Join us as we welcome LaTia Childers as TU Dance’s new School & Community Engagement Coordinator. After working as TU Dance’s Education & Community Engagement Coordinator, bringing with her the knowledge, experience, energy and passion to continue the work that we have done in the past with our community, LaTia has taken on the new role and will be responsible for coordinating under TU Dance’s artistic director Toni Pierce-Sands supervision, all school related activities. She worked closely with former School Coordinator Maxine Yamazaki, gaining all the necessary experience to continue the work.
LaTia’s has led the partnership with Sheridan Arts Dual Immersion School, a project supported by a Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Access grant. She will continue her work to revitalize the partnership with academic schools and other organizations while coordinating all activities related to the school.
About LaTia:
Finding interest in dance at the age of 3, LaTia continued to indulge her passion for expressionism through movement. Exposure to Graham and Horton technique, the movement LaTia most identifies with, began at F.A.I.R. school where she attended 6th-8th grade. LaTia continued her pursuit for physical expression through her college experience at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities campus) where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Dance, May 2014, and Mankato State University (Edina) where she is pursuing her Master’s in K-12 Dance Education and Pedagogy. During her artist journey, she has been involved with myriad of artistic collaborations that include the Ordway (Dance To Learn), TU Dance (pre-professional intensives), ACDFA (American College Dance Festival Association) attendee and participate, participant of the 2014 Fringe Festival and many other dance endeavors. LaTia has danced professionally with Threads Dance Project located in Minneapolis, MN as well as Minnesota Dance Ensemble in Saint Cloud, MN. She has also attended Arts Advocacy Day as a student, an independent contractor, as an arts educator, and a board member of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Advocacy Leader. LaTia plans to continue her Arts Education and Advocacy by actively serving on the MCA board, lobbying at both state and national levels to protect the 47% of the Legacy Amendment, encourage district participation in CreativeMN, and continue her pursuit in higher education/ conferences/ and workshops. LaTia has most recently been appointed to the Board of the Perpich Center for Arts Education and looks forward to sustaining and developing collaborative partnerships as the Education & Community Engagement liason at TU DANCE.
________________________
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and culture heritage fund.