Kayla Hamilton – Dance/USA Artist Fellow

Navigation Menu

Image description in caption.
Image Description: This is a headshot of Kayla Hamilton, who is a dark brown-skinned Black woman. She is posing in front of a blurred brick wall. She is wearing a long sleeve black and tan striped shirt. She has on light makeup and her gaze is towards the camera. She has black Locs with a few golden ones towards the front. It's giving goddess vibes. Photo by Travis Magee.

Kayla Hamilton

she/they

The Bronx, New York | Munsee Lenape

Kayla Hamilton was born and raised in Texarkana, Texas, where she grew up surrounded by cows, football fields, and elders in the church. Those early experiences shaped her values of care, listening, and community, which continue to guide her work today.

She is the Founder of Circle O, a platform that brings artists, organizers, and communities together to create, share resources, and practice collective care. Some of her additional roles include directing the Access. Movement. Play. (A.M.P.) Residency at Movement Research and co-facilitating How We Move, both programs for multiply marginalized Disabled artists. She also serves as a Co-Director of Angela’s Pulse/Dancing While Black. Across these roles, she works to deepen knowledge about disability and to build systems that sustain innovation in disability artistry and Black dance communities.

Known more for creative problem solving than for speaking in large groups [wink], Kayla thrives in collaboration and in building structures that make space for others.

She is currently practicing talking to her younger self—a way to honor the resilience that carried her forward and to stay connected to the dreams that brought her here. In the future, she hopes to better manage her time and have more non-work-related fun.

Learn more about Kayla Hamilton:

Image description in caption.
Image Description: A photo of Kayla Hamilton on stage. She is a dark-skinned Black woman, spotlighted as she dances. Her arms are raised above her head. One leg is bent slightly in front while she balances on the other. Kayla is wearing beige pants with a blue sleeveless blouse. Photo by Scott Shaw.
Image description in caption.
Image Description: In a brightly lit dance studio, several artists are engaged in movement practice. At the center, Kayla, a dark-skinned Black woman wearing a blue top, mauve pants, and a face mask balances on one leg with her arms extended wide, leaning slightly to the side. Another dancer in the foreground, dressed in black and tan, supports themselves on the floor with one arm. In the background, participants mirror and explore movement, while large sheets of paper with notes and community agreements hang on the mirrored wall. Photo by Lynn Lane.
Image description in caption.
Image Description: Against a gray brick wall, Kayla, a dark-skinned Black woman dressed in loose black clothing and black sneakers leans dramatically backward in a dance pose. Her knees are bent and her head tilts toward the sky, creating an arched shape with her body. In her right hand, she holds a white cane angled upward, which becomes part of the composition. Her left hand rests on her chest as if in gesture or emphasis. The ground beneath her is gravel, and a green extension cord trails across it. Photo by Whitney Browne.

Back to Dance/USA Artist Fellows

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.
Dance/USA
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.