SHANNON CLARKE, LIGHTING SUPERVISOR

Shannon Clarke is a New York based lighting designer who has worked as a lighting supervisor for Dorrance Dance, Jessica Lang Dance, and New York Theatre Ballet. Some of her design credits include The Ballroom, Almost Ritual, and Any/Which/Way for Co•Lab Dance, Tchaikovsky Celebrations for Chevalier Ballet, Broadway Holiday Spectacular for Transendence Theatre Company, Convoluted Conceptions for Contemporarily Out of Order, Uplift for Nozama Dance Collective, Code Name: Triumph for New York Theatre Festival, Rule of Three, Reignite, MoveMEANT, and Ship in a Bottle for Prospect Theatre Company, and Force of Nature for Cambridge Dance Company. She worked as the associate lighting designer on Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway, Ain’t No Mo’ at the Public Theatre, and Dracula and Frankenstein at Classic Stage Company.

BURKE WILMORE, LIGHTING DESIGNER

Burke Wilmore grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho, and now lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. He is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and an honors graduate of Wesleyan University. He has designed or adapted seven works for BODYTRAFFIC including Arthur Pita’s new Death Defying Dances. He has also lit the work of Camille A. Brown (Black Girl: Linguistic Play, Mr. Tol E. RAncE, City of Rain, Good & Grown). He was the resident designer for Battleworks (2001–2010) and to date has lit five of Robert Battle’s works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He designed Stephen Petronio’s Tragic Love, for Ballet de Lorraine. He has designed over two dozen works for Keigwin + Company. For American Repertory Ballet, he lit Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet. He frequently collaborates with Broadway star André de Shields, for whom he lit the Louis Armstrong musical Ambassador Satch, and designed scenery and lighting for de Shields’ production of Ain’t Misbehavin’. Mr. Wilmore designed scenery and lighting for Apollo Club Harlem, directed by Maurice Hines, and the recurring hit Ellington at Christmas, both at the Apollo Theater.

CAROLYN "MECKHA" CHERRY, COSTUME DESIGNER

CAROLYN “MECKHA” CHERRY was born in Jacksonville, FL and raised in the Bronx, NY. She holds a BA in Theater Education, from CUNY - Queens College. Meckha’s initial introduction to sewing was by her mother, however she discovered her real love of costume design in 1997 while working with choreographer Kevin Iega Jeff founder of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. Continuing her love for costume design in the world of dance, Meckha worked with Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company and Cynthia Oliver/Coco Dance Theater as both a wardrobe supervisor and costume designer. Throughout Meckha’s career her designs have found their way into the performances of Philadanco Dance Company (work by choreographer Ronald K. Brown), Camille A Brown & Dancers, Ailey II (work by choreographer Camille A. Brown and Bridget L. Moore) and Urban Bush Woman (work by choreographer Camille A. Brown). Additionally, Meckha has designed for some of the most prestigious dance schools in New York City such as Mind Builders, Harlem School of the Artists, Professional Center for the Arts, L. De. Dance School (New Jersey) and Abundance Academy of Dance. As a dedicated teacher, Meckha makes time to teach sewing and theater to children in urban communities.

DANIEL BANKS, DRAMATURG

Daniel Banks has worked extensively in the U.S. and abroad, having directed at such venues as the National Theatre of Uganda, the Belarussian National Drama Theatre, The Market Theatre (Johannesburg, South Africa), and Playhouse Square (Cleveland). He has served as choreographer/movement director for productions at NY Shakespeare Festival/ Shakespeare in the Park, Singapore Repertory Theatre, La Monnaie/De Munt (Brussels), Landestheater (Saltzburg), and for Maurice Sendak/The Night Kitchen. Daniel is co-director with Adam McKinney of the arts and service organization DNAWORKS for which he directed McKinney’s multi-media, genealogical dance journey HaMapah/The Map that has toured around the world.

He is founder and director of the Hip Hop Theatre Initiative. HHTI works on the intersections of Hip Hop culture and theatre to promote youth self-expression and leadership, and has worked on campuses and in communities across the U.S. and in Ghana, South Africa, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Israel, Serbia, the U.K., and Mexico. He is editor of the critical anthology of Hip Hop Theatre plays Say Word! Voices from Hip Hop Theater. Daniel has taught on the faculties of the Department of Undergraduate Drama, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, the MFA in Contemporary Performance at Naropa University, and the M.A. in Applied Theatre at City University of New York. He is currently Chair of Performing Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM.

