Tanesha Sumerset Payne
SAN ANTONIO, 2022 - 2023
Tanesha Sumerset Payne (she/they) is a movement artist based in San Antonio, TX, who performs, choreographs, educates, and advocates for all things dance. She holds a BFA in Dance Studies from Texas State University and an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University. While she values academia and the doors it has opened for her, she draws equal inspiration from her life experience that helps to develop her creative processes and affective presence. Tanesha's appreciation for humanity fuels her passion for movement and supports her love of collaboration which has provided her various opportunities such as being a Wolf Trap teaching artist, an Arch Dance Company member and features in commercials and films. Tanesha is passionate about the communal nature of dance and the simple fact that it allows our bodies to speak.
Tanesha Payne is building on her partnership with the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM) to explore and document the history of Black resistance in San Antonio through her dance practice.
“I see the world in movement and color,” explains Tanesha, who was inspired to pursue this work after hearing the live account of a woman’s experience at the San Antonio lunch-counter sit-ins of the ‘60s. Her research will culminate in a community event to highlight and preserve these histories through an artistic lens.
CULTURE HUB
The Carver Community Cultural Center is a multicultural and multidisciplinary performing and visual arts center with an emphasis on preserving and celebrating the artistic and cultural contributions of the African Diaspora. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s east side community, the Carver’s history as a cultural and civic hub dates back over 100 years; serving first as the library for San Antonio’s black community during segregation. Today, the Carver harnesses the power of the arts to build community, strengthen cultural identity, support development and nurture health and well-being. By collaborating with artists from throughout our community and around the globe, the Carver presents performances, arts education and community engagement programs that support a more inclusive, equitable community rooted in the belief that all individuals, communities, and cultures have value. The Carver further believes that equitable access to arts experiences and education is an essential right and critical asset in supporting the health and well-being of all individuals and communities
SOCIAL IMPACT INITIATIVE
The San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed to collect, maintain, disseminate, and interpret authentic African American artifacts related to San Antonio history in a community-based digital archive. SAAACAM is reclaiming San Antonio’s Black history by empowering individuals to curate their own archives and cultivate a community-driven museum of digitized, audiovisual exhibits.