TEXT VERSION
Michelle Grant-Murray
Dance Composition
Ancestral Dance Movement
Memory
April 15 | 4:00PM–5:15PM
Michelle Grant-Murray
Choreographer, educator, author, scholar, performer, and Artistic Director of Olujimi Dance Theatre, Michelle Grant-Murray holds a BS in Dance Education (Jacksonville University), an MA in African Studies (Florida International University), and an MFA in Choreography (Jacksonville University).
She has presented work across Europe, Asia, South America, the United States, and the Caribbean. Michelle is a Senior Associate Professor and Coordinator of Dance at Miami Dade College, as well as the Artistic Director of Jubilation Dance Ensemble. She is the founder and host of The Black Artist Talk, Founder and Executive Director of the Artistry In Rhythm (A.I.R.) Dance Conference, Co-Founder of Florida Black Dance Artists Organization, and author of Beyond the Surface: An Inclusive American Dance History.
Her practice centers on Olujimi Dance Technique, a fusion of contemporary and traditional modern dance styles with elements of African Diaspora Dance Movement.
Michelle has developed a unique choreographic process called Ancestral Dance Movement Memory (ADMM), which aims to transcend the collective memory of the present physical body and tap into the ecology of spirituality to reveal the essence of human nature.
She is a Knight Arts Champion, and her current research explores the performative intersections of Eco-feminism, Ecology, and Sustainability of the Black Female Body.
Composition
Establishes authentic movement forms, drawn from improvisational structures and dance ritual, centers the nuances of intuitive movement.
Ancestral Dance Movement Memory encourages self-reflection and utilizes research, journaling, and an exploration of other dance forms.