Biography

Xochitl Loco (they/them/theirs), also known as Gabí, is an artist born and raised in Tongva Territory. Xochitl’s choreography is based on training in Hip-Hop, West African, Salsa, and Merengue which they incorporated in their choreography for Long Beach City College’s dance shows in 2020 and 2022. Xochitl is in the process of earning their M.F.A. in Choreographic Inquiry at UCLA after achieving a B.A. in film and creative writing from UC Berkeley. While living in the Bay Area, Xochitl was fortunate to study West African dance with Mama Naomi Washington and the late, great Papa Zakarya Diouf and trained with Diamona Cora West African Dance Company at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts.

As a queer Chicanx artist and survivor of sexual assault, Xochitl is passionate about body positivity, and recognizes the need to reconnect body and spirit through movement. Realizing the importance of arts education, Xochitl has lead dance enrichment workshops for students of Long Beach Unified School District through Dramatic Results, and Newport-Mesa Unified School District through Jose Costas Contempo Ballet, teaching various dances from the Afro-Latin diaspora including La Bomba from Puerto Rico, Folklorico from Mexico, and Adowa from Ghana. Xochitl also teaches International Hip-hop weekly for adults at Millennium Dance Complex in Anaheim, allowing Xochitl a venue to regularly teach and share their choreography. Xochitl has performed at venues including Cal State Fresno, USC, Cal State University Dominguez Hills, Long Beach City College and Laney College. Ultimately, Xochitl is passionate about connecting with people from all areas of life through dance.

Research Interests

As a storyteller and choreographer, Xochitl is interested in bringing to light experiences of underrepresented communities.
Growing up in a blended, multi-racial family in the United States has had a major influence on Xochitl’s interest in the Afro-Latin diaspora and topics such as racism, colorism, and decolonization of the mind and body. Being a queer 3rd-generation Chicanx who’s experienced housing insecurity, domestic violence, and the struggle of being a long-time food service and tourism worker, Xochitl often incorporates aspects of their intersectionality into a social political context.

Body positivity is another key area of interest for Xochitl as a survivor of sexual assault, recognizing the need to reconnect body and spirit. Xochitl is a lover of dance improvisation, viewing improv as a means to reveal our undomesticated selves by allowing intuition to lead the body in motion in response to sound. Despite being a student of film as an undergrad at UC Berkeley, Xochitl recognizes the importance of disconnecting from technology and artificial intelligence, resulting in their passion for live musical accompaniment and collaboration between musicians and dancers. One of Xochitl’s goals is to open a cultural arts center for underrepresented communities to heal, flourish, be safe and celebrated.

Education

● M.F.A in Choreographic Inquiry (UCLA)
● B.A. in Film and Creative Writing (UC Berkeley)
● A.A. in Dance (Long Beach City College)