Monique S. Moss — choreographer, dancer
Restoration Resident — May 2006
The restoration residency at A Studio in the Woods provided me with the opportunity to delve into the choreographic process at a time when so many New Orleanians were bearing witness to what has been called the worst natural disaster in United States history.
And as a New Orleanian in the habit and spiritual necessity of creating Art, my stay at A Studio in the Woods nurtured choreographic inspiration for the creation of a new work titled “Katrina Cranes” that documents and preserves the real-life, survival stories of children of New Orleans.
Ultimately, the residency provided dance artists who survived Hurricane Katrina with a tranquil environment to work that complemented the process of healing through the creation of Art and I would like to extend a heart full of appreciation and love to the Carmichaels and all who made the residency possible.
Biography
A native of New Orleans, Monique S. Moss is a graduate of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) in Dance and of Tulane University where she earned a B.A. in French. She has worked as a teacher, choreographer and dancer for various organizations and programs throughout the New Orleans community including the Contemporary Arts Center, Arts Connection of New Orleans Public Schools, the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance, NOCCA Riverfront, NOCCA Academy and Dillard University. As an educator and an Artist, she has received a Fulbright-Hays teacher fellowship to South Africa and a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) teacher fellowship. Recently, Moss presented "Jezebel," winner of a Big Easy Classical Arts Award for 'Best New Choreographic Work', in the 2006 Houston Black Dance Festival and as a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, extends thanks to A Studio in the Woods and Headlands Center for the Arts, in addition to the Alliance for Artists Communities, for providing artist residencies that have allowed the creative process to continue.
