Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Welcomes Guest Instructor Terence M. Greene



Summer Guest Artists: Terence M. Greene
Theater presents its 
annual Summer Dance 
Intensive, which 
provides a rigorous 
curriculum fostering 
learning and 
personal growth, 
along with 
opportunities to 
experience the 
company
repertoire through 
workshops and 
performances. The 
programs Pre-
Professional/
Professional 
Division for ages 
16 and older and 
the Youth program 
(ages 13–15) 
learn technique and 
DRDT repertoire.


Terence M. Greene, graduate 

of CSA and one of two SDI 
guest instructors, has 
studied with Karamu House, 
Alvin Ailey American Dance 
Center, Cleveland Ballet, 
Chuck Davis Dance 
Theater, Dayton 
Contemporary Dance 
Company and the Dayton 
Ballet. He has trained 
with Linda Thomas Jones, 
Joan Peters, Hope 
Clark, Donald McKayle, 
Ulysses Dove, Mike Malone, 
Jeraldyne Blunden, Kevin 
Ward, Walter Raines, 
James Truitte, Leslie 
Braswell, Dawn Wood, 
Donald Byrd, Pearl 
Primus and Reggie Kelly, 
to name a few. He has 
performed professionally 
in Dreamgirls, Jesus 
Christ Superstar, Black 
Nativity, Show Boat
The Merry Widow, Carousel 
and The Comedy of Errors 
at Great Lakes Theater 
Festival. Combining a love 
for choreography and 
teaching young people, 
he has worked with 
Cleveland School of the 
Arts, Colonel White 
School of Performing 
Arts, Wittenberg 
Dance Ensemble, 
Howard University 
Children’s Theater, 
Purdue University, 
Valencia College, 
Kappa School of 
Performing Arts, 
Dancing Wheels, 
Reed Summer 
Intensive, 
International 
Association of 
Blacks in Dance 
Conference,  The 
Color Museum, 
Greene Medcalf 
Movement, August 
Wilson Dance 
Theater, Strivers 
School of Performing 
Arts, Verb Ballet, 
American Dance 
Festival in North 
Carolina, Ballet 
Tech, Ballet 
Performing Arts 
Association as well 
as the Folk Dance 
Festivals in China, 
Korea, Russia, 
Poland and 
Germany. He has 
worked with 
choreographers Eleo 
Pomare, Dianne 
McIntyre, Ronald K. 
Brown, Debbie 
Blunden-Diggs, 
Talley Beatty, 
Shapiro and Smith, 
Dwight Roden, 
Desmond Richmond, 
Kevin Iega Jeff 
and many more. 
Recently, Greene 
created a work in 
honor of the 
award-winning 
movie Hidden 
Figures, which 
his company 
Greene Works 
Project performed 
for Academy 
Award-winning 
actress Octavia 
Spencer. Mr. 
Greene is the 
founder, CEO and 
artistic director of 
The Greene Works 
Project and 
program manager 
for Tri-C Creative 
Arts Dance Academy.  
When and how did you 
first discover dance 
and decide it would be 
your life’s work?
I discovered dance 
when my boxing coach 
suggested that I take 
ballet to help with 
coordination. He was 
just kidding, but I took 
it literally. I ended up 
liking dance more than 
boxing and decided to 
stay in it.  
What have been 
some highlights of 
your professional 
dance career? Both 
as a performer and 
choreographer?
One of the highlights for 
me as a professional 
would be dancing as 
a principal dancer 
with Dayton 
Contemporary Dance 
Company (DCDC), 
touring to Moscow, 
Russia and dancing on 
the famous stage 
where the Kirov Ballet 
performed.


What made you decide to become an instructor? What particular satisfaction does it give you?
I wanted to come back to my community and make a difference and bring excellence to my city. I wanted to sew into the young people all the knowledge that was sent into me throughout extensive my career. I get unspeakable joy from teaching, but most of all, it gives me life!

What inspired you to found The Greene Works Project? 

There were no black repertory companies enriched in the black tradition left in Ohio besides DCDC. It was very much needed in Cleveland. I heard about the CPAC Creative Arts Workforce Fellowship grant for choreographers that would award $20,000, and I was blessed to receive that award in 2014.  

What are you looking forward to while you work with Deeply Rooted in Chicago this summer?

First and foremost I want to be a blessing for a blessing which will instill love, kindness, care, stability, dedication, friendship and excellence!

Don't miss Deeply Rooted Dance Theater's Summer Dance Intensive
and Emerging Choreographers Showcase performances

Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at
the Reva and David Logan Center for the Performing Arts,
915 E. 60th Street, Chicago. 

A reception follows the July 20 performance.
Tickets are $25; a VIP ticket of $150
provides additional support for these programs.

Tickets are available at summer-dance-intensive-2019.eventbrite.com

No comments:

Post a Comment