In Autumn 2026, the UW Department of Dance began the first of five years of exciting events made possible by a generous gift from the Glenn H. Kawasaki Foundation. This gift has supported the Department of Dance’s Artist in Residence Program Fund, formerly named the Kawasaki Artist in Residence Program Fund, which supports local and national guest artists with the goal of giving students greater access to immersive residencies and performance opportunities. Each residency takes on its own unique shape, formed by the artistic visions of phenomenal guest artists and the artistry of the students who bring those visions to life. During the Autumn Quarterl, Vikas Arun (body percussion and tap dance), as well as Alethea Alexander and Hilary Grumman (Undercurrent) taught and created new work for students that was performed at the end of the quarter in the Department of Dance’s studio blackbox theater.
The Department of Dance is thrilled to announce the Spring 2026 Artist in Residence, Amy O’Neal. In 2019, Amy founded Hybrid Dance Lab, a research/performance platform supporting experimental street dance artists to nurture awareness of the sociocultural effects of merging Black social dance forms and practices with other dance forms and contexts. She is teaching Hybrid Dance Lab pedagogy during her residency culminating in a performance with students, and thanks to a generous gift from John C. Robinson, invited professional artists.
A long-time Seattle artist, Amy recently returned to Seattle after nearly nine years living in Los Angeles and serving on the faculty at the University of Southern California in the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Amy is a sought-after choreographer and educator who has toured her works nationally and internationally. She creates dance experiences that merge practices and values of hip hop, house dance culture, and experimental performance. In addition to performance and choreography, Amy co-founded the first house dance classes in Seattle in 2015 along with dani tirrell and started the street and club dance curriculum at the University of Washington in 2017. In recognition of her outstanding achievements and promise, Amy has been awarded a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship. The Department of Dance is delighted to host Amy O’Neal as the Spring Artist in Residence and is proud to celebrate her Guggenheim! Congratulations, Amy!