Date of Award

Summer 2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

First Advisor

Shaunna Vella

Abstract

This thesis explores personal healing and community building through dance, rooted in my lived experience as a Black Queer man in America. Stemming from research in Phenomenology, Critical Dance Pedagogy, and Dance & Social Justice, I interrogate the impact of white supremacy and systemic racism both within and beyond the queer community. My choreographic process centers intersectionality and collective agency, seeking to resist the fragmentation of identity and to affirm the wholeness of self. Through performance and comprehensive study, my intentions are to foster empathy, connection, and belonging, while advocating for equity and transformation within dance and broader cultural discourse. Ultimately, this work stands as a call to ongoing dialogue and liberation, inspiring audiences to embark on their own paths toward cultural humility, a greater race-conscienceness, somatic healing and self affirmation.