about C.
Cierra Woods is a Philadelphia-based dancer, choreographer, teacher, and DJ born on the unceded land of the Susquehannock people, now Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Temple University, where she received the Rose Vernick Choreography Award in 2020. Her artistic journey has led her to stages including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Grounds For Sculpture, The Kennedy Center, Judson Memorial Church, and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Along the way, she has worked with luminaries such as Merian Soto, MICHIYAYA Dance, Renegade Performance Group, yaTande Whitney Hunter, Shavon Norris, and Dara Meredith. Recently, Cierra served as a 2024-25 Mascher Space BIPOC Artist in Residence in Philadelphia.
I am humbled by the immense privilege it is to live life as an artist and I commit to optimizing pedagogical and choreographic approaches. My creative path is a continuous inquiry of the body and spirit's capabilities of encompassing freedom, restraint, routine, and everything in between. Working at the crossroads of African diasporic forms, contemporary modern dance and performance art, I generate multifaceted works informed by personal memory, collective history, and culture. My fascination is rooted in drawing connections between time periods and the natural rhythms of our world through storytelling, activism, and curation.
By way of collaborations and integrations of musical, visual and production mediums, my creative process is constantly evolving. As well as elevating how I facilitate environments to nurture my POC and queer communities with the necessary care practices.
Artist Statement
Upcoming Performances
Vámonos Pa’l Monte
Vámonos Pa’l Monte is an interdisciplinary public art and engagement project conceived by artist Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz with support from costume designer Kristina Tollefson and Mural Arts Philadelphia; a living tribute to Puerto Rican culture, resilience, and the migration stories that shape communities across the diaspora.
The project culminates in a four-mile processional performance that will shift the city’s Semiquincentennial gaze toward the collective voice of a tightly knit community whose histories and traditions embody and articulate an inclusive vision of freedom. The processional route through Philadelphia will chart a course that moves from civic and colonial symbolism to neighborhood-centered, communal affirmation.
When
Sat 10/18 @ 10:00 am
Join our shared journey at one of the following meeting times and locations:
10:00 a.m. 599 Market Street
12:00 p.m. Cruz Playground, 5th and Master Streets
1:30 p.m. Norris Square Park, North Howard & Diamond Streets
Please gather outside at all locations.
Directly following the procession, neighbors, friends, and procession participants are invited to a celebratory Bombazo in Norris Square Park. Join us for dancing and commemorative photos that capture the rich Puerto Rican community of Norris Square and a shared moment in history. An RSVP secures your meal ticket.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vamonos-pal-monte-the-procession-tickets-2001402660233