Dominic Moore-Dunson will stage "Black by Nature" in Summit Metro Parks’ Cascade Valley Metro Park the next two Saturdays, Sept. 19 and Sept. 26, to encourage minorities to enjoy the many benefits of the outdoors

L-R: Larry White, Jade Holloway and Natalie Brown portray a tree in a rehearsal for 'Black by Nature.'When he used to manage arts programs for the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Moore-Dunson says he picked up on something.

“I started noticing pretty quickly that there are a lot of people who come to the park, and not a lot look like me.”

Why not? The award-winning Akron dancer, choreographer, director, and producer says that his fellow Black people tend to lack transportation, equipment, and exposure to nature.

He says some may also consider it a step backwards toward their agrarian ancestry. And many fear predators, especially human ones.

Moore-Dunson has created a free show called “Black by Nature” that he hopes will help minorities feel welcome in the outdoors. Performances will be held at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 26. He and his colleagues will lead audiences along trails in the Cascade Valley Metro Park in “Black by Nature,” a show of words, music, and movement presented by DANCECleveland.

Composer and saxophonist Christopher J. Coles.Here’s an excerpt:
I’ve heard the trees can talk.

I wonder what they say about me.
Do they bend toward each other, whispering?
Do they ask why I’ve come— if I’m searching, if I’m lost, if I belong?
We say: If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?
But I ask: If a Black person is attacked in the woods and no one sees it, did it happen?

The show has light moments too, like a character wondering what to wear on his first hike changes his outfit over and over.

Moore-Dunson, 36, has been defying racial and other stereotypes since he was a child tagging along to his sister’s dance classes and loving them.

He grew to be 6 feet 1 inch tall and about 215 pounds—stockier than many dancers, but he learned how to leap into the arms of smaller dancers without knocking them down.

At the University of Akron, he played soccer instead of the football that some of his classmates seemed to expect of him because of his size and race. On stage, Moore-Dunson has portrayed a wide range of characters, including a thug, a church lady, and a schoolboy who refuses to act Black.

Moore-Dunson has won a Cleveland Arts Prize, an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, a Lloyd Richards New Futures Residency Fellowship, and a berth in Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch.

He has worked at Massachusetts’ Jacob’s Pillow, Florida’s Atlantic Center for the Arts, the University of Akron’s National Choreography Center, and other venues.

Among other productions, Moore-Dunson has created a nationally touring show called “The Remember Balloons,” based on a children’s book by that name about a grandfather losing his memories and a grandson keeping them alive. PBS Western Reserve has filmed the show and plans to air it in November.

He also made a wordless dance called “Float,” based on a like-named children’s book. “Float” will debut Friday, Dec. 11 at a time to be determined at Akron’s Balch Community Center. Moore-Dunson says he also expects the show to tour.

He and his wife, Ashley, own MooreDunson Co., which produces his shows, and they own a consulting business called Thrive, which stages workplace workshops in movement and communication.

“Black by Nature” features music composed and performed by saxophonist Christopher Coles. He’ll be accompanied by Sarah Hegenderfer on trumpet and Noa Denton on bass. Moore-Dunson will dance with Natalie Brown, Jade Holloway and Larry White.

Award-winning director, choreographer, and dancerDominic Moore-Dunson.Audiences will be able to talk with performers between scenes. Hopefully, they won’t follow too closely when two performers wade into the Cuyahoga River for part of the show.

“Black by Nature” is part of a nationwide drive to put what a recent book title calls “Black Faces in Green Spaces.” It aims to treat a widespread ailment called Nature Deficit Disorder, which is especially common among urban minorities.

People who avoid nature miss what studies show are a remarkable range of physical, mental, educational, social, and other benefits, from bone health to community spirit. The nonprofit Children & Nature Network states on its homepage, “We believe that nature makes kids healthier, happier and smarter.”

Moore-Dunson says nature helps him too. “There is something about being able to disconnect from our world, the screens, politics, all these things, and feel accepted in this space with all this greenery and the sun. It releases the anxiety we hold every day.”

He says he especially likes to visit the same site on different days throughout the year. “It reminds me of really good art: You see different things every time.”

“Black by Nature” will be performed at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, on Cascade Valley Metro Park’s Oxbow Trail, Oxbow Area, 1061 Cuyahoga St, Akron, 44313. It will resume at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, on Cascade’s Prather Trail, Valley View Area, 1134 Cuyahoga St., Akron. The show is free; no tickets are needed.

The performance will be canceled in the event of bad weather. For up-to-date information, visit DanceCleveland.org. The Oxbow Trail is a moderate-to-advanced level trail including stairs and a steep climb/descent. The trail loop is approximately 1.2 miles. The trail is a natural surface trail including earthen and grass surfaces.