E. Moncell Durden

E. Moncell Durden is an Associate Professor at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California. A dancer, educator, ethnochoreologist, and documentarian, he specializes in Hip-Hop, Jazz, and African American social dances, blending cultural and historical contexts with practical instruction.

• Teaches courses on Origins of Jazz Dance, Hip-Hop Don’t Stop: Exploring Black Vernacular Dance, and African American Dance.
• Expertise in locking, house, hip-hop, authentic jazz, and social dances from 1800 to the present.

Research and Creative Work: Durden’s work explores the morphology of Afro-kinetic memory and the genealogy of African American social dance. He integrates interdisciplinary theories from psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, and cultural studies into his pedagogy and practice.

Publications and Consulting: Authored the textbook Beginning Hip-Hop Dance (Human Kinetics) and contributed to Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches, Encyclopedia of African Cultural Heritage in North America, and the Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Dance. Served as a dance consultant for the Baz Luhrmann film Elvis, Disney+’s The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Denzel Washington’s Ma Rainey, and the Broadway-bound Soul Train musical.

Documentary Projects: Produced the documentary Everything Remains Raw: A Historical Perspective of Hip Hop Dance and is developing a docu-series on African American social dance. His work has been showcased in documentaries like Uprooted: A Story of the Journey of Jazz Dance and Why Do We Dance.