Thanks to support from the The Helen P. Alkire Scholarship Fund (600066), the department sponsored 15 students led by Assistant Professor Nyama McCarthy-Brown to attend the 32nd Annual International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance hosted by The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) and held in Philadelphia, PA January 14-19, 2020. According to the IABD website, the conference is “the broadest international gathering of black dance professionals, agents, artistic directors, artists, choreographers, company managers, executive directors, historians, presenters, scholars, teachers, and many others…and remains the most diverse place to share ideas, cultures and experiences.” Programming included an awards celebration, meals and social events, a membership town hall, performances and sessions. IABD selected No Mano Cry, choreographed by incoming Assistant Professor Momar Ndiaye from the 13 Dance Shorts faculty concert, to be performed at the festival by dance students Iman Clark, Isaiah Harris, Anna Hershinow, Lily Li and Meledi Montano.
“Each and every January I always look forward to attending IABD,” says BFA Dance Student Iman Clark. “Going to this conference has given me the opportunity to expand my network amongst other scholars who are just as enthusiastic about African Diasporic dance as I am. It also allows me to take a variety of dance classes in styles that I don't usually have access to during my everyday training. In addition to the classes and panels during the day, our nights at the conference are filled with breathtaking performances that keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time. IABD is truly a one of a kind experience that I plan on continuing to attend and I would highly recommend everyone from any background to experience it for themselves as well!”
