Photo by Meagan Helman
I believe that dance can function as a mode of survival, of celebration, a form of expression, a method of escape, a chance to uplift or force to be reckoned with. I personally use dance to embody the aches and joys of the personal experiences surrounding my identity. I use the art of dance to interrogate the past, shape the present and forge futures for myself and those around me.
Photo by Jasmine Booker
My choreographic voice is influenced by my southern, preacher’s kid upbringing. The melodic sounds of the organ/piano, the robust resonance of the drums and fervent songs I heard in church every Sunday morning oscillate in and around my practice from start to finish. My movement vocabulary consists of vernacular movement aesthetics intertwined with abstracted gestures and contemporary dance forms. There is swing and flow nestled within the rhythmic and grounded gesticulations as the hips and spine remain fluid and free. As a performer, I see the audience as a congregation. They are active participants immersed in a collective experience that builds communion and brings about change. I am a firm believer that dance does not happen in a vacuum and we can’t get anywhere unless we go together.
As an educator and choreographer, my choreographic process is driven by research and development. Through reading, writing, and improvisation, I sketch and dream and chew and think. I honor myself as a conduit of this investigation and I continually push myself to explore the depths of my ideas and creativity while remaining true to myself and who I am as an artist. In collaboration, I work to build community with the dancers I am working with. Through my process, I encourage them to claim their agency as artists, honor their authenticity and remain curious in an art form of limitless possibilities.
Photo by Meagan Helman