10 minute performance, shown twice with 15 minute pause between showings.
Smith's Involuntary Movements explores the physical and emotional reactions of racism and injustice towards the African American population through his own experiences. Smith uses sound and prop to evoke a palpable experience for onlookers.
Smith has created several original choreographies for JDC, including evening-length works in addition to his recent exploration of dance on film. His work has been presented throughout New York City, in Newport, Rhode Island, Santa Barbara, California, Seattle, Washington, Mexico City, Mexico, and Madrid, Spain. Smith has collaborated with award-winning musicians Reinhold Heil, Dick Hyman, David LaMarche, Yuval Waldman, Felix Ventouras, Jonathon Haffner and Jonathan Melville Pratt, among others. Smith studied dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. After rigorous dance studies overseas, Darion worked as a professional dancer in New York City, where he performed with several companies, including Dance Theatre of Harlem, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Buglisi Dance Theatre, New York Theater Ballet and Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance. As a teacher of dance (ballet, jazz, and modern), he has been a guest at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara City College. Smith is a second year Graduate Teaching Fellow, guided by distinguished faculty at the University of Oregon's Department of Dance within the School of Music and Dance.
