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I have been choreographing since 2012 for recreational, competition, and concert dance. I am currently the Co-Artistic Director for WashU Dance Collective and a freelance choreographer. My choreography combines jazz, modern, contemporary, and hip hop dance styles to create unique, entertaining works. My approach to choreography involves exploring time/space dynamics based in musicality, specifically polyrhythms, and the manipulation of traditional technique along with hip hop and social dance to create unique steps & motifs throughout each piece. While I am always inspired directly by the music, my goal is always to highlight the skills of the dancers I’m working with. Most of my concert dance work explores abstract concepts relating to psychology, community, interpersonal relationships, & the human experience.

"unrequited" explores the relationship between America and women in this country, with an emphasis on the experience of women of color. This piece is intended to be "colloquial." Using the lyrics of poetry, rap, and alternative R&B to inspire gestural movement, "unrequited" seeks to prompt very specific conversation, between the dancers themselves, the dancers and the audience, and each of their personal relationships with their country.

Program Note: What's the opposite of a love story?

Video & Music Editing: Ryadah Heiskell

Lighting Design: Catherine Adams & Ryadah Heiskell

Costumes: Nikki Green

Lighting Design: Jayson Lawshee

Costumes: Shevaré Perry

"Inertia" is the tendency for an object (or person) to remain unchanged unless acted upon by an outside force. This piece, explores that concept, both, in the way the term is used in physics, as well as in psychology. With this in mind, I created the piece based on a series of ideas & questions, in no particular order:

• How one object’s movement/stillness affects another, or a group
• Impact of observing vs. participating; does this change the experience?
• Desire vs. apathy, does it matter? (i.e. “I want to move but can’t.” vs. “I don’t care if I move or not.”)
• Does distance from impact matter? If there’s a group, does the experience of the “object” that receives the initial impact differ from one at the back of the group?

This piece was developed as part of COCA’s Choreographic Lab. As the selected choreographer, I worked with amazingly talented and established choreographers: Nina Flagg, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Anthony Burrell, and Clarice Young. These artists gave me advice and feedback throughout the 8-week process to help me further develop the work. I also worked closely with Kirven and Antonio Douthit-Boyd throughout the process.

Read more about my process and experience: HERE.

(excerpts)

"...the body remembers" was inspired by a book of the same name that focuses on the psychophysiology of trauma & treatment as well as my own exploration into somatic work. The piece takes an abstract approach to exploring how we process & heal from trauma by ourselves & through community.

Lighting Design: Meghan Olree & Ryadah Heiskell

Costumes: Becca Mersinger

(excerpts)

"Vertigo" uses the physical feeling of vertigo as a metaphor for the psychological experience of feeling out of control in life. The piece specifically explores how that effects our actions & communication both inter- and intra-personally.

Lighting Design: Meghan Olree & Ryadah Heiskell

Costumes: Ryadah Heiskell

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My goal as a choreographer is to create work that both the dancers and the audience enjoy &/or are moved by, whether they relate to the subject, connect with the musicality, or just appreciate the art..