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 - Dance and Dancing: More Dancing
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021
We will dance and dance some more. We will sweat, feel, connect, and think. In-depth, rigorous, current, and justice-oriented dance training occurs within a specific form. Technical skills are supported by context, histories, and potential futures of the form. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 15 credit hours. Same as DNCE 2021 and DNCE 4061 and DNCE 5001.
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 - Dance & Hip-Hop History
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024 / Fall 2025
Addresses the origin and evolution of American Hip-Hop dance rooted in theoretical structures springing from the elemental nature of the African Diaspora. Pioneers, innovators, terminology, and styles will be identified, emphasizing the social, political, and economic environment in which it was fashioned. Includes lectures, readings, audio/video analysis and discussion. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. Same as DNCE 5047.
DNCE 4061 - Dance & Dancing: More Dancing
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024 / Spring 2026
We will dance and dance some more. We will sweat, feel, connect, and think. In-depth, rigorous, current, and justice-oriented dance training occurs within a specific form. Technical skills are supported by context, histories, and potential futures of the form. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 15 total credit hours. Same as DNCE 2021 and DNCE 3041 and DNCE 5001.
DNCE 5001 - Dance & Dancing: More Dancing
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024 / Spring 2026
We will dance and dance some more. We will sweat, feel, connect, and think. In-depth, rigorous, current, and justice-oriented dance training occurs within a specific form. Technical skills are supported by context, histories, and potential futures of the form. We refuse to separate: 1) mind and body; 2) dance and other disciplines; 3) us from one another. May be repeated up to 15 total credit hours. Same as DNCE 2021 and DNCE 3041 and DNCE 4061.
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 Advanced Hip-Hop Technique
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. May be repeated up to 4 total credit hours.
DNCE 6047 - Dance Studies
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2026
Studies current dance trends, mostly in the United States, with particular attention paid to dance's intersection with philosophy, theory, technology, politics, current events and the other arts.
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.
