In this intimate episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Mx. Antoine Hunter—an award‑winning Deaf dancer, choreographer, teacher, advocate, and the founder of the Urban Jazz Dance Company and the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival. Antoine describes movement as breath, meditation, and survival. They share memories of growing up Deaf in a hearing world, facing bullying and isolation, and discovering that dance was the first place they were truly seen. A high‑school solo to “I Will Always Love You” became the moment movement turned into a language—where they could finally be heard beyond sound. Mia and Antoine explore the difference between hearing and listening, the role of Deaf instinct in their teaching, and how choreography emerges from lived experience, including stories of injustice faced by Deaf community members in the prison system. Antoine also talks about their two‑spirit identity, the strength of family and community, and how vibration, drums, and embodied rhythm guide their art. They share what’s ahead: an art gallery, open‑stage events, and a Deaf and disabled dance film festival focused on access and visibility. The episode closes with a powerful poem—an offering of beauty, worth, and the truth the body carries. A poetic, grounding conversation on identity, resilience, and listening beyond sound. About the Guest: Antoine Hunter Antoine Hunter (Purple Fire Crow) is an award‑winning Deaf dancer, choreographer, teacher, advocate, and cultural organizer based in Oakland, California. They are the founder and artistic director of the Urban Jazz Dance Company and the creator of the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival, an internationally recognized platform for Deaf and hard‑of‑hearing artists. Their work blends jazz, modern, African, and urban styles with storytelling rooted in Deaf culture, embodied experience, and ancestral knowledge. Antoine performs and teaches internationally, speaks on arts equity and Deaf access, and is a leading voice in disability justice and inclusive dance. Episode Timestamps (00:00) “You Are Beautiful” — Opening Poem (00:57) Meet Antoine Hunter (02:02) Movement as Breath and Survival (04:19) Childhood, Identity, and Belonging (06:15) How Dance Saved Their Life (09:18) Being Seen, Felt, and Heard (11:59) Hearing vs. True Listening (15:55) Family, Community, and Superpower (18:59) Moving Community Through Lockdown (20:32) Urban Jazz Dance Company Origin Story (23:57) Deaf Prison Stories (29:26) Intersectional Identity and Trauma (32:08) How Antoine Creates Choreography (34:51) Feeling Music Through Vibration (36:45) Teaching with Drums and Sensation (37:24) Deaf Vibration Senses Explained (40:01) Leading from Within (42:31) Intuition, Instinct, and Survival (45:09) Two‑Spirit Identity and Expression (51:40) Barriers, Perception, and Seeing Vibration (54:17) Deaf Dance Festival Impact (57:11) Workshops, Teaching, and Access (01:01:33) New Projects and What’s Ahead (01:04:50) A Universal Truth: Listening with the Body (01:06:34) Sponsor Message (01:07:32) “Why I Dance” — Closing Poem Links & Resources • Antoine Hunter • Mia Tate — IMDb • Follow Why We Dance on YouTube and Instagram • Producer: S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez) • Executive Producer: Meredith Gooderham • Studio: Caspian Studios • Production Support: Dark to Light Productions • Sponsor: Davies Reid Rugs Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.