Dancing in a procession experience, rooted in oppression: With Collette ‘Coco’ Murray

Collette ‘Coco’ Murray is a multi-award-winning artist-scholar, dance educator, and cultural arts programmer. She received the 2023 National Award for Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from the National Dance Education Organization. Murray is pursuing a PhD in Dance Studies, focusing on dance education in the Canadian African-diasporic dance sector and anti-racist dance pedagogies. She is published in dance media and academic journals, and as an emerging dance scholar, she presents research on various panels and international conferences. Murray is the artistic director of Coco Collective, which offers culturally responsive projects connecting participants, organizations, and schools to African and Caribbean arts. Miss Coco Murray is her mobile dance education business. Murray performs Caribbean folklore and West African dance styles such as stilt-walking.