The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific and religious freedom have always been in the minority… It will take such a small committed minority to work unrelentingly to win the uncommitted majority. Such a group may transform America’s greatest dilemma into her most glorious opportunity.
Background
Carl Paris is a dancer-choreographer, adjunct assistant professor at John Jay College, and adjunct associate professor at Drexel University. Paris holds a master’s in dance education from New York University, where he later served on the faculty in the Dance Education Program as an academic advisor and a dance instructor. He holds a PhD in dance theory and cultural studies from Temple University.
Interests
Paris’ academic work focuses on contributing to an interdisciplinary approach to dance studies, cultural studies, and issues around black dance and performance. He teaches courses in Africana studies, race and ethnicity, and dance history and theory, and dance performances include major roles with Olatunji African Dance, Eleo Pomare, Martha Graham, and Alvin Ailey (for which he choreographs works). His service as a dance teacher and choreographer in Spain–maintaining a dance company for several years based in Madrid–and throughout Europe earned him the Dance Association of Madrid Award in 1995, in recognition for his contribution to dance in Spain.
As an MLK scholar at MIT, Paris participated in dance performances and taught courses in dance history and composition.