Work-in-Progress: Ronald Ford, Jr.
I am performing various shuffles from original Detroit dances, including Jit, Funk, Errol Flynn, and Ballroom Hustle. I thought about something that all these dances have in common and I realized that it’s the shuffle. Each shuffle is distinguished by its use of feet, legs, and hips with minimal use of arms and hands.
I am preparing to teach the native Detroit dance style: Detroit Funk. Teaching will focus on Funk, starting with the foundation of the dance which like other original Detroit dances is the shuffle. I always try to share Detroit culture and history and therefore will show these shuffles and more in my classes.
In response to social isolation guidelines, Kresge Arts in Detroit asked Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients to give us a glimpse into their current and recent projects. Participating artists received stipends of $150, a quick response pivot of resources that could be implemented by the program as an immediate - albeit small level - of support to Detroit area artists.