COCA Co-Artistic Directors of Dance Antonio Douthit-Boyd and Kirven Douthit-Boyd have been selected to receive the Dance Teacher Award at the 2022 Dance Teacher Awards held at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture in NYC on Thursday, August 18. The Dance Teacher Awards recognize extraordinary dance educators shaping the next generation of dancers. Antonio and Kirven are among eight educators to receive the award this year.
Antonio and Kirven talked with DanceTeacher about this award, working with student artists at COCA, those who impacted their dance training, and what they feel is most important for dance educators in their roles. Dance student Keli Charles Thomas also shares a little bit about her experience training with Antonio and Kirven.
For Kirven, “nimbleness and flexibility” are the keys to doing his job in the complex COCA environment. “[You have to] stay flexible with the current generation [given] the current climate,” he says.
“I would hope that each student who walks away from my class felt that there was a partnership, that they were involved in the actual learning in the classroom, that I wasn’t dictating to them,” says Antonio.