OXFORD – Oxford Community Arts Center has welcomed new resident artist, Dr. Dominique C. Hill to its staff.

Dr. Hill is a dancer who has committed her art to social justice and the celebration of individuality.

This sense of individuality has led her to create Groove & Be, a dance class which focuses on self-expression and love, instead of choreography.

She explained, this class isn’t a dance class, but rather, “a movement class. It is designed for people to be able to release negative energy and be able to tap into what they’re feeling, what they’re experiencing in life.”

This style of dance, which she created herself, is “grounded in Afro-house style, west-African hip hop and Nia-dance, which is a sort of mind-body practice of dance with the entire goal of more self-love and creation through natural time and body movement.”

The intention of the class is to not force the body. There is a technique to the style, but Dr. Hill likes students to focus on how their individual body embraces it.

She wants people to see movement as art, but also as attainable.

She wants this class to operate as a sort of anti-dance class. Many classes leave people in a negative state – they feel critiqued, but Dr. Hill thinks dance should be freeing. She has noticed many students leaving the class having had a positive experience.

The class is only offered as sample classes, until Aug. 27. There are two more sample classes, but they are for teens ages 12-18 and both are on Aug. 26.

Registration is required for the class, but Dr. Hill won’t turn anyone away if they show up the day-of. Anyone interested can register in the Art Center office or online, and the classes cost $5.

Currently registration is per-class, but the art center is working on a way to register for bulk classes.

Young teen classes (12-16) are Fridays 3:30-4:30 p.m. Teen classes (16-18) are Fridays 4:30-5:30 p.m. Adult classes (16-plus) are Saturdays from 10-11 a.m.

Later in the fall, workshop classes will be offered. Information on classes can be found on the Community Art Center’s webpage, www.oxarts.org.