Congratulations to UW Department of Dance faculty member Dani Tirrell on receiving the 2019 Mayor’s Arts Award from the Office of Arts & Culture Seattle!
The Mayor’s Arts Awards recognize the accomplishments of artists committed to enriching their communities through the arts. This year, five awardees including Dani, were selected from a large pool of nominations based on the following aspirations: furthering racial equity and social justice, exemplifying artistic excellence, a leader in the field, emerging artistic voice, cultural icon, innovation incubator, fights for justice in arts education.
At the UW, Dani has served as the student advisor for the inaugural year of the Arts Diversity Council (ADC). As the advisor for ADC, Dani was instrumental in facilitating discussions around race and equity in the dance department, and has continued to play a pivotal role in helping the department reflect on ways to improve policy and culture to better cohere with its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
In addition to being an advocate for equity in the UW dance community, Dani is also an excellent Street and Club Dance technique and composition teacher. Dani’s courses are always at full capacity, with many students having to wait multiple quarters for a chance to enroll. Often when Dani’s courses are in session, sounds of laughter, and cheers from students encouraging each other can be heard from the studio. Joy and community are essential parts of Dani’s class culture, and many students describe making self- discoveries and feeling empowered while in Dani’s course.
Dani will be teaching Street and Club Dance Technique (Dance 286) Fall Quarter, and will be choreographing with UW Alum, faculty member Michael O’Neal, for the annual department concert, UW Dance Presents, in January of 2020.
Read more about the Mayor’s Arts Award at: https://www.seattle.gov/arts/programs/mayors-arts-awards