Master Dance Series Classes & Performances Providing an Iconic & Revolutionary Dance Experience. Artistic Director, Dawn Stewart Branch
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Master Teachers
Troy Powell, a native New Yorker, began his dance training at the age of nine at The Ailey School. Following his graduation from The High School of Performing Arts, he became a member of Ailey II. Mr. Powell joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1991. He toured throughout the United States, South America, Europe and South Africa for ten years before becoming a master teacher at The Ailey School and resident choreographer of Ailey II. Mr. Powell has choreographed ballets for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Dallas Black Dance Theater, National Dance Company of the Bahamas and Alaska Dance Theater. His guest artist credits include performing with companies such as Batsheva, Dallas Black Dance Theater and Complexions. Featured in an American Express commercial with AAADT, Mr. Powell has also appeared on television in George C. Wolfe's The Colored Museum and the PBS Great Performances: Dance In America, A Hymn for Alvin Ailey, choreographed by Judith Jamison. Mr. Powell teaches master classes and workshops throughout the country. In 2002, Mr. Powell choreographed a ballet for Ailey II with music by McCoy Tyner for the Verizon Arts festival at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.
Mr. Wright has over 20 years of professional experience and has worked with some of the best in the business such as: Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, M'bogeni Ngema (writer & director) of the Broadway Musical "Sarafina", Suzan Birkenhead (lyricist for Broadway's "Jelly's Last Jam"), Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, & Erykah Badu. The New York native received his training at the Bernice Johnson Dance Studio, High School of the Performing Arts, Alvin Ailey, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Lee Aka Thompson, and The Julliard School. Mr Wright has appeared in the Walt Disney documentary "Head of the class/The Lion King." He has choreographed & taught master classes internationally at some of the most prestigious schools. He has taught in Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, & the Bahamas.
Ted Thomas- Artistic Director of Thomas/Ortiz Dance
A native New Yorker, former rapper and graffiti artist, Ted Thomas attended the High School for Performing Arts before receiving his B.F.A. from the State University of New York at Purchase. He went on to earn a Masters degree in dance and higher education from New York University. He danced with Ballet Hispanico, Elisa Monte, and the Murray Louis and Nikolais Company prior to joining the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1996. While choreographing and continuing to perform with Thomas/Ortiz Dance, Mr. Thomas was for two years Artist-in-Residence at Barnard College. He currently teaches dance at the New England Academy of Dance and at New Canaan High School in New Canaan, CT.
Monica Richardson
Choreographer-Hip Hop/Urban Contemporary A graduate of New World School of Arts in Miami, Monica is trained in modern, ballet, and jazz disciplines. Monica has received dance scholarships to attend Bates Dance Festival and performed lead roles in both Debbie Allen’s “Pepito’s” and LaVerne Reed’s “The Chocolate Nutcracker.” She has worked and performed as a background dancer for Gloria Estefan, and has recently dance in music videos for rap artist Ja Rule and Missy Elliot. Monica has worked with the production company Galaxy and was involved as choreographer and dancer of the show Dremafination, which was performed in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.
Lloyd Whitmore
Choreographer / Modern Dance Instructor
Lloyd Whitmore, a native of Philadelphia Penna., began his dance career at age 20. Since then he has spent 30 years in dance as a teacher and choreographer. Trained in the Lester Horton and Martha Graham techniques, Mr. Whitmore has performed all over the world with companies such as Philadanco, The New Orleans Opera, and the DC Contemporary Dance Theater. From 1991 – 1993, Mr. Whitmore served as Artistic Director of his own modern dance company, the New World Dance Company
of Washington, DC. Mr. Whitmore was the first male recipient of a scholarship to the Craft of Choreography Conference from the North East Regional Ballet Association in 1983. He presently resides in Atlanta, GA and serves on the faculties of The Governors School of the Arts and Humanities (SC) and the Atlanta Ballet (GA). Mr. Whitmore also freelances throughout the country teaching Master Classes and choreographing for various performing arts schools, colleges, universities and regional dance companies. He is the owner of LEW Design, a Graphic Design Agency.
