Today we’d like to introduce you to Quentin Sledge.
Quentin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was blessed to have been born into an extremely artistic family. My immediate family members sing, write poetry and prose, play instruments, create jewelry, etc. and I have been immersed in these practices since childhood. When I found my love of movement and choreography it was almost instinct for them to push me to pursue my newfound passion. I started training in my hometown of Chicago with Homer Hans Bryant at the age of 18. From there I studied business at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and trained in the world of commercial dance. I met a man names Daryl Foster who mentored me and offered me a scholarship to dance at a studio that offered high-caliber commercial hip hop alongside more conventional ballet, contemporary, and modern training. After graduating from Morehouse College and completing my year at Gotta Dance Atlanta, I was accepted into the DAyton Contemporary Dance Company where I performed and toured for 9 years.
Would you say
it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way? Dancing is no easy job; it can become such a cerebral experience when one considers the amount of work that goes into achieving a desired aesthetic. There are a lot of corrections, body types, aesthetic preferences (such as balletic lines, turns, and shapes), and typecasts the one has to navigate in order to not lose oneself. It had been a long journey for me to appreciate what my body does and how my energy moves people even though it does not fit into every choreographer’s desired box. I have faced issues of sexual misconduct, body dysmorphia, self-loathing and self-doubt, jealousy, gaslighting, and verbal abuse.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
“I am because we are”, an African proverb. My work is a reflection of the ways in which I am inspired by the resourcefulness and boundless creativity of my ancestors. As an artist, my lens is inseparable from my human experience as a melanated person, as a human with complicated ancestry. As such, my work, my experience, and my heritage is nuanced. I tinker with many ideas and materials until I feel each creation answers my curiosity and embodies my unique perspective. Because I am self-identified as Black, a decidedly American creation, I honor my African, Indigenous, and European influences choreographically all while staying committed to showcasing the complexity of blackness. Our spirit, joy, pain, and beauty are the muses I steadily chase. I often seek to spark conversation, illuminate shared experiences and speak honestly.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
As an African American dancer my favorite form of dance is any technique which comes out of the African Diaspora. Salsa, Samba, Tango, Merengue, Sunu, Sorsone, Sabar, Orisha dances, Jazz, Hip hop, and its multitude of street forms are all dances that speak to my heart. Like many young African Americans, I grew up removed from knowledge of the roots of my culture and therefore learned that the highest forms of expression were European art forms. As I get older and dive deeper into the origins of my ancestry, I find that these discoveries permeate every aspect of my life and my predilections.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @apollo_vaughn
Image Credits
Scott Robins
Geek with a lens
Shon Curtis
