I have also published articles in Journal of Urban History, Dance Research Journal, Studies in Musical Theatre, Theatre History Studies, TDR, and ARTS, as well as authored or co-authored book chapters in The Futures of Dance Studies, The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical, Dance in Musical Theatre: A History of the Body in Movement, The Possibility Machine: Music and Myth in America’s City of Second Chances, and A Critical Companion to the American Stage Musical, among others.
In addition to my scholarship and teaching, I am the Treasurer of the International Society for the Study of Musicals, a Certified Instructor of Dunham Technique and a choreographer. Before receiving my MA in American Studies from NYU and my PhD in History at Columbia University, I worked as a professional dancer and choreographer in New York, where I performed at Dance Theater Workshop (now New York Live Arts), the Cunningham Studio, WAXWorks, and DanceNow/NYC. My interests have also led to some fun side gigs, including serving as a historical consultant for The Rockettes.
ABOUT
I am an Associate Professor in the Performing Arts Department at Washington University in St. Louis and an affiliate of the Program in American Culture Studies, the African and African-American Studies Department, and the History Department.
I write about dance, musical theater, variety entertainment, country music, and how those forms have played a role in several social and political movements, including the long Black Freedom Struggle, decolonization, modern conservatism, and the Religious Right.
My forthcoming book, Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America (Chicago, 2025) examines the entertainment industry in the tourist destination of Branson, Missouri, and how it has developed over time into a lightning rod for the culture wars.
My first book, Katherine Dunham: Dance and the African Diaspora (Oxford, 2017) examined the life and work of choreographer, educator, and activist Katherine Dunham (1909-2006). It won the 2018 de la Torre Bueno Best First Book Award from the Dance Studies Association and an honorable mention Errol Hill Award for outstanding scholarship in African American theatre and performance from the American Society for Theatre Research.