Rulan Tangen

Rulan Tangen is a renowned choreographer, performer, and cultural activist based in Santa Fe, New

Mexico. She is the founder and artistic director of Dancing Earth, a contemporary Indigenous dance

company that combines traditional dance forms with contemporary movement and experimental

theater techniques.

Tangen was born in Los Angeles to a Norwegian American father and a Native American mother of

Haudenosaunee and Ojibwe descent. She grew up in San Francisco and began studying ballet and

modern dance at a young age. She went on to earn a B.A. in Dance from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.F.A. in Dance from Mills College.

After completing her studies, Tangen performed with several prominent dance companies, including the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, the ODC/San Francisco Dance Company, and the Ballet Hispanico of New York. She also choreographed her own works and received numerous awards and grants for her innovative choreography.

In 2004, Tangen founded Dancing Earth to create a platform for Indigenous dance artists to express

their cultural heritage through contemporary movement. The company has since performed at major venues across the United States and internationally, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and the Festival of the World Cultures in Dublin, Ireland.

In addition to her work with Dancing Earth, Tangen is a passionate advocate for Indigenous arts and

culture. She has served on the board of directors for numerous organizations, including the Native

Arts and Cultures Foundation and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. She has also received

numerous honors for her contributions to the arts and activism, including a Doris Duke Artist Award

and a Native Arts and Cultures Foundation National Artist Fellowship.