Thanks to the generous funding of the Rachel Carson Grant, Dreyfoos is hosting Solomon Dumas as a Guest Artist from October 4th through the 8th, teaching master classes and choreographing a guest piece influenced by a social justice cause. Not only do dancers get the opportunity to learn from a working professional company member in Ailey, they additionally participate in Horton technique classes (the primary modern technique taught in our department). They also experience a true “blind” audition by wearing numbers and being chosen by the guest choreographer for their piece.

Mr. Dumas will be working on a concept surrounding Anxiety and Depression. “This is something that we, as a society, are finding language to identify this social justice issue,” says Solomon. “Through a retrospective lens, I remember dealing with bouts of anxiety and depression as a young Artist. It is my hope that through this process, the dancers may find a cathartic release in exploring this topic.

Now, in a pandemic, it is important that we take the time to recognize mental health (especially in adolescents) and understand how to identify signs and symptoms.

Research conducted in 2019 supports theories that anxiety and depression is an actual experience our teens a facing.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/26/the-concerns-and-challenges-of-being-a-u-s-teen-what-the-data-show/

Solomon Dumas (Chicago, IL) (he, him, his) was introduced to dance through AileyCamp. He later began his formal training at The Chicago Academy for the Arts and the Russell Talbert Dance Studio, where he received his most influential training. Mr. Dumas studied at New World School of the Arts and was a Fellowship Level 1 student at The Ailey School. He has performed with companies including Garth Fagan Dance; Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company; and Labyrinth Dance Theater. Mr. Dumas was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2016.

For more information, please contact Laura Fournier at [email protected].