We were lucky to catch up with Telice Summerfield recently and have shared our conversation below.

Telice, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Turf dancing is such a radical and political expression of movement. Although we are well known culture bearers of the Bay Area, oftentimes Turf Dancers lack access to more mainstream platforms of opportunity. Experiencing this dilemma at every turn in my own dance career, in February 2023 I decided to hold space for my community by hosting a Black History Month dance battle, through which I was able to provide tangible rewards and reputable vehicles of story-telling for my community. This event was completely remarkable. In collaboration with the Oakland Museum of California, Oaklandish, and the Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network, I put together a space where Turf Dancers could truly embody the acronym of Turf: Taking, Up, Room, on the Floor. The event was PACKED! People were even watching from the windows of neighboring high-rises. Everyone who came, left with something, whether it was inspiration and joy, new connections and resources, or sponsored merchandise from Oaklandish and the Black Panthers. This event was so successful that the ABC News came through to cover our story. The Black History Celebration allowed Turf Dancers access to mainstream stakeholders, and made everyone excited for what’s next to come. I am deeply grateful to have connected so many folks through Turfin, and I look forward to producing more meaningful projects that help empower myself, my community, and beyond.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Telice Summerfield, but I go by Telice. I got into Turfin because I’ve always loved to dance but often lacked access to professional resources that could help me enhance my skills. Yearning for a place to belong, I turned to the streets. Street dancing includes many styles, but we all share a common struggle: financial access to formal structures of dance. We dance on the streets because it is a public stage that embraces us. We get to share our gifts with the world and put smiles on peoples spaces, using the streets as our main stage. However, things shifted for us during the pandemic because we weren’t able to dance on the streets anymore. In response to our limited social mobility, I created an online Instagram platform called @pxssypowerdance and organized lady dancers from all ages, styles, and levels to perform virtually. This digital space empowered us not only with a platform, but also with prizes! In collaboration with Tech Exchange, a local tech organization, I was able to reward at least 1 dancer from each monthly episode of PxssyPower with a brand new free iPad. In total, we gave away more than 15 iPads and reached performers from over 25 countries. When Covid came to an end, I turned to schools for my  next opportunity to share my gift and inspire movement in others. I currently teach dance at an elementary school in West Oakland where I have a more structured foundation to model for students ranging from TK through 4th grade. In my classes, we learn how to explore their bodies as vehicles of movement expression. I am deeply passionate about Turf Dancing, bringing people together, and connecting the two in the work I do. I feel so blessed that I get to dance for a living.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part about being a movement artist is the joy and empowerment it generates. When people see me dance, they instantly smile. They can feel the joy in my heart that is just contagious. Then, most people are suddenly inclined to “let loose” from the social perceptions felt governing our bodies, and possibly wiggle a little bit on their own. It’s the way I am able to communicate emotion through movement that really draws that joyous connection for myself and others. Personally, I dance for freedom, and through dance I invite others towards freedom as well. The shared experience of freedom through expressive movement is something I rejoice in time and time again when I dance. Fortunately, whenever I veer away from dancing, it is that celebratory feeling of shared joy and freedom that always draws me back and restores my inspiration.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

While I was emerging in my community, Lady Turfers were few and far between. I didn’t have many role models to look up to because Turf culture is a masculine dominated cultural space. The only Lady Turfer on the scene before me carried themselves in a way more aligned with masculine movements. Because of the lack of representation, my feminine style of Turfin initially felt misplaced to the extent that I tried to discard my feminine attitudes in exchange for more ease and respect in my community. However, over time I grew to embrace my feminine energy as a source of power, strength, and uniqueness. I became the model of being a feminine turfer, and this responsibility allowed me to inspire girls from everywhere to learn my style, the way I do it. Fortunately, I can look around and find more lady dancers on the scene these days, and with resilience, we get to continue creating space for women to Take Up Room on the Floor.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdHgP5KprbP/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/telice-summerfield-48b0421b0/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REvRd5FJUxE