Modern Dance with Marquita Sams
This program is made possible by the generous support of The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation
This dance workshop centers on Lester Horton’s modern-based dance technique to strengthen and lengthen the body. Dancers learn the fundamentals of the well-known Horton technique, which includes learning combinations that emphasize musicality and dynamic movement. Dancers are encouraged to challenge their technique while engaging in full-body movement.
This energetic, enjoyable, and healing class also includes guided movement, meditation, and improvisation.
About The Instructor
Marquita Sams, LMSW, MFA is a choreographer, Licensed Master Social Worker, dance medicine woman, Reiki Master, and multidisciplinary artist whose work is based on Afro-diasporic knowledge systems from a variety of cultures. She has performed with dance companies all over the country including Philadanco D2 (Philadelphia), The Slaughter Project (St. Louis), Project Motion (Memphis), Ko-Thi Dance Company (Milwaukee), Wild Space Dance Company (Milwaukee), and Hayiya Dance Theatre (Macon).
In 2016, Sams received a life-saving liver transplant and subsequently dedicated her life to helping others heal, her graduate studies focused on the intersection between spirituality and somatic psychotherapy. Expressing her multidimensional creativity, she received a commission from the Pittsburgh Pirates to create a permanent art installation for the Urban Garden, a unique agriculture and art space located inside PNC Park. The exhibition features thirteen of her paintings that are displayed on planters in the space.
Sams established Miracles in Motion, a unique healing modality that teaches individuals how to create a daily practice of focusing, aligning, and elevating to achieve overall wellness and wholeness. Through Miracles in Motion, Sams combines her passion for dance, mental health, and spiritual healing to support individuals in doing a deep dive into their inner work.
About The Gantt Golden Year Dancer-in-Residence
LaTanya Johnson’s rhythmic journey blends the art of movement and storytelling through voice, theater, and visual arts.
Johnson choreographed and provided movement coaching for many productions including, A Raisin in the Sun, Seven Guitars, Ain't Misbehavin’, The Bluest Eye, For the Love of Harlem, A Soldier's Play, and The Piano Lesson. She has worked with Theatre Charlotte, On Q Productions, Free Reign Theater Company, and Brand New Sheriff (BNS) Productions. In 2016, Johnson curated a dance series in celebration of the Gantt Center’s 40th Anniversary, entitled "Catch the Dance".
Johnson’s conservatory training includes Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company), Historical New Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia, and Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute, to name a few. She is the founder and artistic director of the Sycamore Project, a Charlotte-based “artivist” initiative using the arts to advocate and promote social and environmental justice.