Study Sessions: Alice Sheppard

Floor Three, Hearst Artspace

Study Sessions is an ongoing event series inspired by Fred Moten and Stefano Harney’s notion of study as “what you do with other people.” For each Study Session, an artist, writer, or cultural worker selects a work of art on view in the Whitney’s permanent collection galleries as a departure point for thinking through an urgent question in our contemporary political landscape. Participants are invited to join together in open-ended discussions, and engage with creative practice. Study Sessions may take the form of workshops, listening parties, performances, readings, or film screenings. This session is led by Alice Sheppard.

Alice Sheppard took her first dance class in order to make good on a dare; she loved moving so much that she resigned her academic professorship in order to begin a career in dance. She studied ballet and modern with Kitty Lunn and made her debut with Infinity Dance Theater. After an apprenticeship, Alice joined AXIS Dance Company where she toured nationally and taught in the company’s education and outreach programs.

Since becoming an independent artist, Alice has danced in projects with Ballet Cymru, GDance, and Marc Brew in the United Kingdom. In the United States, she has worked with Marjani Forté, MBDance, Infinity Dance Theater, and Steve Paxton. As a guest artist, she has danced with AXIS Dance Company, Full Radius Dance Company, and MOMENTA Dance Company. Alice has also performed as a solo artist and academic speaker throughout the United States.

As an emerging, award-winning choreographer, Alice creates movement that challenges conventional understandings of disabled and dancing bodies. Engaging with disability arts, culture and history, Alice attends to the complex intersections of disability, gender, and race by exploring the societal and cultural significance of difference. Her work has been commissioned by CRIPSiE, Full Radius Dance, and MOMENTA Dance Company. Alice is the founder and artistic lead for Kinetic Light, a collaboration with dancer Laurel Lawson, lighting and video artist Michael Maag, and professors Sara Hendren, Yevgeniya Zastavker, and students of Olin College.

Free with Museum admission during Pay-As-You-Wish Fridays. Pre-register to skip the line.

The main entrance of the museum is accessible with elevator access to all floors. All gender restrooms are available on floors -1, 3, 5, and 8. Service animals welcome. Please come fragrance free. If you have questions about accessibility, or requests for accommodations, please email accessfeedback@whitney.org or call (646) 666-5574 (relay calls welcome). Learn more about access services.

SCHEDULE

September 8: Che Gossett
October 13: Yulan Grant
November 3: Sky Cubacub
December 15: Alice Sheppard