Hello

I began my dance career in 2005 learning lyrical and hip-hop dance in religious spaces. After performing and training in Florida, I began my own non-profit organization, Heartbeat of the Arts, teaching the arts to at-risk youth while simultaneously receiving a minor in dance focusing on Modern and West African dance. During my time at this non-profit, I saw how the children used dance to find healing, safety, and refuge from their constant changing world. 

 

After serving as the Founder and President of this organization, I moved out to Los Angeles to pursue a deeper dance training to better understand societal perceptions of the body and of movement. In LA, I  trained with Athletic Garage Dance Center in the styles of ballet, salsa, hip-hop, and contemporary dance while also pursuing a master’s degree focusing on the Euro-American rejection of movement and the body to better understand how we can embrace and embody movement within our American culture.

 

After obtaining my degree, life brought me to Durham, NC where I hope to help the people of the community to reconnect to their bodies to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Through my extensive research, I have learned the benefits of engaging with the body to release, emote, and heal from traumatic and stressful events that happen daily. Currently, I am a member of the 2911 Contemporary Dance Company, and I hope to use my extensive dance training to help the people of my  community to accept, express, and release the emotions and trauma that lies within them.