UW Welcomes Antoine Hunter: Performance, Lecture, & Discussion

The McBurney Disability Resource Center welcomes acclaimed Deaf dancer, choreographer, and advocate Antoine Hunter (aka PurpleFireCrow), who will visit UW–Madison for two days, ending with a free final performance and lecture on October 7, co-hosted with the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee. An Evening with Antoine Hunter will start with a dance performance by Hunter and the accompanying dance team, followed by a 30-minute lecture and Q&A session.

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Antoine Hunter (aka PurpleFireCrow) is an award-winning internationally known Black, Indigenous, Deaf, Disabled, choreographer, dancer, actor, instructor, speaker, producer, and Deaf advocate.
Antoine Hunter (aka PurpleFireCrow) is an award-winning internationally known Black, Indigenous, Deaf, Disabled, choreographer, dancer, actor, instructor, speaker, producer, and Deaf advocate.

Hunter’s personal experience as a Black, Indigenous, Deaf, and Disabled dancer and choreographer inspired Hunter to establish the Urban Jazz Dance Company, a San Francisco-based company that creates opportunities for Deaf and Disabled artists from marginalized backgrounds. Hunter also established the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival and “#DeafWoke,” Hunter’s live-streamed talk show that amplifies Deaf voices, raising awareness about Deaf culture and intersectionality through conversations with diverse guests.

“Dance gave me the ability to express myself,” Hunter said in a 2018 TEDxUCDavisSF talk. “I realized that dance and body movement have the ability to tell a story. I can tell a story.”

In addition to the evening lecture and performance, community members may also register to attend a free, live-streamed panel featuring Hunter and other Deaf professionals, titled “Deaf Fire: Finding Your Path in a Hearing World.” Panelists will present in American Sign Language (ASL), with live, professional captioning and spoken English interpretation available. Register for the live-streamed (Zoom) event.

With the recent launch of ASL course offerings at UW, there has been increasing excitement and interest. Bringing a Deaf speaker to the university is important for the students learning ASL to connect the language with the culture and community that it belongs to.

“Antoine Hunter’s time at UW–Madison will provide an opportunity for Deaf and hard of hearing students and the greater Deaf community to come together to celebrate their culture on campus,” explains Clara Culligan, UW campus interpreter and a professional staff member who planned the visit. “Our goal is an accessible and inclusive event, one that provides the unique perspective of Deaf professionals. These events will surely prompt conversations about what inclusion means, the significance of learning the language and culture of a historically marginalized community, and the usage of language beyond classroom study.”

Learn more about the visit and get free tickets through the  McBurney Disability Resource Center or the Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS).