Introducing Rebecca Allen
Rebecca (Becky) Allen is a multidisciplinary artist based in her hometown of New Orleans. As a dancer, choreographer, and ceramic artist, her work explores the body in relation to materials, landscape and the natural environment. She approaches performance as a practice of presence, deep listening, and embodied connection.
She has premiered choreographic works in collaboration with institutions such as New Dialect (a founding member), Intersection New Music Ensemble, the Marigny Opera Ballet, Tulane University Dance Department, the Louisiana School of Math Science and Art, and Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Her solo performance Siddhartha (2023) was presented at the International Dance Festival of New Orleans. In 2022, she debuted her first solo art show at Staple Goods, featuring Landing, a sculptural installation that explores the concept of the absent body.
Most recently, she presented The Water that Holds in collaboration with video artist Cristina Molina at Basin Arts as part of their ProjectSpace Residency (2025). Her work with Molina is also currently on display at Other Plans gallery in New Orleans (2025) and was featured last fall at The Ogden Museum of Southern Art (2024). In addition to this ongoing collaboration, her work as a movement artist has been exhibited at the Parlour Gallery in New Orleans through projects with visual artists such as Ryn Wilson and Sara Madandar.
With over two decades of experience as a dance educator, Becky has taught at institutions such as Vanderbilt University, New Dialect, and Tulane University, as well as various dance and performing arts studios in Nashville and New Orleans. She served as an assistant professor of dance at Northwestern State University of Louisiana (2022-2023) and is currently an adjunct professor of dance at Tulane University.
Becky earned her MFA in Interdisciplinary Dance Performance from Tulane University in 2021. She currently maintains RA|Studio where she creates her own line of functional pottery.
Who makes up your art circle?
My art circle is composed of visual artists in New Orleans, dancers spread across the map, former students, former teachers, and new dance colleagues I have met while working in Lafayette since last fall. And truthfully, the plant and animal life at Audubon Park in New Orleans come to mind as part of my circle because I so often immerse myself in that place, especially on daily walks with my dog Rosie.
My art circle is more spread out these days. I do often miss the years when I was part of full season dance companies and got to work inside of artistic processes with groups of mostly close people for extended periods of time. I lived this way for over 10 years. It can be such a beautiful and vulnerable way to deeply connect with people. You can learn so much about a person by dancing with them or making art together in embodied ways. So now, I prefer to work in collaboration with other artists. Being in the dance field really teaches a person how to make art as a collaborative team. I like being part of something bigger than what I could do alone, and I like connecting with other artists with great imaginations.
How do you expand your art circle?
My art circle has recently expanded by joining Clare Cook in Lafayette for her artistic process in making a new work for Dance/Splits which premiered at the ACA last fall. I also have many close artist friends from my days in dance companies who now live in other places; when I visit them or join them for a project or teach with them, I expand my circle.
I also feel like my circle expands every time I read books by other artists. Even though I may never meet the person, sometimes their words or something they leave me with in their writing feels like it expands something inside of me. These authors become companions even though we have never met.
What value do you see in having a creative community?
Being part of a creative community, for me, has been a way to practice and try on ways of being together and working together in healthy ways. I learn to stay flexible; I practice my boundaries while remaining open to ideas; I get to join and notice the effect my strengths can have on a group effort.
A creative community is not afraid to evolve or to take risks. A creative community gives each other room to grow and expand.
How does your artistic approach contribute to your community?
I join in on projects with other artists in hopes that by collaborating, we are all learning and helping each other realize meaningful work. I hope that audiences are inspired or challenged in ways that feel expansive. I hope that my work ultimately helps all of us feel a bit more connected—to our own selves, to each other as fellow humans, and to our natural environment. I also have students, with whom I get to practice translating the beautiful insights I’ve gained along the way. I have former students with whom I have collaborated or who I have introduced to people in my own artist circle, to help widen theirs…we all keep each other moving, evolving and expanding.
Our weekly Art Circle series profiles artists throughout the community and is sponsored in part by Lafayette Visitor Enterprise Fund managed by Lafayette Travel
