Dianne McIntyre

Dianne McIntyre is regarded as an artistic pioneer, with an impressive choreography career spanning five decades in dance, theatre, television and film. She is recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, three Bessies, a 2019 Dance/USA Honor Award, 2020 United States Artists Fellowship and 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award.  Her individualistic movement style reflects her affinity for cultural histories, personal narratives and the boldness, nuances, discipline and freedom in music and poetic text. In the 1970s and 80s McIntyre’s company Sounds in Motion set the bar for innovative dance/live music collaborations.  The Sounds in Motion Studio in Harlem was a hub for cultural exchanges and explorations between artists of all disciplines. Since 1972, she has choreographed scores of concert dances, four Broadway shows, thirty regional theatre productions, a London West End musical, two feature films, three television productions, stage movement for multiple recording artists and five original full-length dance dramas. She has been commissioned by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, GroundWorks Dance Theater, Dancing Wheels, as well as forty-plus university ensembles and major dance festivals. Her other awards and nominations include two AUDELCO’s, one Helen Hayes award and four nominations, an Emmy Nomination, Master of African American Choreography Medal from The Kennedy Center and two Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degrees.  Her mentors include Gus Solomons jr, Elaine Gibbs Redmond, Helen Alkire and Vera Blaine (Chairs of Dance at the Ohio State University), Dr. Richard Davis (theatre) and Louise Roberts.

Living Legacy | November 6 - 18, 2022

In the Same Tongue

Ohio-based dance legend and artist, Dianne Mcintyre, came to MANCC for the first time to develop her new work, In the Same Tongue, a full-length movement, sound and language-based piece.

In the Same Tongue is choreographed and directed by McIntyre, featuring poetry by the Obie-winning playwright Ntozake Shange and original music by renown American composer and cellist Diedre Murray. McIntyre describes her work as an exploration of dance and music “speaking” to each other: members of the African Diaspora bound together with no common “tongue”; the sound of rage, endearment, suspicion; sacred traditions in harmony; silent speech.

McIntyre brought a company of five dancers and four musicians to MANCC to further develop movement and musical components through intensive improvisational composition, while working remotely with Murray. McIntyre engaged with FSU School of Dance while in residence, inviting the community to view rehearsals, sharing the developing piece in a work in progress showing, and inviting students Emma Morris, Sherrod Reid, Taylor West, Sky Barnes, Abigail Nelson and Megan Murphy into the work as a pilot for community inclusion as the piece tours in the future.

  • Dianne McIntyre (right) in residence for <em>In the Same Tongue</em> with dancers Demetia Hopkins, Brianna Rhodes, Kamryn Vaulx, Shaquelle Charles, and Christopher Page-Sanders
  • Kamryn Vaulx and Dianne McIntyre in rehearsal
  • Dancers review movement material
  • Christopher Page-Sanders, Brianna Rhodes, Kamryn Vaulx, and Shaquelle Charles
  • Dianne McIntyre
  • Rhodes, Charles, Vaulx, and McIntyre
  • Page-Sanders, Vaulx, Charles, and Brianna Rhodes
  • Ms. McIntyre working with dancers Shaquelle Charles, Brianna Rhodes, and Kamryn Vaulx
  • Ms. McIntyre works with dancers and composer Diedre Murray (remote) and musicians Cleave Guyton, Gerald Brazil, Amaury Acosta, and Elias Bailey
  • Demetia Hopkins, Kamryn Vaulx, and Brianna Rhodes (foreground)
  • Page-Sanders, Vaulx, Rhodes, Charles, and Hopkins
  • Page-Sanders, Vaulx, Rhodes, Charles, and Hopkins
  • Vaulx and Page-Sanders
  • Brianna Rhodes
  • Hopkins, Vaulx, PageSanders, and Rhodes
  • Dancers work with Creative Associate Kathleen Turner (right)
  • Dianne McIntyre in rehearsal with musicians and dancers for <em>In the Same Tongue</em>
  • Christopher Page-Sanders and Gerald Brazel (center) rehearse together
  • Ms. McIntyre speaks with musicians and dancers
  • Musicians Amaury Acosta (drums), Cleave Guyton (saxophone), Gerald Brazil (trumpet), and Elias Bailey (upright bass)
  • Ms. McIntyre works with dancers
  • Cleave Guyton
  • FSU School of Dance student Taylor West rehearses with Dianne McIntyre and dancers
  • Christopher Page-Sanders, Kamryn Vaulx with FSU Dance students Sherrod Reid and Taylor West
  • FSU Dance student Emma Morris with Kamryn Vaulx
  • Brianna Rhodes and Christopher Page-Sanders
  • <em>In the Same Tongue</em> work-in-progress showing for the FSU and Tallahassee community
  • <em>In the Same Tongue</em> work-in-progress showing for the FSU and Tallahassee community
  • <em>In the Same Tongue</em> work-in-progress showing for the FSU and Tallahassee community
  • <em>In the Same Tongue</em> work-in-progress showing for the FSU and Tallahassee community
  • FSU Dance students perform alongside dancers and musicians in residence for work-in-progress showing
  • <em>In the Same Tongue</em> work-in-progress showing for the FSU and Tallahassee community
  • Ms. McIntyre speaks with those in attendance for the work-in-progress showing
  • Multimedia Icon Video
Collaborators in Residence: Brianna Rhodes, Christopher Page-Sanders, Demetia Hopkins, Kamryn Vaulx, Shaquelle Charles [Dancers], Cleave Guyton, Amaury Acosta [Musicians], Elias Bailey, Gerald Brazel [Music Directors], Diedre Murray [Composer - working remotely], Adam Hyndman [Project Manager], Kathleen Turner [Creative Associate], Mara Isaacs [Producer]

Featured Artist

Faye Driscoll

Weathering
February 22 - 24
Carolina Performing
Arts, UNC Chapel Hill

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