“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey – Details, episodes & analysis

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Diana Byer, founding director of the New York Theater Ballet.

In this episode of Dance Talk with Joanne Carey, join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest, Diana Byer, as she shares her life in dance which began from a suggestion made by her pediatrician to exercise. That first class lead to a lifetime career in dance, an art form on which she continues to leave her imprint and is creating a profound and exemplary legacy.

Diana discusses her commitment to developing dance artists and her outreach program for homeless and at-risk children.

Diana Byer received her principal dance training from Margaret Craske and Antony Tudor. She is the founder of New York Theater Ballet that stages works that are intimate in scale and able to touch audiences in deeply personal ways. Hailed by Dance Magazine as “a miniature American treasure,” NYTB is known for its theatrical inventiveness, high production quality, excellent technique, and accessibility to its audiences. She has been a guest instructor of the Cecchetti Society of America, the Cecchetti Society of Canada (Toronto), Cornell and New York Universities, State University of New York at Purchase, Martha Graham School, and other centers of dance. Ms. Byer conducts master classes in schools and performance settings across the USA and Europe.

Ms. Byer received extensive media attention for her ongoing work with homeless and at-risk children, winning special citations from President George Bush, First Lady Hillary Clinton, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the President’s Committee on the Arts & the Humanities. The LIFT Community Service program, which provides dance classes, performance opportunities, scholarships, and services for homeless and at-risk children in New York, was initiated at NYTB through her vision and commitment.

In 1988, 1990, and 1993, Ms. Byer received the Helen Wieselberg Award of the National Arts Club in recognition for her ongoing work with LIFT. In 1992, Lincoln Center produced, at Alice Tully Hall, a one-hour presentation for children called Dreams On A Shoestring, featuring an original script based on Ms. Byer and LIFT. She received a Humanitarian Hero recognition from Good Housekeeping Magazine for her ongoing work with LIFT and was the 2023 Martha Hill Dance Fund Lifetime Achievement Awardee. The feature-length film LIFT, documenting Ms. Byer’s journey of LIFT, was featured in the 2022 Tribeca Festival and recognized with a “Children’s Resilience in Film Award” by Shine Global.

In December 1996, she was again spotlighted in two features in Dance Magazine. Ms. Byer coached the principals in the Columbia Pictures film, Center Stage. She was a member of the Antony Tudor Centennial Celebration Committee and in 2008 staged Tudor’s Judgment of Paris for the American Ballet Theatre Gala at The Metropolitan Opera House. She is a repetiteur for the Antony Tudor Trust and a member of the Board of Directors of the Dance Notation Bureau and The Clive and Valerie Barnes Foundation.

In 2010 she assisted Kevin McKenzie in ABT’s restaging of Antony Tudor’s Jardin Aux Lilas (Lilac Garden) and staged Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil for the Alabama Ballet.

In 2011 Ms. Byer restaged Antony Tudor’s Soiree Musicale and the dances from Agnes de Mille’s Carousel, Oklahoma, and Brigadoon for American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company.

She continues to direct the NYTB School which she established in 1978.

Learn more about The Diana Byer Legacy Project

https://www.dancio.com/dianabyerlegacyproject

Learn more about New York Theater Ballet

⁠https://nytb.org/about⁠

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Artistic Director & CEO, Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispánico. 

In this episode of “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey, join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest, Eduardo Vilaro, who sits at the head of Ballet Hispánico, leading the organization into its 55th year as a world-class organization with a spirit of love, grace and humility.

This engaging and beautiful conversation explores the history of Ballet Hispánico, Mr. Vilaro's story of emigrating from Cuba at 6 years old, his career, his love for his culture, life and the art form along with his continued commitment to making the life and experience of the community around him purposeful and beautiful.

Eduardo Vilaro is the Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico (BH). He was named BH's Artistic Director in 2009, becoming only the second person to head the company since its founding in 1970, and in 2015 was also named Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Vilaro has infused Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape.

Mr. Vilaro’s philosophy of dance stems from a basic belief in the power of the arts to change lives, reflect and impact culture, and strengthen community. He considers dance to be a liberating, non-verbal language through which students, dancers, and audiences of all walks of life and diverse backgrounds, can initiate ongoing conversations about the arts, expression, identity, and the meaning of community.

