Two esteemed dancers lead program at KHAC

The 14th annual artist residency program at Kennedy Heights Arts Center (KHAC) will take place this year from March 9–12. Two exceptional dancers/choreographers will lead community participants in six workshops examining race and gender through the lens of parenting.  

The two visiting artists are Daniel Burkholder from Shorewood, Wisconsin, and Kimani Fowlin from New York City. As artists-in-residence at KHAC, they will lead the workshops through movement, stories, and spoken word. Participants from the community will be invited to share their experiences of navigating the joys and challenges of parenthood.

Daniel and Kimani, friends and colleagues since undergraduate days in the late 1980s, now are parents with deep concerns about what the future holds for their children. Daniel, as a white, married man with a daughter and Kimani, a mixed-race, single woman with a son, have discussed the challenges each has faced as parents and ways in which their experiences both overlap and differ. From these conversations, they launched the ongoing performance project, “Embodied Truth: Finding Ways to Move Together,” centered on personal stories about raising children in this time of #metoo and #blacklivesmatter.

Kimani Fowlin is an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, and educator. She was recently awarded the New York State Dance Education Association’s “Outstanding Dance Educator Award.” Kimani is an assistant professor of dance and director of the Dance Program at Drew University. She is dedicated to creating art with a purpose — social justice is at the core of her dance-making.

Daniel Burkholder is an award-winning choreographer, improviser, performer, teacher, and lighting designer. He is an Associate Professor of Dance and the Director of the M.F.A. in Dance program at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee. His choreographic work has been commissioned by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, presented throughout the Americas, and spans theatrical performances, site-specific events, immersive media, and screendance.

KHAC residencies focus on collective work in which community members are engaged as equal partners in the art-making process. Embodied Truth: Finding Ways to Move Together is designed to support a communal space allowing for community reflection, discussion, and action. The project is funded through a grant from the Eleanora C. U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee.

Participants may sign up for a free, two-hour workshop at one of six times below. Get more information and register online at kennedyarts.org or call 513-631-4278.

• Wednesday, March 9 at 10 am – 12 pm or 7 – 9 pm
• Thursday, March 10 at 10 am - 12 pm or 7 - 9 pm
• Friday, March 11 at 10 am - 12 pm
• Saturday, March 12 at 10 am – 12 pm.

The workshops will be held at the Lindner Annex of the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6620 Montgomery Road. Adults of all ages and abilities are welcome, and childcare will be provided.

The project will conclude with a collaborative performance by the artists and community members and a family dance party with a DJ at 6 pm on Saturday, March 12.

“We are so excited to bring Kimani and Daniel to Cincinnati to collaborate with our community on this performance project,” says Ellen Muse-Lindeman, Executive Director of KHAC.

“Kimani and Daniel offer space for participants to express our lived experiences in creative ways,” she adds. “Sharing our stories helps us feel connected to each other and the world around us.”