IDEAS IN MOTION
Ideas in Motion is a joint initiative supported by NCCAkron, The University of Akron, The University of Akron Foundation, and the Mary Schiller Myers Lecture Series in the Arts. This three-pronged initiative is meant to challenge students to be versatile and open, while also firmly rooting them in the present dance field.
21ST CENTURY DANCE PRACTICES
The annual spring phase of Ideas in Motion, 21st Century Dance Practices is a capsule series representative of genres, geographies, cultural and/or social contexts outside the traditional binary of modern and ballet in a conservatory setting.
SPRING 2024 ARTISTS
Ruby Morales (Phoenix, AZ)
Takahiro Yamamoto (Portland, OR / Boston, MA)
Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez (New York, NY)
Hélène Simoneau (Montreal, Québec / New York, NY)
Angelina Ramirez (Tucson, AZ)
J’Sun Howard (Chicago, IL)
SPRING 2023 ARTISTS
The Era Footwork Crew (Chicago, IL)
Errin Weaver (Cleveland, OH)
André M. Zachery (Brooklyn, NY)
BRKFST Dance Company (Saint Paul, MN)
Raphael Xavier (Philadelphia, PA)
slowdanger (Pittsburgh, PA)
SPRING 2022 ARTISTS
Rosie Herrera (Miami, FL)
Kate Wallich (Seattle, WA)
Courtney Lopes (New York, NY)
Christopher K. Morgan & Artists (Portland, OR / Washington, DC)
Helanius J. Wilkins (Boulder, CO)
Ashwini Ramaswamy (Minneapolis, MN)
Photo of Brian Brooks with UA dance program students by Dale Dong Photography.
SPRING 2021 ARTISTS
Abby Zbikowski (Urbana, IL)
Amy Miller (New York, NY)
Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer (Valley Cottage, NY)
Bebe Miller (Columbus, OH)
Jesse Factor (Pittsburgh, PA)
Helen Simoneau (Winston-Salem, NC)
Kayla Farrish (New York, NY)
Paula Mann (Minneapolis, MN)
SPRING 2020 ARTISTS
Brian Brooks (New York, NY)
Guillaume Gabriel (France)
James Graham (San Francisco, CA)
Mustapha Braimah (Ghana / Asheville, NC)
Nicole Klaymoon (San Francisco, CA)
Paloma McGregor (Brooklyn, NY)
Raja Feather Kelly (Brooklyn, NY)
Samantha Speis (New York, NY)
Taja Will (Minneapolis, MN)
COMMUNITY COMMISSIONING RESIDENCY (FALL)
The annual fall phase of Ideas in Motion, the Community Commissioning Residency continues the work of engaging students and the greater community with a contemporary leading dance artist. Artists are invited to apply through a nomination process by The University of Akron faculty and NCCAkron team members. Faculty, team members, and students serve on the selection committee.
Photo of Cara Hagan by Victor Blanco.
The first annual Community Commissioning Residency Artist was Cara Hagan (then Boone, NC; now Union City, NJ) who focused her residency on screen dance.
Photo of Ben Needham-Wood by Maximillian Tortoriello.
The 2021 Community Commissioning Residency Artist was Ben Needham-Wood (San Francisco, CA). Ben was chosen, in part, for his proposed focus on mental health in his choreographic research. To read more about Ben's residency, click here.
Photo of Alexandra Barbier by Todd Collins.
The 2022 Community Commissioning Residency artist was Alexandra Barbier (Urbana, IL), selected for her choreographic research involving queer Black dance vernacular and how it operates outside of the academic dance community. To read more about Alex's residency, click here.
Photo of John Heginbotham by Bud Lammers.
The 2023 Community Commissioning Residency artist was John Heginbotham (New York, NY), selected for his Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival commissioned work Dance Sonata which was developed in part during a 2022 Creative Residency. To read more about John's residency, click here.
INSIDE THE DANCER'S STUDIO
An ongoing free and open to the public series of interviews with 21st Century Dance Practices artists. This series of talks explores creativity, the craft of choreography, and navigating an artistic career.
Our first four seasons of Inside the Dancer's Studio are available as a podcast! Download and listen on all platforms now.
Photo of Mustapha Braimah and Christy Bolingbroke by Dale Dong Photography.