Born in Cuba and raised in New York from the age of six, Mr. Vilaro’s own choreography is devoted to capturing the Latin American experience in its totality and diversity, and through its intersectionality with other diasporas. A Ballet Hispánico dancer and educator from 1988 to 1996, he left New York, earned a master’s in interdisciplinary arts at Columbia College Chicago and then embarked on his own act of advocacy with a ten-year record of achievement as Founder and Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago.

The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Mr. Vilaro received the Ruth Page Award for choreography in 2001; was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016; and was awarded HOMBRE Magazine’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year. In 2019, he received the West Side Spirit’s WESTY Award, was honored by WNET for his contributions to the arts, and was the recipient of the James W. Dodge Foreign Language Advocate Award. In August 2020, City & State Magazine included Mr. Vilaro in the inaugural Power of Diversity: Latin 100 list. In January 2021, Mr. Vilaro was recognized with a Compassionate Leaders Award, given to leaders who are courageous, contemplative, collaborative, and care about the world they will leave behind. He is a well-respected speaker on such topics as diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts, as well as on the merits of the intersectionality of cultures and the importance of nurturing and building Latinx leaders.

For Information on Ballet Hispánico

https://www.ballethispanico.org/  

Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance 

WEBSITE Link

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/

YOUTUBE Link

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Megan Williams. 

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest, Megan Williams, whose long and varied career as a dance artist brought her from Julliard to dancing with the Mark Morris Dance Group. 

She candidly shares her experience as a teacher and choreographer along with the challenges and rewards of aging in the dance world.

Megan shares about her upcoming show, 'Smile Though Your Heart is Aching'  taking place at the Mark Morris Dance Center in April 2024.

Megan Williams  is an independent dance artist, choreographer, teacher and repetiteur, with a BFA from the Juilliard School, and an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Her choreography has been produced by 10 Hairy Legs, DANCE NOW NYC at Joe’s Pub and Dance Theater Workshop, and by the Rivertown Artist’s Workshop, Barnspace, MIXT Co., Purchase College, Marymount Manhattan College, Connecticut College, and Interlochen Arts Academy. In addition to performing her own work, she can be seen dancing with choreographer Rebecca Stenn and in Netta Yerushalmy’s Paramodernities project. She performed and toured internationally in the 1980’s with the companies of Laura Glenn, Ohad Naharin, and Mark Haim, among many others. In 1988, she joined the Mark Morris Dance Group, dancing for 10 years, touring worldwide, teaching, and appearing in several films, including Falling Down Stairs (with YoYo Ma), The Hidden Soul of Harmony, The Hard Nut, and Dido and Aeneas. Ms. Williams continues her affiliation with Morris as guest performer, creating the role of Lady Capulet in Morris' 2009 Romeo and Juliet: On Motifs of Shakespeare and dancing in Bijoux at the 2014 Bessie Awards, guest rehearsal director, and guest faculty at the Mark Morris Dance Center. She has staged Morris' work on the Purchase Dance Company, Vassar Repertory Company, Fieldston Dance Company, the Boston Ballet, and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and on students at the Juilliard School, George Mason University, Les Etes de la Danse (Paris), Interlochen Arts Academy, and Cal State Long Beach among others. Ms. Williams has been Morris’ assistant in a variety of settings including ballet, Broadway and television. From 2000-2013 she served on the modern dance faculty of the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, State University of New York and taught as a guest lecturer at Connecticut College in 2017. She was featured in Dance Teacher Magazine in 2010, 2014, and 2019. She teaches Dance for Parkinson’s Disease in Rye, NY, and is on the renowned Dance for PD flagship teaching team. She has recently served on the faculties of Marymount Manhattan College and Hunter College teaching Anatomy for Dancers. She has served on the board of directors of the Martha Hill Dance Fund since 2011 and is proud to have a producing credit on the documentary film Martha Hill: Making Dance Matter. She was a 2019 Center for Ballet and the Arts Artistic Partnership Initiative Fellow at NYU (CBA). She is currently on the ballet faculty of Sarah Lawrence College.

