The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts welcomed screendance practitioner, lecturer, and body percussionist Omari ‘Motion’ Carter to campus April 7–15, 2022 through the International Visiting Artist Program (IVAP).
Omari’s residency included participation as a presenter at State of the Art: the 2022 International Symposium on Screendance (April 10–13, 2022), a guest filmmaker at the Wisconsin Film Festival (April 7–14, 2022), and a teacher, leading workshops in professional development and exploring elements of dance “Animation” (a subgenre of Popping) and body percussion.
Omari 'Motion' Carter
Omari 'Motion' Carter is a screendance practitioner, body-percussionist, and lecturer based in London (UK) and, for the past decade, has been choreographing, teaching and performing for music videos, film, television and theatre. Omari’s practice is influenced by hip hop dance culture, screendance, and body-percussion. This combines with his 10 years of multi-faceted, dance-filmmaking experience to result in the purposeful creation, presentation, and education of narratives told through dance and the camera. Omari is the recipient of international awards for his work in screendance, and was a member of the West End and International Touring Production of STOMP! from 2011-2018. He is the Founder & Creative Director of Motion Dance Collective and Lecturer in Dance at London Contemporary Dance School.
Photo: Ambient Jade Photography
Events
In Pursuit of Joy: A Screendance BBQ in Movers and Shakers, Wisconsin Film Festival
Saturday, April 9 at 5:15 p.m. at the Marquee, Union South
The screening was followed by a Q&A with attending filmmakers featured in the shorts block.
Dance, Film and Future Landscapes at the International Symposium on Screendance
Sunday, April 10 at 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Lathrop Hall
A live panel discussion featuring Harmony Bench, Omari ‘Motion’ Carter, Li Chiao-Ping, Gabri Christa, Charlotte Griffin, and Katrina McPherson.
Workshop - “Urban Tones: Expanding Animations”
Monday, April 11, 12:30–2:10 p.m. at 349 Lathrop Hall
A workshop exploring how ways of moving can be expanded upon to develop narrative and character-driven dance performance.
Workshop - “Body Percussion Possibilities” (UW students only)
Tuesday, April 12, 3:30-5:00 p.m. at 249 Lathrop Hall
This session introduced participants to the art of body percussion in an aim to bridge the gap between dance and musical language.
What is Urban Dance on Screen at the International Symposium on Screendance
Wednesday, April 13, 11:00 a.m. at Lathrop Hall
Omari explored the label of “urban” within a screendance context. Omari screened his video essay created during his study at the world's first Master's Degree in Screendance program.
