The pastWe appreciate all those who have paved the way for us to live our art & our truth.
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The presentWe uplift those who are helping us achieve our goals.
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The futureWe encourage the community to build bridges & forge new bonds.
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Video design for intro "Black Girl Joy"
Jared Porter is a freelance Producer/Editor based in Philadelphia, PA. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He is currently working on HBO’s new series Mare of Easttown. When he is not on the job, you can find him dancing with his bboy crew, The Elusives. @kojakunbound
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Sandra Bazubwabo is an artist working at merging a plethora of disciplines. She writes, dances, researches and is studying in the middle ground of how creativity and wellness meet. She is a part of the University of Maryland - College Park graduating Class of 2020, receiving a B.A. in both Government & Politics and Dance. She is working with Americorps in the fall and hopes to continue her studies in a master's program in the near future. @dapper.daniella
Paetyn Lewis, from Upstate NY attends the University of Maryland as a rising junior. She is pursuing a B.A. in dance with a minor in business. Along with Project Charma she also performs with UMDs Prima Dolls Dance Team. Recent performances include: Tides (2019), UMoves- Sit Tight (2019), and Second Season- I Am Womb (2020). @paepae__
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Amma Bempa began her training recreationally after 5 years of gymnastics and continued into high school as a member of the pom/dance team. During her college career, she was a member of dance organizations Afrochique (2016-17) and Prima Dolls (2017-2019). She also performed in the Spring 2019 MFA Thesis concert, Tides. As a recent University of Maryland graduate, Amma hopes to use her B.S. in Kinesiology to teach dancers, especially “late-bloomers,” how to move their bodies while being productive and safe. She loves planning and indulging in anything artistic from painting on many mediums to playing the violin.
Merissa Collins was born on the island of Grenada and moved to Maryland when she was six years old. She graduated from the University of Maryland-College Park in 2019, with a B.A. in Dance and B.A. Sociology. While at UMD, Merissa performed in several dance works including: High Violet (2019), Tides (2019), and CLOVE (2018). She has also performed in various venues in the DMV such as The Kennedy Center, Sidney Harman Hall, and Joe’s Movement Emporium. Merissa hopes to attend graduate school in the fall of 2021 to pursue an M.A. in Culture and Media Studies. @meri_kashi24
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Brandi Bertie is a dancer and current post-baccalaureate student at NYU, pursuing a Certificate in Pre-Health Studies. She holds a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Kinesiology from UMD - College Park. This summer she is interning with NYU Langone Health’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries, while also doing research on how COVID-19 has affected maternal mortality in Black communities. Some of her UMD performance credits include: -tion and Mistari Ya Kuona by Angad Kalsi, and Akwantou: Plight of the Immigrant by Mustapha Brimah. Training: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, Dynamic Dance Team. @brandi211_
Selyse fluxuates between being an independent artist and collaborating with others. She started dancing as a teenager and is a UMD - College Park graduate with a B.S. in Psychology and B.A. in Dance. Along with Project ChArma, she is a company member of both Light Switch Dance Theatre and Capitol Movement. She has worked with artists such as Helanius J. Wilkins, Heart Strück Bernie, MK Abadoo, Monstah Black, and Mamela Nyamza. Her self-choreographed work, Silent, was presented at the Joy of Motion’s Dance Project Regional Artists showcase (2020) and the ACDA Mid-Atlantic North Conference Informal Concert (2017). @seityselyse
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Nneka Onyima is a Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) Scholar pursuing a double major in Finance and Dance at the University of Maryland College Park. She is a nationally acclaimed step performer and a professional teaching artist for Step Afrika! Nneka uplifts her community of young and diverse students and facilitates the core values of stepping for the Step Up program in collaboration with the Strathmore. With heavy influence from her Nigerian culture, her work as a professional makeup artist, musician, creative director and dancer is cross functional and investigative and explores the possibilities of those intersections. @nneknnek_
