I thought of creating this project after realizing my position as the only Dance major in my year and my lack of exposure to the outdoors through my education. Earlier this year I was a Head OA Leader and Community Engagement Liaison. My time outdoors and with LA community organizations proved how close nature is to us and how close we are to it. Those experiences inspired my Watson Fellowship application, Species: Global Animal Conservancy using Dance. I planned to travel to zoos in different countries to observe animals, using their movements in choreographed pieces, performance art, and conservancy art. The pieces would have demonstrated the connection between the human and animal body. The series of pieces and performances would have been a body intended on raising awareness around animal treatment, endangerment, and conservancy. I used that application to base my course and have been amazed by the transformation of the idea. Traveling to outdoor spaces, injecting dance into new environments, and living through the skin of a black man, I know I'm venturing into uncharted territory. My dance education needed a challenge that took me out of the classroom and forced me to use dance in alternative ways.
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Dance
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