Special Workshop
Donation – $10-25

This class is rooted in Afro-Diasporic and Africanist movement aesthetics. Through a series of exercises and class combinations, students will experience a wide array of various movement principles. Participants will learn movement alignment, find their center and explore polyrhythms while maintaining a connection to their individual self and community.

Melissa Cobblah Gutierrez, born in Cuba and raised in Ghana and Cape Verde moved to the United States at age 14. She began her formal dance training at Miami Dade College Kendall Campus at age 18. After graduating with her Associate of Arts from, she continued her dance studies at Florida State University from where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors receiving a bachelor of fine arts in dance. During her time at MDC she also started working as a company member with Olujimi Dance Theatre in 2016. Cobblah

Gutierrez is a two-time leadership scholarship recipient of American Dance Festival for the summers of 2016 and 2018. She has worked and studied under the direction of many recognized artists such as Michelle Grant-Murray, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Nia Love, Keitha Carey, Jorge Luis Morejon, Kehinde Ishangi, Millicent Johnnie, Tiffany Rhynard, Charles Anderson, La Toya Davis-Craig and Anjali Austin. She attended The Ann Weston Hicks Choreography Fellows program at Jacob’s Pillow in 2019  as a performer. Cobblah is a co-founder of The WoodShed Online Dance Platform and The Florida Black Dance Artists Organization. She was recently selected as a Knight New Work 2020 Winner. Currently, she is dancing professionally with Urban Bush Women and Olujimi Dance Theatre.