Vanessa Fuller — dancer, choreographer and longtime advocate for community arts — has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Eugene Arts and Letters Award, a distinguished honor that recognizes outstanding contributions to the city’s cultural life.
Established in 1982 by Lee and Hester Bishop, the award is presented annually by the mayor of Eugene. Since 2010, it has been part of the BRAVA Awards, hosted by the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene, and honors individuals who have significantly shaped Eugene’s artistic community.
“I’ve never been honored by the city, ever, for anything,” Fuller says.
Fuller is the founder and artistic director of Xcape Dance Company, a studio built on principles of equity and access. Xcape is known for offering scholarship-based dance education to participants of all ages — from toddlers to adult professionals. “The way we work, Xcape provides no barriers education to every single person who walks in the door,” Fuller says. “I don’t turn anybody away for not having funds to dance,” she adds. “This means that we have a lot of students on scholarships and a lot of students in some of those marginalized populations that would never get the chance to take dance or be involved in a community like this otherwise.”
As someone who was born and raised in Eugene, Fuller says she feels closely tied to the community and grateful for the opportunity to give back. “I’m born and raised here. I left for a while, and I came back, which gave me a lot of perspective,” she says. “I would say my favorite part about creating here in Eugene is that I feel like I get to do what’s needed for kids that look like me.” she continues. “And so what keeps me motivated and excited about being here is the opportunity to do that. I feel like it’s kind of my purpose, my karma, whatever you want to call it,”
Fuller’s work reaches far beyond Eugene. Her choreography has been featured on major stages, including Club Jeté in Los Angeles, and at arena concerts across the country alongside artists like E-40, Twista, The Game and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. She also appeared in Season 1 of Second Chance Stage on HBO Max and Magnolia Network, and has collaborated with MTV, CBS and the University of Oregon.
Reflecting on her upbringing, Fuller says the lack of diverse representation in local dance shaped her vision. “I grew up here. At that time, there wasn’t a lot of hip hop, a lot of jazz, a lot of African rooted styles. I did take tap growing up, but there wasn’t a community of Black and brown leadership here. There just wasn’t.”
That lack of representation fueled her passion for teaching and ultimately led her to become the artistic director and studio owner of Xcape — a space designed not just as a dance studio, but as a launching pad for the next generation of artists. Xcape now includes a teacher assistant program, competitive youth teams and a professional dance company for adults. “This is the pipeline,” Fuller says. “We’re creating that connection from here to L.A. and New York.”
She says receiving the BRAVA award is especially meaningful as arts organizations across the country are dealing with sharp cuts to funding.
“It feels great to be honored. I think it’s a really good time because we all know of the grants and things that have been cut abruptly in the past couple weeks to art organizations, part of our organization is nonprofit. So we’re going to feel the effects of that,” Fuller says. “And so I feel like it’s a really good time to have the opportunity to speak about that.”
Many of the affected grants are tied to the National Endowment for the Arts, which helps fund local groups such as Lane Arts Council, Eugene Symphony and Oregon Bach Festival. These organizations often support programs that uplift marginalized and LGBTQ+ communities — a cornerstone of Xcape’s mission. Fuller notes that many of those grants are being reduced due to decisions made by the current presidential administration.
At the heart of Xcape’s purpose is creating a pathway for the next generation to believe in a future in the arts.
“There was nobody telling me I could make a career out of dance and art,” Fuller says. “Now, kids in Eugene can see someone who looks like them doing just that.”
“Dance to be free” is the guiding motto that Fuller and the Xcape Dance Company carry forward.
To learn more about Vanessa Fuller and Xcape Dance Academy, visit Xcapedance.my.canva.site/vanessafullerdance. Xcape Dance Academy is located at 1416 West 7th Avenue. For inquiries, call 541-337-3797 or email info@xcapedance.com.