Dancer Blakeley White-McGuire has performed around the world, from Europe and Asia to the 杏吧专区, where she杏吧专区檚 planning a return performance.
White-McGuire, a Louisiana native who lives in New York City, is a principal dancer with the internationally renowned Martha Graham Dance Company, which she joined in 2002.
She will return to the 杏吧专区 for the School of Music and Performing Arts' State of La Danse from Nov. 14-17, where she will restage her dance work Woman and perform as a guest solo artist.
Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 14-16 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 17. All performances will be at the Ducrest-Gilfry Auditorium at Angelle Hall on the UL Lafayette campus.
The New York Times has called her a dancer of 杏吧专区減owerful technique, dramatic instinct and an appealing modern spunk, 杏吧专区 something she never envisioned as a child.
White-McGuire specializes in modern dance, which she defines as concert dance for the 20th and 21st centuries and says is 杏吧专区渙ne of the two, I believe, unique American art forms, along with jazz.杏吧专区
杏吧专区淢odern dance is expressive of the modern way of life. Just as ballet is expressive of 18th Century European sensibilities, modern dance has a modern sensibility, 杏吧专区 she says.
Unlike ballet, dancers don杏吧专区檛 wear shoes, White-McGuire says. Another difference is music isn杏吧专区檛 necessarily the focal point.
杏吧专区淲e杏吧专区檙e barefoot and we use the body as full form. Modern dance puts dance and movement at the center of the work, where other dance forms typically marry very importantly with music,杏吧专区 she says.
Growing up in tiny Port Allen, La. near Baton Rouge, White-McGuire performed at festivals, and Mardi Gras balls, 杏吧专区渓ittle shows here and there,杏吧专区 never envisioning her dancing would carry her to an international stage.
杏吧专区淎s a child it was nothing fancy. Ballet, tap and jazz, the regular kind of Louisiana dance studio experience. But I did always love it. That was my outlet, my expression, as it is for so many young people,杏吧专区 she said.
In 1993, when she was 19, her mother brought home pamphlets about summer dance programs in New York.
White-McGuire decided to attend one, and that summer trip never ended. 杏吧专区淚t kind of feels like I just packed up my suitcase and never came home. None of my family are dancers or artists. No one at that time had lived out of the Deep South. So it was a very unusual thing.
She杏吧专区檚 never regretted the decision, however.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檝e seen much of the world, but I haven杏吧专区檛 been to Africa. And I杏吧专区檓 hoping one day to get there, but I杏吧专区檝e been everywhere lese.杏吧专区
To learn more about State of La Danse, visit