Izzies Award Ceremony 3/26/18

Izzies Awards Ceremony and San Diego Deaf Dance Festival (stay tuned for more details on this to come later) -- Two historic moments in 3 days, these are the moments we live for (I live for...)  As a Deaf person in a hearing world, you have to fight barriers everyday against stereotypes, inequality, inaccessibility, diaspora to name a few.  These barriers are tripled if you are a person of a color and exponentially quadrupled if you are an artist.  After 7 years of people rejecting his ideas and not offering support, Mr Antoine Hunter despite all barriers set up the first Deaf Dance Festival in 2013 as a place where Deaf artists can come together in a professional and full accessible capacity to present their talents.  It's very easy to give up when life throws you walls to stop you dead in your tracks, Mr Hunter dances around those walls to continue making his visions a reality.  The Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival (and the other Deaf Dance Festivals in San Diego and Turkey) are a special place for Deaf and Hearing performers to come together and leave feeling bonded together as a family and inspired/motivated to elevate Deaf Arts around the world.  Many of these Deaf Artists have grown up feeling alone as the only Deaf dancer of their art form in a hearing world so that when we all come together at the festival, its as if we are finding our long lost family.

It's such an honor that 5 years later, he's presented with a Special Award Honoree of the Isadora Duncan (Izzies) Award, an equivalent to the Grammys for Dance Achievement and Excellence in the Bay Area, California.  Not only am I proud of this well deserved recognition for Mr Hunter, I am honored to have performed a solo during the Awards Ceremony as a tribute to all of Mr Hunter's hard work and a celebration of recognition of Deaf Dance and Arts in the hearing world.  Thank you for this privilege.

To add to the specialness of the evening, Mr Hunter's HS teacher Ms Dawn James gave a heartfelt speech in honor of his award and my HS teacher Miss Elvia Marta was sitting in the audience.  Her encouragement and support pushed me as a dancer during my entire career and I will always honor her, regardless of Deafness or not, she saw a Dancer in me and that's what I've always been.

Thank you to Mr Hunter for staying resilient, never swaying from his vision and providing a platform of opportunities for the Deaf community.  Thank you Izzies for honoring Mr Hunter.  Thank you to everyone who has given their support.

#AntoineHunter #Urbanjazzdancecompany #zahnasimon #TheIzzies #Deaftalent #Deafdancers #BAIDDF #BayAreaInternationalDeafDanceFestival

Content description: Top title: 2018 Isadora Duncan Awards, Get your photos at:funframephoto.com. Picture of 6 Deaf smiling faces from the left, Antoine Hunter, Brian, Zahna, Maim, Joy and Bobby.

Picture of Mr Hunter wearing a blue suit holding the Izzies Award in his right hand out front and left hand up in a pose with the Izzies backdrop

Image Description:  Zahna with hair down, wearing purple shirt, black pants, black shoes and black jacket with performer tag around neck smiling and holding both forearms out to the side.  Backdrop is the Izzies and red carpet.

Picture of Urban Jazz Dance Company, Maim on left wearing green floral long sleeve shirt holding her red jacket, Mr Hunter in the middle in a blue vest, white shirt and blue tie, Zahna on the right hair down, purple shirt and black light jacket with Performer Tag around neck.  Background is of golden prints of historic events unknown to me at Brava Theater.

Content description: Zahna on stage wearing black shorts and sportsbra standing with arms and hands stretched out to the side looking up to her left.  Background screen shows "the izzies, 32nd Annual Dance Awards"

Image description:  Zahna on stage wearing black shorts and sportsbra, right leg in plie, left leg high on the side and arms in rounded second.  Background is Stage with audience and pot of flowers on the left.

