Dance Training across the African Diaspora, 1988 to the present

Afro-Caribbean Jazz Technique : Halifu Osumare, Wilfred Marks.

Dunham Technique/Afro-Haitian : Katherine Dunham, Tommy Gomez, Halifu Osumare, Blanche Brown, Bernard Johnson, Jean-Claude Destiné.

Senegambian Dance Technique: Allasane Kane, Linda Johnson, Naomi Diop, Youssuf Koumbassa, Kimosha Murphy, Amaneyea Payne, Marie Bass.

Congolese “Système”: Malonga Casquelourde, M’bayero, Regine Babakoka, Borrinha

Dança Afro Technique: Augusto Omolu, Zébrinha, Raimundo Bispo and Rosângela Silvestre at Fundação das Artes, Salvador, Bahia-Brazil.   Nildinha, Edileusa, Fafá, and Keno at Escola de Dança, Universidade Federal da Bahia.

Afro-Brazilian: Isaura Oliveira at Olodum, Salvador, Bahia-Brazil.   Betho Filho at Third Wave Dance Studios, San Francisco, CA.

Jazz Modern: Joel Hall.

Modern: Brian Jeffrey

Improvisation: Bill T. Jones, Rosângela Silvestre, Isaura Oliveira.

Movement Certification

Silvestre Technique: currently in process with Rosângela Silvestre

Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movment:   Awareness Through Movement study with Susan Alberts

 

Poetry Studies @ Stanford Creative Writing Undergraduate Program, 1987-1991

Workshops with Pat Parker, Audre Lorde

Advanced study with Denise Levertov

 

Performance Studies/Training

Anna Deveare Smith, Stanford University,1990-93

Frank Galati, Northwestern University, 1992-93

Mary Zimmerman, Northwestern University, 1994

Kahil El’Zabar, Chicago, 1994-95

 

return to top             genres           shoreline             tidings             resumé

Artistic Director         Sea Moon Sweet Water Daughters: Oshun, Erzulie, Mami Wata and other market mommas.

Performance with my graduate students: Celia Weiss, Melissa Blanco, and Karen Wilson. The Place of Yoruba Religion in the Healing of African Societies in the Modern World, 8th World Congress. Of Orisha Tradition and Culture. Palacio de Convenciones Havana, Cuba. July 7-13, 2003.

Writer/Performer                 Fish Tales, Rivers, and other Female Parts.

Dance/memory piece. Investigates role of women, memory, and structured forgetting   in African Diaspora dance forms. One woman show. Blocking and some direction by Susan Rose. Dance Studio 3, Molli and Arthur Wagner Dance Facility. Sponsored by the Department of Literatures, University of California, San Diego, May 30, 2003.

Choreographer/Writer         New-Found Folktales and Other Lies of Archival Competency.

Original dance/memory piece. Department of Theatre, Performance Studies & Dance, University of California, Berkeley, Feb 6, 2002.

Djale                       Moonshine . Original "newfound folktale."

Written and performed as a "djale" (singer/dancer/storyteller/philosopher). Presented 4 times at

Southern California area schools as Gluck performances. Winter/Spring 2001/02  

Djale                        Why da Spider Bite . Original "newfound folktale."

Presented 4 times at Southern California area schools as Gluck performances. Winter/Spring 2001/02

Djale                        Mariposa . Original "newfound folktale."

Extracted from a larger piece of my original fiction. Presented once at Southern California area schools as Gluck performances. Winter/Spring 2001/02.

Artistic Director/Writer         MirandaAishaLaQuitaWindDancerTchulaOyinMaybelMyeesha Ran All the Way Home.

Original one act musical for children.   Edgemont Academy of Arts & Media. Moreno Valley, CA. March 24, 2001.

Keynote Performance                  Shake Shake Shake…Shake your Booty.

Dance Under Construction: Phase I. UCLA. March 6, 1999.

Technical Director                      10 POETS & A MIC. Founding company member, 1997.

