MDC Presents Artistry in Rhythm Dance Conference 2026
MIAMI, March 2, 2026 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Performing Arts and Industries Department, in collaboration with MDC Humanities Edge, will host its annual Artistry in Rhythm (A.I.R.) Dance Conference, themed The Blueprint: Make+Create+Innovate, from Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Kendall Campus.
The A.I.R. Dance Conference is a dynamic three-day event designed to explore the significance of community engagement through the vernacular of dance, foster community growth and development, and enrich the academic environment. The conference offers master dance classes, live performances, lectures, scholarly presentations and panel discussions that provide insight, structure, strategy and meaningful artistic connections.
All presentations, workshops, and master classes will be held in person, and registration is required. Individual classes are $10, or attendees can purchase a day pass for all classes on March 12 for $25. Admission to the matinee performance on March 13 at 11 a.m. is free, while evening performances on March 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. are $25.
Through dance, participants will engage, explore, embody and elevate physical and intellectual expressions — transforming words, gestures, actions and emotions into activated, expressive movement.
A.I.R. Dance 2026 centers on reflective physical activation rooted in art-making, adaptation and transformation. This year’s theme emphasizes imagination, invention and creative intelligence while highlighting socially and culturally relevant practices that stimulate innovation and strengthen community bonds.
Workshops will focus on:
Art-making and creative process
Civic engagement
Storytelling and oral history
Shared cultural histories
Socially responsive artistic practices
On March 12 from 10 a.m. to noon, the conference will honor Dr. L’Antoinette Stines, founding executive and artistic director of L’Acadco: A United Caribbean Dance Force, with a live performance and master classes with the company.
Dr. Stines is a globally celebrated Jamaican performer, choreographer, academic, cultural visionary and imagineer whose pioneering work has profoundly shaped modern Caribbean performing arts. She is the creator of the L’ANTECH Carimod Technique, the only codified Anglo-Caribbean modern/contemporary dance technique formally integrated into the Caribbean Examination Council’s CSEC and CAPE performing arts syllabi.
She holds a Ph.D. in cultural studies from the University of the West Indies and is the author of Soul Casings: Inside the Spirit to the CARIMOD Daaance Technique: L’Antech. Her honors include the Order of Distinction (Officer) from the Government of Jamaica (2025); Icon of the Dance Award, CARIFESTA XV (2025); the CCRP Award (2025); the Silver Musgrave Award (2023); the Actor Boy Award (2023); and the RJR/Gleaner Award (2019).
She has toured extensively across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas and recently choreographed Proteus (Chapter 3) of Ulysses at the Tanz Moderna Tanz Festival in Germany (2025). She is currently focused on launching the L’Antoinette Performing Arts Akademie (L’APAA).
Additional master classes and workshops will be led by Tamara “Ṣàngóbámikẹ́” Williams, founder and director of Moving Spirits Inc.; Tawanna Hall, founder and director of Style Child Creations LLC; Joshua Archibald, principal dancer with Rennie Harris Puremovement Dance Company; and Brandon Bryant, artistic director of Hip Hop Kidz.
For more information, contact Michelle Grant-Murray at mgrantmu@mdc.edu or 305-297-9614.
What: MDC Presents Artistry in Rhythm Dance Conference 2026
When: Thursday, March 12 through Saturday, March 14, 2026
Where: Miami Dade College Kendall Campus
Martin & Pat Fine Arts Theater, Room M113
11011 SW 104 St., Building M