"WILD" Collaborators & Performers — The Black Iris Project

Jeremy McQueen is an award-winning choreographer, dedicated to story-telling rooted in experience and social engagement. His work aims to create spaces of comfort, solace, and connection through reflection—a sharing of observations of what is going on around him.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, McQueen is a 2008 graduate of The Ailey School/ Fordham University, B.F.A. in dance program and has also trained in the schools of American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet.

McQueen is a 2020 Emmy® Award-nominated director/choreographer, a 2019 recipient of the Bronx Council of the Arts’ BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) Award, a 2013 recipient of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago’s Choreographers of Color Award [Winning Works] and two-time finalist of the Capezio Award for Choreographic Excellence (2012 & 2013). McQueen was recently named a 2020 recipient of the Soros Justice Fellowship from Open Society Foundations, and is the only choreographer to receive the fellowship since the fellowship’s inception in 1997.

McQueen has performed in Broadway's Wicked and The Color Purple, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and numerous Metropolitan Opera productions. McQueen cites two influential instructors as a source for his work and creative energy. From Donald Robinson, McQueen learned his guiding principle of discipline, doing what you know you’re supposed to do even when no one is there to make sure you do it. At a time when McQueen was struggling to make his way as a dancer, Kazuko Hirabayashi encouraged him to choreograph about it. It is in the craft of story-telling and making a way for yourself through discipline and focus that McQueen was led to start The Black Iris Project, a space for like-minded artists to reflect their experiences.

McQueen is the founding artistic director and choreographer of The Black Iris Project. Jeremy McQueen and his Black Iris Project have had featured articles and profiles in The New York Times, New Yorker, Out Magazine, Elle Magazine, Washington Post, Ebony Magazine, The Root, Pointe Magazine, BroadwayWorld, AfroPunk, Huffington Post, A Plus, Dance Magazine, Talks at Google, NY1, San Diego Union Tribune, Houston Chronicle, among other publications.

Colton Williams is a Filmmaker and Creative Director, currently based in New York and Los Angeles. His craft is built from solving problems and always pushing the script–attempting something different. Much of his work is informed by experience; with his default lens seeking a ‘moment after the moment,’ shooting the model after the flash, or the artist when the performance ends. Most of Colton’s work is based in fashion and non-fiction performative works, with the occasional scripted narrative sprinkled in.

In 2018, Colton founded Three Strikes Inc. Servicing both film and photography, the agency has allowed for there to be not only a diversity of thought and craftsmanship, but a collection of trusted creatives, filmmakers and designers. Their clients have included P&G, Amazon, Oribe, Ogilvy, American Express, Tweezerman, Revlon and Cadillac.

Brittany Bland is a storyteller who has dedicated her life to the proliferation of empathy. As a projection designer for the stage, she has designed for theater, dance, and opera. Her work as a video artist often explores the ideas of legacy, memory, and empathy. Brittany is interested in how emerging media and technology can elevate those concepts and experiences. Originally from Atlanta GA, she holds a BA in Technical Theater and Production from Catawba College and MFA in Design from the Yale School of Drama.
Her recent design credits include Cuttin Up (Classical Theater of Harlem), Rage (Quinnipiac University), Florencia en el Amazonas (Shubert Theater), Alice (Yale University Theater), Black History Museum (Here Arts Center), Twelfth Night (Yale Repertory Theater).

Los Angeles R&B artist, animator, actress, and activist Brittany Campbell has released a powerful protest anthem inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, “Matter.” Written after an intense conversation with a friend whose parents’ store was destroyed in the protests, Campbell also illustrated the video herself with striking animation - addressing deep-rooted issues over a poignant refrain: “We wanna breathe again.” She hopes it’ll inspire support for people and organizations involved in the fight, like Abundant Beginnings and Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness. Known for her roles in Broadway productions such as Hamilton to Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It remake on Netflix, Campbell is also in the band Mermaid with girlfriend Candace Quarrels, who were recently featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Top Shelf, curated by Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard.

