COLLABORATORS
These are the beautiful humans that I often collaborate with to bring my work to life.
Mariama Noguera-Devers
Mariama hails from the beautiful twin-island of Trinidad and Tobago, the most Southern island of the Caribbean region. She is the Programs Manager at Art Start, a nonprofit dedicated to using the creative process to work with historically marginalized youth. Mariama graduated from The New School in 2017, with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Global Studies. She has both an acting and dance background, with training in styles such as modern Graham, West African and Trinidad and Tobago folk. She is also a freelance dancer, teaching Soca Fitness dance classes and performing with choreographers such as Ralph Lemon and Havanna Fisher.
Isabella Jackson
Isabella Jackson is a dancer and filmmaker residing in New York City. She attended Eugene Lang College the New School for Liberal Arts and received her BA in Culture and Media and Dance. She continues her dance career through singular projects with topics ranging from the art of movement, storytelling, social constructs and social justice. When Isabella is not dancing she is working on film projects ranging from script reading, script writing and video editing. She recently produced the independent feature film, Prom King 2010.
Olivia Porter
Olivia hails from Atlanta, Georgia. She began her studies at a young age and at the tender age of 18 she moved to NYC to attend Eugene Lang College to study dance. She is a recent graduate and has a Bachelors of Arts with a concentration in Dance. She has a background in studying ballet, jazz and modern dance. Olivia is interested in making her own choreographic work. She values creating work that not only challenges the work and dancers, but the audience as well.
Na'ilah Harris
Na'ilah Harris was born in New York City and received the majority of her dance training between Harlem School of the Arts, Edge School of the Arts, and Bedford Stuyvesant Youth Arts Academy. At the collegiate level, she has studied and performed with Eugene Lang at The New School and Howard University. She recently performed at the Groundswell Series with B.redi dance company of which she is a member. Currently pursuing her BA at the New School in Global Studies, Na'ilah would like to thank her parents and instructors for her training and Havanna Fisher for the opportunity to be a part of this performance.
Diana Uribe
Diana Uribe is a New Jersey native with a diverse dance training. She was introduced to dance at the age of three and trained in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, flamenco, and Latin styles. Her exposure to different techniques allows her to work in a wide-ranging approach. She is a contemporary dance-driven with a focus on collaborations across disciplines and rhythmic works. Diana now attends Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School as a Contemporary Dance and Psychology double major.
Jean Wakati
Jean Wakati is a Sudanese natural born dancer that has trained in several dances styles such as Hip Hop, Step, and dances of the African diaspora. Her love for dance had put her in a position to study at Portland Arts and Technology High School where she furthered her dance vocabulary in modern and choreographing. She also went on to joining Portland Youth Dance Company, then to dance for the Portland Red Claws Basketball Dance Team. She now spends her time teaching Hip Hop and Step to middle school students between the ages of ten to thirteen while furthering her vocabulary in House and Hip Hop dance styles.
Barbara E Byrd
Barbara E Byrd is an interdisciplinary artist from Hartford, CT relocated to New York City. She is a graduate of the Fine Arts BFA program at Parsons School of Design and the Screen Studies BA program at Eugene Lang College of Liberal arts. She currently works as a Program Manager for Triangle Arts Association, a non-profit Artist Residency located in DUMBO. In her spare time she is judging the quality of seltzer waters available on the market, figuring out how people can afford a 500k budget on HGTV while being iguana herders, and boldly singing r&b in her millennial pink outfits. @Bougieauntindabodega
Maria J Hackett
Maria J Hackett is a Brooklyn based artist with 11 plus years of experience. She has earned her BFA in Photography at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Through photography, she captures portraits of various individuals ranging from those of independent businesses to dancers, theater artists and more. With a background in dance, much of her work consists of movement. Through personal work, Maria has set out to capture and visually tell stories of those who may not have a platform to share their stories, with hopes of informing others. @MariaJHackett mariajhackett.com
Ashley Bernal
Ashley Bernal is a Ph.D. student in Public and Urban Policy at The New School’s Milano School of International Affairs. Her research interests include disparate impact for racial minorities and the various ways racial minorities experience citizenship. Prior to her doctoral studies, Ashley served as a Gender-based Violence Program Coordinator where she created a culturally specific program to better service African-American and LBTQ domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking survivors of the greater New Orleans metropolitan area. Currently she is a research consultant and adjunct professor at the City University of New York’s York College, teaching courses in the Sociology of Race & Ethnicity, the Sociology of Gender, and Social Stratification. Contact Ashley at keepyaheadup2019@gmail.com
Emani Hears
Emani Hears is a model, classically trained dancer and versatile choreographer seeking opportunities that will catapult her onto the world stage. Emani has modeled at fashion week and Magazines such as Lifestyle and Urban cup. Emani’s dance background includes various genres, such as: Ballet, Modern, Street Jazz, African, Waltz, Swing, Rumba, Merengue, Salsa, Tango, Hip Hop, Liturgical, and Step. She has received professional dance training at Alvin Ailey, Howard University, Maryland Youth Ballet, Dancewave, and Gramercy Performing Arts High School of Manhattan. Additionally, Emani is a global thinker who has committed her time and talents to serve the world community. She also is a youth advocate and a member of the Montgomery County Youth Advisory Committee.