This presentation explores the dances created during the era of slavery in America, including the Ring Shout and the Cakewalk, and how they served as forms of resistance for enslaved people. The talk also examines early European American dances and their influence on the development of the Cakewalk. Participants will gain insight into how these cultural exchanges contributed to the racial stereotyping of the Minstrel era and how Hollywood’s promotion of blackface normalized white supremacy in the United States. Understanding the origins of these stereotypes provides a foundation for challenging and dismantling systemic racism today.
Annika Sheaff earned a master’s in dance from University of the Arts and Bennington College, studying under Donna F. Burchfield and Thomas F. DeFrantz. She received a bachelor’s in dance from The Juilliard School, where she trained with Ohad Naharin, Paul Taylor, Ronald K. Brown and others, and earned Juilliard’s InterArts Award for community outreach.
Sheaff toured the world performing over 550 shows with Pilobolus Dance Theater and collaborated with artists including Inbal Pinto, Avshalom Pollak, puppeteer Basil Twist, and the band OKGO. She has appeared on America’s Got Talent, Extra!, Sesame Street, and on the cover of Dance Magazine. Sheaff was in the original cast of "James and the Giant Peach" and toured with Aszure Barton and Artists.
From 2012–2017, she was a member of GroundWorks Dance Theater, creating over 15 new works with collaborators such as David Shimotakahara, Rosie Herrera and Johannes Wieland. Her choreography has been presented nationally and in South Africa. Sheaff was awarded a 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship to produce seven dance films and taught as Associate Professor of Dance at Baldwin Wallace University before joining the faculty at Texas Christian University.
