From a young age, Tamiya Do’zia-Earley ’06 has had a love for dance.
I have been passionate about dance since I began dance lessons as a young girl. The arts are something that have always stuck with me as such an important part of human expression.”
Do’zia-Earley was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia where she began her dance training at age seven. At 15, she was accepted into the Richmond City Dance Troupe, where she had the opportunity to study, perform and compete with the troupe all across the country. In 2001, her solo was awarded second place in Dance America’s national competition held in New York City. Do’zia-Earley continued her dance studies at Henrico High School’s Center for the Arts and graduated with honors in 2002. She also earned the Brad Boynton Excellence in the Arts award.
Do’zia-Earley furthered her dance training at ĻӰ and, in 2006, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance performance. During her time as an SU student, Do’zia-Earley had the opportunity to perform numerous works with Shenandoah’s ensemble and worked with many of SU’s choreographers, including Alan Arnett, Erica Helm, Ting-Yu Chen and Maurice Fraga. Do’zia-Earley attributes Shenandoah with providing her a platform to explore what an artist is and can be.
Shenandoah allowed me the space for self-exploration into who I am as an artist and ways to continually find inspiration around me as well as ways to share that inspiration with others.”
Although Do’zia-Earley appreciates multiple forms of dance, she tends to like jazz and modern dance the best, because of the freedom and flow the styles allow.
After graduating, Do’zia-Earley worked at several local preschools, but in 2010 she returned to ĻӰ in the role of administrative assistant for the Office of Spiritual Life. In this position, she is working to bring several interfaith initiatives to campus. Her current projects include starting a student run organization called BetterTogether, which aims to tackle social justice issues that several different faiths can agree on, while spurring conversation between faiths. Do’zia-Earley’s efforts are part of a national effort started by the Interfaith Youth Core, which provides resources and support for students who would like to engage in interfaith work. She feels it is important to “give back to Shenandoah in any form to continue legacies and inspire an upcoming generation.”
In addition to her work at Shenandoah, Do’zia-Earley is also the Contemporary Dance Manager at Dance Dimensions in Hedgesville, West Virginia. Her most rewarding experiences in both higher education and as a dance instructor are getting to work with the students and see “them grow and reflect on life in new and meaningful ways.”
Do’zia-Earley currently resides in Winchester, Virginia with her wife (who she met at Shenandoah), adopted son, and three dogs.