Artist Spotlight: Mover and Shaker Karla Nweje
/COMPAS Teaching Artist Karla Nweje combines movement and storytelling for dynamic and educational arts residencies. In our newest Artist Spotlight, she talks about getting her start as an artist and educator in New York, the power of combining dance with literary work, and what she feels art can contribute to the world’s current social climate.
Hi Karla, Hope you are staying safe and healthy during such an unusual time. Appreciate you taking the time to talk with COMPAS about your amazing career and life as a teaching artist. Can you tell us a little about your background and what your art form is?
As a dance artist, I am a performer, choreographer and lifelong learner that has connected with a broad range of genres, including Modern, traditional & contemporary forms from all over the African Diaspora, Ballet, Old School Social Party Dancing and Percussive Dance. My choreography has been inspired by all of these to some degree, and one may recognize one or more of these influences in any piece of my choreographic work. My primary modes of expression as a literary artist are poetry and short stories, but I’ve also written for trade publications and edited two published literary anthologies.
When did you first become interested in dance and literary arts? How did it happen? Who were some of your influences?
Dance and music were a constant presence in my family and community life as a youngster. However, I recognized early on that dance was one of my ’things’. Once I realized how strongly movement and music connected me with my emotions and how empowering this was, I became invested in exploring this connection. This passion compelled me to declare my major in dance performance & composition during my sophomore year at Brooklyn College/CUNY, despite the fact that dance wasn’t seen as a prudent career choice. Words were just as fascinating to me as rhythm and movement as a kid. I could spell any household object I could see because mom labeled everything in the house using strips of masking tape and black markers. My siblings and I also had to learn words from the dictionary each week per my dad, and I loved it because words were SO much fun to discover, spell, pronounce and use! I began to read quite early and was constantly encouraged at home and in school. However, it wasn't until I felt driven to write more personally as an angsty, confused teen that I truly began to appreciate the power of words as tools for expression. Two of my strongest professional influences were each unique but were both accomplished cultural anthropologists, literary scholars, activists, educators, dancers and choreographers: Pearl Primus and Katherine Dunham. The legacy of each was, for me, a dynamic bridge between what is and what could be.
Dance and literary arts both utilize a different set of skills. What do you gain from putting the two together?
I consider both words and movement/dance as viable ways to communicate, and each can be used as a standalone tool for sharing feelings, ideas, stories and more. I have created dance suites based on my writing and vice versa. However, it is something special when blending the worlds of movement and words enriches a piece of my work.
What do you get out of teaching versus creating your own work? What do you enjoy the most about teaching?
My artistic practice would be incomplete without teaching because I believe I’ve been called to do so. Skills and knowledge are best when used for individual and collective improvement and empowerment rather than for status or for show. I want to pay forward the support I was given and the quality of arts learning experiences I’ve received. Contributing to the development of our emerging thinkers and doers, our incoming movers and shakers, is not only essential for the future of the arts, but for the social and psychological health of our national ethos. Additionally, I'm a believer that the arts should be accessible to EVERY segment of our society, and I’m proud to be a practicing Teaching Artist with organizations like COMPAS, whose mission involves connecting professionals like myself with a diverse array of learning populations. Besides, it's just plain fun!
In this time of virtual programming how are you adjusting? What do you find challenging? Any unexpected benefits?
The changes to our previous workshop and residency models have been rapid and abrupt. I have taught live virtual sessions prior to sheltering in place, but always with a dedicated session partner managing all connectivity-related specifics. I’ve shot and edited short video promos in the past but had never developed, shot and edited a full-length, pre-recorded video lesson from start to finish. The learning curve was steep, and the stakes were high, so taking on these challenges was a bit scary. However, as a fan of video conferencing technology, the sudden changes provided me with immediate skill-building opportunities and new ways to connect with others around the work. I'm thankful for that silver lining.
Have you been working on any new projects lately?
I’m still teaching virtual dance sessions, which have been well received. Additionally, I’m currently co-developing a new virtual learning series that we expect to release during the 2020 fall season.
During this time of what hopefully is great change in Minnesota and around the world, how do you see the arts as fitting into that story?
I would like to forge new alliances and strengthen existing ones within the arts community and beyond to further the cause of social justice in our country and ultimately, the world. It is disheartening when others focus on how marginalized and targeted groups resist systemic injustices while glossing over the repeated crimes and injustices that precipitate such resistance in the first place. There is a segment of the US population that consumes a steady diet of hostile, coded rhetoric that inflames rather than informs, panders to long-existing biases, and thus preserves a systemic status quo. I believe that the arts community has historically made space to investigate matters of conscience, and I believe that we will continue that tradition in light of present-day events. The arts not only highlight beauty and seek out truth, but art connects and re-connects us with our shared humanity. We need all of this now more than ever.
You’ve been on the COMPAS roster since 2008. What’s it like for you to be a part of COMPAS?
I’m proud to be a COMPAS Teaching Artist because I'm part of a cadre of professional artists that understand the importance of quality arts learning for all and are committed to providing such experiences. Additionally, I feel that my viewpoints as an individual are heard and that my ideas are taken seriously. Most importantly, the existence of a clear mission (to deliver creative experiences that unleash the potential within all of us) and vision (Minnesota thrives when all of us have access to creative opportunities that enrich lives and communities) aligned so closely with my own empowers me to connect with and serve my participant groups authentically and with confidence.
How do you practice creativity in your everyday life?
I see creativity as an energy, a force, that is loaded with the power to transform. Because some of my most transformative ‘revelations ' have emerged during my private moments, I regularly reserve ‘me' time to identify, investigate and develop fledgling ideas. And finally, I practice creativity by making time every day to dance like no one’s watching.
Want to try out a virtual class with Karla? Look through our Virtual Classroom page to see what we offer, or reach out through our website to book her for a program!
