Collaborators

MOSES BALL (Visual Artist) is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has been a professional muralist, fine artist and art teacher since graduating in 2000. His most recent series of work was focused on survivors of Hurricane Katrina that he met in New Orleans on five different trips there following the storm.

CAROLYN MECKHA CHERRY (Costume Designer and Wardrobe Director) has worked as a creative artist with Kevin Iega Jeff, Mindbuilders, and in the NYC Public School system. She has created costumes for numerous companies and institutions including Evidence (Walking Out
the Dark, Dance for Peace and Order My Steps). Ms. Cherry has created costumes for
Camille A. Brown for her work with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, Ailey II, and Urban Bush Women.

BRANDON MCCUNE (Composer) Born in 1976, this Chicago native makes his home in Newark, NJ. His musical studies began at age three, when his parents enrolled him in the Suzuki Method of Classical Piano. For the past eighteen years, Brandon has been an experienced professional musician (pianist, organist, drummer, trumpeter, bassist) and vocalist, serving as a principal music instructor, composer, counselor, arranger, and performer with a special concentration in jazz, classical, and gospel genres.  Brandon was selected as a 1998-1999 U.S. Jazz Ambassador to Africa, where he traveled abroad performing public and private concerts, master classes and workshops. He has worked as a bandleader, music director, or as a sideman for artists such as Abbey Lincoln, Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Miki Howard, Wynton Marsalis, Ted Dunbar, Antonio Hart, and many others. Brandon has served as minister of music for several congregations and currently serves as musical director for music and dance ministry programs at Union Baptist Church (Montclair, NJ) and Bethel A.M.E Church (Passaic, NJ). His leadership acumen is demonstrated in his founding of BASIC Inc., a non-profit umbrella for Gospel music entertainment, music education, and various other arts related entities. His education was garnered at Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick, NJ, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1997. Privately he has studied with jazz luminaries Kenny Barron, Betty Carter, Mulgrew Miller, Abbey Lincoln, Larry Ridley, and Ted Dunbar.  

DANA GOURRIER, (Poet) a native of New Orleans, has been a performer since a very young age. After receiving her BFA in acting, she moved to New York in higher pursuits. She has performed and also produced original work at: The Red Room Theater, Birdland, Lennox Lounge, Under St. Marks, The Cherry Lane Theater, and Central Park's Summerstage. (w/ Camille A. Brown). Ms. Gourrier has worked as a theater consultant for Ms. Brown's work More Time Than Anybody- which is a section of Brown's The Groove To Nobody's Business (choreographed on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2007). Dana is currently working on her MFA at California Institute of the Arts and a new production called Smoke Lilies and Jade portraying famed writer Zora Neale Hurston. Its world premiere will be this upcoming fall in Los Angeles. Dana would like to give special thanks to God, her family, friends and Ms. Brown for many wonderful opportunities and experiences. 

CRYSTALL MONEE HALL (Composer) is honored to collaborate with Camille A. Brown.  A native of Richmond, Virginia, Ms. Hall holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from The University of Virginia.  After performing with Disney Entertainment and with both the National Tour and Broadway productions of the Tony-Award winning musical RENT, Ms. Hall turned her eye to full-time scoring and songwriting.  Her work has been presented at Rivers of Honey, the Laurie Beechman Theatre’s “After Party,” and the Triad Theatre’s “Just a Piano” series hosted by Lee Summers.  This spring, her original music will also be featured in the Verve Concert Series by Well Entertainment in addition to the LGBT Community Center’s Poets and Playwrights series.  For her work with Brown, Ms. Hall re-interprets vocal and composition styles immortalized by the likes of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey.  The result is a prophetic fusion of folk, gospel, and regional blues that forces the dancer and listener alike to choose between love and hate, pride and sacrifice, heaven and hell.

KURT 'KC' CLAYTON "GRAMMY" nominated Producer/Songwriter and Artist; Kurt "KC" Clayton had music in his blood at the young age of fourteen. Realizing music was going to be his profession he quickly took classes at the University of Memphis. KC stayed loyal to his roots where he now teaches Music at the University. As President of the Memphis Chapter of N.A.R.A.S. (The Grammy's), He is active in much of the music scene. In addition he is a commissioner with the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission where he serves as Vice-chairman on the Executive Board.His areas of expertise range from Producer/Songwriter Programmer/Music Director/Arranger/Musician. His accolades as a professional artist gave him the opportunity to work with such legends as Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Chaka Khan, and Academy Award winning Rap artists Three-6-Mafia. His diverse talents have him wearing many hats.From Rap/Jazz/Pop/ Rock/Gospel/R&B to Country he has had the opportunity to work on such sound tracks for Movie and DVD projects. From Television Mogul Oprah Winfrey to the controversial Larry Flint. Clayton's body of work has been shared by many outstanding artists. His production skills have earned him a 2003 Grammy nomination for his work with recording artist Ann Nesby, formerly of Sounds of Blackness. And earned him a 2004 Grammy nomination for The Canton Spirtuals. As well as collaboration's with the talented David Foster, Boney James, R&B legend Howard Hewett and 2006 Academy Award Winning Rap Artist's Three-6-Mafia. He formed "KC Productions", a music and film company that will allow him to work with the various artists he has signed for music and motion picture projects. His outstanding performance in the Music industry has proved Kurt "KC" Clayton is the future of music and a mogul in the making.

