MELANIZED

Davon Suttles, an emerging artist of North Minneapolis, grew up performing in Keane Sense of Rhythm’s Youth Tap Ensemble. With whom he has been able to study, perform, and teach internationally. He’s had the privilege of opening for Ben Vereen in “A Night with Ben Vereen” with Chicago Tap Theatre. Has showcased new works; "Shine" at the Chicago Human Rhythm Project(CHRP), and "Butterfly/An Ode to Self Love" at the Twin Cities Tap Festival. He is a member of the CHRP’s new ensemble, Stone Soup Rhythms, under the artist in residence Dani Borak and mentorship of Lane Alexander. Davon is also an actor, with a BA in Musical Theatre Performance at Columbia Chicago. He has performed with the Children's Theatre Company in Shrek the Musical and was also a featured dancer in a hit adaption of 42nd Street, directed by Michael Heitzman and choreographed by Broadway performer Jared Grimes, at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace.

We are excited to announce that Davon Suttles will be producing his first show - Melanized - this coming fall.  He has received a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board's Cultural Community Partnership grant, which covers a portion of his funding needs.  However, we still need to raise $12,000 to make this project happen.  We are asking for your help to reach this fundraising goal.

MELANIZED is a multimedia collaborative project, exploring how People of Color (POC) use the arts to combat oppression. Through this project, which emphasizes tap dance, we reclaim this art form; there are only two black professional tap dancers in MN representing this Afrocentric art and culture. A big goal of our project is to inspire youth with the hope of creating a more ethnically diverse tap community.  We also plan to inspire those interested in the arts such as music, songwriting, stage management, and producing. 

We often find that as a POC our stories are spoken but very rarely listened to, which is why I needed to develop this show.  By allowing people of different cultures and different backgrounds to share their stories of commonality, I want to show those in authority what needs to be done to produce a healthier social construct. Too long have we allowed ignorance and fear to plague our society; in order to grow we need to speak up about what's bothering us and they need to actually listen to what's being said even if what is being said comes off as brash.

Please help us make our dreams of sharing this message come true with a donation.  Checks can be made out to Keane Sense of Rhythm.  Please write Davon Suttles in the memo line.

 Let’s inspire all to follow their dreams and share their stories.