Meet Elliott Trahan | Visual & Dance Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elliott Trahan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elliott, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
There’s always a gut instinct whether to give up or keep going. It’s only in deep reflection that you find a way to figure out what that actually means. I find that I listen to the voice to give up more; sometimes it’s because what I’ve been doing has lead me to a more evolved thought or idea, so I want to pursue that. Between giving up and continuing further, both can be countered. But if something deep inside piques your interest or can’t be sold to an end point, you have to trust it. If I have less on my plate, I’m more willing to keep going. It’s all about balance and figuring out what is worth your time, and what may have used up time for the sole purpose of going somewhere else!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I graduated from the University of Arizona School of Dance in 2019, and currently live in Dallas, TX. So far, Bruce Wood Dance (BWD) is the first full-time employment opportunity I’ve had in the field of dance, besides working with Tucson-based Hawkinsdance in 2018-19. One thing that inspired me about working with Hawkinsdance was our collaboration with the Tucson Museum of Art, where we performed amongst main exhibitions in the museum and interacted and responded with artworks using dance. Since then, I’ve kept my relationship with the two very close, as I realized visual art and dance overlap in areas of theme, composition, and elemental techniques. Reaching this level of security needed both my dance life and my art life to intersect; it wasn’t until the pandemic, where BWD switched to virtual projects during the spring and summer of 2020, when lockdowns and quarantine really began. I was asked to take the followers of the BWD Instagram account through a “day in the life” of my own life, what I do everyday, how I occupy my time…all of that! I decided to draw my fellow dancers’ company shots that were posted on our account, and make them connected in some way to represent how we all were still dancing, practicing, teaching, and learning from a new environment. Without BWD’s support and encouragement, my creativity would have been shut off during this time, and I’m thankful they gave me a reason to keep pushing on and produce art in any way I could.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, and one of my favorite spots will always be Turtle Creek Park. Sitting by the fountain takes you away from the city life for a second, and at sunset the air is crisp and cool- it’s such a simple place to be. I often meditate there after morning runs, whenever I have the time to run of course! However, pre-COVID you could find me almost every Saturday night at the Rose Room in Station 4. I love drag shows, and Dallas drag queens never disappoint!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m currently a company dancer with Bruce Wood Dance, based in Dallas, TX. They’ve kept us employed and working through the pandemic, and have truly worked harder than I’ll ever know to keep us rehearsing, working, and inspired during such a weird time. I’m very thankful for them being a major backbone this past year.

Instagram: elliotttrahan