I am an artist.
My artistry is built upon the impact of others’ experiences in relation to my own.
Exchanging stories, recalling pasts, dreaming of futures; I create worlds. Inviting others into mine with open arms.
My art strives to convey meaning. As we question the meaning of existence in real time.
I seek to make connections, innately. Resisting slowly, emerging quickly. Bodies moving, shaping and shifting. Seeing, feeling and sensing. Longing for touch; to feel their being. Humanity unfolding.
My dances evolve by reflecting the thoughts of the mind, as they echo out of the body, and radiate into the world.
My promise is to provide space for others’ to express their voices, their movement, their meaning. I curate communities with my genuine intention, seeking to understand the others whom I share space with. Ultimately, my pursuit is to give others an opportunity to reveal themselves, to openly share and manifest ideas, to create a collective response through the love of movement.
As a choreographer, Ashlea investigates real-life experiences as inspiration to create narratives and emphasizes improvisational prompts as the generator for her choreography.She deconstructs these experiences to create movement narratives. Her work was presented at the American College Dance Association Festival South-Central Region, the Ignite Conference (a Women’s Political Leadership Conference), the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in Philadelphia, PA, the Equinox Dance Festival in Greenville, SC, during the Staibdance summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy and at the Rensing Center in Borseda, Liguria, Italy.
Ashlea is a recipient of the the Emerging Artist Grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission. Her work has been supported by Alternate Roots, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the New England Foundation for the Arts and the Women of the Vine and Spirits Foundation.
As an educator, Ashlea emphasizes a somatic and inclusive approach to dance classes by incorporating her certified Yoga teacher training within. She values breath, fluidity, and awareness of one’s presence in relationship to others. As a Visiting Assistant Professor at Winthrop University, Ashlea facilitated conversations to shift and shape new perspectives by inviting students to question societal patterns through lecture courses in person and online. She also creates mindfulness practice workshops and retreats to help individuals activate their purpose and teach tools for overall well-being.
Ashlea is available to teach dance master classes, choreographic residencies, Yoga classes, wellness workshops, wine tastings and private sessions.