When do you work best?

In the morning and during the day, when our bodies and minds are working at full capacity. 

What are you focusing on right now?

We are researching new ideas and focusing on narratives from our last project that were exciting, but we lacked the space or capacity to fully develop.

What fuels you?

Tanya: Watching Black people navigate life in their daily existences inspires me because it is transgressive.

Thaddeus: Southern Black Folks! I’m fueled by working with elders in Black communities to tell stories that reflect their everyday lives.

What material do you work with and why?

We work with the body, including both the body and the images and energy of those who came before us. Additionally, we engage with digital media, textiles, memory, words, and history. We operate within these frameworks to reflect humanity.

How do you get unstuck?

We move on to something else and give that moment or idea a rest.

Where do you find inspiration?

Tanya: I find inspiration in books and built objects such as architecture.

Thaddeus: In addition to the people we work with – Petra, Michael, Jenelle, Tony, Adrian, Ethan, Ron, and Eto – I find inspiration in Southern Black folks and their stories.

Who has influenced you and your work?

We are influenced by our mothers and artists such as Donald Byrd, Alonzo King, Kara Walker, Theaster Gates, and Imani Perry whose practices center Black life.

Who do you hope to influence?

This is a challenging question because we never know who is watching and being influenced. We hope that our interest in storytelling becomes infectious to those who experience our work and encourages them to learn more about themselves and find ways to tell their stories.

Why are you an artist?

Tanya: I came from artists and makers and began dancing at the age of three; therefore, it is a part of my DNA.

Thaddeus: Out of everything I have considered or tried, working as a creative is the one thing that has let me contribute when I felt I had nothing to give and be quiet when I had too much to say. Nothing has helped me be reflective and present the way being an artist has.

What advice would you give other artists?

Tanya: Don’t call yourself an artist if you aren’t willing to put in the work and commit.

Thaddeus: Dudley Williams once told me that as his body changed, he was able to keep working as a dance artist by being willing to reinvent himself. I think this applies to all artists and is the advice I would give.

What question would you like to ask other artists?

Tanya: At this stage in your career, who do you feel you are making work for and why?

Thaddeus: I am curious about simple things that bring us pleasure because our practices often require us to focus deeply on ideas/making, and joy and pleasure can be overlooked.