We were lucky to catch up with Lark Detweiler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lark, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

As a Deaf dancer (and musician), a lot of people have questions as to how I hear the music, how I dance on beat, how I move, etc. Throughout my life, I’ve learned that it’s sometimes better to showcase my skills first before disclosing that I can’t hear. One specific instance, when I was eight years old and started playing classical clarinet and wanted to join my elementary school’s orchestra, the band director stopped my mom and was hesitant to let me join: “How will they blend?” to which my mom replied, “I don’t know, but are you going to tell her she can’t?” This kind of hesitancy at learning I’m Deaf has followed me in every endeavor throughout my life: through auditions, dance classes, job interviews, band practices, even in casual group settings amongst friends. Being underestimated sucks in the moment, but the satisfaction I get from proving others wrong and that I am more than capable has kept me going!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lark Detweiler, and I am a Deaf dancer and musician.

I’ve been Deaf since I was 18 months old and was put into dance when I was three before anyone knew I had any sort of hearing loss. I was four years old when I got diagnosed, and five when I received my first pair of hearing aids. I grew up dancing on a competition team doing styles such as tap, jazz, lyrical, and ballet.
Just like music is integral to the art form of dance, music is a major component of my life and my creative projects. I started playing music when I was eight years old with classical clarinet, then gradually dabbled in other woodwind instruments, bass guitar, and piano in high school, and started working in music production in college.

Currently, I work as a professional dancer under Bloc Talent Agency in Los Angeles, as well as a choreographer. My favorite job I’ve ever had the pleasure of working was with a group of fellow Deaf/Hard of Hearing dancers filming episode 9 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist with Mandy Moore as the choreographer. My favorite piece of choreography I’ve done is a music video for Vision Video for their song “Beautiful Day to Die”. As a musician, I perform as a stand-in bass player live for some of my friends’ bands and I have my own solo music project called spiralteeth, releasing music this month.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

There isn’t a specific mission I keep in mind when I go about my day-to-day creative projects, but a consistent underlying theme in my work is the idea that you can do anything you put your mind to. As a deaf person, if I can make a career for myself in music and dance aka two industries that seemingly don’t mesh with the idea of deafness, then you (as an individual in the audience) can achieve your own dreams.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Merely the opportunity to live my life in creation, in celebrating life and dance and music and the joy of art, is the most rewarding part. Art is so integral to human life and to be lucky enough to earn a living in a capitalistic system that makes it difficult for art to be financially supportive is something I am so grateful for.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @deafdancerlark, @batcavelark
• Youtube: batcavelark

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Amber Andrews Three photos: Lexi Colvin Michaela Sprague Teia Ciornei