INSPIRE: a Review
Photo courtesy of INSPIRE
Inspire – in-ˈspī(-ə)r
to spur on
to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on
to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration
Inspiration is the starting point of every action that has ever led to change. It is the unspoken goal that all creatives keep in mind when visualizing the impact they hope to leave on the world. Inspiration shows itself in many ways, forms, and mediums. I was honored to witness the manifestation of Debrasha Greye’s inspiration being brought to life and reverberating through the lives of those she has collaborated with.
INSPIRE (in accordance with the company bio) is a Milwaukee-based dance collective that presents fusion-based professional performances and instruction that promote excellence and diversity in dance. This collective includes performers from all backgrounds and seeks to motivate, inspire, and connect dancers across the city.
Performer Zarea Alston
Photo courtesy of INSPIRE
This mission was executed flawlessly on the evening of February 1st at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. The intimate performance presented the many stories and emotions that we experience as people—a beautiful blend of live music, film, storytelling, and choreography that captured the room’s attention and commanded praise.
Performances featured dancers: Chrissy Morrison, Dijon Michelle Kirkland, Evan Szymkowski, Fairen Bennett, Salvador Sandoval, Zarea Alston, Zoe Fletcher, Alex Kinard, Ameena Harris, Cassidy Stewart, and Maretta Scott; accompanied by choreography from Britni Fletcher, Esrom Williams, Jr., Mady Wilson, and Alex Kinard.
After attending this remarkable showcase, I was able to talk with the creator and founder of INSPIRE, Debrasha Greye. In our conversation, she told me that INSPIRE was inspired by a pop-up dance series in 2023 in which Debrasha performed salsa to non-traditional Latin sounds (Afro, jazz, hip-hop) with the goal of showing that Black and Brown bodies can do Latin dance too. That series led to more dance from Brown bodies, more classes, more shows, and more experiences. She emphasized that INSPIRE was created to address the need for greater representation in dance and to showcase more diverse dance styles performed by Brown bodies.
From this, I learned that dance is her home and foundation. After working with numerous organizations that tried to put Brown bodies on stage but couldn’t provide a safe space for them, she felt compelled to create INSPIRE. She also created a documentary film to provide the “why” behind its creation.
This year’s cohort was invited, but INSPIRE is intended to be audition-based. “Just because I don’t know you doesn’t mean you don’t exist.” – Debrasha Greye
INSPIRE founder Debrasha Greye
Photo courtesy of INSPIRE
I asked her how long the process took from inception to execution. Debrasha told me it took a little over a year, from July 2023 to February 2024. The process involved ensuring that the right dancers and their time commitments aligned with the schedule she needed. One of her biggest concerns was: How can I accommodate their personal needs while working on this? She also focused on making sure the spaces they used were intentional and safe—blank slates with no connections to uncomfortable or traumatic past experiences. “We can do what the white community can do, on your stages but with Black bodies.” – Debrasha Graye
I was curious about what Debrasha would have changed if she could. She replied that she wished the dancers had more opportunities to train together, work with instructors who looked like them, and share spaces that fostered growth—emphasizing the need for more training spaces for artists.
In closing, I asked, If you could teach someone how to inspire others, what would that be?
She responded:
“I would encourage that person to be authentically themselves. Be quiet and settle into who you are as a person; understand what moves you, and naturally, the people aligned with you will come to you and be drawn to you.” – Debrasha Greye
To learn more about Debrasha and the INSPIRE dance company, you can visit their website https://www.debrashagreye.com/inspire, check out their info about school presentations, and follow them on social media @inspiremke.
