Kittie Mae Morris
CAF awarded performer, educator, and artist Kittie Mae Morris a grant for Dancing Dolphin, subsequently called “BLUE.,” a contemporary dance piece that aims to raise awareness on how endangered dolphins are in the wild. Kittie Mae’s project emphasizes the fact that the livelihoods and fate of humans and the existence and cultures of dolphins are intertwined as the ocean’s health deteriorates through pollution and climate change. “BLUE.” encourages more conversation on interspecies relations, and enables our mutual embodiedness to encourage a better understanding in us of all species.
Kittie Mae performed “BLUE.” in August at the Anacostia Art Center’s Black Box Theatre in Washington, DC. 2023 Navab Fellows, Tymesha-Elizabeth Kindell and Gauri Kasarla, wrote an article about Kittie Mae’s interest and efforts to honor endangered dolphins titled “Her Blue Body.” In the article, Kittie Mae talks about the importance of Black involvement and visibility in the environmental movement in general, and marine biology in particular, a concern shared by fellow 2023 CAF grantee, Sandra Jackson-Opoku.
Kittie Mae holds a BFA in Dance Performance, and teaches creative movement, ballet, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, musical theatre, jazz, and tap. Her dance credits include performing with Praize Productions and Chicago Dance Supply. Kittie Mae lives in Washington, D.C.