DAVID L. ARSENAULT, LIGHTING & SCENIC DIRECTOR

DAVID L. ARSENAULT is a designer for theatre, opera, and live events based in New York City. In NYC, he has worked with Classic Stage Company, Prospect Theatre Company, The Play Company, Working Theatre, kef Productions, New Federal Theatre, and the Atlantic Theatre Acting School, among others. His designs have been seen at The Westside Theatre, The Duke on 42nd Street, Theatre Row, and 59E59. Regionally, his work has been seen at Weston Playhouse, Northern Stage, Dorset Theatre Festival, Hangar Theatre, Bucks County Playhouse, Hudson Stage Company, Geva Theatre Center, Kitchen Theatre Company, Gulfshore Playhouse, UrbanArias, Merry Go Round Playhouse, and Opera North. David has been John Doyle’s scenic associate on several productions including the NYC revivals of Sondheim’s PASSION, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ALLEGRO, and the Tony Award-winning revival of THE COLOR PURPLE currently running on Broadway. Other work on Broadway includes the recent productions of LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES starring Liev Schreiber, KING CHARLES III, CONSTELLATIONS starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Wilson (all designed by Tom Scutt), and DISASTER THE MUSICAL designed by Tobin Ost. As a design assistant, he has worked with designers Santo Loquasto, Andrew Jackness, Wilson Chin, Alexander Dodge and David Korins. David currently resides in Manhattan. He has a degree from Ithaca College and is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

HEATHER MCCARTNEY, REFERENCE & RESOURCE GUIDE CREATOR

Heather McCartney started her journey in the arts as a young dancer and music student in New York City before devoting nineteen years to teaching dance in Manhattan public schools. Among the first to be licensed in dance education by the city and state, she helped establish dance education programs in small schools and was among the founding teachers of the Professional Performing Arts School – a renowned public school specializing in performing arts. She concluded her teaching career at the Beacon School by chaperoning twenty-three students to Cuba in 2001.

Ms. McCartney has worked as a teaching artist and consultant to The Joyce Theater, a researcher for ArtsConnection, Co-Director of Arts in Education & Community Programs for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Director of Public Programs for Community Works. Ms. McCartney continues to consult on small-scale arts education projects and serves on the committees for the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, the NYC Department of Education, and the Eleuthera Arts and Cultural Center (Bahamas). Heather McCartney holds a B.S. degree in dance education from N.Y.U. and a M.S. Ed. in the education of the gifted and talented and is the Director of School and Family Programs for The Joyce Theater. She has written educational resource material for Camille A. Brown and Dancers since 2013.

ISABELLA DOS SANTOS, ANIMATOR

Isabela Dos Santos is an artist who describes herself most easily as an animator but often works with writing, dance and handicrafts as well. She is an alumna of the National YoungArts Foundation and a 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and her work has been recognized by the Student Academy Awards, Vimeo Staff Picks and film festivals around the world. Isabela has collaborated with several cool artists such as Camille A. Brown and classical musician Conrad Tao, and she continues to explore the many facets and mediums of the art world. From her animation to her tiny self-published books, the majority of her work is handmade.

Isabela also happens to work a lot in arts administration because she likes to be part of the art community and help people feel okay even when she’s not in the mood to do that through animation. She’s an alumna of the Intern Program at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and is now full-time staff for YoungArts in Miami, FL, working in External Relations as the Social Media and Video Officer.

Isabela was born in Brazil but has been living in South Florida since 2000. She majored in Experimental Animation at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and graduated in May of 2014.

J. MICHAEL KINSEY, THEATER COACH

J. Michael Kinsey (Actor) is a native of Atlanta, GA. J. Michael has trained in music and theatre for over 15 years, and is the graduate of the esteemed U of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of music where he received a BFA in musical theater in 2004. He has performed all over the US, Cozumel Mexico, Cayman Islands, and South Africa. National tours include Miss Saigon and Five Guys named Moe. Other shows under his belt consist of Dreamgirls, Once on this Island, Ragtime, Day of Absence, Nefertiti, the musical, Songs for a New World, and The Wild Party just to name a few. He has shared the stage with Tony award winner Jennifer Holiday and Grammy Award winning Ann Nesby in In The Midnight Hour: The Music of Wilson Pickett. J. Michael received Audelco Award nominations as Best Actor in a Musical in both 2008 & 2009 for his performances as Andre in “Ain’t” & The Wiz in “The Wiz”. He has collaborated with his dear friend and colleague Camille A. Brown on two of her works which include Matchstick and 1 Second Past the Future. “Camille thanks for your abundant support and love, keep moving forward!”

