Distinguished Professor Award Completion Highlight
The Distinguished Professor award is a competitive, one-time award of up to $1,000 is awarded to matriculated and enrolled graduate students to support eligible expenses associated with a program-required research project or creative activity.
Audrey Woolever’s project titled “Body Percussion and its Effect on Developing a Diasporic Literacy Among American Audiences” was awarded in Spring 2020.
Audrey shared that “My Master’s Thesis Project consisted of both scholarly and creative work. With the money I received from this grant, I was able to finance the costuming for the creative component of my work which culminated in what would have been a dance performance before the pandemic hit. My creative work was an embodiment of my scholarly research. My eight dancers and I worked to visibilize the inherent Africanist aesthetics of Modern Dance through the use of body percussion. I strived to find a way how Modern Dance could develop a diasporic literacy among American Audiences and bring attention to the foundational roots of African aesthetics within the Modern Dance form. Since I did not receive any funds from the Dance Department, receiving the money from this grant enabled me to complete my MFA degree. Costuming for eight dancers adds up quickly and it is a vital component to a performance as it contributes to the overall aesthetic and vision of the work.”
We wish Audrey the best of luck in her future career and thank her for her hard work on this scholarly and creative activity.