Campbell explains, “I was having a lot of difficult conversations with people that I hold close to my heart. I left many of these exchanges knowing something was missed or left unsaid. I thought, why is the statement ‘Black Lives Matter’ even up for debate? Why is it viewed as a political statement instead of fact? I wrote ‘Matter’ to address everyone. To encourage introspection and to keep peeling back the layers of ourselves.”

“I know there are a plethora of causes we can be donating our money to in the name BLM,” she continues. “I feel particularly excited about these organizations. Abundant Beginnings is an org dedicated to educating youths in social and environmental justice. Sista Afya provides resources to black women in order to sustain mental wellness and community. What I like about both of these, is that they are building towards a healthier and sustainable future.”

Joining the Metropolitan Opera at an early age, Campbell went on to grace Broadway stages in productions such as Hamilton, where she met girlfriend Candace Quarrels and formed R&B folk duo Mermaid - whose upcoming debut album showcases production by Matt Otto (Solange, Moses Sumney) and Sam Hoffman (Mereba). Campbell's own debut album Stay Gold was self-released in 2018, showing off her arsenal of emotion-invoking lyrics and vocals. Campbell’s creative passions also led her to become a self taught animator, who apart from animating her own videos, has animated videos for the likes of supermodel Shaun Ross, who tapped her to animate a video for his debut single "Symmetry."

Josh Dean is carving out a unique lane for himself at the intersection of art and music. He has been groomed under the tutelage of multi-talented artist and actor Janelle Monáe and Wondaland Records, where he prepared visuals for the collective as an art director.

His big break as a singer-songwriter came when Monáe accidentally discovered his raw musical talent after he left his vocals on a Jidenna demo when learning how to engineer his own vocals. Jidenna later enlisted Dean to contribute vocals for his GRAMMY-nominated song, “Classic Man,” featured in the Oscar winning film, Moonlight. Monáe also recruited Dean as a writer for “I Got the Juice” and “Don’t Judge Me,” off of her GRAMMY-nominated album of the year “Dirty Computer.”

In March 2019 Josh Dean debuted the EP, Dear BlackSheepe with LA Reid’s record label, HITCO. It since has been praised by Billboard for its innovation and breakthrough sound. Dean’s latest “IMPATIENT” is his first release as an independent artist under his imprint BLCKSHPE Recording Co. and is available on all major streaming platforms.With plans to release more music and art in 2021, Josh Dean is certainly forging his way as a rising star to watch with talent to match!

Khalid Dunton was born and raised in Washington, DC/ Maryland. He began his dance training at Ngoma Dance theatre at the age of 18 and continued his training at Montclair State University where he graduated with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business. He has had the privilege of performing works by Martha Graham, Stacey Tookey, Bill T. Jones, Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith, Maxine Steinman, Christian Von Howard, Earl Mosley, Daniel Padierna. Khalid was also a backup dancer for numerous gospel artist such as Tye Tribbett, Mary Mary, and many more. Khalid has performed on numerous platforms like the Joyce Theater, Alexander Kasser Theater, Bryant Park, and New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC).

Quaba Venza Ernest born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He began his dance training at Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell & Robert Garland. After attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music And Art & Performing Arts, he later went on to study dance at State University of New York at Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. There he selected as a recipient of an Adopt-A-Dancer Scholarship. He has danced in works by Kimberly Bartosik, George Balanchine, Ronald K. Brown, Sidra Bell, Norbert De La Cruz lll, Sharon Eyal, Johan Inger, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Jerome Robbins, Ted Shawn, Medhi Walerski and Doug Varone. He has studied at Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Doug Varone & Dancers, Eastman, Jacob’s Pillow, and Springboard Danse Montreal under the direction of Alexandra Wells. Quaba is a recipient of the 2019 Thayer Fellowship in the Arts and was a member Ballet BC in 2019. Quaba has been featured in HBO’s Random Acts of Flyness, the NY Times for performances at BAM Fisher & Jacob’s Pillow, the aYia Music Video Directed by Salomon Ligthelm/Choreographed by Amy Gardner and has also been a featured model in JBL’s Spring Vibes Model Campaign. He has recently begun creating works for his own company Venza Dance. His piece titled “String Theory” was selected to be a part of the 2019 New Century Dance Festival & his dance film “Astomi” was selected as a winner in the 27th Quinzena de Dança de Almada – International Dance Festival (2019).