Instagram @meganwilliamsdance

https://www.mwdanceprojects.com/

Purchase Tickets below

Smile, though your heart is aching is  a world premiere evening length dance and live music event with choreography by Megan Williams in collaboration with composer Eve Beglarian.
https://megan-williams-dance-projects.ticketleap.com/smile-though-your-heart-is-aching/

Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Alicia Graf Mack, Dean and Director of the Dance  Division of The Juilliard School. 

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest, Alicia Graf Mack who was recently recognized as a Dance Magazine Award Honoree.    

Join us as we talk, not only about her inspiring career, its longevity and the set backs she has overcome, but she graciously pulls back the curtain on her gratefulness, spirituality and family that grounds her along with sharing her deep connection to the responsibility of an artist in the world.

You will agree that Alicia Graf Mack brings this to all she does. 

Be inspired by this kind, gentle, thought provoking and intelligent woman who not only loves to dance, but she loves teaching and loves to inspire the success of her students no matter which path they choose. 

Listen in and be 'moved in these moments.'

Alicia Graf Mack enjoyed a distinguished career as a leading dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.  She has also been a principal dancer with Dance Theater of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and she had danced as a guest performer with Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, Beyonce, John Legend, Andre 3000, and Alicia Keys.  Graf Mack graduated magna cum laude with honors in history from Columbia University and holds an MA in nonprofit management from Washington University in ST. Louis.  In 2007, Smithsonian Magazine named her American Innovator of the ARTS and Sciences. She is the recipient of the Columbia University Medal of Excellence, an award given each year an alumnus who has demonstrated excellence in their field of work.  In 2008, she delivered the keynote address to the graduates of Columbia University's School of General Studies.  As a dance educator, Graf Mack most recently taught as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Houston and was a visiting assistant professor at Webster University.  She is co-founder of D(n)A Arts Collective, an initiative created to enrich the lives of young dancers through master classes and intensives.  She began her inaugeral season as director of the Juilliard Dance Division in 2018.

Follow on Instagram

@aliciagrafmack @movingmomentspodcast

https://www.juilliard.edu/dance/faculty/graf-mack-alicia

Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest: Joan Myers Brown during Women's History Month.

Listen in with Ms. Brown (who is 92 years young) shares her story that began as a young dancer living in segregated America who became determined to create opportunities for black dancers. Ms. Brown emphasizes the power and essence of dance as a form of expression and the life lessons it teaches. She is a lady who will inspire you to do and be your best!

Joan Myers Brown (affectionately known as “Aunt Joan” or “JB”) is the founder of The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts in 1960 and The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!) in 1970.  She serves as honorary chairperson for the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), established in 1991, an organization that she laid the groundwork for in 1988 with the founding of the International Conference of Black Dance Companies.  She is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, which bestowed upon her an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts; is a member of the dance faculty at Howard University in Washington, DC; and awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. In May 2015, she received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from The University of Pennsylvania. Listed in Who’s Who in America and described as an “innovator and communicator,” Ms. Brown has made significant contributions to arts communities locally, regionally, nationally and throughout the world. 

Joan Myers Brown’s undisputed status as a leader in the national and international arts communities were acknowledged when she was selected to receive the 2012 National Medal of the Arts, the nation’s highest civic honor for excellence in the arts. President Barack Obama presented the prestigious honor at a ceremony that took place in July 2013 at the White House. President Obama cited Ms. Brown for carving out “an artistic haven for African American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create, and share their unique visions with the national and global dance communities.”

In May 2020, Ms. Brown celebrated two landmark achievements – PHILADANCO!’s  50th year and the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts’ 60th year.  She as recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Recognition from the Martha Hill Awards Gala.

Find out more about Joan Myers Brown and Philadanco:

https://philadanco.org/about/

@philadanco

@philaschoolofdancearts

@joanmyersbrown

⁠⁠⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with 

Special Guest: Valerie Green. Valerie shares her dance journey and what lead her to the work she does today as well as her choreographic process.

Valerie also shares the wonderful, healing work she has been dedicated to- providing performances and workshops for underserved populations, including at-risk youth, trauma survivors, the formerly incarcerated, addiction rehabilitation patients, older adults, and those with differing abilities, immigrant communities and more.

This is a person dedicated to helping lives.

