Virtual Advanced West African Choreography Workshop with Darian M. Parker
Company:
Darian M. Parker, PhD
Created for the experienced dancer or for anyone who wants a bit of a challenge, this class is a fun way to learn more advanced West African choreography. We begin class with a thorough warm-up, which will enliven every part of your body. Afterwards, I will briefly introduce the history and cultural context of the movement style(s) that we will be dancing. Next, for the largest portion of the class, we learn a piece of fun choreography that is designed to help you sharpen your sense of musicality, transitions between movements, and very importantly, your ability to communicate and interpret. By the end of class, you will have learned an entire choreography, with the goal of executing at performance pitch. YOU MUST REGISTER BY 4PM EST ON APRIL 24TH. You must also download Zoom to participate: www.zoom.us. The Zoom link will be sent 30 minutes prior to start-time.
Darian M. Parker, PhD teaches at The Juilliard School as a Guest Professor of West African dance. He also holds Guest Professor appointments at Sarah Lawrence College and The New School, and is a faculty member at Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance. His choreography and research have received support from the Jerome Foundation, Harlem Stage, and The New Haven Arts Council. Dr. Parker has performed internationally with artists such as Meshell N’Degeocello and Jason Moran, and in the Hollywood film Step Up 3D. His commitment to teaching extends beyond dance. Dr. Parker is the Founder & CEO of Parker Academics (www.parkeracademics.com), which, in just five years, has provided 70,000 hours of test prep and tutoring to over 1000 students on two continents. As an adjunct professor at NYU, he teaches courses in anthropology and critical thinking. Dr. Parker is also active in the Yale Alumni Association, conducting dozens of interviews yearly for prospective Yale admits. He is the author of Sartre and No Child Left Behind (Rowman and Littlefield Press, 2015), and “The Haze”, which appears in Pedagogies in the Flesh (Palgrave MacMillan Press, 2018). Dr. Parker graduated from Yale University with a PhD, M. Phil and MA in Anthropology and African American Studies, and from UCLA’s College of Honors with degrees in anthropology and English literature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pf6vl2CZY
Follow Darian on Instagram:
@darian.parker.37