Mauricio Escamilla, MOWRI, is a sound design artist, music producer, composer, drummer, percussionist and audio engineer based in Queens, New York. Having a decade of experience composing and designing for theatre, film, commercial, and live music performance, MOWRI thrives within collaboration and uniquely creative settings and applications. mescamilla.com

Aria Feliciano is a 26 year old Bronx-born illustrator and animator, who currently resides in Puerto Rico. She has a passion for animation, cartoons and graphics, as well as understanding the importance and significance of how these visual mediums can be used to communicate and translate ideas in fun and approachable ways. Aria currently works for Bronxnet Television as a junior Graphic Designer, as well as a freelance artist.

DaMond LeMonte Garner, Charlotte, North Carolina native, attended Point Park University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with concentration in Modern. While at Point Park, he performed works by choreographers including Alexandra Damiani, Sidra Bell, Lucinda Childs, Lar Lubovitch, Jessica Hendricks, and Anthony Tudor alongside the Conservatory Dance Company. After graduating, DaMond danced with METdance in Houston, TX and performed works by Kyle Abraham, Christian Denice, and Kate Skarpetowska. Mr. Garner has worked as a guest artist with The Francesca Harper Project, The Black Iris Project, Texture Contemporary Ballet, and The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. As an emerging artist, DaMond works to be an advocate for all art forms, both in and out of creative spaces. DaMond is currently a company member with Parsons Dance Company.

Chari Glogovac-Smith is a composer, vocalist, instrumentalist, filmmaker, and mixed media artist. Using an evolving mixture of traditional and experimental techniques, Chari is dynamically exploring and illustrating various counterpoints between society and the human experience. Chari’s recent works have posed questions about empathy, conflict, emotional intelligence, identity, social justice, healing, listening, and time. Their examinations and integrations of mediums, materials, and methodologies have centered around their research into the theories and practices of afro-futurism, deep listening, minimalism, jazz, classical music, experimentalism, mechatronics, and machine learning.

Chari’s compositional trajectory was ignited during their MFA studies in Electronic Music and Recording Media at Mills College (2018-2020). During this time Chari had the great privilege to study with Roscoe Mitchell and Tomeka Reid of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, William Winant, Steed Cowart, Zeena Parkins, Laetitia Sonami, Molly Holm, David Bernstein, and John Bischoff. Before this time, Chari spent a decade as an underground vocalist/rapper in various touring rock and hip-hop bands, sharing stages with The Flobots, Nappy Roots, Dj-Quik, Uh-Huh Her, Sage Francis, K-Flay, and Jodeci.

Chari currently resides in Seattle, WA, and is pursuing their Ph.D. in Experimental Arts and Digital Media at the University of Washington. Chari is a proud McNair Scholar and a Nevada Art Council Fellow. Chari has worked as a commissioned composer in collaboration with The Center for the Art of Performance UCLA, The Black Iris Project, and has exhibited media works internationally.

Elijah Lancaster was born in Port Au Prince, Haiti. He began his formal dance training at the age of seven at Aspire Dance in Arkansas. He has trained on scholarship at The Ailey School and graduated from the Certificate Program. Mr. Lancaster attended summer intensives at Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet School. He has worked with choreographers Travis Wall, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Amy Hall Garner, Robert Battle, Winston Dynamite Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Troy Powell, and appeared in Alvin Ailey’s Memoria during Ailey’s 2016 and 2017 New York City Center seasons. Mr. Lancaster was also a part of the Nutcracker cast for the Houston Ballet and is currently in his first season with Ailey II.

