In honor of Women’s History Month, Cole Haan is in partnership with Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, featuring four visionary, multimedia artists who have devoted their lives to creating and cultivating community, weaving together past, present and future generations of women through their artistry.

Meet tap dancer and choreographer Ayodele Casel.

Ayodele Casel may dance with her feet, but what she says with them is just as important.

As she glides rhythmically across the stage, the award-winning tap dancer, who is Black and Puerto Rican, invokes the often untold legacies of the many Black female tap dancers who never had the same opportunity she has to perform at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and Madison Square Garden.

“I like to think it’s doing justice to their erasure,” she says. “I am a conglomerate of all these folks who came before me.”

Those women’s stories have also helped Ayodele find her voice. Raised between The Bronx and Puerto Rico, she found the magic of tap dancing to be a language that needs no translation.

With only a few clicks of her toes and heels, Ayodele skillfully weaves rich history and personal stories together with the salsa, jazz, and hip hop sounds that defined her childhood, most recently on display in her award-winning production Chasing Magic. Her unique approach has earned her a Doris Duke Artist award, Bessie award, and a spot as one of the New York Times’ “biggest breakout stars of 2019.” She also serves as a choreographer for the Broadway revival of Funny Girl.

Through all her work, Ayodele hopes to transform the way audiences see tap dancing.

“Tap dancing is not just steps. Tap dancing is not just a series of moves … This is real expression.”

Ayodele’s upcoming performances include Artists at The Center at New York City Center and Chasing Magic at Spoleto Arts Festival.

Learn more about Ayodele at ayodelecasel.com and stay connected with her latest on Instagram at @ayolives.

@MariaShriver

SyncID: 8GM0DUN9QD0IYKTQ
SM9J11N7LJAPEM5T
PQRQWKHNUQXMLPJL