dani tirrell
Photo credit: Victoria Kovios
dani tirrell (pronoun: dani) is an Inkster, MI born and raised, Black, rans Spectrum, Queer choreographer, dancer, and movement guide whose work centers Black identity, collective care, and storytelling through embodied practice. Their artistic work has reached audiences across the United States—from Detroit to Seattle to Washington, D.C.—creating spaces for reflection, connection, ritual, and transformation.
Currently, dani is an Artist-in-Residence at the Inspiration Lab in Renton, WA, where they teach Soul Line Dance at Northwest Tap Connection and Massive Monkees Studio: The Beacon alongside Black social dance practices and modern dance throughout Seattle and surrounding areas. Through their Soul Line Dance classes, workshops, and social gatherings, dani uplifts Black cultural traditions, builds intergenerational community, and creates accessible entry points into movement as both practice and celebration. Dani also hosts a monthly event at The Inspiration Lab: First Sunday Soul Line Dance and Card Party.
Dani is the Founder and Artistic Director of dani tirrell & The Congregation, a movement-based performance ensemble dedicated to amplifying stories from the African Diaspora. Their work has been commissioned and presented by Seattle Theatre Group, On the Boards, Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas, and the Baltimore Black Choreographers Festival, where dani presented work in October 2025. dani maintains ongoing collaborations with Velocity Dance Center and Northwest Tap Connection.
dani is the recipient of Seattle’s 2019 Mayor’s Arts Award and has received fellowships and support from Arts Matter, Artist Trust, 4Culture, and the 2023 NEFA National Dance Project Grant. In May 2025, dani premiered Elysium: Book II of the Leviticus or Love series at Kubota Garden in Seattle.
Their latest work, The Children Were Never Promised a Home on Your Plantation, was developed during a January 2025 residency at Jacob’s Pillow | Pillow Lab.
