Dance with the Gantt: Modern Dance with Marquita Sams

This dance workshop will center on Lester Horton’s modern-based dance technique to strengthen and lengthen the body. Dancers will learn the fundamentals of the well-known Horton technique, which includes learning combinations that emphasize musicality and dynamic movement. Dancers will be encouraged to challenge their technique while engaging in full-body movement.

This energetic, enjoyable, and healing class will also include guided movement, meditation, and improvisation.

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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.

This program is made possible through the generous support from the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation.

Host or Publisher Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture