Spring Forward with Jiamond Elizabeth | Modern (Int/Adv)

Description

Join Jiamond Elizabeth for this month's Community on 14th! This Modern class is open to Intermediate/Advanced dancers, with a minimum of 3 years of experience. 

 

Class Description

There was a time when dance practice was specifically used for spiritual elevation. People trained in dance for the purpose of connecting with the Most High. Using Horton technique as the foundation for movement, participants can expect to move through exercises that symbolize a deeply spiritual connection with a higher power. This class is a sacred space in which dancers can use their training to give thanks and praise to the Creator of all. We will bend, arch, turn, and jump with the awareness that our dance has a deeper impact than a physical exercise. 

 

About Jiamond

Jiamond Elizabeth Watson (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Washington, D.C.. She utilizes choreography to spark spiritual transformation across all spacetime. Jiamond brings uplifting, innovative and intellectually stimulating mixed media work to the community in the hopes of eradicating global imperialism and protecting the livelihood of Mother Earth. Her passion for dance practice and performance was nurtured at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Her academic and artistic prowess earned her local recognition from the National Congress of Black Women, D.C. Chapter. She was awarded the “Shirley Chisholm Leadership Award” for her contributions to her school in student council and performance. In 2015 during her junior year at Ellington she received $10,000 from the DC CAPital Stars Talent Competition. Her self choreographed solo “I Put A Spell On You” was awarded First Place in the district wide competition. Jiamond is a woman who believes that artists are cultural archivists. Jiamond finds it her responsibility to make spiritually and socially relevant work. Her values grew strong during her undergraduate studies at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. In 2020 she graduated from UArts and debuted “Balancing Act”, the first section of an evening length work at the Edgewood Arts Center in NE Washington, D.C.. She’s had the pleasure to perform excerpts of her work at the Emerging Artists Showcase at the Kennedy Centers “Dance in the DMV” experience, “Artists at the Center” Festival at Seattle Center and during the annual block party with non-profit organization Wa Na Wari of Seattle, WA. Jiamond is interested in preserving the wisdom of Afirikan/indigenous people. Her development of performance material is an offering to the great divine within each of us. Her intention is to choreograph time and space in which community members can experience high frequency energy healing. The dancing body is a catalyst for spiritual expansion, Jiamond desires a world where every body is celebrated and granted freedom to exist in a world that is loving and peaceful. Jiamond is a published author, dance performer, educator, yogi and tarot reader. She is currently based in Washington, D.C. and can be found studying, teaching and performing dance around the city. 

Date & Time

Sat, Apr 26, 2025 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Venue Details

The Fabian Barnes Black Box Theater

3400 14th Street Northwest
Washington, District of Columbia 20010

The Dance Institute of Washington