Black Dance ImprovisatioN
an experiment pt. II
Black Dance Improvisation (BDI)
Is an experimental form of creative expression
Inspired by Global Black liberation movements
2026 BDi Residency program Pt. II
Collective Practice
Black Dance Improvisation
Intensive Program
BDI Intensive Facilitators:
Onye Ozuzu
Herb Johnson
MameDjarra Speis
September 8-13, 2026
Center For Performing Arts
3754 Pleasant Ave
Minneapolis, MN
Herb Johnson's 4Most Creative Space
2500 University Ave. W
St. Paul, MN
Sliding scale: $15-$30 /day
Limited scholarships available
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Contact:
Instagram:
2026 BDi Residency program Pt. I
Independent Study
Black Dance Improvisation
Public Performances
July 23-24, 2026
Doors Open 6:30pm
Performance 7:00pm
Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Minneapolis, MN
Studio 100
Suggested Donations:
Sliding scale $10-$30
July 21, 2026
11:00am-1:00pm
Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Studio 100
Minneapolis, MN
This student oriented workshop is free and open to the public.
Contact:
Instagram:
What is Black Dance Improvisation?
I created Black Dance Improvisation (BDI) Initiative to spark conversations amongst independent artists who have backgrounds in a variety of improvisation techniques. The BDI initiative hones aesthetics, audience engagement, and professional development, creating openings for artists to enter a generative space or who may be following unconventional pathways.
LPDP's "CtR Methodology," a somatic practice centered on embodied excavation and remembering, is developed and researched in tandem as a framework for collaborative improvisation more broadly. This approach transcends any single continuum of community ritual, performance, culture, or lineage.
~ Leslie Parker
2025 Live Performance
June 21-22, 2025
Ceder Cultural Center
Minneapolis, MN
Contemporary Experiment Workshop
April 29 - May 5, 2025
Movement Research
New York, NY
Black Dance Improvisation
Festival 2025
March 28-29, 2025
Mixed Blood Theater
Minneapolis, MN
Mixed Blood Theatre, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Leslie Parker Dance Project, and the Center for Performing Art co-present Black Dance Improvisation Festival 2025 on March 28 & 29.
BDI Fest 2025 amplifies experimentation, solo dance improvisation, and dynamic storytelling with a powerful cohort of celebrated artists.
BDI Festival Sponsors
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Black Dance Improvisation
Intensive 2024
June 2024
Minneapolis, MN
See Intensive Schedule for Locations
Leslie Parker Dance Project brings together improvisers in the Twin Cities who practice various models of improvisation globally to participate in three weeks of practice.
The Twin Cities Black Dance Improvisation Intensive 2024 is an extension of CtR methodology centering Black, Native, Indigenous, Artists of Color narratives. The focus is on creatives who are steeped in dance and performance practices to provide more opportunities to deepen awareness in Improvisation.
BDI Intensive 2024 is open to all!
Update: Registration is full and is now at capacity. Drop-ins are welcomed if there is space!
Presented in partnership with:
Black Dance Improvisation Intensive
2024 Workshop Schedule
June 3-6, 2024
TU Dance Center
Saint Paul, MN
Workshop Session with
Ishmael Houston-Jones
June 10-13, 2024
Northrop Dance Studio
Minneapolis, MN
Workshop Session with
Merián Soto
June 17-18, 2024
Barbara Barker Dance Center
Minneapolis, MN
Workshop Session with
Cynthia Oliver
**Note the change in schedule: Cynthia Oliver is facilitating on June 17 & 18 only.
an experiment
with Leslie Parker & Collaborators
June 22, 2024
Ceder Cultural Center
Minneapolis, MN
The public offering of an experiment is a live collaborative improvisation performance drawing from Blackness in experimental music, storytelling, visual art, and dance.
Performances by:
Black Dance Improvisation Intensive participants &
Music Collaborative with Michael Wimberly, Farai Malianga, Dameun Strange, and DeCarlo Jackson
FREE!
Donations accepted
This is a Twin Cities Jazz Festival event
