In this community chat, djassi daCosta johnson will take you on her journey from Ballet dancer to Multidisciplinary artist, with local stops at the historic Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Dance Theater of Harlem. Djassi will show you how to “choreograph” your own artistic path and write a poetic artist statement expressing all that you are, while fully rejecting the notion you need to be any less.
“Dance was the way I moved through worlds. It helped me when I got to another country because I didn’t have that fear of not being able to connect with people.”
– djassi daCosta johnson
What to Expect
- Learn about Prof. Johnson’s journey
- Explore the work of Black choreographers
“This is my path. This is how I am going to pave it.”
—DJASSI DACOSTA JOHNSON
Write your “I AM…” statement.
djassi’s example:
I am…
an image maker, shape shifter — a perception challenger — who delights in unearthing magic and possibility
I am…
much more than these words: a dancer, a choreographer, a writer, an anthropologist, a designer… an activist, a photographer, a filmmaker, mother and #jackmaster..
I am…
an explorer, a native New Yorker…a fortunate traveler …baptized in the pavements of my city – for whom, dance has been my passport to life…
I am…
a reminder that we are not yet there. that we can learn more from each other. that we can challenge societal ills and still bring forth beauty…
I am…
seeped in justice, covered in love, grounded in mysticism and creating art to aid in the liberation and recovery of the human race.
dance is the filter through which i see everything. i move in a ritual sense, offering thanks to those who have paved this path with rhythmic feet pounding the earth like a heartbeat…I agree with Pina.
as long as we dance, we will never be lost …
djassi daCosta johnson
Djassi DaCosta Johnson is a native New Yorker, classically trained modern dancer, choreographer, photographer, filmmaker, designer, writer, Doula and Womb Healer. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Barnard and an MFA in Dance, New Media & Technology from NYU Tish as a Dean’s Fellow. Ms. DaCosta Johnson continued photography & writing throughout her touring and living abroad as a dancer & choreographer, in both Brazil and then Italy for 7 years, working on film & television. She toured, apprenticed and performed with MOMIX, Dance Brazil, Earl Mosley, Bill T. Jones, Hernando Cortez and Urban Bush Women among others. She has choreographed and performed in music videos for Joan Baez and Gloria Gaynor and as an actor in films including ’The Intern’ & ’Bolden!’. She continues live performance work, collaborating with visual artists and jazz musicians for site-specific works, with PERFORMA and Arts for Art in NYC, as well as throughout Europe and South America. Ms. DaCosta Johnson is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix. She continues to create images, films, perform and writes for KINFOLK, {DIYdancer}, The Daily News, TRACE and Playbill among other outlets.