Sean Feit Oakes, PhD is a scholar, performer, and Buddhist
teacher, researching the intersections between contemplative and
creative processes. His current work explores states of
consciousness in experimental dance training and intensive
meditation practice, integrating Buddhist scriptural study,
trauma physiology, and social justice. He completed
his PhD dissertation in Performance Studies, “‘This
Very Body is the Bodhi Tree’: The Performance of Contemplative
States in the Western Jhāna Revival & Contemporary
Movement Theater” in 2016 at UC Davis.
Ayo Walker is an Associate Professor of Critical Dance Studies at
Columbia College Chicago and a member of the core faculty for
Rennie Harris University.
