Suchi Branfman

Suchi Branfman is a Senior Lecturer in Dance at Scripps College, part of The Claremont Colleges. Her work bridges choreography, activism, and social justice, particularly through her decade-long residency at the California Rehabilitation Center and her leadership in the Dancing Through Prison Walls project. She is also a prison abolition activist and has held fellowships with institutions like Recess Space, Montalvo Arts Center, and the City of Los Angeles.

• Education:
  • MFA, Goddard College
  • BA, SUNY Empire State

Research & Practice: Her interests include dance as a tool for social change, experimental choreography, and community-engaged performance. She teaches courses like 'Choreographing Our Stories' at Norco Prison and 'Dancing Social Justice,' emphasizing embodied storytelling and dialogue.

Awards & Recognition:

• Mary W. Johnson Excellence Awards (Teaching & Research)
• Claremont Consortium Faculty Diversity Award
• QRC Lavender Award

Grants & Fellowships:

• Lucas Arts Fellow
• COLA Master Artist
• California Arts Council Creative Corps Fellow

Labs/Projects: Founder of Dancing Through Prison Walls, a multi-faceted initiative fostering artistic collaboration between incarcerated individuals and artists. She also curates projects advocating for care over carceral systems (#carenotcages).