My choreographic work is concerned with African traditions and their uses for contemporary aesthetics, contemporary times, and the current functional needs of marginalized people—both in physical activity and in philosophical thought.
I create embodied epistemologies for contemporary African and African American culture, while holding space for the works and identities of various Black, LGBTQIA+, and other disempowered, yet powerful communities.
Rope (2023)
The Legendary Indiana University African American Dance Company
Rope has been a significant thread in many Black experiences throughout our historical past. This work explores this complexity…utility, culture, and tragedy.
“Like rope, we are wound together. And through twists and knots, we remain strong enough to pull heavy weight.” — Baba Stafford
LABOR (2021)
Indiana University Contemporary Dance Program
LABOR asks us to think about the work of women, both in the workforce and in their daily lives. This labor is further complicated by introducing pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing as other forms of labor. Informed by my lived experience with my mother and grandmother, and conversations with the all-women cast, LABOR engages this discourse. In doing so, the work advocates for women's labor concerns.
allies & activists (2022)
Indiana University Contemporary Dance Program
In this day and age of advocacy for various marginalized and underserved folk attempting to be on the right side of justice, allies and activists questions the roles that we all play in advocacy work. In an attempt to be relevant, oftentimes self-proclaimed allies can do harm in their advocacy. And by the same token, activists can be self-absorbed and misdiagnose problems. Is it helpful to draw a line that distinguishes right from wrong? And do we lose anything from doing so?
Aggregation (2019)
Indiana University Contemporary Dance Program
We gather, separate, and gather again, to seek out and locate our tribe. Aggregation asks how do we gather and negotiate many bodies toward interdependent and common goals, when we enter with both sameness and difference? This dance is also inspired by African nomadic traditions in which large masses of folk traveled from one place to the next in order to assure their community’s continuance.