An Assistant Professor of Dance at Kent State University, King’s research has consistently addressed the inequities experienced by marginalized communities. It is his desire to continue making dance more inclusive and reflective of contemporary society. His research agenda is grounded in embodied practices and his interest in dance as a social text, making connections to issues of race, gender, and sexuality while bringing awareness to equity and inclusion. He is committed to exploring interdisciplinary approaches to his scholarship and teaching, hoping that his students will consider dance within its larger historical, cultural, and intellectual context.
He supports his research by writing for four dance journals; Philadelphia Dance Journal, Dance Enthusiast, Broadstreet Review and ThINKing Dance, where he provides critical coverage for dance, with recent articles like Dance/USA; The Promise of Equity of Inclusion…Two years later, IABD; The Grant Puts Action Behind The Narrative, Aren’t We All Rosie, and his interview with dance icon Kevin Iega Jeff titled Affirming Black Dance: Unapologetically. He intentionally covers under- funded dance companies, less popular dance genres, non-proscenium stage performances, and conferences, asking presenters, cultural houses, and audience members to question what and who we value in dance. In 2017, his response to the Dancing for Justice Philadelphia’s event, originally written for ThINKingDANCE, and subsequently published in Society of Dance History Scholars’ Conversation Across the Field of Dance, was selected to be included in the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture’s new resource guide “Art Became the Oxygen.”
He has maintained an active research agenda, being invited to present his research as a workshop at the National Queer and Trans People of Color Conference at Princeton University and as a performed lecture at Tedx Kent State Conference. In 2018, he had the opportunity to combine his academic and professional strengths through a collaborative residency and commission at the Ammerman Center for Art & Technology at Connecticut College.
In collaboration with Megan Young, his current research – Measuring Digital Resistance – combines the disciplines of dance, movement analysis, literary criticism, social psychology, and anthropology. They have already begun initial investigations, secured commitments by key partners, and started fund development for the project. He anticipates continuing this research over the next few years. The project highlights his experience as an educator, arts administrator, curator, and thought leader within the dance community.
