# #52: Mele Estrella & Damara Vita Ganley - The Dance of Belonging

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-humans-work-podcast-1330381/52-mele-estrella-damara-vita-ganley-the-dance-of-belonging
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-humans-work-podcast-1330381/52-mele-estrella-damara-vita-ganley-the-dance-of-belonging.md
Podcast: [How Humans Work Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-humans-work-podcast-1330381)
Published: 2025-10-05T15:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://howhumanswork.us/episode-52-mele-and-damara
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/c9cf8a07-dfe1-498b-991f-c20694751cc5.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-humans-work-podcast-1330381/episodes/52-mele-estrella-damara-vita-ganley-the-dance-of-belonging
Duration seconds: 3960

## Resource

Episode Summary Dance artists Mele Estrella and Damara Vita Ganley join show host Jef Szi and the How Humans Work Podcast for an illuminating conversation that explores the rich terrain of their artistic work. Throughout this remarkable episode, we learn about Mele and Damara’s intensive creative ethics, efforts to engender trust, dedication to playfulness, and deep curiosity about the hidden stories around them. As dedicated movement artists, they are a powerful example of how attuning with one’s body, relationships, and the performance spaces acts as a cohesive force. Their craft and their commitment to the process of art is the foundation for their dance, and we are well-instructed by listening to them. In particular, we hear the fascinating backstory to their recent project, Flock. Flock intertwines animal and human migration stories with ecological awareness, showing the importance of belonging through the metaphor of “flocking.” The Dance of Belonging also explores their “Vertical Dance” Bandaloop Project. Using rope and harnesses to dance on the sides of massive objects, like granite faces or skyscrapers, this innovative dance form is a uniquely stunning display of how art can inspire wonder in all of us. Naturally, we discuss the teachings that come with encountering fear as part of the artistic path. We come to find how Mele and Damara use fear as a guide for deeper connection and support, finding confidence in creative belonging. Many thanks to Mele and Damara for helping us see Social Cohesion in action. Through their creative efforts and commitment to authentic connection, we find that social cohesion is not so much a product of external forces but instead begins with our connection to our own bodies and the group of people we create the story of our lives…

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