Traveling Deaf

True story on traveling Deaf and alone:

On my flight back to the Bay Area from Hawaii, a girl sat next to me.  A young college age girl who is learning some ASL at CSU Hayward.  Happens there’s major turbulence once we were in the air and I immediately had a bad feeling.  I’ve been flying all my life, honestly I love flying and I’ve never been worried one bit until now...my gut feeling told me something was wrong and for the first time I was actually nervous and scared on a plane.  The turbulence died down so I attributed it to a rare temporary incident and hoped it was just a passing.  They went ahead to pass out snacks and water so I figured we were safe by then.  Then some time later the girl next to me tried to tell me something, ended up writing in her phone : “we are going back to Honolulu.”  My first internal response was I hope we make it back to Honolulu...I asked for more details, why?  What else did they say?  Did they say what time we would land?  I wanted to know more and felt so anxious not having full accessibility.  The girl wrote it was mechanical problems with the plane and that's it.  I asked her how she knew, did they announce it over the PA System?  She nodded.

The plane landed back to Honolulu.  The girl informed me that we need to exit the plane.  When we exit the plane go left.  I asked her why go left?  Then she says Gate 31 and there's another flight at 7:45 pm.  I thanked her for her help but knew when I get off the plane I needed to get my own information of what’s going on, I want to know more details and also make sure they know and remember that they have a Deaf passenger.  I proceeded off the plane and to gate 31, everybody grabs their seats in the lobby, runs to outlets to charge their phones (lucky I have a portable battery with me fully charged) and scatters about while there’s not an attendant in sight.  The line was so long at the help desk with no one there to help.  There was one stewardress around and then she left to head to the gate doors which is blocked off by sliding glass doors.  I wrote on my phone “Hi I’m Deaf.  Can someone let me know what’s going on with my flight?” And tapped on the glass door.  The two women looked up at me and I signed “I’m Deaf” so one came to talk to me.  I showed her the note on my phone through the glass so she came around and started verbally telling me what’s going on.  I again gestured that I’m Deaf and to please write it down.  She looks exasperated and heads back to the gate stand talking with the other lady taking a long long time to do anything.  Then I started to write more questions on my phone because I had a feeling she wasn’t going to give me ANY details.  Another different woman walked up near me talking on her phone, she works for the airport but looks like she works in the office and not at the gates.  I gestured to her that I am Deaf and to please help.  I showed her my notes on my phone and she typed on it answering all my questions about what time the flight leaves, what time is boarding time while she’s still talking on the phone and also signing “sorry” to me.  Then finally the other lady from earlier comes up with one sentence on her paper “plane swap, mechanical problems”.  I said thank you to both but really to the lady that treated me like a person and took the time to inform me fully what’s going on.  I also always double check with them where I should stand and wait and where exactly they will be boarding, she said I can wait in the area next the glass doors.  Some time later(15 to 20 minutes later) I saw them talking over the PA system and people were moving around, they were collecting wheelchair users to get ready for preboard.  I caught one of the stewards and told him I’m Deaf so he brought me in line for preboard.  When it came my turn to come up, I walked up holding my mobile boarding pass in my phone and the woman just looked at me.  So I put my phone to be scanned and the same woman said no and something inaudible but there were no facial expressions.  I gathered I should stop and a different woman started talking to me.  I told her I was Deaf and then she gestured to wait and that they’re taking care of the wheelchair users first.  I appreciate her willing to communicate with me and give me actual details.  After waiting for a few minutes the woman from the phone earlier came up to talk to the gate people and they pointed to me. She turned facing me smiling and relieved.  I smiled and told her “thank you” reading between the lines that she was informing them of a Deaf passenger — me.  THEN as the original woman who didn’t want to write anything down for me takes my ticket and smiles at me along with all the other gate stewardesses.

My point is never to complain about these situations because I’ve actually kept quiet about the millions of similar or worse experiences than this one.  I rather educate and express my experiences as a Deaf woman.  Many times it’s frustrating and anxious because we live in a world that doesn’t naturally provide accessibility for Deaf people.

