Aleta Hayes is a lecturer at Stanford University in the Department of Theater and Performance Studies, director, and choreographer. Her latest passion is offering Embodied Leadership workshops, which utilize performance techniques to enhance and transform leadership skills within the d.school at Stanford University and beyond.
What’s something that’s on your mind this Black History Month?
When I was growing up, my parents made sure I understood the accomplishments of African-Americans in the United States and the brilliant cultural achievements stretching back to Africa. So what comes to my mind is how important it is for me to pay that forward and to share that rich legacy with students and colleagues alike. My parents gave me this gift sitting around the dinner table, and not just during Black History Month. So right alongside my great education in European classical forms and traditions, I was schooled in Black excellence, and that gave me an unshakeable confidence I can access in any performance arena.
