Rafael Botella asked for help to die a year and a half ago. He could not bear to continue living as he was â a quadriplegic, bedridden and in unbearable pain after a car accident 16 years ago at the age of 19. He was frustrated that Spainâs politicians had become embroiled in their own affairs and that the proposed euthanasia law had been sidelined. At that time, parliament had been dissolved and elections were being called. He was desperate and called the Right to Die with Dignity (DMD) association, which supported him and also advised him to look for alternatives to reduce the pain.
Rachel Howard December 13, 2020Updated: December 16, 2020, 5:09 pm
Beijing Dance/LDTX performs “Arc,” choreographed by Adiya. Photo: Yin Peng
By her own description, choreographer Philein Wang is used to making “diplomatic” art. In fact, in 2013 her ZiRu Dance company won a $50,000 grant from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for the purpose of diplomacy, funding the first of 10 tours to China over five years. The dances Wang took there were family-friendly and emphasized human beauty and cross-culturalism, though they did not explicitly address racism.
But the events of this year have changed her. First came COVID-19, then she learned of anti-Asian harassment directed at close friends, then the police killing of George Floyd. It gave Wang a renewed sense that her efforts in the dance world should speak up.