JUSTIN ELLINGTON, SOUND DESIGNER

Justin began his professional career in Atlanta, GA as music director for dance and theater companies around the city. Now based in NYC, Justin continues to develop his craft as pianist, composer and producer and has worked with some of the most heralded and creatively groundbreaking artist in the world. He has had the great fortune to travel the world sharing and developing his art and recognizes the many blessings that he has had and is thankful that it continues. Justin is pleased to make his debut with Camille A. Brown & Dancers. www.justinellington.com/

KAMILAH FORBES, DRAMATURG

Kamilah Forbes (Director): Most recent credits include:BROADWAY (associate director) The Mountaintop and Stickfly. Welcome to Nellie’s by Dominique Morrisseau (Classical Theater of Harlem, Reading), Nannyland by Radha Blank (Public Theater, Reading) Saturday Night/Sunday Morning by Katori Hall (Lincoln Center Theater Lab Reading series), The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (Lark Theater, barebones production), Journey to the door of no return by Psalmayene 24 (Arena Stage, workshop), Children of Children Keep Coming (Columbia University), Beauty, the Beast (Dance Mission, San Francisco), And Her Hair went with her by Zina Camblin (NJ Reperatory Theater) Most recently she directed National Poetry Slam Champion Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s multi-disciplinary dance theater piece SCOURGE. Scourge toured to Rotterdam, Brussels, Boston, DC, 651 arts (NYC), and was premiered at the Yerba Buena Center for the arts in San Francisco. Other credits include include: assistant director for Tony Award winning DEF POETRY JAM on BROADWAY, Masquerade by solo spoken word artist Roger Bonair–Agard, Rhyme Deferred which she conceived and co-wrote presented at: (The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, PS122, New York Theater Workshop, Undermain Theater) other directing credits include: No Man’s Land (ODC Theater, San Francisco), Nightmares of JuJubee (The Lincoln Theater DC, PS122, NYC).

She recently received the 2011 JOSEPHINE ABADY award from the League of Professional Women in theater for excellence in the theater and is a member of the Leadership Board with the Women’s Project.

MAYTE NATALIO, COSTUME STYLIST

MAYTE NATALIO is a native New Yorker and has had a versatile career that has spanned all genres of theater. Mayte received her BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase and is a proud co-founder of immersive events company Minute Zero. She has toured extensively with the Parsons Dance Company and Camille A. Brown & Dancers. She has performed in musical theater productions at the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine, Tony Award winning Dallas Theater Center, Pregones Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and New York City Center Encores, among others. She has performed with Kanye West and French pop star Mylene Farmer. Mayte was in the original cast of the immersive production "Queen of the Night" and Third's Rail's "The Grand Paradise". She is the assistant choreographer for NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE!

MICHAEL PAUL BRITTO, VISUAL ARTIST

Born and bred in Brooklyn, Michael Paul Britto graduated with a BA from the City College of New York. Michael’s works range from videos to digital photography, sculpture, and performance. Michael was been featured in shows at El Museo del Barrio, The Studio Museum of Harlem, The Zacheta National Gallery in Warsaw, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in England.

PHILIP TREVIÑO, LIGHTING & SCENIC DESIGNER

Philip Treviño is a 2010 recipient of a New York Dance and Performance Award (BESSIE) for his lighting and scenic design for Pam Tanowitz’s Be In The Gray With Me. He is also the scenic designer for Camille A. Brown and Company’s Mr. Tol E. Rance, which won a 2014 BESSIE for Outstanding Production. Some of his other recent credits in lighting and scenic design can be seen in works by Brian Brooks Moving Company, Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Martha Graham Dance Company, Henning Rübsam’s Sensedance, Kymera Dance and Pam Tanowitz Dance. His work has toured nationally, internationally and at such notable venues as BAM, The Joyce, Joyce Soho, DTW, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, The Kitchen, New York City Center and Jacob’s Pillow. He has Stage Managed for Trisha Brown Dance Company and José Limón Dance Company as well as Production Stage Managed for Wally Cardona Quartet’s Everywhere and SITE, Kate Weare Company, Christopher Williams’ The Golden Legend and many more. He is a proud alumnus of San Francisco State University. Complete details available at www.philiptrevino.com.

SAM CRAWFORD, SOUND DESIGNER

Sam Crawford completed both his B.A. in English and A.S. in Audio Technology at Indiana University in 2003. A move to New York City led him to Looking Glass Studios where he worked as an assistant engineer on film projects with Philip Glass and Björk. These early experiences shaped his thoughts on music and music-making profoundly, inspiring a process that relies on instinct to generate raw material and method to refine that material into finished works.

A multi-instrumentalist on electric guitar, lap steel, and banjo, and called one of “a fiercely intelligent, talented crew of players” by the New York Times, Crawford’s recent compositions and sound designs have included works for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (Venice Biennale, 2010), Kyle Abraham (Pavement for Harlem Stage, 2012), and David Dorfman Dance (Come, and Back Again for BAM’s Next Wave Festival, 2013).

In 2010, Crawford’s work with the Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company led to an invitation to be a featured performer at Mr. Jones’ Kennedy Center Honors Induction, where he had the honor of playing electric guitar for a live dance score to an audience that included President Barrack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and a crowd of several thousand in Washington, DC, and which was later broadcast on CBS. In the same year, his work as a guitarist and engineer was also featured in A Good Man, the PBS documentary on the making of Mr Jones’ Fondly Do We Hope, Fervently Do We Pray.

