By Sabrina Scott
When I reached Jakari Sherman by phone, he was in motion. The Houston-based artist, director, choreographer, and researcher had spent the day traveling from Washington, D.C. to New York, where he was preparing for a week of performances and creative work. Calling from a theater between commitments, Sherman seemed accustomed to existing between places—between cities, between projects, between the traditions he protects and the artistic boundaries he continues to push.
That in-between space has become central to his work. For Sherman, questions of movement are rarely just about choreography. They are questions about identity, community, history, and belonging. They are questions about home.
After years of touring and directing work across the country, the pandemic brought Sherman back to Houston and forced him to confront an unexpected question: What does it mean to be an artist in the city you call home? The answer eventually became the foundation for Our Road Home, a multidisciplinary project exploring freedom, memory, migration, and the communities that shape us.
THE EVOLUTION OF A TRADITION
Long before he became known as one of the leading innovators in stepping, Sherman was fascinated by the power of the form and the community it created. What initially drew him in was not artistic recognition but the relationships he saw among step team members and the sense of belonging the tradition fostered. Although he originally imagined a future in engineering, mathematics, or science, curiosity continually pulled him back to stepping.
Today, Sherman views himself not only as an artist but also as a steward of a living tradition. He advocates for honoring both stepping’s artistic potential and its role as a cultural practice carried forward by generations of people who may never perform on a professional stage.
THE BODY AS STORYTELLER
Sherman’s work blends stepping, drumming, spoken word, music, and technology, but he does not begin with a medium. Every project starts with a question, a challenge, or a truth waiting to be explored. The form emerges afterward. Rather than forcing a story into a predetermined format, Sherman allows the concept itself to determine whether movement, rhythm, voice, or visual storytelling will carry the message.
Central to that philosophy is the idea that the body itself is an instrument. Long before formal training, expensive equipment, or institutional support, people clap, stomp, sing, and move. Rhythm is universal, and stepping transforms those innate human impulses into a language that carries stories across generations.
Photos by Annie Mulligan
REIMAGINING HOME
The question of home sits at the center of Our Road Home. Returning to Houston after years away prompted Sherman to reconsider belonging, family, spirituality, and identity. Research into Freedmen’s Town and Frenchtown led him into stories of migration, resilience, family, and community.
Conversations with local elders became some of the most meaningful moments of the process. Listening to stories about neighborhood life transformed historical research into lived experience and revealed the pride residents carried for their communities.
TURNING A GALLERY INTO AN INSTRUMENT
One of the most compelling concepts in the project is Gallery as Instrument. The idea grew from Sherman’s fascination with the body as an instrument and evolved into a broader question: Can a space function the same way?
The resulting exhibition transformed a traditional gallery environment into an immersive experience where performance, visual art, film, and community engagement became interconnected parts of a larger conversation. Artists and audiences alike participated in a shared exploration of home.
HOUSTON’S RHYTHM
Although Sherman has spent significant time in cities such as Washington, D.C. and New York, Houston remains deeply embedded in his artistic identity. Every city possesses its own rhythm, and Houston’s blend of cultures, languages, traditions, food, music, and histories creates a uniquely textured environment for artistic exploration.
Distance helped Sherman recognize the richness of the place he had always called home. Today, Houston is not simply a backdrop for his work—it is inspiration, archive, and collaborator.
FREEDOM TO CREATE
Near the end of our conversation, I asked Sherman one final question: What does home mean to you today?
His answer was simple: “Freedom to create.”
For Sherman, home is not merely a physical location. It is a space where ideas can grow, curiosity is encouraged, and people feel supported enough to bring new ideas into the world. For an artist whose work continually returns to questions of memory, community, and belonging, the definition feels especially fitting. Home is where creation becomes possible.
BIO
Jakari Sherman is a visionary director, choreographer, and ethnochoreologist whose work bridges tradition and innovation. Widely recognized as the world’s first modern stepping choreographer, he has pioneered the integration of percussive dance with storytelling, technology, and music to create bold productions.
A former Artistic Director of Step Afrika! and the creative force behind acclaimed works such as Drumfolk and The Migration, Jakari has led performances across national stages and international platforms. Today, he leads multidisciplinary teams in the development of culturally-rooted creative projects through Houston-based company, [Jk]creativ.
Jakari continues to explore stepping’s history and structure through research, performance, and public engagement. Jakari’s creative leadership is globally recognized, including 2025 MacDowell Fellowship for his continued contributions to culture-based storytelling
Our Road Home: Gallery as Instrument was created by Jakari Sherman as part of his eight-week residency with Fresh Arts. The Space Taking Artist Residency (STAR), powered by Fresh Arts, is an annual residency program that offers Houston-based artists the opportunity to experiment with new ideas, develop them into large-scale projects, and bring them to life for public audiences with professional guidance and support. STAR provides each selected artist or collective with funding, mentorship, dedicated gallery space, and 6-8 weeks to transform the space with programs, activations, and experiences that engage the local community in innovative ways relating to their proposed project theme or concept. STAR welcomes emerging and mid-career artists of all disciplines and backgrounds. Applications for the 2027 Spring/Summer residency will open in Fall 2026. For more information about the program and its application process, please visit: https://fresharts.org/space-taking-artist-residency/
STAR is funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts, Houston Endowment, the Brown Foundation, and Deal Co, in partnership with Sawyer Yards and Arts District Houston.