Rayan Lecurieux-Durival is a young French Guyanese dancer who started his dance career at a very young age. He pursued his dance course in Guyana in 3 institutes, Conservatoire de Guyane EPCC, The Music and Dance School of Matoury and ADACLAM, before relocating to Paris in 2016 where he joined the Institut de Formation Rick Odums. While attending the Insitut, Rayan danced in "Jeune ballet jazz" directed by Rick ODUMS and Christelle CHINONIS, as well as the "Jeune ballet Modern" directed by Bruce Taylor and Florence MAREGALIE. Rayan also has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as: Matthew Rushing, Freddie Moore, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Brice Mousset, Troy Powell, Elisa Clark, Francesca Harper, Shay Bland, Yoshito Skuraba, Jennifer Muller and Bill T Jones Rayan has accompanied artists such as: Magali VÉRIN in 2016 and Saïna Manotte in 2020 on their perspective tours. In July 2018 he was selected to join “ALVIN AILEY DANCE THEATER,” where he participated in the Summer Dance Intensive in New York City and eventually left Paris to relocate to NYC. Where he has had the honor of performing with the 1st company, as well as with the “Ailey Students Performing Group” and is currently perfecting the Horton technique with the goal to teach it down the road. Rayan is currently a company member at Jennifer Muller/ The Work and Pony box dance theatre

Shawn Lesniak is from New Haven, Connecticut and began dancing at the age of seven. For most of his youth, Shawn trained in various dance techniques such as ballet, jazz, modern and tap, and he danced competitively for more than a decade. He continued his training at The Ailey School and Point Park University. He has toured both internationally and domestically as a member of Parsons Dance, and has worked with choreographers such as Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, Matthew Powell and Emery LeCrone. Mr. Lesniak joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Winter 2019.

AJ Libert is a highly-trained, lifelong dancer from Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from PBT’s full-time program and subsequently attended Point Park University, where he received a BFA in Modern Dance. AJ enjoys the complexities movement exploration has to offer. His love for both the natural world and his love for movement drives AJ to continue to synchronize and explore the two worlds seamlessly. AJ would like to thank his two beautiful mothers, without them he would not be where he is today.

Derick McKoy, Jr. is a graduate Glorya Kaufman BFA Scholar of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. Derick has performed with Nimbus Dance in Jersey City, The Black Iris Project and on the hit tv show POSE on FX. He started his official training under Luctricia Welters and after a year, joined her dance company, Jubilee Dance Theater, as an apprentice. He furthered his training at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Arts Umbrella, BalletX, Ballet Hispanico, Springboard Danse Montreal, under scholarships, as well as NW Dance Project’s LAUNCH. Derick has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Matthew Rushing, Crystal Pite, Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sharon Eyal, Alejandro Cerrudo, and others. Also, a choreographer, Mr. McKoy has presented his works around New York City and the tri-state area. He currently helms his own project dance company called McKoy Dance Project || MDP, based in Brooklyn, NY. @dmckoyy

morgxn The world according to morgxn is one where traditional boundaries do not exist. At his core, alt/pop artist morgxn is a storyteller who navigates the expanse between everything devastating and joyous about the human condition. Through his collection of danceable, relatable and memorable songs, morgxn moves seamlessly between the alternative and pop worlds; using his soulful voice and magnetic presence to set an intoxicating, mesmerizing mood. Over the past two years, morgxn has been not-so-quietly releasing new music that has culminated in a debut album, vital, and a lush, acoustic EPvital :blue (s t r i p p e d). His work has since made festival debuts at Lollapalooza, Firefly, LaurelLive and Hangout Music Festival. He has toured extensively with artists including XAmbassadors, Phoebe Ryan, Skylar Grey, miike snow, Dreamers, Robert Delong, ARIZONA; received megawatt licensing looks (ABC, HBO, SHOWTIME, NBC, The CW, USA Networks); and has garnered high praise across the board. A re-recorded track of his song “home” featuring WALK THE MOON was released in 2018, and in 2019 reached Top 10 at alternative radio and adult alternative and has accrued upwards of over 25 million combined global streams.

Khayr Fajri Muhammad A native New Yorker, began his pre-professional training at The Harlem School of the Arts at age 11 from 2009-2014 under the direction of Aubrey Lynch II. Khayr studied dance at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and attended the summer intensive at the School of American Ballet, where he was invited to continue his training from 2014- 2017 as a full scholarship student. Khayr is a recent graduate and full scholarship student of Premiere Division Ballet, studying under the directorship of Nadege Hottier. Mr. Muhammad had joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet as an artist from 2018- 2021. Most recently, Khayr was a guest performer in Leslie Browne’s production of La Bayadere at The School at Steps and is a returning guest artist with Jeremy McQueen’s Black Iris Project.

