In Dance Within Your Dance (DWYD), Tatiana invites audiences to connect with the techniques, rhythms, and essence of Hip-Hop and House dance/culture. The “groove” is the center of this piece, yet there are two dimensions to DWYD: a dancer’s exploration of their own groove and the groove itself. Tatiana defines the “groove” as a consistent flow of energy through the body, which allows dancers to communicate through music and movement. To her, the groove is the physical and auditory manifestation of Black people’s living experience. Tatiana uses DWYD as a means to honor and maintain this culture’s essence while catalyzing conversations about race
Performers: Tatiana Desardouin, Lauriane Ogay and Mai Lê Hô
Music: The Clown by Maribou State Feat. Pedestrian (Axel Bowman Remix); The reminiscence by Altered Natives; Imam by Mark De Clive Lowe & Daz-I-Kue (Re-Bruk Remix); There Now by Frits Wentink (feat. Loes Jongerling)
Passion Fruit is a street/club dance and educational company, founded in 2016 by Tatiana Desardouin, composed of three core members: Mai Lê Hô, Lauriane Ogay and Tatiana (Choreographer/Art.director). Through educational programs and dance works, the mission is to: promote street/clubbing dance styles and cultures; highlight its black heritage and contribution to society; explore and address social issues; inspire young artists to share their voices. They performed in the USA “Dance Within Your Dance” and “Trapped” in theaters such as BAAD!Theater, Summerstage, Jacob’s Pillow, the New Victory, LOHH festival, 92Y, MASS MoCA, Dance Place, the Guggenheim, BRIC! and abroad (Switzerland and Canada).
Tatiana Desardouin is a haitian – swiss artist with a Adult Educator Master degree and a Bachelor in Psychology (University of Geneva). She often gets to travel, judge competitions, compete, and teach around the world. In 2016, Tatiana moved to the US and founded Passion Fruit Dance Company, which performs in the USA and abroad (Canada and Switzerland). She currently is an adjunct professor at Springfield and Mount Holyoke colleges and faculty member of 92Y. Tatiana was selected as one of Dance Magazine’s 2020 “25 to Watch” , featured in the New Yorker and Harper’s Bazaar magazine. She was awarded the Vilcek Foundation Prizes for Creative Promise in Dance 2022.
THANK YOU TO: Jane Gabriels, Pepatiàn organization and BAAD!Theater for granting us with our first residency: “”Dance Your Future 2017” at BAAD!Theater, where this piece was premiered.
Michela “”Miki Tuesday”” Deidda and Adesola Osakalumi for their precious external eye. Our Street/Club dance community and contributors to our artistic lineage.
Photo by Loreto Jamlig