The Ohio State University's Artist Laureate Dr. Nyama McCarthy-Brown will bring her new production "Dancing Stories: Comings, Goings, and Finding Home" to Ohio State's regional campuses in Lima and Mansfield, Ohio as well as special engagements at Miami University and The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show features a collection of dances that uplift themes of identity, inclusion, and expanding ideas around who gets to dance. McCarthy-Brown will present two works with her cast of eight Ohio State dance majors and share a short dance film "Reflecting Rae" featuring BalletMet dancer Victoria Watford. The Mansfield show will feature a collaborative performance with Ohio State dancers and dancers from the Richland Academy for the Arts. Dance Students of Meghan Mulcahy (BFA 2022) from Liberty Arts Magnet School will collaborate with Ohio State dancers for the Lima performance. Pieces by graduate students in the Ohio State Department of Dance, Lucy Dillon and Kierra Williams, will also be shared in this performance.   

Dr. Nya McCarthy-Brown is an internationally recognized culturally sustaining dance educator. She is an Associate Professor of Dance Pedagogy through Community Engagement, at The Ohio State University. Originally from San Francisco, Nya’s love for dance developed at her community recreation center, and later at the School of the Arts High School. She earned her bachelor's degree in Political Science from Spelman College; MFA in Performance and Choreography from the University of Michigan; and a doctoral degree in Dance Studies from Temple University. Dr. McCarthy-Brown’s first book, "Dance Pedagogy for a Diverse World: Culturally Relevant Teaching in Research, Theory, and Practice" was released in 2017, and quickly became an anchoring text in dance education. She recently completed her second book, "Skin Colored Pointes," about women of Color in ballet. Dr. McCarthy-Brown is an active consultant for organizations such as: BalletMet, San Francisco Ballet School; Dance Educators Coalition, Minnesota; Cincinnatti Ballet: Ohio Dance; and Dance Education Laboratory. This year, she is excited to step into her new role as the inaugural artist laureate at The Ohio State University. 

Cast: 

• Meghan Bhanoo
• Gaby Brito
• Malaika Burke
• Zoey Canty
• Alaina Craig
• Zoey November 
• Tess Scearbo
• Ariana Stone
• Latifat Sulaimon

Ohio State Lima Performance (FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)
Date
March 7, 2024
Time
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location
Martha W. Farmer Theatre for the Performing Arts

Ohio State Mansfield Performance (FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)
Date
March 21, 2024
Time
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location
Founders Auditorium

Photos by John Landry, Top5ive Photography 
 

Trailer for "Reflecting Rae," a dance film by Nyama McCarthy-Brown 
Produced and Directed by Nyama McCarthy-Brown
Assistant Directed by Kathryn Nusa Logan
Choreography by Nyama McCarthy-Brown
Music by Krate Digga
Set Design by Amery Kessler
Director of Photography Kathryn Nusa Logan 
Edited by Kathryn Nusa Logan
Technical Director Nico Lawson
Technical Advisor Lexi Clark Stilianos
Technical Crew Mercedes Hicks, Kei Kei Mock, Peach
Children's Coordinator Quianna Simpson
Starring Victoria Watford, Aubrey Woodson, Naomi Humphries, Erin Johnson

"Reflecting Rae" is sponsored by Ohio State's Artist Laureate Grant.