Dancing in Chicago with Tunde Olaniran

Photo Credit @tundeolaniran

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University of Michigan-Flint Spring Dance Concert 2016

"Precipitate" Choreographed by Emma Davis. Costume Design by Shelby Newport. Scenic Design by Lisa Borton. Lighting Design by Doug Mueller. Dancers (left to right) Nataniel Morales, Shakeda Mitchell, Lydia Parker, Jameel Gilbert, Dominique Hinde, Frederick Fields. Photo Credit Jake May/MLive. Read the article here.

Last weekend was the fourth Spring Dance Concert I have choreographed for as a faculty member with the Department of Theatre and Dance at UM-Flint. The performance was comprised of six dances surrounding the theme of "Elements," and was held over three days on April 15, 16, and 17, 2016 on the main stage. My dance explored the element of water.

This year was particularly important because of the work that my Performance Studies class and I produced in response to the Flint Water Crisis, which all of us had been effected by in various degrees. 

The Flint Journal/MLive wrote a nice feature article on the dance process and it is accompanied by a visually stunning photo gallery. The article was also printed on page A2 of the Sunday printed edition of the Flint Journal. The article can be read at the following link here.

Gallery Opening for The Buckham/GVRC Share Art Project

Engaging Students Through the Arts with Shop Floor Theatre Company

Beecher High School students participate in first-day activities with
 Shop Floor Theatre Company program facilitator Emma Davis
Photo Credit Shop Floor Theatre Company

Sounds of Flamenco guitar, tap dancing, and a keyboard greeted sleepy students entering their English classroom at 7:35 a.m. on March 18, 2016. It was not a typical morning at Beecher High School, located just outside Flint's northern edge, as teaching artists from Shop Floor Theatre Company kicked-off the beginning of a four-month residency. The program, held during the first three hours of the school day, includes opportunities to explore self-identity through music, spoken word, theater, dance, and multi-modal communications.

Immediately, students were up on their feet and joined in a "shake down" exercise to warm up the vocal chords, to increase blood flow, and to wake up the body. "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8!" they shouted in unison while vigorously shaking the right hand, then the left, then the feet. A spectrum of nervousness, to too cool, to eager willingness spread across their faces. Each round cut in half until they reached count one with a big "WOOOO!" and jump at the end. 

Welcome

Emma Davis performing her choreography
in the gardens of Applewood Estate

Hello!

My name is Emma Davis and I'm a dance choreographer, performer, educator, and writer living in Flint, Mich. The purpose of this blog is to post my day-to-day activities as a professional artist. While my website serves as a portfolio, this blog intends to take a deeper look into the struggles and rewards of being a dancer in the post-industrial Midwest.

I am also looking forward to connecting with other artists doing community-engaged work. This approach is important to me because it provides opportunities for citizens to share their voice in a process that often explores topics in which the community has been disenfranchised. I also have an interest in the democracy that results from site-specific dance, and concert dance that dissects issues of social justice.   

In this blog, I plan to report on my performances, choreography, teaching, and writing. Included in each post will be a description of the event and I will always include photos or videos to enhance the user experience. Below is a brief biography of the work I am currently doing. Thank you for reading!