Alexandria Davis is an Assistant Professor of Dance in MSU’s Department of Theatre as well as an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, researcher, performance deviser, and certified dancer in healthcare. She wrote, choreographed, and is directing Echoes from the Banks of the Red Cedar, an immersive dance theatre production presented by the Department of Theatre Feb. 14–22, 2026, at the Fairchild Theatre in the MSU Auditorium. The play is inspired by the William J. Beal Seed Experiment conducted at Michigan State University since 1879  and the longest-running scientific study of its kind.

Davis works at the intersection of creative process and intercultural performance methodologies, fostering innovative and impactful experiences that deepen self-knowledge while empowering creative habits that impact self-esteem and belonging. She believes these practices encourage performers and audiences to see themselves as part of change, which for her is living.

In this faculty view, Davis writes about how she first learned about the Beal Seed Experiment, how she uses this experiment and Beal Botanical Garden in her teaching, and how the Echoes from the Banks of the Red Cedar production came to be. For more information on that production, read the article “From Seed to Stage: MSU Department of Theatre Production Draws Inspiration from Historic Beal Experiment.”