My research is focused on slavery (african) as the beginning of black contemporary expression i.e. Hip Hop culture. Posing the question, ' Was slavery the beginning of Black contemporary expression as we know it today? My intentions is to chronologically mark what I refer to as 'paradigm shifts' in American and Black American culture in order to show the lineage of Hip-hop and how it came into existence as we understand it today. In short, ultimately I will focus on the history of Hip hop dance by way of academic theory, perception and my experience in the field of Hip-hop dance and culture. Currently expanding my research internationally.
keywords
linguistics, gesture, african aesthetic, embodied communication, slavery, minstrel era, social dancing, hip hop, oral history, hip hop theory, community education, urban myth
Teaching
courses taught
DNCE 3041 - Major Technique
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021
Designed for dance majors. Enrollment by audition only. May be repeated up to 16 total credit hours.
DNCE 3301 - Hip-Hop Dance Technique 2
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Builds on fundamentals established in Hip-Hop Dance Technique 1. Students deepen their understanding of Hip-Hop history through fundamental movement techniques, specifically, House, and study the social/political forces at work. The course focuses on increasing dancers' capacity for variation, sequencing, musicality and free-styling in Hip-Hop dance. Enrollment by audition only. Meets with DNCE 5331. May be repeated up to 4 total credit hours.
DNCE 4047 - Hip-Hop Dance History
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Addresses the origin and evolution of American Hip-Hop dance rooted in a theoretical structure that springs from the elemental nature of the African Diaspora. Emphasis placed on the social, political, and economic environment in which it was fashioned. Pioneers, innovators, terminology, and styles will be identified. Course includes lectures, readings, audio/video analysis and discussion. Meets with DNCE 5047.
DNCE 4061 - Major Technique
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Designed for dance majors. Enrollment by audition only. May be repeated up to 16 total credit hours.
DNCE 5001 - Graduate Technique
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
DNCE 5047 - Hip-Hop Dance History
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2024
Addresses the origin and evolution of American Hip-Hop dance rooted in a theoretical structure that springs from the elemental nature of the African Diaspora. Emphasis placed on the social, political, and economic environment in which it was fashioned. Pioneers, innovators, terminology, and styles will be identified. Course includes lectures, readings, audio/video analysis and discussion. Meets with DNCE 4047.
DNCE 5331 - Graduate Hip-Hop Technique 2
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Students deepen their understanding of Hi-Hop history through fundamental movement techniques, specifically, House, and study the social/political forces at work. Focuses on increasing dancers' capacity for variation, sequencing, musicality and free-styling in Hip-Hop dance. Enrollment by audition only. Meets with DNCE 3301. May be repeated up to 4 total credit hours.
DNCE 6969 - The Graduate Project
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2019 / Spring 2020
Provides the opportunity for synthesizing the graduate experience through the execution of a project related to the student's major area of interest. Project must be approved by the graduate faculty advisor.