Additional note:  Also adding that the in flight entertainment did not have any captions. (Disappointed face)

Designing for Inclusivity Panel

Part 1 took place on October 5th, 2017 for just the Frogs Designs internally.  It sparked such interest that the request for part 2 came up and successfully happened two months later last night on December 6th, 2017.  Its hard to cover all the needs for accessibility in such a short time and also can spark many triggers for those who have grown up in a world that is not accessible.  I'm so grateful and honored to serve on the panel next to Tiffany Yu, the founder of Diversability & Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, and Victor Pineda, President and Founder for Pineda Foundation/World Enabled.  They are amazing individuals with the drive to make the world more accessible and a wealth of knowledge.  Please don't hesitate to contact them, they are doing many beautiful things.  Thank you to Frogs Design and Melanie Williams, our panel moderator, for making this possible in a world.  This link has more information on the panelist and the event.  Designing For Inclusivity

FLYER ON PANELIST (SAME AS ON WEBSITE): DESIGNING FOR INCLUSIVITY

Description of Image Text:  Frog

DESIGNING FOR INCLUSIVITY DECEMBER 06

Some very important quotes from the evening:


"How do you deal with the world that isn’t responsive? How might we reimagine the way that we relate to activities and the social construct that one might not fit in?" - Dr. Victor Pineda

"Disability is elastic - it's not a property of an individual but the interaction with the environment, which can be enabling or disabling." - Tiffany Yu

Three panelists and moderator posing for a picture with the poster of "Designing for Inclusivity" #Inclusivedesign by Frogs on the wall in the background.  Background Wall top half is off white, bottom half is old red bricks

 Quotes for thought that strongly resonates with this topic:

 "The biggest adversity in living with a disability or a difference from the majority is not in overcoming the disability itself but rather in overcoming the ableism and any "ism"--others derogatory and ignorant perspective of you and your culture."

"Enablement is not only providing opportunity to others with less access but also empowering those to lead and rise above you as well."


Please don't let this conversation stop and continue to reach out to our diverse communities on how we can build not only products and experiences but a world wide environment that includes people of all different backgrounds and abilities.

Thanks & Gratefulness

Check my Facebook

Video Transcript: Hi all, please have a safe and warm holiday either with yourself or with your friends and family.  Lots of love 💗💗💗

Additional Thoughts:

Everyday is a day to be thankful and grateful! Be grateful for your life, privileges, health, family and friends that love you, successes...sometimes it's hard because as an American, we live in a country that seems to keep wanting to go backwards from progressive policies and society, a country that doesn't communicate, a country that conquers and twists the stories of what really happened in the favor of those with power and money, a country that poisons our food supply to bring more money to the 1% and a country even today is trying to pass a bill to end net neutrality...Nevertheless I am still proud to be an American because there are many people like me in this country, those who advocate for self and other groups in need, those who protest backwards policies, those who emphasize and recognize the victims of historic And modern gentrification and/or genocide, those who are still fighting for equality and equity in our country and the world.  I'm sad for how the native Americans were treated on this day and how it became a holiday for people to celebrate their genocide.  Please find out the truth, honor our ancestors and don't forget our history.

With that said, I am truly grateful and thankful for each one of YOU in my life.  We may not talk everyday but you're always on my mind and in my heart.  I am a better person because of you.  💗💗💗✨✨

Video description: [Caucasian female with blonde hair down wear a purple work out tank top signing in ASL.  Video transcript provided at the top]

#zahnasimon quotes

 August 1, 2017: If you try to extract happiness from others for yourself, it won't last. It's like plucking a flower, it will wither and die. You must grow your own happiness from within like a flower that continues to live and thrive from the ground and then your happiness will be everlasting

September 28, 2016: The biggest adversity in living with a disability or a difference from the majority is not in overcoming the disability itself but rather in overcoming the ableism and any "ism"--others derogatory and ignorant perspective of you and your culture.

October 11, 2016: As you achieve what you want to do again and again, make sure that your consideration is about the well-being of others, rather than accomplishment for yourself. In this way, you will always uplift those around you. 

October 14, 2016:  If and once you feel like a rock within...nothing can shake you. Be mindful of your surroundings, Continue to show empathy towards others but stand strong and all the tough times will pass with ease, build character and teach valuable life lessons.

October 21, 2016: Here's an opportunity but it must fit inside this box of our vision... #zahnasimon #tiredoflabels

November 10, 2016:
First they came for the African-American, and I did not speak out
-Because I was not an African-American
Then they came for the Muslims,
And I did not speak out
-Because I was not Muslim
Then they came for the LGBTQIA,
And I did not speak out
-Because I was not a LGBTQIA
Then they came for the Latinos and Hispanics,
And I did not speak out.
-Because I was not a Latino or Hispanic
Then they came for the Asians,
And I did not speak out.
-Because I was not Asian.
Then they came for the Native Americans,
And I did not speak out.
-Because I was not Native American.
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out.
-Because I was not Jewish.
Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak out for me.


