About

Mindy Houston is an emerging artist, performer and educator. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Modern emphasis and Bachelor of Science in Dance Education from Utah Valley University, Orem. Mindy has performed in many professional works as a soloist, duo and ensemble. She has worked with John Corsa, I-Fen, Rawmoves, My Turkey Sandwich, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, John Allen, Keith Johnson, Damon Rago and many others. Mindy performed many works with Utah Valley University's Contemporary Dance Ensemble and Synergy Dance Company. She had the opportunity to choreograph works while on Synergy Dance Company and many of those works received scholarships and high awards. When she's not dancing, Mindy keeps active in various outdoor activities, service projects, teaching opportunities. Mindy has traveled nationally to perform in multiple festivals and events at many well known venues from New York to Nevada. Throughout her travels she has been able to take many master classes in multiple genres. Through her experiences, Mindy strives to use her gift as an artist, performer and educator in the arts to touch and inspire those around her.

Biography

Artistic Statement

Everyone has his or her own way of communication, whether it is through spoken word, action, or art. Within the arts, there are numerous expressions and mine is the art of movement. As an artist and performer, I have found that through this way of communicating, it becomes more powerful and expressive than words. As an artist, I create my communication through my deepest thoughts and emotions. Like a painters brush, my body is the instrument which portrays the full spectrum of the most passionate and fervent inner emotions trapped deep within.

Movement composes my inner and outer emotion into physical expression that the eye can witness and the body can perceive. Finding the personal connections through my body to the outward physicality assists the artistry and performance of my art. Once I have found a connection inside a piece, I am able to more fully invest in the work as I perform or create it. Finding these connections amplifies the work to the next level. These connections become so strong that the body is transformed into living art.

Life is filled with a variety of experiences and emotions. How we choose to go about these experiences will better determine whom we become. The way I choose to deal with many situations and experiences is to use them as a prompt to the early development of my performing and choreographic art. Some of my influential works that began from experiential situations include: "As We Are", which was taken from my observations of differently abled bodies. "Release", which was taken from my heartache of loosing my Grandpa. "Underestimated", where movement was prompted from my Kinesiology course and the amazement of the body’s active movement qualities. The body is a miraculous fixation. As an artist and performer I strive to fully indulge in the appreciation and taking care of my body so that when that day or moment comes, it will be capable of movement communication.

Mindy was born and raised in St. George, Utah. She has always loved the outdoors and being active. She didn't begin her exploration in the art of dance until her Freshman year of High school. All growing up and having the dream of one day making it to the WNBA soon changed to where she is now becoming a Dance Educator, Artist and Performer through the program at Utah Valley University. It goes to show that you never know where life could take you, but to be open to the opportunities and changes.