Caleb Dowden
Caleb Dowden is an educator and choreographer from New Orleans, Louisiana.
After graduating from Purchase College with her BFA in dance, she received a US Student Fulbright Award in the Creative and Performing Arts to conduct dance research in Benin.
During her Fulbright, she presented her choreographic research at the Borna Soglo Art Gallery and Le Centre. As the Director of the Big Easy Award nominated dance company and dance festival, Dow-Dance Company, Dowden has presented her work locally, nationally, and internationally.
In 2023, she began teaching at the Willow School NOLA.
Curriculum
How can a dance curriculum use community oriented practices to offset the effects of Covid-19 amongst K-12 students? The masquerade of the Egungun is a community practice in Benin that resembles the Masking of the Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans. Both practices intersect visual arts, dance, music, and history.
Dowden’s curriculum development project revolves around the dissection of the music, history, dance, and costuming of the traditional Egungun. Her learning outcome is through a structure artistic, historical, and deeply rooted in connection between New Orleans and Benin, students will understand what community is and how to form community through the arts.