Lily Kind

Lily Kind is a Lecturer in Dance at De Montfort University, affiliated with the School of Humanities and Performing Arts and the Institute of Drama, Dance and Performance Studies. They are an active choreographer, performer, and dance-maker with deep roots in grassroots dance cultures across the United States.

Their educational background includes an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College and a BA in Individualized Interdisciplinary Studies from Goucher College. These qualifications underpin their interdisciplinary approach to dance and performance.

Lily’s research and artistic interests focus on Black Dance in America, the African Diaspora, choreography, improvisation, and cultural anthropology. Their work critically engages with vernacular forms such as Lindy Hop and Waacking, while integrating contemporary techniques like David Zambrano’s Flying Low. They explore how dance functions as a site of cultural memory, resistance, and care.

While formal academic publications are limited in the provided text, their choreographic works such as Wolfthicket, I've Got a Tape I Wanna Play, and conference presentation Flying Home represent significant research outputs in performance-as-research, emphasizing improvisation, Afro-Diasporic aesthetics, and queer embodiment.

• Artist Fellowship Nominee, PEW Center for Arts, 2023
• The Woodshed, Jazz Pedagogy Residency, 2022
• Art & Social Change Grant, Leeway Foundation, 2021
• Best Choreographer, Baltimore Magazine, 2014
• Baker Artist Award ‘B’ Grant, 2011
• Top 10 Baltimoreans to Watch Under 30, 2011

Lily has mentored numerous dancers and performers through collective projects like Effervescent Collective and Ragtag Empire. Their grant history includes support from the Leeway Foundation, Ignite Baltimore, and Goucher College, reflecting a sustained commitment to community-based and experimental dance practices. They have served as Artist in Residence at TABLE Gallery Chicago, SoundSpace Performing Arts, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company, further expanding their collaborative networks.

They are a member of the PoPMoves: International Research Group for Popular Dance & Performance at DMU, contributing to scholarly discourse on popular dance forms. Their ongoing work bridges academic inquiry with live performance, pedagogy, and social engagement.