Marcus and Irving stand together in Underground Atlanta on either side of a sandwich-board poster for their film “Five Stories” before a screening in July 2022. Marcus wears a light t-shirt dress with black Adidas high-tops. She smiles behind green-framed glasses, with one elbow leaning on their sign, and the other hand on her hip. Irving wears a drapey black midi-dress with black platform sneakers and . She smiles into the camera, one hand on her hip, the other holding onto the sign.
June 14, 2023
Volume 4 Issue 3
By: Olivia Subero
The city of Atlanta is overflowing with talented dancers, and natives Shoccara Marcus and Tamara Irving are dedicated to showcasing that talent. Both women have nurtured their passion since childhood despite their differing paths.
Statue Solo from Marcus’ project “Night Moves.” A solo dancer perches atop a large stone pedestal. Their arms are outstretched reaching in front of and behind them, palms to the sky. They kneel with their back foot and toes lifted, pointing behind them. They gaze forward.
As both a dancer and photographer, Marcus credits her influences to performances, stories she’s encountered throughout her life and artwork. As she says, “Art imitates life, and dance makes you question life.” While pursuing her Masters degree in Visual Arts-Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Marcus studied abroad in Paris and even participated in international exhibitions such as the China Jinan International Photography Biennial and the Exposition des étudiants. Since her career has taken off, Marcus has excelled in preserving dancers in photographs that capture them in stunning, mid-air poses . Her work at ShocPhoto is known for its bold, vibrant and timeless quality captured in the urban, busy areas of Atlanta. As a native, she understands how to use location to make her pictures stand out to an audience.
“I love location photoshoots,” Marcus says, “[So] I want to capture dancers in spaces and in front of buildings. I want to capture architecture and [create an] appreciation for art.”
Like Marcus, Irving, also grew up dancing but didn’t explore it as a profession until after she graduated from her alma mater, North Atlanta High School. She got most of her inspiration from mentors such as the late Gary Harrison and dancing groups such as the Spelman College Dance program. While attending Howard University, she joined their Bisonette Dance Ensemble and did performances for the Atlanta Hawks basketball team upon graduating.
Irving received her degree in Marketing from Howard University and started working her corporate job, thinking she had put her dancing in the past. An out-of-town opportunity arose in New York, but she was hesitant to leave her job.
“I remember sitting in my cubicle,” she says, “not performing dance steps, but instead performing marketing tasks in my media planning position.”
Her supervisor, Maria Zimmerman, encouraged Irving to take the leap of faith, gifting her a book that Zimmerman said was “a motivating factor in [her] career”: Dr. Seuss’s Oh, The Places You’ll Go!. This was just the push Irving needed.
Irving, wearing black jazz pants and a bright orange tank, teaches a dance class. She stands in a wide second position grand plié with her arms stretched long in a T. Her students behind her do the same.
Irving’s leap of faith granted her opportunities in both domestic and international shows. One of her most prominent positions was in Disney’s The Lion King. During her seven years with Disney, she also worked as a “swing,” a position similar to an understudy, where she practiced and perfected multiple routines for an array of female cast members.
Now Irving has opened her own consulting firm, TMI Design & Consulting, and uses her dancing knowledge to advance the careers of her clients and students. Proclaiming herself a “connector,” Irving has helped a myriad of students discover the joy and beauty of movement. She knows how to bring her professional experiences into the studio, and her classes are known for being challenging yet fun and positive.
“Experiences I’ve had are experiences I create for my students,” she says, “When you look back at what’s brought you to that point, you’ll know why you’re there.”
Marcus and Irving stand together in Underground Atlanta on either side of a sandwich-board poster for their film “Five Stories” before a screening in July 2022. Marcus wears a light t-shirt dress with black Adidas high-tops. She smiles behind green-framed glasses, with one elbow leaning on their sign, and the other hand on her hip. Irving wears a drapey black midi-dress with black platform sneakers and . She smiles into the camera, one hand on her hip, the other holding onto the sign.
Marcus and Irving met through the dance community in Atlanta, and Marcus even taught a few dance classes at North Atlanta High School while Irving was a teacher there. Marcus reached out to Irving to collaborate on one of her biggest projects to date: a documentary highlighting the pioneers of Black dance. Irving accepted, and the two combined their skill sets to create Five Stories, which aired in February and July 2022.
According to Marcus, Black dancers are not as celebrated in the city of Atlanta, and the dance styles popularized by Black artists are rarely credited back to the source. Through this Five Stories project, Marcus wanted to create an opportunity to shine a light on the art of dance through a Black lens. She wants her viewers to see a new perspective, a new side of Atlanta that viewers may not be aware of.
“I want to be remembered as a Black female dancer and photographer.” Marcus says, “I want people to know that we exist.”
Irving always encourages her students to “walk in their confidence,” which only helps to enrich their relationship with dance and encourage them to pursue their passion more seriously.
In residence at Atlanta Contemporary 2020, through Dance Canvas’ inaugural summer residency collaboration, Irving performs her work. She wears a bright yellow tank dress, and black sneakers. She crouches, one heel lifted with her right arm extended toward the ground and her hand flexed back flat. Around her in the space are easels supporting signs reading “Mother,” “Black Girl,” “Black Son,” “Child of God,” and more.
Marcus intends to keep creating documentaries and projects like Five Stories; she is currently working on another project alongside her current photography exhibit, Body Talk. The exhibit celebrates National Dance Week and will run from April 21st to May 26th, 2023.
As for Irving, she just finished up teaching modern for a semester at Kennesaw State University’s College of the Arts. She is already planning her next class.
To both Marcus and Irving, dance is more than just steps and techniques; it is self-expression, a way to connect with others, and a creative method of exploring a passion. As Black women, they bring a unique perspective based on their lived experience as artists and professionals. Irving continues to use her expertise to foster a positive learning environment and help teachers develop more innovative strategies to reach their students. Likewise, the images Marcus captures tell a story, a timeless narrative that will live in the hearts and minds of her students and her clientele. Both women have been fortunate to have supportive figures in their formative years—family, friends, and co-workers alike. Their many years of hard work and dedication to the art are helping them pave the way for future Black dancers in the Atlanta area.
For anyone interested in seeing more of Marcus’ and Irving’s work, they have portfolios on their websites and social media platforms listed below.
Shoccara Marcus
Tamara Irving
Olivia Subero is posing with her violin and bow in hand. She’s wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and has her hair pulled back as she smiles for the camera.
Olivia Subero is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and editor. With three years of writing and editing experience, she also has about two years of freelance writing experience. During her college years, she has worked with businesses and entrepreneurs to create website content, with article writing as her specialty. Olivia’s writing is featured in online publications such as Comic Book Resources, Visionary Artistry Magazine, and The Peak. She has written and edited pieces ranging from indie musicians to “Top 10” lists; some are even educational, like her “9 Common Japanese Honorifics in Anime, Explained.”
Her love of writing started in childhood, just after learning to read. English was her favorite subject in school, and she loved reading all kinds of literature, from biographies to folktales. Olivia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Kennesaw State University with two minors in Professional Writing and Japanese. Currently, she is pursuing her Master’s degree in Professional Writing with concentrations in Creative Writing and Rhetoric and Composition. She is also studying to become a professor.
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