The UW–Madison Dance Department and Professor Chris Walker are delighted to present Moonshine, Friday, Feb. 28, at 3:30 p.m. in the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall.
This free event brings together campus, community, alumni, and students in performance to celebrate Black artistic scholarship and the Black experience with live music, contemporary theater, and dance during Black History Month.
This year, with expanded support from the Dance Department and new partnerships, Moonshine will highlight the work of two Black higher education scholars: Kieron Sargeant, assistant professor at Skidmore College, and Tiffany Merritt-Brown, doctoral lecturer at Hunter College.
Sargeant’s visit is supported by the International Visiting Artist Program, a collaboration between the International Division and the Division of the Arts. He is an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, drummer, and dance researcher originally from Trinidad and Tobago. He will perform “He Shall Walk,” a solo work that explores movement, memory, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge through the body.
Premiered at Northwestern University’s Black Arts Consortium in 2022 and further developed during his residency at the New Waves! Institute in 2023, “He Shall Walk” is an introspective journey into the role of the “Mourner” — a figure that carries generational wisdom, navigating grief and resilience through ritualized movement. Sergeant’s work explores the relationships and retention of African dances in the diaspora and investigates the morphology of African and African Diaspora movement vocabularies and their intersections with the U.S. classroom.
Tiffany Merritt-Brown, a UW–Madison Dance Department alumna (BFA, 2016), will present a duet titled “Tender is the Night,” an immersive dance experience that explores the depth and nuance of Black femininity. Through movement, the work honors the strength, vulnerability, and compassion that defines sistahood and kinship. It is a poetic reflection on Black women coming together in a world where intimacy, care, and vulnerability take center stage.
Merritt-Brown is a choreographer, performer, scholar, and educator and a native of Miami, Florida. Her scholarly and choreographic research explores the socio-political ramifications of identity and its impact on BIPOC communities. She uses dance as a conduit to reimagine and reenvision Black futures from a Millennial perspective.
Other performances featured on Friday include N’Jelle Thorne of FuturPointe Dance, an ensemble Hip-Hop performance from Barrio Dance, choreographed by AJ Juarez, and performances by Eric Newble of the Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives, First Wave scholars, and UW–Madison dance degree students.
Leading up to Friday’s performance event, the Dance Department is partnering with the Caribbean Association of Madison to host a free community masterclass with Kieron Sargeant on Thursday evening from 6-9 p.m. at the Goodman Center. This class is open to the public.
Masterclasses with Sargeant and Merritt-Brown will also be held at Lathrop Hall from Wednesday through Friday throughout the day. These classes are open to currently enrolled UW–Madison students.
Moonshine performance
Friday, Feb. 28, 3:30 p.m.
Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall
1050 University Ave.
Free and open to the public
A reception in the Virginia Harrison Parlor, Lathrop Hall, will immediately follow the performance.
Moonshine masterclasses
UW–Madison masterclasses with Kieron Sargeant
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 9:55-11:35 a.m. — Caribbean Skirt Techniques
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2:25-4:05 p.m. — Caribbean Skirt Techniques and Carnival Dances
349 Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave.
Open to currently enrolled UW–Madison students
Community masterclass with Kieron Sargeant
Thursday, Feb. 27, 6-9 p.m.
Goodman Center, 214 Waubesa St.
Free and open to the public
UW–Madison masterclasses with Tiffany Merritt-Brown
Thursday, Feb. 27, 12:30-2:10 p.m. — Dance Composition
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2:25-3:15 p.m. — Dance Technique
349 Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave.
Open to currently enrolled UW–Madison students
Learn more about Moonshine 2025.