I Grieve Different (IGD) is a 70 min dance work featuring 13 dancers to music by Kendrick Lamar. It is the second in a planned series of four works celebrating the Black experience, with two additional works yet to be created. The first, An Untitled Love, used R&B legend D'Angelo's music to create a work centered around Black love and uplifting often unspoken celebrations. The final works are: I Stretch My Hands, a gospel music project set to premiere in 2029 and a narrative mixed genre work using R&B, hip hop and gospel music, slated for 2030.
Reflecting on my personal journey from childhood to adolescence, combined with Lamar's powerful storytelling, IGD creates space for conversations about mental health and healing in the Black community. This work moves beyond narratives of trauma to explore paths toward understanding and growth. The initial idea for this work began in 2018, but the pandemic offered a period of reflection and a fresh perspective on how to approach these themes.
Caretakers of Land/Land Acknowledgement: Lenape
Estimated Artist Fee:
- Artist fee - single performance: $40,000
- Artist fee - weekly performance: $60,000
