Haiti Summer Institute 2017
Meghan McGrath began her dance training in New Hampshire and studied under Barbara Mullen, Dee Keri, Matt Mattox, Jr. and Bryan Steele. She received a BA in Psychology and Dance from UMass Amherst, a MEd. in the Creative Arts from Lesley University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University. Meghan is a founding member of Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE) Dance company, has performed with Boston-based BoSoma Dance Company, and in Texas with Austin Allegro Dance. She is also an early childhood educator, with over 15 years of teaching experience and a passion for bringing the arts and movement into the classroom with a social justice lens. Meghan earned her 200-hour yoga certification through Yogaworks NYC, and weaves this practice into her work with youth. She has also volunteered as a yoga instructor with Hands to Heart, a nonprofit organization that shares the healing practice of yoga with people affected by addiction, poverty & trauma in Greater Boston.
Meghan began working with JAE in the fall of 2010. She has advanced JAE partnerships and inclusive practices for the organization. She became JAE’s Executive Director (ED) in 2020. In that role, she is committed to ensuring that JAE is a vehicle for anti-racism. She plans to work to expand the company’s educational arts programming and organizational partnerships, both centered around social justice, for youth and adults alike. She plans to focus on bringing anti-racist conversations and activism to white spaces and audiences to bridge gaps and support effective communication. Meghan believes that elevating Black dance and Black voices, and integrating them into artistic and educational outreach, can bring communities together. In this way, JAE can play an important role in the larger effort to dismantle systemic racism and inequities. While working alongside Jean Appolon for 10 years, Meghan has aided him in successfully building a rich, diverse dance community that has provided healing space for many. Her primary charge as ED is to partner with Jean to expand this community using dance, artistry, and cultural education as a mechanism for social change. She is grateful to everyone in the JAE community for their support in this mission.