Artist Statement
I strive for inclusion. As a choreographer and as a dancer, I work to bring diversity to the stage. From my perspective, when the greater population discusses dance only one kind of person is imagined. My politicized body can change that. Being a black woman, I will always be seen as political. I am seen as the history of my race and my gender.
How can we use our lived experiences to broaden the idea of diversity and inclusion? As a choreographer of modern dance, I use the bodily experiences of myself as well as my dancers to create a diverse story through movement. Each person goes through life differently; whether it is how we talk to one another, or how we walk through a crowded room. Your story will be completely different to the person next to you. These mundane movements can show a lot about a person and can infer how someone has lived. I want to use this idea along with the politicized body of a woman, or a person of color, or someone in the LGBTQ+ community to deepen the idea of diversity and inclusion in concert dance.