Embodied heritage
Assistant Professor of Jazz Dance and Pedagogy
Associate Director of Dance
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Jazz • Improvisation • Contemporary • Industry Prep
Cultivating community
I enjoy collaborating with poetic dancers of all backgrounds and encouraging whomever to be their honest selves ... to bring into the room everything they have ever learned. To use it as a means of surrender. I too bring all of my training into a room and use, interchangeably, techniques in Jazz via my ongoing conversations and training with my mentor, Sheila Barker. I also pull from Pan-African styles like Samba and Hip-Hop, Modern, Improvisation and Freestyle to Rhythmic Gymnastics, Meditation, Rooted Dance History and Critical Analysis. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with professional & pre-professional, old & young, male, women, trans & gender non-conforming, rich & poor, trained & untrained, the happy & the sad. We are a spectrum. I love people regardless and deem this art form to be soul elevating with hard work.
teaching community
My Jazz Curriculum facilitates an introduction to the historical, theoretical, technical, and creative importance that African Americans boast in the creation of dance, society, and culture in the Americas. Students will experience the heritage and healing power of embodied sanctuary practices for survival within the African American Diaspora, contemplate its origins, intersections, innovators, and deeper meanings. We will play with conceptual and personal creation through collaboration, observation, rhythmic play and discussion. Students will walk away having an embodied understanding of the depth and expansiveness of Jazz; having powerful technique applicable in todays dance industry; knowing how these fundamentals continue to shape society; and be able to construct an insightful narrative of their own individuality within our greater community.
serving community
Through my teaching, research, and community involvement, I strive to embody the values of authentic artistry, pedagogical innovation, and a commitment to fostering inclusive and dynamic spaces for learning and collaboration. My dedication to upholding the historical framework of Black Sanctuary Practices for Survivorship has shaped my approach to a global centered pedagogy, ensuring that students not only develop strong technical skills but also a nuanced understanding of the cultural significance of the art form. Over the years, I have worked to bridge the gap between theory and practice, continually integrating embodied research into my teaching and committing to the broader dance collective, participating in national and international productions that serve community, activism and innovation. My research, productions and choreography highlight dynamic dialogues of human society. Whatever the medium, my work and collaborators create an experience for the performers and audience that offers insight and inspires action; breaking down stereotypes, leading with vulnerability and humanity. I am deeply committed to amplifying diverse voices in the face of global transformation, engaging in culturally responsive and ethical ways of creating with the global community