Valerie's new work 'Rite' premieres Feb 29th-March 2nd at

The Center at West Park:165 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024

centeratwestpark.org

Tickets: https://danceentropy.networkforgood.com/events/65644-rite-premiere

Valerie Green: Artistic Director of Dance Entropy and the Founder and Director of Green Space.

She is a dancer, choreographer, working over 25 years with dancers of all levels, from the absolute beginner to the consummate professional, Valerie Green has developed her unique teaching style, Dance Your Frame. She has taught master classes and workshops to dancers of varying ages locally in New York, nationally, and in countries as far reaching as Azerbaijan, Armenia, India, and Cuba. Dance Your Frame integrates Green’s own style, emphasizing correct musculature and bone alignment, with the Erick Hawkins technique. She supplements her modern dance technique methods with creative workshops such as Enter The Body: Choreography Workshop.

Green has also developed two unique workshops, Skimming the Surface and Movement Playground, through her individual teaching experience and the outreach programs she spearheads in her local community for groups such as older adults, at risk youth and trauma survivors. These movement workshops for non-dance populations are rooted in Green’s philosophy that all bodies can benefit from movement and dance. She also offers one on one sessions in Core Energetics a somatic based psychotherapy modality and facilitates and Somatic Healing Group

Green is available to lead classes and workshops at a variety of partner organizations independently, through festivals or in conjunction with VG/DE’s grant programs.

Contact Valerie Info@DanceEntropy.org

https://www.danceentropy.org/

Follow Valerie @danceentropy

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

And follow  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with 

Special Guest: Liz Gerring chair of the 2024 Martha Hill Awards Gala.  Join us as we chat about Liz's career as a dancer, choreographer and teacher and the legacy of Martha Hill "whose influence in the world of dance education and performance knew no bounds."   

Liz Gerring is the Executive Director of Liz Gerring Dance and the chair of the 2024 Martha Hill Awards Gala.

Liz was born in San Francisco in 1965 and grew up in Los Angeles where she began studying dance at age 13.  Ms. Gerring studied at the Cornish Institute in Seattle, and in 1987 she received a BFA from the Juilliard School. 

She formed the Liz Gerring Dance Company in 1998 and has been presenting her work in New York City and abroad continuously since that time. Ms. Gerring was awarded the Jacob’s Pillow prize in June 2015 and a Joyce Theater Residency the same year. Between 2013-18, Ms. Gerring was commissioned for three works in collaboration with composer Michael J. Schumacher for Peak Performances at the Kasser Theater in Montclair NJ. In 2017/18 she was awarded a City Center Choreographic Fellowship and in 2019 Ms. Gerring was one of five artists to receive the Cage - Cunningham Fellowship from the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Ms. Gerring has been on the faculty of Groove With Me, an after school dance program for girls, since 2018.

She lives in New York City and upstate NY with her husband Kirk Radke, her three children, a dog and a cat. 

“For most of my life I have been engaged in the pursuit of movement for its own sake. Developing an early interest in abstraction as the primary means to expression, I have focused my work on the body and its presentation through space and time.” -- Liz Gerring

⁠⁠⁠Follow Liz @lizgerringdance

https://www.lizgerringdance.org/

For information on the

Martha Hill Awards go to

https://www.marthahilldance.org/martha-hill-awards

and follow

@marthahilldancefund

"Our goal is to honor a professional in the dance field who exemplifies any or all of those qualities for which Martha Hill was most revered--whether an educator or a creative force who has made a significant contribution to the field of dance 'behind the scenes".

⁠⁠⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

And follow  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest: Alex Smith Jr.  Executive Chairman of Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center.  

Listen in as we sit down and talk about Alex's unexpected and fascinating journey that lead him to where he is today. A Visual Artist, Graphic Designer, Caretaker and Executive Chairman and a man with an open heart to where he is lead- we are celebrating this man and all he is doing in the community and for the performing arts!

THPAC's Black History Month FREE program Saturday, February 24, 4 p.m.  

