Artist Statement
I believe that youth and adults learn best when they are given opportunities for enrichment and exposure. Dance education provides those opportunities in a variety of ways to people who may not have had a chance to experience them any other time. Within my dance classroom, I attempt to set an open atmosphere of learning, forgiveness, and acceptance. I believe students learn best when they understand that failure is nothing more than a starting place for learning new and creative methods to accomplish the original task at hand. The dance classroom should provide an atmosphere of respect for themselves, the classroom as a whole, and the art form of dance. This is when true growth can take place on an individual and collective level.
Artist Bio
A graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park, Ashlee McKinnon has channeled her love for dance education and youth enrichment into a fulfilling career of teaching dance in K-12 institutions and other various organizations for over 10 years. She has performed professionally in the DMV area with Aftashock DC, BREathe Dance Project, Uprooted Dance, Glade Dance Collective, and VF Dance Theater. Specializing in modern fusion, musical theater, hip hop, and jazz, her choreographic work has been featured at Bowie State University, Gaithersburg Arts Barn, NACHMO DC festival, CBT Theater, and most notably on CBS This Morning in the story “Hamil-Kids” in 2017. Ashlee’s work in K-12 dance education allows her to connect with youth through creative exploration and enrichment, developing problem-solving skills, communication skills, and productivity skills that students of all ages can reap the benefit.
Program Description
My work uses vocabulary, movement sequences, and group collaboration to build a meaning work that expresses the main theme of the residency. My work uses hip hop, modern, and jazz techniques to demonstrate skills and collaborative choreography.
Quotes
I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what it too deep to find for words.
– Ruth St. Denis
To touch, to move, to inspire. This is the true gift of dance.”
– Aubrey Lynch
I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.
– Mikhail Baryshnikov
Ashlee McKinnon Youtube Channel