Moonshine 2026

Moonshine 2026 Features Work from Dancehall Queen Stacy Letrice, Omari “Motion” Carter, Local Artists, and UW-Madison Students for its Annual Black History Month Performance Celebration

MADISON – The University of Wisconsin-Madison Dance Department and Professor Chris Walker are delighted to present Moonshine, Friday, February 27, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. in the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Avenue. This free event brings together campus and community artists in performance–an embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea on stage–to celebrate Black excellence and the Black experience with live music, contemporary theater and dance during Black History Month.

Atlanta-based artist Stacy Letrice will be in residence, bringing over two decades of dance expertise in African and Caribbean traditions and dance movement therapy to the Dance Department. Letrice is a dancer, choreographer, mas band leader, and dance/movement therapist with decades of global experience. During her time on campus, Letrice will teach masterclasses to UW-Madison students and her residency will culminate in a solo performance for Moonshine on Friday.

Assistant professor Omari “Motion” Carter will present his film DON’T PLAY WITH L(KN)IVES, an original hip-hop screendance based on true stories of knife crime in the United Kingdom. The work brings together some of the United Kingdom’s finest hip-hop dancers, spoken word and original music composition, delivering a poignant message to young people of awareness, prevention and hope. Carter is a screendance practitioner, body percussionist and hip-hop dance culture aficionado born and raised in London, England. He teaches Hip Hop Technique and Theory, Screendance Production, and Body Percussion at the Dance Department. His latest research project Our Vibes: A Vibrotactile Screendance Installation, combines a vibrating viewing platform with a body-percussion dance-film.

Local guest performances will include a large ensemble Hip-Hop performance from Barrio Dance, choreographed by AJ Juarez, work from Papa-Kobina, an award-winning dance artist and educator who has appeared on MTV’s Made, America’s Got Talent, and World Of Dance, and Hanah Jon Taylor, owner of Cafe Coda and an internationally known jazz saxophonist & flutist.

UW-Madison students will also perform on Friday.

MOONSHINE RECEPTION
A reception in the Virginia Harrison Parlor, Lathrop Hall, will immediately follow the performance.