Straight, Yet Narrow

MFA Candidate, Danie Etienne, will present Straight, Yet Narrow, in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Dance.
Straight, Yet Narrow is a dance film about a young black woman who is faced with the decision to undergo a procedure that would permanently alter her hair follicles causing her hair to grow straight. This film sparks conversation surrounding black communities’ convoluted relationship to their hair, discrimination against those with tightly coiled hair, and against what darker-skinned people face within their own spaces.

Etienne explores and provides social justice commentary through dance. Her movement style fuses contemporary dance and hip hop forms to construct abstract narratives and culturally distinct characters that reflect the stories of the black community.