Welcome to Blackbird Dances
At the intersection of art and process
Who we are
Blackbird Dances is a (sometimes) virtual, extemporaneous dance company that draws on various expressive traditions, in particular Flamenco and the depth-psychology-influenced movement tradition commonly known as Authentic Movement. Dancer Pájaro Negro (Blackbird) has a rich movement background that traverses over a dozen styles of dance and somatic activities. With a career whose initial phases included performances at such distinguished and meaningful venues as the Kings Theatre of Brooklyn, the United Nations, and the African American Museum of Philadelphia, in addition to international stages and festivals, Blackbird's work has also been recognized and supported by numerous awards, scholarships and grants. In its current iteration, Blackbird's work is steeped in process and inner discovery. Drawing on her Authentic Movement practice as a choreographic generator, all while continuing to explore traditional Flamenco expressivity, Blackbird moves between what is formed and formless, calling others into philosophic dialogue, corporeal and intrapsychic investigation, and the freeing joy of improvisational wonder.
“The family is like the forest: if you are outside it is dense; if you are inside you see that each tree has its own position.”
Akan Proverb
About this space
Blackbird Dances is a dance and mental health space. We seek to counter limiting perspectives about the body, its capacity, potential, even its role. We give priority of place to any who have been traditionally marginalized. One of our goals is to provide pathways to valuable resources that reshape how we think about bodies and ourselves, and to do so without a paywall insofar as possible.