Artistic Statement

My creative process cultivates socially motivated work that interweaves techniques (Horton, Dunham, Graham, ballet, and Jazz), athleticism, and the Africanist Aesthetic of Cool to inform a contemporary vernacular-infused style. Reflecting upon what is happening in the world, I interrogate social issues and phenomena through lush movement tapestries. Currently, I am intrigued by society’s obsession with individuality/independence and how this leaves many seeking deeper connections. In this, my focus has become crafting multi-dimensional dance narratives about the pursuit of love and happiness in this era where intimacy continues to morph due to technology.

I enter the creative process looking at the dancers as collaborators. I shape and reshape pre-made movement phrases on them, seeking to amplify their physicality throughout the work. Open dialogue is fostered within a safe space where every voice has validity. By allowing freedom during the exploration phase, dancers are encouraged to find their authenticity within a narrative; constructing emotional landscapes that mirror reality. Negating thematic and physical abstractions, I view dancers as real people having real human experiences in real time. Thus, the emotionality inherit within each movement is utilized to underscore colliding truths with compassion, credence and awareness.