Dr. Petra Kuppers
School
Falmouth College of Arts
Year
1999
Keywords
video/film dance, disability performance, lesbian dance, fatness and dance, arts-based research
Thesis Title
Between Embodiment and Representation: Performing Bodies, Freaks, Filmdance
Abstract
Bio
Petra Kuppers is a disability culture activist and a community performance artist who uses disability culture methods, somatics, performance, visual art, media, and speculative poetry to engage audiences toward more socially just and enjoyable futures. Her latest academic study is the award-winning Eco Soma: Pain and Joy in Speculative Performance Encounters (UoMinnesota Press, 2022, open access). Her honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Visionary Trailblazer Award by the Association for Theatre in Higher Education for her life-long work in community performance. She teaches at the University of Michigan and is currently (2026) at work on Planting Disabled Futures, a virtual reality/community performance project, as a Just Tech Fellow. website: www.petrakuppers.com