December 12, 2016: Enablement is not only providing opportunity to others with less access but also empowering those to lead and rise above you as well

December 15, 2016: You can't be what other people want you to be...you can only be yourself

Designing for Inclusivity and Illumi Dance Festival supporting SFWAR

As I'm on my way to the U.K. I'm reminiscing on my week.

50+ hours of work in the office, a few meetings both in person and in video, a lovely surprise performance in front of the Oakland City Hall, rehearsals with Urban Jazz Dance Company, more rehearsals for Spiral Dance, 3 application/grant deadlines, teaching in ODC, participating in a panel "Designing for Inclusivity," performing in Illumi Dance Festival supporting the wonderful cause of fundraising for SFWAR (They do such important work in our community!!) and finally packing and getting ready to leave the country for a week- a business trip mind you but still an exciting business trip where I get to meet new artists, both Deaf and hearing, assist in workshops and perform.  Needless to say, I am tired and am looking forward to sleeping on the plane and also catching up on my Wonder Woman book!  8 hours on the plane, what the perfect time without any distractions from work.  See below where we're going!

Simply was honored to sit on a panel on Thursday October 5th next to these wonderful strong leaders, Tiffany Yu and Alvaro Silberstein as we talk about designing for inclusivity. Thank you to Melanie Williams and her wonderful company, frog design, for hosting this panel for their work place. They were all respectful and very receptive-- eagerly ready to design for everyone not just the "norm."  We need more companies like them who want to change the world for the better and include everyone.

Their workplace was very Deaf friendly too- open large space, can see all the way on the other side of the room and the meeting rooms are tinted glass when you can still see shadows of people in there.  Additionally they provided an ASL interpreter, key accessibility for me.  🙌🙌

#alwaysatwork #iwanttochangetheworld #designforinclusivity#accessintimacy

Additionally, Tiffany brought up the term "Access Intimacy"defined by places and/or people already having accessibility established and you don't need to ask for it no matter your access needs.  Thank you Tiffany!  I will be using this term from now on and looking forward to more with you!
We are proud supporters of Illumi Dance Festival and SFWAR! Supporting Women's empowerment!  And yes we are the Wonder Women + Brian!  Brian Berlinski is Deaf and involved in many projects in the Bay Area including Deaf Hope, CSD Fremont and DCARA.  We were honored to have him join us as a guest for this performance and he rocked the part.

Part of my I love my work so much is not only because I get to dance and perform professionally all over the world, I also love seeing real time results of direct impact on our community whether it be through being a role model and inspiring children, assisting producing for the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival (BAIDDF), highlight and empowering Deaf talent from all over the world, educating about important social justice issues and current events, supporting our Deaf community and our artists and additionally supporting fundraisers such as this and bringing more support to organizations who serve women, POC, minorities and give them the help they need.  I could ramble on forever but I better go catch my flight on to the next adventure.  Loving life always, standing strong and continuing to advocate for oppressed groups of minorities, our children and our beautiful world.

Finally Urban Jazz Dance Company performed for Illumi Dance Festival, Thank you to Ambika, the wonderful director for having us there.  Thank you to Vadran, our stage manager, for working everything out smoothly backstage including accessibility and communication.  There were no issues whatsoever! Thank you to Antoine Hunter, our Director of Urban Jazz Dance Company for giving us this opportunity and trusting us while you are in the UK.  Mr Hunter is also the choreographer of "Power Girls" which we performed, I hope we continue to make you proud.

"Everyday they are super heroes holding together the world. Empowered girls fight all the stereotypes and bring light, positivity & hope for everyone. They are soft & muscular bodied. They are beautiful. This next piece is presented by the Urban Jazz Dance Company. The dancers are Leah Mendelson, Zahna Simon, Linda Steele II & Noelle Wilder with guests Brian Berlinski."