FARAI MALIANGA (Composer/Musician) began his career in African Dance in Colorado with Leticia Williams Harambee Dancers and Drummers. He soon found himself drawn to the music and began studying with the Musical Director Judy “Fatu” Henderson. Upon arriving in New York he immersed himself into the drum and dance world studying with the likes of Yousouf Koumbasa, Mbemba Bangoura and Ronald K. Brown. He was given the opportunity to perform with the Masters like Chuck Davis in BAMs ‘Dance Africa’, Reginald Yates, with the Alvin Ailey Company, Heritage O.P. at BAM Cafe. Dance Companies including Harambee , Umoja, The New Jersey Chamber Orchestra, Obediah Wrights Balance, BSRC, Def Dance Jam and Opus further developed him as a performer. More recent work with Musicians Roy Ayers, Wunmi Olaiya, Melanie Charles, Manchild Black, Scott Patterson, Saycon Sengbloh and Nakia Henry have further diversified his career. Malianga has now begun to delve into the world of music composition and arrangement as the next evolution of his growth. Doing commissioned works for Camille A. Brown, Karen Loves’ Umoja and Christal Browns’ Inspirit Dance Companies.

JUSTIN MORRIS (Visual Artist), Founder of the clothing line, JUS INK, also explores
other genres of art including painting and printmaking. Recently, he presented his work
in two shows (Warp and The Time Machine) both of which he was the curator for. Currently, Morris is a student at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia pursuing a BFA.

STANLEY BROWN Talented and multidimensional composer/artist/producer/music supervisor with twenty years experience in the music industry. Composing and arranging for artists, television and film. Stanley possesses a musical ear, but also a business sense that has allowed him to excel in several different entertainment related endeavors. Stanley has worked with talents like: The Temptations, India.Arie, Run DMC, Donald Lawrence, Dru Hill, Hezekiah Walker, Keith Sweat, T.D. Jakes, Bell Biv DeVoe, Will Downing, Vickie Winans, Salt-N-Pepa, Karen Clarke-Sheard, Guy, Marvin Sapp, Christopher Williams and Bobby Brown. He has served as Vice President of A&R for Island Black Music, Senior Director of A&R for Motown Records and President/CEO of Timeless Music Group, Inc. Currently Stanley is the Music Supervisor for BET’s Sunday Best and Exalted!, Musical Director for the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York, Consultant for Dark Child Productions and Executive Producer/Composer for JSM Music, Inc., working with clients such as GM, Pepsi, IBM, Verizon, Subway, McDonalds and Walmart among others.

JONATHAN MELVILLE PRATT (Composer) earned his BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts in 2001, and has since been commissioned to compose and perform for Alban Elved Dance Company, Mimi Garrard, Daniel Charon, Jennifer Nugent, Jonah Bokaer, The Julliard School
(both Dance and Drama departments), Camille A. Brown (City of Rain), and Keigwin + Company (Runaway, Triptych). Jonathan was recently awarded the Sacatar International Arts Fellowship in Bahia, Brazil. Jonathan is always at work as front man and artistic director for his for his multimedia
performance group, The Dive. His next commissions are for Brian Brooks Moving Company (Motor) and Brook Broussard (Funkprint). Jonpratt.org

PHILIP TREVIÑO (Lighting Design and Stage Manager) is technical director for Marymount Manhattan College’s Dance Dept. He has worked with José Limón Dance Company, Wally Cardona, Kate Weare, Christopher Williams, and more. Some design credits include Brian Brooks Moving Company’s Piñata and Motor; Pam Tanowitz’s Forevermore, Dream Sequence (No Secrets), Be in the Gray with Me and The Wanderer Fantasy; and The Blue Flower, a musical performed at New York Musical Festival. More at www.philiptrevino.com.

BURKE WILMORE (Lighting Director) works in dance and musical theater. His most recent design was for Stephen Petronio’s new full-length piece Tragic Love, premiered by Ballet de Lorraine. He is the resident designer for Keigwin + Company and lit the recent evening-length Elements. His work is
in the repertories of Alvin Ailey, Battleworks, PARADIGM, Brian Brooks, Sweden’s NorrDans and Holland’s Introdans.This summer he will light Another Man’s Poison, a new Off-Broadway play. He
frequently collaborates with director and Broadway star André de Shields, for whom he lit the Louis Armstrong musical Ambassador Satch (most recently in the United Arab Emirates), Hotcha Razz Ma
Tazz at the 92nd Street Y and the new play Killa Dilla presented by the Working Theater. Mr. Wilmore was an honors graduate (some time ago) of Wesleyan University and is a member of the United Scenic Artists Local 829. He lives in Brooklyn.

Camille A. Brown | P.O. Box 340600 Jamaica, N.Y. 11434 | info@camilleabrown.org