The Mission…
of Black Warrior Dance is to provide a safe space for Black Men to work out our historic, and present trauma, creative aspirations, and intellectual expressions through brilliant storytelling, and compelling choreography and dance.
The Idea of Black Warrior Dance…
was quite literally born by the river. Founder and artistic director Daryl L. Foster was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama near the banks of the Black Warrior River both named for Cheif Tuskaloosa; a Creek Warrior whose name means Black Warrior. As legend would have it he stood nearly 7ft tall and his legs would drag the ground as he rode his horse. Chief Tuskaloosa gained historic fame and became legendary for fighting away the Spanish and protecting the native tribes of what is now West Alabama. This history is significant to our founder because no matter where he goes in the world he is reminded that he comes from the rich dark soil of the Black Belt of Alabama and that the spirit of a great warrior rides behind him.
Black Warrior Dance is a place that reminds creative Black men of the warrior that lives within, and is expressed through dance!
Director and Founder of Black Warrior Dance
Daryl L. Foster
Daryl L. Foster was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and began training at 18 as a student at the University of Alabama. He graduated with a degree in Dance and English. He earned scholarships from Harvard Summer Dance, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and two full scholarships to the American Dance Festival at Duke University. After leaving Alabama he joined the renowned Dayton Contemporary Dance Company as a Dancer with DCDC2 in Dayton, Ohio. He also began a relationship with musical theater as an ensemble member of The University of Southern Indiana’s performance company at the Lincoln Boyhood National Monument, where he performed roles in The Music Man, The Sound of Music, and the title show Young Abe Lincoln. Daryl eventually left the Midwest, and New York City to pursue dance opportunities. After dancing in an opera about Nelson Mandela, and working administratively for Urban Bush Women his New York time would be cut short by the fateful events on September 11th, 2001. During that dark time in American History, he took the time to contemplate a new path that would lead him to graduate study at Florida State University where he would earn his MFA in Performance and Choreography. He then moved on to direct and teach dance at Booker Middle School for the Performing Arts before moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 2006. Once in Atlanta Daryl began his journey in higher education as an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University. He continued his academic career with faculty positions at Spelman College, Agnes Scott College, and the University of Georgia where he served four years as the first person of color to hold a full-time appointment.
In 2010 Daryl along with Terry Slade premiered LIFT Men. Dance. Life. a showcase featuring male dancers, and choreographers working together to discuss, and create work about men of color and the issues we face. Over the past 10 years, 100s of men have communed, performed, presented work, and trained with LIFT. He also created EMERGING: A New Choreographers Showcase to nurture, develop, and show the work of aspiring choreographers. Twice a year the EMERGING process would take 10 choreographers through an immersive process that culminated in a fully produced performance with feedback from industry professionals. Daryl is currently creating programming at AREA Atlanta’s Resource for Entertainment and the Arts; which has allowed him to train tomorrow's artists through the IGNITE program, and finally begin a new dance company, Black Warrior Dance, a natural progression from LIFT, BWD will serve as a professional dance company of diverse male performers.