Mawu Ama Ma’at Gora
Ama Ma'at Gora is a Philly based dance artist, educator and choreographer. She received her BA from Georgian Court University and her MFA from Temple University. She has had opportunities to work with choreographers, such as, Kariamu Welsh, Lela Aisha Jones, Earl Mosley, Sidra Bell, Gregory King and more. She now serves as Community Based Learning Coordinator at Drexel University, overseeing artistic civic engagement. She is founder and artistic director of Ma'at Works Dance Collective, creating work that holds space for dialogue surrounding identity, trauma and restoration. She intends on crafting spaces which reflect healing. As co-founder of the Juba House, she's been able to serve local artists with resources and tools to navigate their individual artistic journey. Ama sees herself as a provider, supporter and nurturer in her artistic processes and all things she pursues.
Awarded Grants
2024
Window of Opportunity Grant (WOO)
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Overview
Mawu Ama Ma'at G. Oyesii is a Philly based dance artist, educator, and choreographer, who is currently working on a collaborative project for an iterative performance ritual entitled, something soft, which has been in development since 2021. something soft is a multimodal performance ritual exploring modalities of softness through diverse ideas of technology. Rooted in concepts of Afro Presentism and inspired by Black, neurodivergent, queer, trans and non-binary folk, this work will invite the audience into rhythmic somatic patterns, sensory exercises, and lullabies, to reimagine how we hold and care for ourselves in the moving present. This performance and workshop series will premiere in Spring 2024, taking place through a residency with the Painted Bride from March 18th to April 28th.
The WOO Grant will help cover travel costs for performers as well as compensation for a photographer/videographer to document workshops and performances.
2020
Leeway Transformation Award (LTA)
Related grantees
Overview
Ama Ma'at Gora is a Philly based artist, educator and emerging choreographer. She received her BFA in Dance from Georgian Court University. Shortly after, she chose to continue her education in dance at Temple University's MFA program. These experiences lent her opportunities to work with choreographers such as, Kariamu Welsh, Lela Aisha Jones, Earl Moseley, Sidra Bell, Gregory King and more. She now serves as Community Based Learning Director at Drexel University overseeing artistic civic engagement. She has been artistic director of Ma'at Works Dance Collective since 2017 and believes that her works push controversial dialogue surrounding identity, trauma, restoration and modality.