Alex Smith Jr.  was born in Montgomery, AL. His parents, both veterans of the Montgomery bus boycott, migrated to Brooklyn, NY when he was 3 years old. He has resided in Brooklyn ever since that time. Smith is the Executive Chairman of Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC). This association began in 1988, when it’s then executive director, Melvin Davis hired Smith to assist in re-branding the image of THPAC. It turned into a long term business relationship with THPAC which continued until the untimely death of Melvin Davis in May of 1995. At this point Smith was asked by the THPAC board to consider becoming the executive director. He accepted the position along with choreographer Marshall Swiney, who became artistic director of THPAC. 

Under Smith’s continuing tenure at THPAC as Executive Chairman, over 300 artists have been presented in performance including: Ron Brown, Camille Brown, George Faison, Louis Johnson, Marlies  Yearby, Fred Benjamin, Urban Bush Women, Dance Theater of Harlem and Philadanco, among many others; seven new programming formats have been added; THPAC’s  Life Time Achievement Awards were established; new relationships with performance venues at Long Island University and the Actors Fund Arts Center were formed;  a development dept. for THPAC was established; new in-house works for THPAC entitled Audre Lorde In Motion, Ramp to Paradise and The Gospel According to THPAC were produced; the administrative staff and THPAC boards were restructured; the relocation of THPAC’s headquarters was accomplished.  Smith is spearheading the production of a documentary on THPAC’s 42 years on the dance scene as well as laying out a digital archival structure for THPAC in association with the NYPL at Lincoln Center. On October 18, 2016 Smith was the recipient of the Bessie Award for outstanding service to the field of dance. Smith is a Brooklyn College graduate with advance graphics design/photography studies from the School of  Visual Arts. He is a graphics designer and a visual fine artist.

Thelma Hill Performing Arts Center (THPAC), the oldest presenting organization in Brooklyn, and Central Baptist Church of NYC will present its FREE Black History Month program on Saturday, February 24, 4 p.m. for the community celebrating Black contributions through music, dance and spoken word in observance with Black History Month. The performance features three bible-themed works by choreographer Walter Rutledge, featuring dancers Amina Konate and Tevin Johnson and narration by James Earl Jones.

THPAC and Central Baptist Church of NYC are committed to the remembrance of Black history and to uplifting of African Americans. By reaching back through this program, we can envision and grasp a healing future for our community and all of humanity. Audiences, the church congregation and larger community will experience a performance about faith, perseverance and the collective strength communities have when joined together.

Find out more https://www.thelmahill.org/

⁠⁠⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and  Jamel Gaines of Creative Outlet.

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest: Jamel Gaines, founder and Director of Creative Outlet. 

This year marks a special moment for JGCO's annual program as more than 3,000 New York City Public School students will experience the lessons of Remembering. The Company will travel to Cape Coast and Accra, Ghana giving performances and workshops in Africa.

Listen in as we talk about the impact Arts in Education had and continues to have in Jamel's life.

The February 15 performance of Remembering is in collaboration with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, City Council Member Crystal Hudson, and NAACP Brooklyn Chapter, and pays tribute to New York City Board of Education principals and teachers. The February 16 performance is in collaboration with the Delta’s Chapter of Brooklyn. The

February 17 performance is in collaboration with the Brooklyn Brownstones Organization

https://youtu.be/x8JgSjd3S_M?si=HIB-br85c8s4xW0M

Tickets are available through the link belowhttps://www.bam.org/dance/2024/remembering

Brooklyn Academy of Music on February 15 and 16 at 7:30 PM and February 17th at 2 PM.

Jamel Gaines is the Founder and Artistic Director of Creative Outlet.Jamel has dedicated his life to delivering artistic excellence and stirring, soaring performance to audiences everywhere.  With more than 22 years of teaching and choreographing experience, Jamel seeks to inspire, motivate and nurture dancers and artists.  Under his leadership, Creative Outlet has set itself apart as a highly acclaimed performing arts organization with a proven record in training the next generation of professional dancers and artists.

Some of Jamel’s more recent choreography includes the crowd pleasing presentation live streamed across the internet during Spike Lee’s Annual Tribute Concert to Michael Jackson (August 2017) televised choreography and dramatic performance by contestants on So You Think You Can Dance. (2010).  In addition, Mr. Gaines has created and staged over 25 repertory and concert productions.  He has had the distinction of working with such distinguished artists as Jennifer Holiday, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Savion Glover, Malik Yoba, George Fasion, Ornette Coleman, Ossie Davis, Olatunje Babatunde, Max Roach, Cassandra Wilson and Rick James.

