University of Michigan Residency -March 2025
From Michigan to the World: Exploring Art, Entrepreneurship and Uncharted Pathways Residency supported by the University of Michigan Arts Initiative and produced by Shields Education, Entertainment, and Consulting, was a two-week engagement with international dancer and choreographer Briana Ashley Stuart in March 2025 that included masterclasses, community workshops, and a public symposium moderated by Mark Clague. The residency brought Briana, a UofM aluma to Michigan from Brussels, Belgium to share story, career advice and trajectory as international artist as well as her artistic practice and research stepping and the possibilities of percussive movement as a medium for cultural exchange, connecting U-M students and faculty with Detroit-based youth and artists through educational and artistic engagement.
Residency Events
Dances in Culture: Africanist Dance Traditions
Briana lead a guest lecture and movement session exploring the history, cultural significance, and physicality of African American Stepping. A Detroit native and University of Michigan alum, Briana brings her expertise in percussive dance to highlight stepping’s deep roots in Africanist movement traditions, its evolution through Black fraternities and sororities and into pop culture.
Through a combination of lecture, discussion, and embodied learning, students—both dancers and non-dancers—will engage with stepping as a rhythmic, communal, and expressive art form. This session offers a unique opportunity to experience the legacy of the African Diaspora through movement, understanding its influence on American vernacular and concert dance.
Dance Masterclass
Briana lead UM Ann Arbor Dance Majors in a masterclass that brings them into her research of blending the rhythmic intensity of percussive dance with the fluidity of contemporary movement. This unique workshop explores how rhythm and musicality can drive expression, storytelling, and physicality, creating a dynamic and innovative approach to movement and composition.
Dance Composition for Dance Minors
Briana lead UM Ann Arbor Dance Minors in an immersive workshop exploring rhythm and musicality as essential tools for dance composition. Rooted in her research of blending percussive dance with contemporary movement, this class will examine how rhythm drives expression, storytelling, and physicality. Students will experiment with dynamic movement structures, discovering new ways to create and shape choreography through their connection to music.
Professional Development Talk
In this one-hour interview hosted by EXCEL and the Dance Student Assembly, Briana shared her journey as an American dancer who moved abroad, blending art and entrepreneurship to shape her career on her own terms. This inspiring discussion focused on building a sustainable career as a freelance artist abroad, finding your audience, creating your own opportunities, and forging an independent artistic path outside traditional contract work.
Cass Technical High School Dance Lab
Briana lead a masterclass and mini lecture demonstration at her former high school, Cass Tech within the Detroit Public Schools Community District and shared her expertise in blending percussive and contemporary dance. In addition, Briana shared her knowledge on domestic and international career pursuits in the dance industry.
Dance Minor Masterclass at UMich Flint Campus
Briana will lead UM Flint Dance Minors in a masterclass that brings them into her research of blending the rhythmic intensity of percussive dance with the fluidity of contemporary movement. This unique workshop explores how rhythm and musicality can drive expression, storytelling, and physicality, creating a dynamic and innovative approach to movement and composition.