Moncell Durden

Durden Method

E. Moncell Durden, is an internationally recognized dancer, educator, practitioner, historian, ethnographer, and documentarian. An assistant professor of practice at the University of Southern California Kaufman International School of Dance, specializing in the pedagogical practices of Afro-Diasporic social dance formations over the last four centuries.

Durden has taught African-American social dance at the University of the Arts (3 years), Drexel University (7 years), University of Bogota Colombia (2hour workshop), Balletakademien, Stockholm Sweden (3 months), Yale School of Drama (2 years), Wesleyan University (5 years), and Bennington College (1 semester).

Durden appears in the new documentary on Jazz Dance called Transmission schedule to be released in 2020, Moncell also appears in the Comedy of Choreography: a documentary about the history of eccentric dancing, produced by Betsy Baytos (currently in production)

His published works appear in Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches and the Encyclopedia of African Cultural Heritage in North America. His newest book, Beginning Hip-Hop Dance published by Human Kinetics is also available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. He has contributed an article to the Oxford Handbook on Hip-Hop Dance published by Oxford University Press. His first documentary A history and concept of hip-hop dance was published by Dancetime Publications, Durden is currently developing an online course for NDEO National Dance Educators Organization. And writing a new article on jazz dance for a new jazz book coming out.