Eric Parra began his dance training at Montclair State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. Eric has danced for Carolyn Dorfman Dance, Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, Maxine Steinman & Dancers, Von Howard Project, Pajarillo Pinta'o, and Doug Elkins Choreography, etc among others. Eric has served as a teaching artist for NJPAC, Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts, the José Limón Dance Foundation, and Sharron Miller's Academy for the Performing Arts. Mr. Parra is the recipient of the 2016 Martha Hill Dance Fund Young Professional Award, 2017 Linda Roberts Outstanding Senior Dance Award, and has been featured in The New York Times Arts Section (2019). Eric is currently a performing artist with the Limón Dance Company.

Wes Period is an artist, rapper, and producer from La Habra, California. He began his career working with artists such as Ye Ali and Tommy Genesis. He was previously signed to Interscope Records and collaborates with various SOFTCORE members, exercising his various artistic styles through these artistic outlets.

Marlon is a writervist. Since his decade of incarceration, he has written, created programming, lectured, organized, and advocated alongside the formerly incarcerated, victims of gun violence, womxn, immigrants, and young people. Marlon is the author of Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist’s Freedom Song, host of the DEcarcerated Podcast, and owner of his own social impact endeavor, The Precedential Group Social Enterprises and its nonprofit arm, Be Precedential, Inc. His TED talk, “Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform”, has amassed over 1.2 million views. As a Soros Fellow, Senior Atlantic Fellow, and Aspen Civil Society Fellow, Marlon has used his activism and pen to advocate for safer communities, reduce the footprint of law enforcement, and to amplify the work of individuals and grassroots organizations across the globe. Marlon’s writervism and DEcarcerated Podcast has allowed him to lecture and conduct workshops throughout the US, Trinidad & Tobago, South Africa, and Oxford, London.

Marlon’s bylines have appeared in USA Today, The Nation, Ebony, Essence, Gawker, The Marshall Project, The Root. Cassius.com, and Mic.com. His essays have also been published in How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others Kiese Laymon and How We Fight White Supremacy by Kenrya Rankin & Akiba Solomon., Colin Kaepernick's Medium Series: Abolition for the People. Marlon is a soca and steelpan lover, and a Brooklyn representer.

Phillip Richardson/Phil. At just 23 years old Phillip Johnson Richardson has already established himself as a promising singer, rapper, and actor. But the journey wasn’t always easy for Phil., his mental fortitude and meteoric rise can be attributed to the perseverance gained when his family suddenly fell homeless and found themselves sleeping on a relative’s garage floor. The hardship dialed up his drive and appreciation for the arts, so he pushed himself even harder. The Charlotte-bred quadruple threat then honed his raw talents at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, where he graduated from the musical theatre program in 2018. Immediately after graduation he landed his first role in the Chicago company ensemble of sold-out musical phenomenon Hamilton, playing various characters including it’s titular persona, Alexander Hamilton. Since then, Phil has moved to New York City, where he’s developed a successful acting career, with appearances on TV shows including Chicago PD, Proven Innocent, and The Other Two and horror film Haunt. He was cast as a series regular on the new Apple TV+ show Little Voice created by Sara Bareilles and JJ Abrams. An incredible range of talent is seen across his music and best showcased in his upcoming EP ‘Different Cities’. The project features a range of musical styles, from turn up Hip-Hop tracks like “Watch Out” to softer, seductive tones, like those in his R&B piece, “One That I Want.”

Gabriel Ramirez is a Queer Afro-Latinx poet, activist, and teaching artist. Gabriel has received fellowships from The Conversation Literary Arts Festival, Palm Beach Poetry Festival, The Watering Hole, CantoMundo and was a participant of the Callaloo Writers Workshop. He has performed on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre, United Nations, Lincoln Center, Apollo Theatre and other venues & universities around the nation. Gabriel has been featured in the Huffington Post, VIBE Magazine, Blavity, Upworthy, The Flama, and Remezcla. You can find his work on Youtube, and in various publications, including The Volta, Split This Rock, Winter Tangerine, Drunk in a Midnight Choir, VINYL, and in Bettering American Poetry Anthology (Bettering Books 2017), What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump (Northwestern University Press 2019) and The Breakbeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT (Haymarket Press 2020). Follow Gabriel @RamirezPoet and RamirezPoet.com.

