A Black, POC and LGBTQ+ celebratory space and an open invitation for participation, learning and conversation with all.

Come as you are. See us as we are. Imagine and act on what can be.

Our inaugural BlackLight Summit is a year-long dance initiative that investigates how time, people, possibility and hope come together to examine legacy, citizenship and scholarship. The summit asks, through the practice of being socially responsible within the arts: How do we create traditions? How do we transform them into enduring legacies?

To interrogate this unique historical moment, the BlackLight Summit seeks to be a spark that ignites daring innovation and reveals the creativity within the dance ecosystem in America. The peak of the BlackLight Summit is a virtual three-day convening that features roundtable conversations, movement labs and artistic presentations from BlackLight featured artists Micaela Taylor, Johnnie Cruise Mercer, Candace Scarborough and Jamal Abrams. Our initiative aims to re-envision how dance can be a conduit to galvanize imagination, resilience and inventiveness.

All events will be able to be experienced virtually and will be free.

For questions or assistance, contact blacklight-summit@umd.edu.