Crawford currently resides in Brooklyn where he works as a freelance composer, sound designer, and audio engineer. He currently holds positions as both Sound Supervisor for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Music Director for David Dorfman Dance. He also performs in various groups in NYC and abroad, including Bowery Boy Blue (Brooklyn) and the country and western trio Corpus Christi (Rome).

STACEY MUHAMMAD, WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Stacey M. is an award winning writer / director and producer of narrative, documentary, broadcast and digital content as well as a social activist and cultural critic who has lectured on a broad range of topics including hip hop, pop culture, media, film, social justice issues, and most notably, the history of Black women filmmakers in cinema.

A native of New Orleans, LA, Stacey has worked extensively to document and preserve hip hop culture and address social issues through film and media. Her work includes multi media projects, music videos, arts and activism and social justice campaigns and award winning films including “I AM SEAN BELL, black boys speak, which made it’s film festival premiere at the PATOIS, New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival. An official selection to the Media That Matters Film Festival, where it was awarded the “Speaking Out Award”, the film received international acclaim and toured with the HBO / Media that Matters Film Festival screening for audiences worldwide.

In 2009, Stacey co-founded “Intelligent Seedz” with Artist / Activist, Wise Intelligent. The organization is committed to equipping youth with the necessary tools to tell their stories through documentary film. The youth media group has won national awards from the Environmental Protection Agency for their groundbreaking work addressing social issues impacting the lives of young people.

Her documentary film, “Out of Our Right Minds, Trauma, Depression and the Black Woman” was released in March 2010 to rave reviews and also premiered at the PATOIS New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival.

Her latest project, For Colored Boys, REDEMPTION starring Rob Morgan, Julito McCullum, Tim Reid and Jacinto Taras Riddick is currently on the festival circuit. The award winning series, Executive Produced by author, journalist and social justice activist, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill is preparing for it’s second season with new cast members Charles Dutton and Adesola Osakalumi.

Stacey has screened, participated in panel discussions and lectured in both academic and non academic settings including The University of Houston, The University of Miami, Prairie View A&M University, Marymount Manhattan College, The University of the District of Columbia, Brooklyn College, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, the National Association of Black Journalist and Viacom to name a few.

She and her work have been featured in The LA Times, Essence, Ebony, The Root, OkayPlayer, IndieWire, Shadow and Act, Colorlines, ScreenSlate and on HuffPost Live and BET Online.

TALVIN WILKS, DRAMATURG

Talvin Wilks is a playwright, director and dramaturg. His plays include Tod, the boy, Tod, The Trial of Uncle S&M, Bread of Heaven, An American Triptych and Jimmy and Lorraine. Acclaimed directorial projects include UDU by Sekou Sundiata, The Love Space Demands by Ntozake Shange, No Black Male Show/Pagan Operetta by Carl Hancock Rux, The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza and the OBIE Award winning, The Shaneequa Chronicles by Stephanie Berry. He has served as co-writer/co-director for ten productions in Ping Chong’s ongoing series of Undesirable Elements, as well as the recent premiere of Collidescope: Adventures in Pre and Post Racial American. As a dance dramaturg, he has created five world premieres with the Bebe Miller Company, Going to the Wall, the Bessie Award winning, Verge, Landing/Place for which he received a 2006 Bessie Award, Necessary Beauty and A History. Recent dramaturgical collaborations include work with Camille A. Brown and Dancers (Mr. TOL E. RaNcE), Carmen de Lavallade (As I Remember It), Darrell Jones (Hoo-Ha), Urban Bush Women (Hep Hep Sweet Sweet, Walking with ‘Trane), and baba israel (The Spinning Wheel).

ZULEMA GRIFFIN, COSTUME CONTRIBUTOR

Zulema Griffin began her career as a Ford model. Working with renowned photographers such as Steven Klein, Peter Lindberg, Richard Burbridge and Andrew Dosumu, Zulema appeared in such publications as Harper’s Bazaar, The Face, I.D.,Visionaire, Essence, Interview and Paper. Although Zulema enjoyed a successful career as a model, she decided to opt for life behind the runway.

Zulema found herself successfully running the costume department of her first film The Beatle Fan, and since then has gone on to costume and production design numerous film, TV media projects. Zulema became a finalist on Bravo’s Project Runway Season 2 thus beginning her transition back into the fashion world. In Spring 2008, Zulema presented her “Slave to the Rhythm” fashion show, the Fela Wives themed Spring ’08 collection, at New York Fashion Week. Met by raving reviews, Zulema followed up with a strong showing of her Fall 08 collection “Revelations” and pioneered the first internet launched fashion show for fashion week.

Zulema has garnered press from Style.com, New York Times, O Magazine, MSNBC, Fader.com and numerous blogs and online platforms.