Roger C. Jeffrey was born in New York where he began his training at Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center. A graduate of Performing Arts High School, he received his B.F.A. from The Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. Mr. Jeffrey has performed in the companies of Bernice Johnson, Kevin Iega Jeff, Twyla Tharp, Zvi Gotheiner, Lar Lubovitch and with Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project. He has also worked with Gary Deloatch, Martial Roumain, Dudley Williams, Eleo Pomare, Otis Salid, Debbie Allen, Christopher Huggins, Danny Tidwell, Rasta Thomas, D'bi. Young, Doug Varone, Richard Move, Mark Dendy and Obediah Wright. Roger C. Jeffrey is one of the most sensitive and savviest of young producers in New York New York Times.
Kevin Iega Jeff was named one of the Juilliard School’s “100 Outstanding Alumni” at the school’s 100th anniversary. It’s an honor he shares with actor Robin Williams and musician/educator Wynton Marsalis. With over 30 years of experience in artistic direction, training and management, Mr. Jeff is an accomplished choreographer, director, teacher and performer. His performing credits include: The Wiz and Comin’ Uptown on Broadway, and a 1994 Academy Awards performance as The Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast choreography by Debbie Allen. His credits for direction and choreography include: Mr. Jeff was nominated for a prestigious USA Artists Fellowship, and in 2008 he won a Dayton Tony for “Best Choreography” for the Equity production of Shenandoah. In 2008, Mr. Jeff also received the Black Theater Alliance award for “Best Direction of a Musical” for DRP’s workshop production of Nefertiti: A Concert of Music and Dance. Mr. Jeff served as Artist in Residence for ten years at Howard University, and is presently Artist in Residence at Purdue University’s Black Cultural Center in Lafayette, IN.
In 1998, Desmond Richardson joined the premiere cast of the Broadway Musical Fosse for which he received a 1999 Tony Award Nomination. He has also appeared on Broadway in the musical, The Look of Love and in the critically acclaimed Movin’ Out. He had a principal role in Debbie Allen’s dance/theatrical presentation, Soul Possessed, which premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1999.
Richardson has worked in television, film, and video in the United States and abroad. These experiences have allowed him to perform with such musical artists as Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Madonna. He is featured in Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi’s film, One Last Dance and the Oscar winning Chicago. He made his singing debut in Charles Randolph Wright’s 2005 film, Preaching to the Choir, performed the lead role of Beowulf in Julie Taymor’s Grendel at the LA Opera, Richardson recently appeared in Taymor’s Film, Across the Universe.
His recent honors include the Alvin Ailey School’s 2006 Apex award and the prestigous 2007 Dance Magazine Award. Recently Richardson partnered & performed with Diana Vishneva, in her one women show Beauty in Motion, at New York City Center and St.Petersburg, Russia, and is one of two Dancers invited by the President of the United States to perform in the in the 60th Presidential Conference in Israel May 08.
Jamel Gaines, Founder of Creative Outlet and Artistic Director of it’s Company, Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, started dancing under the direction of Diane and Adrian Brown, when he was ten years old. His choreographic career began while he was a student at Purchase University Conservatory of Dance. There he received the Harry Belafonte and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center Scholarships in Dance, prior to graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance. As a young artist he was a member of JUBILATION! Dance Company. Under the tutelage of the company’s Artistic Director Kevin Jeff, Gaines was able to develop his skills as a professional artist and his own style as a choreographer.
Over the past 14 years, he has choreographed and staged over 35 repertory and concert productions for The Actors Theater Workshop, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, The Martha Graham School, La Guardia Performing Arts School, Julliard School, Purchase University, DanceAfrica and The Seattle Theatre Group. In 2004 Jamel appeared on Public Television’s "American Talent" in which he was presented The Teacher Recognition Award, during the Presidential Scholars in the Arts Committee at The Kennedy Center, and has been featured in Essence Magazine, The New York Times and The Daily News.Jamel Gaines is dedicated to asserting the prominence of the arts in America and committed to promoting the significance of dance seen through the lens of the African American experience, as a medium for honoring the past, celebrating the present and boldly reaching into the future.
ph: 407-488-4158
fax: 386-668-6925
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