Georgina Gabbidon began her dance training at Joyful Motion Dance Company and instructed there as well. She graduated from University of Maryland with a B.A. in Dance, with a Business Entrepreneurship minor, all while on the physical therapy track. During undergrad she was the executive and artistic director of Prima Dolls as well as a T.A. for a non-major modern dance course. Recent performances include: Octavia’s Brood: Riding the Ox Home (2015), Shook (2017), Akwantuo: Plight of the Immigrant (2018) & Tides (2019). @ms.sapphir3
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Asia Wyatt, PhD, was born and raised in Covington, GA. She is a performance and visual artist all while being a mathematician and algorithm developer at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She has worked with artists including MK Abadoo, Mustapha Braimah, and, of course, Project ChArma. Recent performances include: Tides (2019), Wake Up! (2018), Full Circle: Bridging the Gap (2018), Akwantuo: Plight of the Immigrant (2018), Octavia's Brood: Riding the Ox Home (2017), and youcanplayinthesun (2017), with dance training from Spelman College Dance Theatre and Covington Regional Ballet. @yesthecontinent
Michelle Appiah is originally from Ghana, West Africa. She was born in a small town (Pramso) near Kumasi, where dancing was paramount in her everyday activities. A sports enthusiast and a lover of Korean music who occasionally dabbles in dance. She hopes others can feel the joy that she feels when she dances. Thanks to her mother, dance will always hold a dear place in her heart. @jsjnjjv
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Tulani Ahmed is a Spring 2020 graduate of University of Maryland - College Park, with a B.A. in Communications on the Social Influence track. She has been a part of DMV crews: Culture Shock D.C., KickRocks Crew and L.E.D. (Laura Edwards Dance Company). Recent performances include: Tides (2019), “-tion” by Angad Kalsi (2019), as well as her own cultivated project titled, “friends.” which debuted at the 2019 Rip The Floor Competition. @tulanijanae
Sheanice Hazen is a dancer and musician from Maryland. She has had training in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, contemporary, lyrical, and hip hop. Sheanice has performed during halftime at the Globetrotters game, and she was a featured dancer for the National Cherry Blossom Parade. Sheanice has performed in various crews in the DMV (Future Shock DC, Culture Shock and Kick Pebbles), with The House of Tap Company (Millennium Stage - Kennedy Center) and in Ama Law’s Thesis Tides (2019 premier). Sheanice is a current member of L.E.D (Laura Edwards Dance Company). @shea_marie99
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post-show discussion moderator
A DC native, Jameelah Imani Morris is a PhD Candidate in Social and Cultural Anthropology at Stanford University. Her dissertation research, entitled “Defending life, now and for the future: Black Youth Combating Anti-Black Violence in Colombia” studies how Black youth political mobilizations in Cartagena, Colombia combat anti-Black state violence in their communities and transnationally. Prior to her graduate studies, Jameelah worked as a strategy and implementation consultant for national organizations working to improve the life outcomes of Black youth across the US and lead youth and community development projects throughout the US and Latin America. At Stanford, she has co-founded the Black Studies Collective and the Latin America and the Caribbean Working Group. Additionally, Jameelah is Youth Advisor to the African Diaspora Ancestral Commemoration Institute based in Washington, D.C. @hauntiemeewah
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libation ceremony
Niya “Okomfo AbeNiya Botwe” Adams started her Akan priesthood training under Tutelage of Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu under the direction of Nana Esi Dinizulu and Nana Adzua Opare of Onipa Abusia in April of 2009. She completed her training and graduated as a priestess to Nana Asuo Botopre on August of 2012. @abeniya
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resources researcher
Jasmine Mitchell is a playwright, director, and performer. She recently graduated from University of Maryland with her BA in Theatre. Jasmine is most passionate about theatre for social change that is faith-based and highlights Black women’s stories. She is currently working on a comprehensive anti-racist guide: tinyurl.com/anti-racist-packet. KCACTF Honorable mention. @smooth_jas
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tech support
Jonathan Hsu has a BA in Dance and BS in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland College Park. Performing credits include Rennie Harris Puremovement, Orange Grove Dance, Project ChArma, and PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER. Along with dance performance and teaching Jonathan is also interested in the intersection of dance and media through photography, videography, and projection design and uses all of those skills as the current digital content and social media associate at Dance Place. He has also recently started a new YouTube channel called “Dance Tech with JHsu” focusing on tech support for dancers.
www.jhsumedia.com @jhsumedia www.youtube.com/dancetechwithjhsu @jhsudancetech |