Founder and Artistic Director, Jamel Gaines has dedicated his life to delivering artistic excellence to artists and audiences.

Jamel has 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 publications such as Essence Magazine, The New York Times, The Seattle Times and The Daily News.  His work has been staged by the Actors Theater Workshop, The NYC Department of Parks, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, the Paramount Theatre and The Martha Graham School.

  Mr. Gaines serves as the director of St. Paul’s Eldad Medad Danced Ministry. His work at St. Paul’s includes “He Got Up”, the commemoration of the African Holocaust and the acclaimed “Black Nativity” for which he won an Obie Award.

Gaines began his dance career in the mid-1990s under the direction of Diane and Adrian Brown, and James Grant and Received his BFA from SUNY Purchase.

He credits the development of his unique and nurturing approach to teaching and composing to Kevin Iega Jeff.

Follow on Instagram @jamelgainescreativeoutlet 

Find out more https://www.creativeoutlet.org/⁠

⁠⁠⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

And follow  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and  Karisma Jay.

In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest: Karisma Jay founder of the AbunDance Academy of the Arts, teaching and mentoring abundance in the lives of all her students . The AbunDance Academy is the first Black Owned Non-Profit Arts Organization to produce an original production written by Karisma herself.

With a healthy and robust curriculum, AbunDance Academy of the Arts offers specialized classes in Dance, Audition Prep, Adult Fitness and Aerial Yoga. Its diverse faculty roster includes highly skilled teaching artists who are passionate about their artistry and the budding artistry of every student. Located in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights / Lefferts Gardens neighborhood, AbunDance Academy gives students the opportunity to explore their passions without having to travel to another borough.

The organization will host the second annual Abundance Awards to be held at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn to Benefit The Abundance Academy of Arts on February 4th.

Tickets are available through the link below

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2nd-annual-abundance-awards-tickets-523131930687?aff=oddtdtcreator

The AbunDance Awards were created in 2023 and raise funds for the AbunDance Arts Academy, founded by award-winning artist and entrepreneur Karisma Jay to show youths what they can accomplish in the dance world and to honor people of color who have made significant contributions to the field. 2024 honorees include Reginald Van Lee, Assane Konte, Obediah Wright, Karen Thornton, Jamel Gaines, Chloe Arnold, Maud Arnold, Arcell Cabuag, and Nicole Deweever. 

Karisma Jay is a Brooklyn native , dancer, actress, singer, director, playwright, choreographer, coach, teacher, entrepreneur and host who has been performing, curating and creating for three decades. She is the recipient of a Dance Teacher Magazine 2021 Dance Teacher Award and a 2023 Women of Distinction Award Recipient. Her work has been featured on Netflix, Lifetime, BET, MTV, NBC, and VH1. In 2013, Karisma joined STOMP. In 2016, Family Circle magazine coined her a “Local Hero,” and Lifetime TV called her “a Female Entrepreneur to Watch.” In 2017, she won the “Power Women in Business” award for her work as Artistic Director/Founder of AbunDance Academy. A recent Summa Cum Laude Dance MFA graduate of Hunter College, she also Guest Teaches Dance/Culture at Hunter. A Guest Teaching Artist at The Juilliard School, LaGuardia High School, Hunter College, Ballet Tech, and Broadway Dance Center, she was also the choreographic apprentice of David Byrne’s American Utopia and choreographer for COMMON's Music Video, "When We Move." 

Jay is dedicated to providing affordable classes and opportunities to perform for young aspiring dancers of color. She conceived, co-wrote, and co-directed the 2022 short film C.R.O.W.N., which tells the story of a young Brown ballerina who has to tame her hair into submission for the biggest audition of her life. The film was inspired by Jay’s own attempts to fit into a ballet world with her thick, curly hair and Afro-Latina curves. Crown sparked an important conversation around embracing one’s differences and loving one’s hair texture and skin tone in ballet. Jay also directed the 2021 short film Just Like YOU to inspire young people to love themselves regardless of their skin color, hair texture, body shape, or background.

Follow on Instagram @abundance_company @iamkarisamajayFind out more https://www.abundancearts.org/our-journey

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