Monique Smith-McDowell

IN THE BLACK

How do stereotypes and discrimination affect a being in development? In what ways is your mind’s development influenced by constantly feeling unseen and like an outsider in a Western society? Hidden in the Black, in the Black of skin, in the Black of space and in the Black of time, there is transformation on stage: a dance solo that embodies evolution through innocence and anger to reach a sense of pride. Dance is used to find a personal expression of being Black - in the Black Box of the theatre the audience becomes witness to an empowerment and a loud cry in Black.

_{choreography: Monique Smith-McDowell | dance and co-choreography: Samuel Govindin | audio description: Zwoisy Mears-Clarke | consultation audio description: Naomi Sanfo | music: Mona M.}

Monique Smith-McDowell

 is a British choreographer and performer based in Hamburg, Germany. A graduate of LCDS, she has worked with Richard Alston Dance Company, The Lion King, Michael Turinsky, Regina Rossi, and others. Her choreographic practice brings together dance, theatre, and aesthetics of access, centring marginalised perspectives in relation to sociopolitical issues. Through emotive, story-driven work, she explores and challenges boundaries, barriers, and perceptions, both within and beyond the theatre.

^{(Status: 2026)}