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Welcome to the School of Theatre and Dance! 🎭

Dr. Jimmy Noriega set the tone with the word *curiosity* followed by ways to navigate academic life, Dr. Ayo Walker led a seated yoga session, Raymond Frewen created a quiet space with a breathing exercise for Colte Julian to takeover with a vocal moment.

Faculty and staff shared a glimpse of their professional lives before students took to the stage for a group photo and movement session with Bevara Anderson.

Theatre breakout session involved demos:

🪘Call & Response with Michael Pogue
👚How to Use a Hanger by kClare McKellaston
⚔️Stage Combat Captains: Jaimee, Lana, Miranda, and Riesa
🎭 Dominick and Kaylee invited students to join Alpha Psi Omega (APO) Theatre Honor Society

It was quite the introduction to Columbia College Chicago for the class of 2030.

Columbia College Chicago | School of Theatre and Dance | Theatre Life | Fall 2026 | Connections | Convocation
#MyColumbiaChi

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Scholarship in Bahia, Brazil. 🇧🇷✨

Deeply grateful for the opportunity to present my research, “Decolonizing the Stage: Choreographic Practices of Resistance and Reimagination in the African Diaspora,” at the International African Diaspora Dance Conference in Bahia, Brazil.

What an honor to not only share my scholarship, but to learn, move, and exchange knowledge in community. I had the incredible opportunity to learn Kalinda from Jamie J. Philbert and to present alongside Dr. Ayo Walker. There was so much knowledge and exchange from other ancestral movement practitioners, researchers and artists

being here reminded me that this knowledge lives in our bodies, our traditions, our movement, and in the communities that continue to carry them forward.

I leave Bahia feeling grateful, inspired, and even more committed to the work. 💛

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Day 3 of the International African Diaspora Dance Conference was a joyous day of both movement and research!

Slide 1: Attendees dancing together in Miasia Earth Johnson, Ifasayo's class titled "Sacred Feminine Dance: Exploring North African Dance As A Healing Practice"

Slide 2: One of our guest artists from Brazil, Hugo Martins, taught a class titled "Movement Technologies: The Spirit As The Serpent of Life"

Slide 3: Careitha Davis presented her paper titled "Decolonizing The Stage: Choreographic Practices of Resistance and Reimagination in the African Diaspora"

Slide 4: Dr. Ayo Walker presented her paper titled "Not Without Right: The Mark of Black Social Dance-"Informality"-Acting As (De)authorization"

Slide 5: One of the organizers of the conference, Maxine Montilus taught a Haitian Folkloric dance class centered on yanvalou, a dance of prayer and supplication.

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This was one of the best experiences ever!! With this being my first time attending @acda_dance @acda_central , it was very memorable. I'm glad I got the opportunity to take different classes, meet new people, and perform!!!

Thank you Parisha for creating such a beautiful work of art. It has been one of my favorite pieces performing and it will never be forgotten.

Shout-out to Suaniya's heels piece!! It made its way from ISU dance studio to ACDA informal concert. I loved seeing how it came along. Know that I will be putting those heels back on🤭

OVERALLL I'm just so thankfull, this was such a life changing experience💜✨️

Choreographers:
- I am (and beyond) @pari_rajb
- Club Muse @suaniyacurry @skc.motionmuse

Pics: Daniel Levin @dan.with.a.cam

@danceatillinoisstate @danceassociation

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🌷UPCOMING WORKSHOP: AoCC Workshop
The Cariactureography of Toni Morrison’s Multifaceted Love in The Bluest Eye & Tar Bab with Ayo Joy Walker @ljb5678

For more info and to register click the #linkinbio or visit:
https://movementresearch.org/workshops/2978/

When: Monday, Apr 13, 2026 | 1 - 3pm
Price: Donation-based
Location: MR Studios, 150 First Avenue

Movers and creators will explore my practice-based research method, “Cariactureography,” to examine how reading through observing dance reshapes our understanding of choreography as writing and transcription, and deepens our sense of the relationship between dance and literacy. Participants will also study choreographic approaches to embodying the narratives of Toni Morrison’s characters—the Breedloves in The Bluest Eye and Jadine Childs and Son Green in Tar Baby. Emphasizing inventive movement exploration and nuanced choreographic devising through experimental and experiential processes, the workshop integrates embodied learning with academic inquiry and advances participants’ skills in improvisation and composition.

What to expect
This workshop will deal with text analysis and performance analysis utilizing the following approaches: Critical thinking skills related to dance concepts integrating subjectivity, practice, and evaluation; Demonstrating heightened awareness and perception by discovering relationships in movement and investigating the nature of artistic expression; Solving problems creatively by imaginatively exploring divergent approaches to the examination of connections, limitations, and possibilities; Communicating effectively by expressing ideas and experiences through a variety of forms—kinetic, visual, verbal, written, and creative; Displaying personal growth by developing self-esteem, task commitment, personal responsibility, positive attitudes toward peers, and an appreciation for individual differences.

(IDs and photo credits in the comments/ALT text) Workshop image: The image is a black-and-white sketch depicting two figures in an intimate embrace. One person sits in the lap of the other, held gently in their arms, creating a sense of protection and closeness. Loose, expressive lines convey the figures’ forms and posture, with minimal facial detail, emphasizing emotion over precision. The style is quick and energetic, capturing the immediacy of the moment. The overall mood is somber and reflective, with a quiet, tender melancholy, highlighting vulnerability, care, and human connection in a fleeting, heartfelt moment. Image by Cassandre Charles.

