Groovin’ Through Time | Arthur Levitt Fellow (2019)
The Arthur Levitt Jr. ’52 Artist-in-Residence Fellowship at Williams College is a prestigious appointment awarded to distinguished artists whose work fosters interdisciplinary collaboration across the arts. Designed to enrich the creative and academic life of the campus, the fellowship brings highly accomplished practitioners to work alongside faculty and students across multiple departments—including dance, music, theatre, studio art, and creative writing. Fellows are selected for their ability to inspire innovative projects, teach across disciplines, and engage the broader community through public performances, exhibitions, or installations. This highly respected honor affirms an artist’s impact and vision within the field, offering both the space and platform to expand their practice within a liberal arts context.
I was awarded the Arthur Levitt Artist-in-Residence Fellowship in 2019, during which I created the production Groovin’ Through Time. In this fellowship, I worked with Sankofa, the Williams College Step Team, to expand on the legacy of Step, a percussive dance form that uses the body as an instrument. This production included members of Sankofa as well as other dancers I taught during that semester. The intention was to generate understanding and appreciation for a cultural form that is often appropriated and misunderstood. The show combined dance, research, and discussion to explore the influence of Hip-Hop music, fashion, language, media, and personal style across generations.
