Over the many years I’ve been writing about people and places in the Central West End I’ve found that there are sometimes more layers to a story than I first imagine when I begin the research. This post is one of those.
Several weeks ago when I reached out to Consuming Kinetics Dance Company’s Founder & Artistic Director Arica Brown to get more infomation about the artist working on a mural on the Taylor side of the building, she asked if I could wait to publicize it as the artist wasn’t quite finished with the piece. When word arrived that it had been completed, it was accompanied by an artist’s statement from Chalk Artist Maria Knecht, shown above and below, which follows:
“I love getting to draw while Willa (Maria’s daughter) gets to dance. She has special needs and CKDC (Consuming Kinetics Dance Company) does a wonderful job welcoming her and making dance accessible. Showing bodies of color in all forms of dance is important to me. Being able to create street art with chalk is amazing since chalk is more accessible to everyone. Using chalk as the medium helps people, especially kids, understand that they can be artists too.”
When I first posted about CKDC in 2019 (read post here) the 501c3 nonprofit professional dance company and community education center had just moved a few blocks west from the Gaslight Square neighborhood to the Lister Building at Taylor & Olive.
CKDC’s mission is “to make dance accessible to all and expose the healing art of movement to our communities.” Over the last couple of years the Leadership Team has expanded from two members, Arica Brown and Ashreale McDowell, to a larger group “reflecting the diverse identities of the residents of St. Louis and its surrounding region.”
In addition to an annual concert performance, CKDC offers a wide variety of dance classes for kids (starting at age 3) and adults at every skill level.
The Adaptive Dance Program offers a universally accessible dance class for children with disabilities. Taught by Grace Mohr, an occupational therapy student and trained adaptive dance instructor, this class offers the opportunity for children of any ability to engage in dance. The goal of this class is to provide an enjoyable, inclusive, and safe dance environment, which furthers the mission of CKDC to make dance accessible to all.
The program will begin in January, and CKDC is looking for new students to join the class. The class will scheduled for once a week for an hour and is available for children with disabilities over the age of 4. To register for the program, please email us at [email protected]. Scholarships are also available for families in need.
CKDC is a Kranzberg Arts Foundation Resident and a member of the .ZACK incubator.
Consuming Kinetics Dance Company, 465 N. Taylor at Olive, (314) 545-1477. Visit the website for more info including a list of online classes. And to learn more about Chalk Artist Maria Knecht visit her website, Maria Carmen ArtPlay.
What a wonderful addition to the Central West End’s art community. I love “Dance” spelled out in the windows.
Wow what a wonderful story Nicki. Thanks for research the different levels and making it available to your readers. Inspiring!
Beautiful chalk art and awesome mission! Wishing much success to this dance company!