bare, witness

bare, witness. is an interdisciplinary project that explores my identity as a biracial artist. Utilizing the transformative potential of my dancing body in African American social dances, hip-hop dance, and house dance, my research focuses on my spiritual experiences in American religious culture. Through rhythm and sustainability of repetitive movements, these elements create a meditative state that allows me to commune with my spiritual self, transcending my physical body and connecting with my ancestors and higher power. I seek this connection through African American social dances of the late 1970s through today that originated from enslaved African dances in the 19th century. These dances include the Juba, Buck, Wing, Cakewalk, and Jig, which have profoundly impacted the development of hip-hop dance and my personal embodied practices.

I examine the role of digital media as a tool for capturing my inner emotions and spiritual self, manifested through the projection of my mediated body. I create a narrative of my journey by using digital media and the mediated body in performance to direct the audience. Through this exploration in digital media, I aim to shed light on themes of resistance, joy, creativity, and identity that have always been present in African American social dances and hip-hop dance. This process brings me closer to my ancestors and heavenly father, furthering my research into American religious culture through hip-hop and house dance.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25820/9yf4-7v88