Deanna is an actor, musician, dancer, and educator from New York. She received her BA in Theater and Psychology (Muhlenberg College) and is currently pursuing her PhD in Applied Psychology (NYU). She recently played Jane Bennett in Pride and Prejudice (Eastline Theater) and performed with KPC Dance Company at the Detroit Dance City Festival. As a founding member of Girl Be Heard, Deanna has performed original songs at the White House and United Nations to advocate for the rights of women and girls of color. Through community-engaged research, she collaborates with other arts educators to develop justice-oriented, empowering arts programs.
TAP Work:
With TAP, I have explored topics of identity, collaboration, inclusion, accessibility, community, belonging, and justice. I have worked with my care team to dig into these topics, and I’m grateful to have learned about their experiences throughout the process. I have also been working with my fieldwork group – Aida, Luopu, Willie, Isaiah, and Noelle, to explore how art can be used to address issues we care about.
Most Memorable TAP Moment:
My most memorable TAP moment was learning from Adriana that I can paint with food and tea! Adriana’s activity opened my eyes to a whole new level of accessibility in art-making, and I’m very grateful for that.
Anything additional you might want like an inspiring quote or picture
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” -Maya Angelou