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Every story has a rhythm, Invictus Theatre Company’s mission reminds us to listen closely. 🎭

Dr. Jimmy Noriega, Director of the School of Theatre and Dance, joined by faculty members, Michael Pogue and Dr. Ayo Walker and the THEA 211 African American Theatre & Performance students for The House That Will Not Stand, an Invictus Theatre production written by Marcus Gardley and directed by Aaron Reese Boseman.

Set in early 19th-century New Orleans, the play follows a widowed mother and her daughters as shifting political tides threaten the freedom of the region’s free people of color. It’s a gripping, haunting story of power, lineage, and the futures Black women are forced to navigate.

Shoutout to our School of Theatre and Dance members contributing to this powerful production:

• Director: Aaron Reese Boseman*, Adjunct Professor of Instruction
• Scenic Designer: Kevin Rolfs*, Scene Shop Supervisor
• Dialect Coach: Susan Gosdick, Adjunct Professor of Instruction

The House That Will Not Stand runs through Sunday, December 14, 2025 at Windy City Playhouse.

*Invictus Theatre Company Members.

#ColumbiaCollegeChicago #MyColumbiaChi #SchoolofTheatreandDance

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💫Dr. Ayo Walker’s paper delves into common misconceptions about contemporary dance styles that loosely imitate street dance and the mindful necessity of properly crediting contemporary dance. Oftentimes acting as a “catch all” category, contemporary dance assumes ownership of any/all styles of dance rather than as an approach to making something new by repurposing what already exists.

Marquita De Jesus investigates how movement practices outside of codified technique function as vital spaces of resistance, cultural transmission, and choreographic innovation within contemporary dance. Her embodied inquiry invites us to reconsider contemporary dance not as a fixed genre, but as an evolving space where difference, vulnerability, and disruption can generate new movement languages and possibilities for the future.

What is Contemporary? Symposium Sessions take place October 16, 2025.

More info can be found in the 🔗in bio!

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Afro-Contemporary is the language of Red Clay Dance’s stage — and now it’s your training ground.

This class connects Ballet, Jazz, and Modern technique with diasporic movement vocabularies, building a practice that’s athletic, expressive, and unapologetically contemporary. For dancers ready to train with purpose, this is where you start.

Register at #linkinbio ✨
#AfroContemporary #RedClayDance #ChicagoDance

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🚨 Happening TONIGHT! 🚨
Don’t miss Dr. Ayo Walker’s powerful online lecture:
“Misinterpretation of Contemporary Dance Styles as Street Dance” ✨
📅 Sept 22 | SEPT 29 ⏰ 8PM EST / 6PM MT
💻 Online | 🎟️ $60 ( 2 classes)
Secure your spot NOW and be part of this eye opening lecture bringing Hip Hop and Street Dance to the forefront.
👉 Register today before it’s too late!

Class Description: This course will explore the concept of fusion dance and its hybrid styles within the context of the Hip Hop Diaspora. We will critically examine the common misconceptions surrounding Hip Hop dance, particularly the belief that it is solely defined by dancing to music that sounds like Hip Hop. Through this exploration, we aim to provide clarity and deeper understanding for dancers navigating these complex styles and their cultural implications.

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Experience the RHU Street Dance Lecture Series Fall 2025 an electrifying 6-week online program plus 2 exclusive pop-up sessions.

🔹Lecture Series starts September 8th through October 13th | Every Monday 6PM MT / 8PM EST 1HR Online Lecture

🔹Learn from leading voices in Street Dance, including Dr. Ayo Walker, Kara Mack, Aqua-Boogie, and Bboy Ynot. Each Monday evening, explore the history, culture, and artistry of Hip-hop, Street Dance Theater, and Afro-diasporic traditions.

Register now to secure your spot—space is limited! rennieharrisuniveristy.org

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I’ve been traveling and doing what I love. But most of all spending quality time with myself and those around me that sincerely value me, my loyalty and friendship. I’m grateful. That’s all I have to say. Happy holidays Family. 🌹😘🌈 #prideallyearround🏳️‍🌈 #healingoldwounds #replenishyourself

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🌍 Greetings from Ghana!
•
Dr. Jimmy Noriega, Director of the School of Theatre and Dance, is in Accra with faculty members Michael Pogue (Assistant Professor of Instruction, Theatre) and Dr. Ayo Walker (Assistant Professor, Dance) for the International Black Theatre Summit 2025: Building Creative & Cultural Connections, which runs April 27-May 2.
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Gathering artists, producers, scholars, and movers and shakers in the performing arts, the Summit asks people to, “Journey with us as we draw upon the original AI — Ancestral Intelligence — to strategize the future of Black storytelling across platforms throughout Africa and the diaspora.” Dr. Noriega is proud that we were invited to participate!
• 🇬🇭🎭
#ColumbiaCollegeChicago #TheatreColum #HowIColum #SchoolOfTheatreAndDance #TheatreLife
#Faculty #Curriculum #StudentTheatre #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AncestralIntelligence #Storytelling #NationalTheatreofGhana

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