Founder Karen L. Charles

At my core, I am an artist who teaches through the stories told via her art. Not in the traditional sense, but in the sense that I create work to teach myself, my dancers and the people that attend our performances.

I also create to be a catalyst, build community, and cause people to think, explore and strive to make positive contributions to society as a fellow human being. Lastly, I create using dance because for me the human body is the most unambiguous way to communicate truth no matter how difficult or mundane.

I tell “HUMAN JUSTICE” stories – stories about the human condition often grounded in social justice. 

  • I tell stories via the lens of an African-American woman from the South

  • I tell stories of marginalized groups

  • I tell stories to encourage dialogue and introspection

  • I tell stories to illuminate our shared humanity

I have made a conscious choice to create dance that breaks down the perceived elitism of concert dance as well as the oft common perception of non-dance artists that “just don’t get it”. So, what does this mean?

  • That means I often use music with lyrics, in part, because I want to honor the oral traditions of my people; and because lyrics often give people an additional access point to the art form.

  • That means I always build community for my work beyond the performance, so the art truly becomes a teaching/learning experience.

I use modern and ballet techniques infused with other movement styles to illuminate the talents of dancers of various shape, size, ethnicity, race, and sexual orientation. I am quietly working to shift perceptions about who can create and perform using these techniques and how they can utilize them to create and perform.

My goal is to be responsive and inclusive, using dance to tell resonant stories that leaves people wanting to learn/experience more.

Artistic/Executive Director Karen L. Charles