Can You Feel It? The Performative Dance Show

Overview

Can You Feel It? The Performative Dance Show reveals the human connection between music and dance. Movement is essential for living, and rhythm has been grounding us since hearing our mother’s heartbeat to the steps we take each day.

In the midst of my research and training in hip hop culture and street dance styles, I noticed the disconnection music and dance have in the commercial/popular dance space. Though, in history music and dance are inextricably intertwined, I wondered if I put them together again on stage to display the situations we are currently living. I want this show to take the audience to another world where art is served to be digested in hopes of discovering more about themselves and the art.

About the Artist

Dancing has been more than a passion for Nylah Jackson for over a decade. She started singing, dancing, and acting with Take a Bow Performing Arts where she performed classic stories like The Lion King, The Wiz, and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. As Nylah was stepping into her preteen years, she entered the competition dance world at Dance Depot in Waldorf, MD. Competing in jazz, lyrical, hip hop, tap and Cecchetti ballet training built the foundation of Nylahs dance knowledge. Entering High School, Nylah was enrolled in Honors dance classes that allowed her to begin her creative process while also training in modern Horton and Graham techniques at Bishop McNamara High School. Nylah was also enrolled in the Traditional African Music and Dance class that collaborated with the Sankofa company to perform large dance productions as a principal dancer in the Color Purple and as stage manager for the Story of Nelson Mandela. Outside of school, Nylah traveled to Los Angeles California to take classes and perform at the Choreographer Ball in July 2019. Nylah was a part of Capitol Movements Pre-professional company for two years in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In her Senior year, she began making choreography for her high schools dance team to perform at games and UDA competitions. This led her to become President of Dare 2 Dance, a choreographic dance team on Temple Universitys campus. Currently, Nylah is teaching tap dance to kids at Living Arts Dance Studio in Philadelphia, PA and going back home to teach intermediate/ advanced hip hop at Capitol Movement in Washington DC. Enrolled at Temple University hoping to graduate with her BFA in Winter 2025, she develops her training in hip hop funk styles, modern and aerial and lyra.

Credits