KEY'AIRA LOCKETT

A native of Dallas, Texas, Key’Aira Lockett began her classical and traditional dance training at the age of three at the Dallas Black Dance Academy. She continued her training at the academy throughout her adolescence and, at age sixteen, joined Dallas Black Dance Theatre II while simultaneously attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Key’Aira went on to earn her B.F.A. in Dance with an emphasis in Creative Performance from the Boston Conservatory. Shortly after, she received her M.F.A. in Performance and Choreography from Hollins University, where she also studied abroad in Frankfurt, Germany. Ms. Lockett has danced professionally with various companies and productions and has choreographed for Urbanity Dance Company, Boston Conservatory, Hollins University, and Berklee College of Music. She now resides in Houston, Texas, where she is proud to join the University of Houston’s Dance Department as a Scholar in Residence.

Artist Statement
Dance is my language, and I intend to continue this legacy by reclaiming my identity through movement as a young Black female artist. My purpose is to create work that enacts change in American society by sparking audiences’ curiosity and encouraging them to transform frustration and discomfort into inquiry.

While creating new dances, I search for unchoreographed moments of spontaneity within the work. I strive to bring moments of realness through ‘acts of vulnerability’ in performative spaces. In these moments, I am most human, most relatable, most visible. I give each viewer an opportunity to connect with the work by engaging with social issues surrounding identity politics, such as race, sexuality, gender, and disability.

I collaborate with musicians, visual and digital artists, actors, and contemporary dancers to create work that advocates for the oppressed collective—giving us a voice through dance. As a dancer, activist, and choreographer, it is not only important for me to introduce these ideas, but also to inspire others to leave the theater and continue exploring identity politics—creating more work that drives real change.