central-phoenix-7759248
The dancers performed in and around the museum, at times behind blue panels covered in colorful Mexican flowers made of bright tissue paper. The event was a huge success and more the 1,600 the museums event.
Photography: 1) Sean Decker 2,4) Enrique Garcia 3)Lynn Trimble
In the news;
"Frida" at the Heard Museum
Liliana Gomez Choreographs Frida Kahlo-Inspired Dances for Heard Museum Event in Central Phoenix
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/liliana-gomez-choreographs-frida-kahlo-inspired-dances-for-heard-museum-event-in-central-phoenix-7759248
"Long Live Our Lady" Phoenix Art Museum First Friday
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2015:. "Long Live Our Lady" Liliana was asked to create a performance dance work based on 18th Century Latin American Colonial Art for the exhibition at The Phoenix Art Museum. The Phoenix Art Museum unveiled a never-before-seen painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe on September 4th, 2015. Liliana chosen to interpret the painting through dance, with 8 dancers and rented costumes from The Phoenix Opera. Liliana's inspiration came from the painting itself, its vibrant colors, its bold and elegant look. The dancers and Liliana recreated imagery by constructing thick lines of rows. The performance conveyed the paintings beauty and the dancers moved in various formations to create texture from the painting.
Photography: Enrique Garcia
Photography: Enrique Garcia
"Sonoran Strange" Deer Valley Rock Arts Center
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2015:. Sonoran Strange is a label, a description, a manner of understanding the Arizona – Mexico borderlands. Sonoran Strange is a book of poems by Logan Dirtyverbs Phillips and a performance piece by Verbo•bala Spoken Video, performed by Adam Cooper-Terán and Logan Dirtyverbs. Liliana has been a guest performer for Sonoran Strange creating original choreography for the show, five different times, in five different AZ cities.
"La Cuenta" Clarendon Hotel for Artel Phoenix
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2015:. "Newspaper Tornado" an installation and performance. A collaboration between Liliana Gomez and Artist Kenny Barrett. Transformed the room into a spiraling tunnel of newspaper. The installation, although screamingly chaotic was visually beautiful. In response to the installation, Liliana along with Crystal Fernandez and Elisa Cavalero created original movement as visual commentary on the overwhelming state of global commutations and the onslaught of information we consume on a daily basis.
This performance was premiered for Artelshow Phoenix 2015. Artelshow showcases local, national and international artists in unexpected spaces , galleries and pop up shows throughout the year. They exhibit art online and in multi/sensory and non/traditional settings, uniting the disciplines of fine art, installation, sculpture, dance, performance and other forms of creative expression.
This performance was premiered for Artelshow Phoenix 2015. Artelshow showcases local, national and international artists in unexpected spaces , galleries and pop up shows throughout the year. They exhibit art online and in multi/sensory and non/traditional settings, uniting the disciplines of fine art, installation, sculpture, dance, performance and other forms of creative expression.
"A Higher Plane" Palabra Art Collective
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2014:. "A Higher Plane" in collaboration with Phoenix Artist; Ashley Macias. This dance work interpreted the visual art work of Ashley Macias. The dance was apart of the exhibit, ongoing for the entire night. It was as if the work on the walls came to life! The opening held at Palabra Art Collective on Phoenix's First Friday.
"Perception Beyond Ordinary Sight" The Clarendon Hotel
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2014:. Perception beyond ordinary sight, a dance performance that was choreographed on dancer Kalli Sparish and mask done by Artist Karina Nino de Rivera. This piece tackled the idea of identity, who one is, and how others perceive one another based on constrained judgments
This pieces was originally created for Conder/dance's Breaking Ground Festival, Ten Tiny Dance Series. Then it was performed at Artel, a hotel experience that changes rooms into mini art galleries. Then at Orange Theaters fundraiser, where Perception beyond ordinary sight turned into a small dance film. The Film was video by Liliana Gomez and edited by Perry Allen.
Photography: XO Photography by Jenny Gerena
This pieces was originally created for Conder/dance's Breaking Ground Festival, Ten Tiny Dance Series. Then it was performed at Artel, a hotel experience that changes rooms into mini art galleries. Then at Orange Theaters fundraiser, where Perception beyond ordinary sight turned into a small dance film. The Film was video by Liliana Gomez and edited by Perry Allen.
Photography: XO Photography by Jenny Gerena
"A Point In Time" Downtown Phoenix
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2014:. "A point in time" was a dance experiment between Liliana Gomez and Joseph Mack Hall. The two dancers experimented doing duets in random public places in Downtown Phoenix. They would work on choreography and then take it outside and see how unexpected audiences would react. This was the beginning of where Liliana started using the outside of the theater as her theater.
Later on the experiment turned into a piece that was performed at BETA Dance Festival, Phoenix Center for the Arts
Photography: Enrique Garcia
Later on the experiment turned into a piece that was performed at BETA Dance Festival, Phoenix Center for the Arts
Photography: Enrique Garcia
"Everything Flows" at Scottsdale Public Art for Canal Convergence
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2013:. "Everything Flows" for Scottsdale Public Art for Canal Convergence. Public art meets performance in this artistic display of human form and water merging as one. Dancers from Liliana Gomez Dance Company dance between tall flowing human forms painted by Phoenix Artist Ashley Macias to reflect the movement of water. The dancers moving along the canal banks are also hand painted by Macias to further unify the connection humans have with life-giving water.
Photography: Sean Decker
Photography: Sean Decker
