Trent D Williams

Interests

Research

As a performer, choreographer, and educator, I continue to be nurtured by my past experiences. Working in an array of communities, including youth, senior, and varying levels of dance expertise, I am continually informed by cultural perspectives. My work as a former member of nationally and internationally acclaimed dance companies, coupled with my continued research, has resulted in my creative process that connects choreography with performing. Drawing from a diverse range of dance genres, including Classical Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African, Hip-Hop, Caribbean, and experimental dance theatre forms, I synthesize my role as an educator, with a commitment to a rigorous artistic practice.

Teaching

• All levels of Modern (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced) • Hip-Hop• All levels of Jazz (Basic, Intermediate, Advanced)• Basic / Advanced Choreography • Dance Ensemble • BalletMy movement vocabulary has been shaped by years of professional creative work. My creative research draws on my personal experiences to create contemporary dance works that address social and political injustices in the United States and beyond. My particular interest is focused on the African diaspora, inclusive of Latinx traditions, Caribbean traditions and African-American traditions. Inspired by literature, history, cinema, and current events, I seek material that reveals the universality of the human condition, including social inequalities and how they impact our changing world.

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

No activities entered.

Creative Works

• Black Stains; Dance Film; Black Stains is a dance film that I choreographed and performed in; it is deeply rooted in my personal experiences. Early in my career as an artist and educator, I began to notice that I seldom saw dance works in academic settings that addressed the realities of being a black man in today’s society. Spurred on by my recognition of this absence, I interviewed a broad spectrum of African- American males whose experiences revealed the impact that racial proscriptions have had on their lives. It is my hope that a work like Black Stains will help people to better understand the complex issues that intersect in the lives of black men in America. The film has been recognized nationally at the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema in Boulder, Colorado and internationally at the London International Screendance Festival.
• no place; Dance Performance -; The Contemporary Choreographers’ Collective (COCO) is a group of independent artists who offer performance support for choreographers working in unconventional ways in Trinidad and Tobago. In the last 14 years, the COCO Dance Festival has established itself as a premiere platform for the presentation of cutting-edge works in dance and multi-disciplinary art forms, both locally and internationally.As part of our 15th year, I was invite to attend the festival, present original work in our concert and facilitate a workshop/master class as part of the festival week.
• Distract Me From the Mirror; Dance Performance - Original Choreography; The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present Urban Souls Dance Company in Souls of Black Houston, a dance concert dedicated to honoring Black History Month. This particular performance marks the company’s 20th anniversary season and pays tribute to two decades of sharing the powerful stories of the African-American experience. The show’s highlight is the incredible production, Colored Carnegie (originally a commissioned by Performing Arts Houston in 2021), created and directed by Urban Souls Founder and Artistic Director Harrison Guy, featuring an original score by Dr. John Cornelius and a stunning set design by Edgar Guajardo. Inspired by the history of the segregated Houston Colored Carnegie Library, this piece is a poignant reminder of the resilience and strength of the Black community.I was invite to peform in the  performance at annul Black History Dance Concert in Houston, TX. The Hobby Center presents Urban Souls Dance Company in the Souls of Black Houston. The performance celebrates the incredible legacy and history of Black Houstonians.Performance date: Saturday February 10, 7:30pm at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts 
• home; Original Choreography; ‘home’ was inspired by a quote from James Baldwin "You don't have a home until you leave it and then, when you have left it, you never can go back." Our work explores the profound concept of living and leaving our home through the language of movement. Dancers embody the emotional journey—the uncertainty, vulnerability , and tension between the yearning for the security of home and the exhilaration of embarking on an uncharted adventure. The piece invites the audiences to reflect on the experience of finding one’s own place in the world.