Choreographer, writer, director         A Traveling Niggeratti , original dance/memory

piece with viola and harmonica. Guild Complex, Chicago. November 10, 1995

Choreographer, writer, director         A Traveling Niggeratti , original dance/memory

piece with musical ensemble. Freedom of Expression Festival, Chicago. September 3, 1995.

Playwright, director, choreographer         Let the Dead Bury Their Dead , Original Adaptation of

Randall Kenan’s short story by the same name. Ensemble piece for twelve players and three musicians.

Wallis Theater, Northwestern University.   February 10 –11, 1995.

Choreographer, director         SHIPS & WHIPS: I REMEMBER , an original dance/memory piece.

Part of “From The Border: A Cross-Cultural Event,”   Josephine Louis Stage,

Northwestern University. April 24 - May 2, 1993.

Choreographer                 Crianças da rua . SAN FRANCISCO CARNIVAL. Comissioned by

Betty Gamboa Dance Studios and Bayview Opera House Children’s presentation, . May 24, 1992

.

Artistic Director/Writer         THIS IS WHAT WE CALL DANCE! /A DANÇA ´E ASSIM!

A children’s musical exploring the concept of “Diaspora” of African-derived peoples.  

Commissioned by Whitney Young Child Development Center in cooperation with Bayview Opera House. 1991.

Choreographer         TRINIDADIAN SUITE. “Stanford International Dance Festival”.  Kuumba Dance Ensemble. 1991.

Technical Director                 STANFUNK XI, X.. Stanford University. 1988 - 1989

Technical Director                 THE FIRE WITHIN. Stanford University. 1988.

conjurin up a storm             conjurer making             gallery of work             shoreline             deeper yet

Writing

The Negress Determinata.  in the noplace of the always now.  2003.

Workings: New Wives Tales for a New Millennium (Spells, Tales & Recipes) .

Manuscript, 135pp and growing as I reorganize. 2002 start.

A Traveling Niggeratti: selected excerpts. Black Arts Quarterly. Stanford Committee on Black Performing Arts. 4:   10,1999.

Objectification Passport , self published performance piece. 26 pp.  1993.

Collected Poems, Dialtone. Stanford Creative Writing Program. wint. 5 - 6,1989.

Walls, Mayflower .   Windsor, Berkshire, England:   Prontaprint.   40 - 44, 1987.

Video & Film Making

Consultant, On-camera interview           From the Waist Down: Dance, Sex & Rock-n-Roll,

VH1/ WoW, Aug. 1, 2001 first air date.

Maker               "Ships & Whips: I Remember" experimental video. 4 min. 58 sec.  1993.

Dancing

2002         Ngoma BaKongo , Doundounba . Black History Month Celebration. Cajon High

School. San Bernadino, CA. February 13, 2002.

2001        FUA DIA CONGO. Dancer & Percussionist. Cassanova Club, Maui.   February 5.

2000        TRIBUTE TO MARTIN LUTHER KING.   Dancer/Choreographer.   University of

California, Riverside. January 12.

1996        THE STEVE COLEMAN PROJECT. Improvisational. Oakland, CA.   September.

1996        PERC PAN III: WORLD PERCUSSION EXPLOSION. Soloist with Didá Banda

Feminina. Salvador, Bahia-Brazil.   March 28 - 30.

1992        SAN FRANCISCO BAY TO BREAKERS Celebration (televised)

               Dancer with Afro-Brazilian company, Orixá Babá. June 13.

1990        KYRY-MURÊ. Chama Dance Company, Salvador, Bahia-Brazil. Dec. 8.

1990        SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL. Ceedo Senegalese Dance Company.

1990        CHILDREN'S DAY AROUND THE BAY (televised). Ceedo Senegalese Dance Company.

1990        MANDELA FREEDOM CELEBRATION. Dancer, Singer. Produced by Bill Graham 

Presents, Oakland, CA.

1990        THE AFRICANS ARE COMING.  Ceedo Senegalese Dance Company.   Produced by

Mandeleo Institute, Oakland, CA.

1989        MANDELEO INSTITUTE AFRICAN DANCE SERIES. Ceedo Senegalese Dance

Company, San Francisco, CA.