Month: November 2020
“P-Valley” Star Brandee Evans Brings Legit Dance Chops to the Show
Brandee Evans owes her dance career to one triple pirouette she turned as a high school senior. The actress and dancer was auditioning for the University of Memphis dance team. A full scholarship was on the line, and without it, she couldn’t afford the university. Evans spent hours practicing on the concrete floor of her…
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These Two New Dance-Filled Flicks Are Getting Us Into the Holiday Spirit
Who couldn’t use a little extra holiday cheer this year? Netflix is stepping in with a double dose of heartwarming, dance-powered programs this November that celebrate the season. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey First up is movie-musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, dropping November 13. This new family flick is a fantastical journey, following a…
Read MoreExclusion Is Oppression: From Pedagogy to Performance
Colonialism and slavery violently disrupted the histories of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). White folks appointed themselves tellers of all stories, and their viewpoints have rewritten, erased or entirely excluded other narratives. BIPOC dance artists have, for long, felt this exclusion while being exploited. This exclusion is still the source of trauma for…
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My Life as an Invisible Black Choreographer
The day I fell in love with ballet was the day I signed myself up for what now seems like a life of invisibility. Despite clear talent, I grew up with teachers who ignored me in class; it made me work harder. I went on to a performance career with Oakland Ballet, North Carolina Dance…
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Has Social Media Changed How We Experience Dance in Public Spaces?
When choreographer Stephan Koplowitz presented Natural Acts in Artificial Water in Houston’s Gerald D. Hines Water-wall Park in 2012, he hired a professional videographer to document the performance. But when he looked over the footage, he found that one section of the piece hadn’t gotten enough coverage. “I put out a call to my cast…
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