Mi Vida Bailando: AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH ARTHUR AVILES By Charles Rice-Gonzalez
el AVISO Summer 2008 | 4
When I was asked to write about Arthur Aviles, I thought it would be an easy task. He and I have shared our lives for over 10 years, have built his dance company, Arthur Aviles Typical Theatre (AATT) and BAAD! The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, a performance space that was crowned “funky and welcoming” by the New York Times and the Village Voice. So, given that our lives are so intertwined and that I’m a writer, I thought it would be a no brainer. We sat down to have a conversation on Valentine’s eve.
Photo courtesy of BAAD!
It proved to be challenging because I asked myself how do I say something different about this man who is very public and for whom a Google search reveals hundreds of entries on over 30 pages of information. Arthur has been the subject of NY Times articles and profiles in Dance Magazine, El Diario La Prensa, The NY Daily News’ VIVA Magazine, New York Post’s TEMPO and numerous interviews on network television and National Public Radio. He and his work have been the topics of several Latino scholars, and