DATE: February 15, 2025
TIME: 7:00pm
LOCATION: RAC 129 & von der Heyden Theater
Audience starts in the Agora (Rubenstein Arts Center 129) with There is a ladder - the installation to see artifacts from the research and development of the work, followed by performance at 7:30p in von der Heyden Theater
Choreographed, designed and produced by Chania Wilson, There is a ladder features six dancers, all with different experiences in identity-centered modern dance performance and pedagogy. The choreographic work incorporates performance, film, and archival research, aiming to carve new space for Black women’s narratives in modern dance.
Artist’s statement
I consider myself a choreographer and dance filmmaker whose work integrates modern techniques such as Safety Release, Horton, and Humphrey with influences from jazz, Black social dance, and Africanist aesthetics. My teaching incorporates Brain Dance and Bartenieff Fundamentals, emphasizing choice and individuality while adhering to modern movement aesthetics. Collaboration is central to my choreographic process, fostering a collective exploration of movement.
As a Black artist, identity deeply informs my work. I am continually exploring how my Blackness shapes my art and life, recognizing it as both a source of power and a lens through which my art is often received. Yet, I grapple with questions about perception: Can I be recognized both as a Black artist and simply as an artist? Must my work center the Black experience to be understood or valued?
Through African American studies and archival research, I aim to expand representations of Black identity in America, exploring themes beyond violence and trauma to include the mundane, ordinary, and extraordinary. I am also interested in the role of abstraction in Black postmodern choreography. Even as I aim to create apolitical works, my Blackness and intersectional identity inherently politicize my art. This tension intrigues me, as it highlights the interplay between intention and perception in artistic creation.
Teaching is another passion of mine, where I approach dance through an intersectional lens that integrates modern, Afro-diasporic, and historical influences. For me, dance reflects life and culture, serving as a visceral response to human experiences. In teaching technique, I prioritize authenticity, encouraging dancers to fully commit to movement—to push, fall, yield, and respond honestly. I view dance as something that is performed but not performative, valuing the live, authentic response that defines the art form and draws me to it.