Sabela Grimes

Sabela Grimes is an Associate Professor at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance within the University of Southern California. As a trans-media storyteller, sonic ARKivist, and movement composer, his creative practice centers on improvisational systems and collaborative methodologies, drawing from socio-historical observation, self-examination, and speculative narratives. His work explores themes like the poetics of assemblage, quantum Blackness, and the interplay of ritual and community in dance.

• Key Projects: Ritual Embrace, Parable of Portals, Philly XP, World War WhatEver
• Artistic Approach: Integrates sonic, visual, and kinesthetic elements; emphasizes DIY/DIWO (Do It With Others) principles

Research Interests span Black vernacular dance traditions, Hip-Hop/Street dance forms, sacred geometry in movement (e.g., golden spirals), and water as a metaphor for embrace. His pedagogical framework, Funkamental MediKinetics, merges dance training with spiritual practices and community building.

Scientific and Artistic Recognition:

• 2023 USC Associates Award for Artistic Expression
• 2021 Bessie Award for Outstanding Performer
• 2017 County of Los Angeles Performing Arts Fellowship
• 2014 United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship