33 1/3 & Under: Meet Rising Star and Hudson Valley Dancer Hanna Bass
With our recently launched column, 33 1/3 & Under, we spotlight the fast-growing community of talented young creators who call the Hudson Valley home — the wealth of homegrown and recently arrived artists, musicians, businesspeople, and social advocates.
This month, INSIDE+OUT Upstate New York is profiling a truly accomplished “multidisciplinary being” – the dancer/choreographer/filmmaker Hanna Bass, aka Lotus.
This Hudson Valley dweller began her career in the arts at eighteen as a professional ballerina with the world-renowned American Ballet Theater (ABT). As Hanna toured the globe with the company, she became deeply interested in another creative medium – filmmaking and visual storytelling. Today, she is fusing the two – movement and video – to create profoundly intriguing and emotional works, often in collaboration with her life partner, Fauna Echo.
Read on to hear more about her fascinating life, on and off the stage. And if you know of a young creative who deserves a share of the spotlight, one under 33 ⅓ years of age, the speed at which an old vinyl LP spins per minute, please let us know.
INSIDE+OUT: How did your career in the arts begin? When did you start studying dance, and what first drew you to it?
Hanna Bass: I’ve always been a multidisciplinary being, exploring many mediums and expressions— but ballet was my first serious calling in the arts. Movement has always been my first language. At age four, I began as a competitive gymnast, testing the body’s limits. Eventually, I transitioned fully into ballet, training every day, pointe shoes and all. My teenage years revolved around the studio. By eighteen, I signed a contract with one of the top ballet companies in the world and was touring internationally.
Your first professional experience in the art world was as a ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre. What was it like working with such a renowned company and sharing the stage with some of the world’s top ballet dancers?
There’s an undeniable magic in ballet: the precision, the history, the sheer devotion it demands. It taught me a level of focus and commitment that borders on obsession. It was all-consuming, a world in itself. Pushing through pain and overriding your body’s natural rhythms is part of the lifestyle. I faced a lot of physiological and psychological challenges that I’m still unraveling to this day. And yet, it was a vital chapter in my human experience. It shaped me into the artist I am now.
How has your work as a dancer and choreographer evolved over the years? Are there any defining moments that shaped your artistic path?
Letting go of ballet as my primary profession opened up an entirely new way of approaching the body and movement. I had to unlearn years of conditioning, both physical and mental. I dove into healing, into somatic practices, into feeling again. Now, my movement and choreography are rooted in rawness and instinct. The body holds a knowing the mind can’t always grasp. My work is a conversation with those deeper layers of knowing.
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What is your relationship to dance now? How has your approach to movement shifted over time?
Dance, for me now, is much more about how it feels than how it looks. I’m dancing with grief, with memory, with the parts of me that were silenced for years. I no longer see the body as just a tool. It is the temple of the soul. Movement is how I honor it. It is medicine. It is reclamation.
In addition to being a dancer and choreographer, you’re also a filmmaker and visual artist. Can you share a bit about your creative process and what inspires you right now?
I like to exist at the intersection of dance, film, and performance. My life is a creative ritual, always evolving. I create across mediums, following whatever thread feels most alive. I’m on a mission to find wholeness rather than compartmentalizing my identity or choosing one specific niche. Right now, I’m deeply inspired by intimacy—a real, unfiltered connection in an era of curation. I’m asking: “What does it mean to be a real, breathing, feeling human in a world of manufactured bullshit?”
You often collaborate artistically with your life partner. What is that creative dynamic like?
Creative collaboration is one of my love languages. There’s something powerful about making art with someone who truly sees and understands your essence. Our creative duo is Fauna & Lotus, which symbolizes the sacred union of Earth and Spirit. Fauna represents the primal life force, nature, and interconnectedness. Lotus represents transformation, evolution, and rebirth. It’s a bridge between the earthly and the ethereal, the wild and the transcendent. We are currently dreaming up performance art pieces, live music sets, and immersive art shows.
What brought you to the Hudson Valley? Will you ever leave?
I’ve been based in the Hudson Valley for the past few years, traveling globally for projects and creative endeavors. I found a studio here that I transformed into an artist haven, where I hosted events that merged art and wellness. But soon, I look forward to letting my spirit fly again. I feel my soul dragging me to Europe.
What medium are you most focused on at this time? What’s lighting you up creatively?
Film. Movement. The fusion of both. Filmmaking and audiovisual storytelling will always be a sweet spot for me. I’ve probably spent thousands of hours editing videos. There’s something meditative about its meticulous nature. I’m currently exploring new ways to weave movement, presence, and breath into visual media. Media has the power to transmit a frequency. It bypasses logic and speaks directly to the nervous system and the body. The other day at the gym, I noticed how toxic it felt to be surrounded by screens feeding my brain with hollow, corporate ads. Media is shaping our inner worlds constantly. Part of my calling is to create work that reconnects us to humanity. And the media that exposes the shadow to expand our awareness.
I heard you recently embraced the name Lotus as your artist name and will share your work under it moving forward. What inspired this choice?
The name came after a traditional water purification ceremony at Sebatu in Bali. I had been moving through personal initiations and sensed a new name was arriving. Around that time, I began channeling icaros—melodies that moved through me during healing work with my partner. They felt like they came from somewhere beyond me.
One night, while recording vocals in a sauna, my partner called me Lotus. It landed with a quiet knowing. I’ve always been drawn to cultures where names evolve with the soul’s journey. Lotus holds my essence, my shadow, and my light.
I admire artists who choose their names—Lady Gaga, David Bowie, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, the list goes on. I think it’s brave to let identity shift. I just want the freedom to express all sides of myself without feeling confined by any one name or label.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about in your career? Any upcoming projects that feel particularly meaningful? Any dreams?
I’m ready for big changes in identity, path, and focus. I’m looking forward to more exhibitions and creating new work, as well as meeting new collaborators around the world. I’m ready to dive into the world of music, exploring my voice through sound and music. A dream of mine is to create beautiful art residencies around the globe, spaces that merge wellness with the creative process— sanctuaries where artists can reconnect with nature and their inner worlds. We need this more than ever. We’re so saturated with modern living that we can barely hear our inner voice or intuitive knowing.
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What themes or ideas are you most drawn to exploring artistically?
Unfiltered existence. The raw mess of being alive. Metamorphosis. Multidimensionality. As a director and filmmaker, I’m drawn to stories that reveal real love and connection. I also want to explore what it means to reclaim personal autonomy and sovereignty in a world shaped by societal conditioning and systemic programming. More than ever, I long to see the fullness of our humanity.
Tell us about any unique gifts or superpowers you have. What’s something people might not know about you?
I often feel like I’m living between worlds. I see energy, I receive messages, and I move through life guided by visions more than plans. I’ve always had a sense that my soul didn’t originate here. That I’m just passing through, trying to remember why I came.
Follow/Connect with Hanna Bass via Website | Instagram | Substack
Photos by Hanna Bass
Contributing writer Sal Cataldi is a musician, writer, and former publicist living in Saugerties.
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