Nike is a Goddess who celebrates victory in many fields from art, music to athletics. Movement, dance, are extremely physical drawing upon music and expression. As physical as sports, as a previous dancer myself, I find the biggest difference is that we hide the hard work and just show the beauty as flawlessly as possible. It was a big fight for me, like many people growing up, to dance. There was a lack of support from public schools to make it part of the curriculum making it an expense that many young people can’t afford and as we get older, many of us aren’t brave enough to let ourselves practice it outside of the dance floor. We are finally starting to see the credit that dance deserves, people like choreographer, dancer, artist, athlete and Nike partner Parris Goebel have put the movement to the forefront, not just for a new era of girls and women, but for anyone who expresses their creativity through movement.

With much anticipation, we went to “Goddess Awakened” celebrating the collective power of womanhood through movement, style, and self-expression in Paris hosted by Nike and choreographed by Parris Goebel who is behind some of your favourite dances from Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, and of course Rihanna. The energy was like nothing I experienced before at a dance performance, game, or even fashion show, but more like all three together, full of claps, tears, and moments of awes as the collective of more than 30 Nike athletes and partners drew us in with a contagious feeling of optimism and celebration over 40 minutes.

 

 

“Throughout history, women have been told how to act, what to say, how to feel — tonight is about breaking those binds and letting our voices be heard, our bodies be acknowledged, and our wings take flight, together,” said Goebel, who wrote a letter to the audience to help set the tone for the night. “To me, there is no better way to express the love, grief, power, and femininity of this moment than through dance, and I’m grateful for Nike’s partnership in giving me the stage, literally and figuratively, to do it.”

Style and self-expression merged with pieces featured from Nike collaborators, including Martine Rose, Yoon Ahn, and Feng Chen Wang, weaving together a compelling narrative that was soulful, united, and uninhibited. You forget how the wrong shoes, bra, or leggings can put limitations on dancers or choreography. Freedom of movement is an additional challenge to give designers and together with Nike, they delivered innovation, yet the challenge was met with a standing ovation.

““Goddess Awakened” represents the next era for Nike Women, one where the brand is a platform for celebrating and empowering female creativity and self-expression through the lens of community,” said Liz Weldon, VP, Global Nike Women’s Brand Management. “We know that one of the greatest ways we can champion women is to open space for them to feel seen and included.”

Tania Flynn, VP, Nike Apparel Design said it best “By celebrating all forms of movement, all bodies, and all creative identities, we can help redefine the future of sport for the next generation.”

I’m excited to see that future, and leaving Goddess Awakened felt like that future is now.