Add caption

 

Black Ballerina

San Francisco Dance Film Festival- October 23^rd, 2016 at BRAVA Theater

Watching black ballerina was powerful...the dancers beautiful and graceful.  Unfortunately the film was not captioned so I couldn't follow what they verbally said in the film but I understood the concept and the point that black ballerinas are just as qualified as white ballerinas and often denied the opportunity to train or perform.

This brought me back to my ballet days, all the images of ballet lines and pointe shoes.  Looking back I recognize and feel privileged because I had opportunities more readily available to me because I am white...in hindsight I was lucky and I could have been more grateful and aware.  At the same time, I myself did not have support.  I had ballet teachers yelling at me during every class for a year because they assumed I was ignoring them when I really didn’t understand what they were saying but I did not have the energy or the tools to stand up for myself.  I was taught that hearing people and adults were always right and I was wrong.  I could have quit right then and there but my heart told me to keep going.  Peers in school who were jealous because of my talent and confidence in dance.  My mom, bless her heart as she was always working so she could provide for me, would complain to me about how she doesn’t have time to drive me to rehearsals and how she is working so hard to provide for me so I can go to ballet and how money doesn’t grow on trees.  Growing up orally mainstreamed without my natural language-American Sign Language and interpreters, I was shy…introverted and often cast aside yet the only activities available to me were “hearing” activities such as piano, flute and softball.  Ballet was something I felt connected to.  I finally had something visual and it allowed me a safe place to express myself.  I realize now I never had full access to any form of education growing up - I read all the materials on my own.  So that's two things against me, I never had full access nor support which is what many Deaf people have to go through.  Regardless of these setbacks, I was always a trooper keeping a positive outlook on life and constantly wanting to prove to people that I can do it all.

Yes my mother provided for me yet she never understood that Dance was to be my life.  To her, being more well rounded in life and being able to get a job to support myself financially was much more important to her.  While I love my mother for wanting the best for my future, she always made it clear that I need to make money.  She's not alone in this - our society puts this kind of pressure on us and I see clearly now that many artists are oppressed for this.  There's no money in a dance career so I needed to have another job to support me--My mom was a physicist and an astronomer and my biological father a University level Physics Professor.  I felt pressure to go into the sciences...which I did...I diverted myself to study Chemistry in College.  This may surprise a lot of people but in a sense studying chemistry, getting a degree in chemistry and finding a job in the pharmaceutical field was easier than pursuing a dance career.  Society is quick to demean dance and art forms since it is not “academic” or "traditional" but in reality most people don’t have the discipline, desire and mental ability to withstand the competition to succeed in this or devote their time and energy to pursue success in the field.  Then within this already competitive field you have to deal with discrimination and if you are a POC dancer, then you have to deal with racism and a white hearing privileged mindset as well.  There were many obstacles I encountered that made me “give up” in a sense many times.  Nevertheless my heart and soul has always been in dance.  Whenever life tears me away from it, my heart fights its way back.

First I quit ballet (not dance) when I was 16 because of improper training…My knees were injured and I could barely walk sometimes…After an MRI, we discovered that I had several meniscus tears in both my knees.  It was hard but I decided to quit ballet and focus on other forms of dance as I was exposed to Jazz, modern, contemporary and African dance at my High School, School of the Arts.  Just when I was becoming good at ballet, I thought maybe because of this I wouldn’t be able to dance professionally or at least not professional ballet.  I look back and wished I thought of going to physical therapy and finding a way to treat my injury and engage in injury prevention for the future.  Neither my mom or I knew about such options.

In conclusion, I am married to dance.  It has been a difficult and long relationship with many breaks from dance where I feel I can’t be a part of the dance world anymore since I become so frustrated with the Dance politics or other people demanded my time not understanding how important dance is to my well being and my soul and I just did not have the energy to fight back.  Watching Black Ballerina triggered all these memories, desires and inspiration that even through we face many obstacles and struggles, many of us always go back to dance (or our passions) with a stronger connection than the previous each time.  These black ballerinas don't give up through unfair obstacles thrown at them and I am inspired to do the same.