Introducing the 2023 Native Launchpad Associate Artists
Advancing Indigenous Performance at WAA: Creating Opportunity and Sustainability for Indigenous Artists
Congratulations to 2023 Native Launchpad Associate Artists! The cohort of six — Pele Bauch; Def-i; Chantil Dukart; Olivia Komahcheet; G Precious; and Sondra Segundo — selected by a panel of Indigenous arts leaders and creatives will receive mentoring and coaching, professional development opportunities, promotional benefits, and conference funding and travel support under the program.
Pele Bauch - image credit: P. Silcher; Def-i - image courtesy of Def-i; Chantil Dukart - image courtesy of Chantil Dukart; Olivia Komahcheet - image credit: Jordan Nicks; G Precious; Sondra Segundo - image credit: Dave McGrawn
Pele Bauch (she/her) is a Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian interdisciplinary choreographer based in New York who weaves dance, theater, and installation design into unique performances.
Def-i (he/him) is a Diné artist based in Albuquerque, NM who carves out an original niche from introspective and poetic Hip-Hop
Chantil Dukart (she/her) is a Denver-based, Alaska raised Indigenous jazz and funk artist with roots in the Tsimshian and Sugpiaq peoples of Alaska.
Olivia Komahcheet (she/her) is an Indigenous/American (Comanche, Otoe-Missouria) composer and music producer whose work spans spaces of music, visual media, and immersive art experiences.
G Precious (she/her) is a multi-award winning hip-hop, pop, R&B artist from Ohkay Owingeh — Village of the Strong People.
Sondra Segundo (she/her), based in Seattle, WA, comes from a long line of Haida Raven Clan Matriarchs. She is a storyteller, singer, songwriter, and keeper of ancestral songs.
Native Launchpad — the cornerstone program of WAA’s Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) initiative — is a highly competitive national program, created to provide U.S.-based Indigenous artists with tools and resources needed to further their careers and deepen their connection to the world of arts presenting and management.