Jersey City native, Tamir Rios, has been a dancer for nearly 14 years of his life. He takes on a progression of personas through his art in an attempt to interpret the stories of his everyday life. Rios practices in all forms of dance but mainly focuses on his ballet and modern techniques. In 2017, Rios was offered the New Jersey Governors Award in Dance Arts from County Prep High School, where he majored in dance in the performing arts department. While overseeing dance in high school, in 2011 Rios began training at Nimbus Dance Works, where he was able to build up his techniques and understand himself better as an artist. A year later Rios earned a scholarship that benefitted him for the rest of his high school career. As a high school student, Rios had the door opened to train at Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, in Kent, Connecticut.

In 2017, Rios began his studies in dance at Montclair State University. Passionate about movement exploration and the connection between the mind-body and soul, Rios is recognizable for utilizing eye contact and his physical emotions to capture the nature of his existence through dance. At MSU, Rios has trained with a handful of choreographers from Maxine Steinman, Earl Frederick Mosley, Antonio Brown, Alwin Nikolais, Christian Vonhoward, Bill T. Jones, and Stacey Tookey.

In time, Rios plans to use his everyday connections and skills to create new stories with the obstacles and challenges he comes into contact with.

Richard Ross is an artist/activist/photographer, distinguished research professor of art based in Santa Barbara, California. As the creator of Juvenile-in-Justice, his work turns a lens on the placement and treatment of American juveniles housed by law in facilities that treat, confine, punish, assist and, occasionally, harm them. Ross has been the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, MacArthur and the Center for Cultural Innovation. Ross was awarded both Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowships. Three books and traveling exhibitions of the work continue to see great success while Ross collaborates with juvenile justice stakeholders, using the images as a catalyst for change.

Amina Scott, born and raised in Oakland, CA, is an upright and electric bassist, composer, and arranger. Her interest in music began at an early age when her grandmother began giving her piano lessons. From then, her love and passion for music has yet to cease, playing electric bass at the age of twelve and was soon playing gigs with local bands in Oakland.

In Oakland, Amina has ties to the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (OPCM) which was started by trombonist Angela Wellman to provide arts and music classes the Oakland community with an economical way. Through OPCM, Amina was able to take her skills to Lima, Peru to be part a of a group that represented the United States at the first Festival of Music and Dance in the African Diaspora where she played various concerts around Lima and held seminars discussing the music of the African Diaspora in the United States.

In 2012, Amina relocated to New Orleans, LA where she studied at Loyola University New Orleans under Allen Nisbet, Roland Guerin, and Ed Wise. She graduated from Loyola in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Industry Studies. In 2017, Amina began her studies at Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) studying with Rodney Jordan, Leon Anderson, Marcus Roberts, and Bill Peterson. In 2019, she obtained her Masters in Music in jazz studies. In 2017, Amina joined the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra led by Adonis Rose. With them, she has performed at festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Ascona Jazz Festival (Ascona, Switzerland), and the Detroit Jazz Festival as well as with the small group, NOJO 7, performing at venues and festivals such as the St. Lucia Jazz Festival (St. Lucia) & the Exit Zero Jazz Festival (Cape May, NJ). Additionally, she also led her own quartet at the 2019 Jacksonville Jazz Festival (Jacksonville, FL).

Now based in New Orleans, Amina has performed with various artists including Steve Turre, Wessell “Warm Daddy” Anderson, Nicholas Payton, David Murray, Jamison Ross, Joanne Brackeen, Herlin Riley, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, and more. She has also performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (Tallahassee, FL) and the Albany Symphony Orchestra (Albany, GA). In 2017, Amina was a fellow in the Steans Institute of Music Jazz Program (Ravinia, IL) under the direction of Rufus Reid, Billy Childs, and Nathan Davis. She is also a bandleader in her own right leading her quartet, her six-piece fusion band PHYRA, and the up and coming band, Noruz. Noruz has currently released two records with their most recent being The Witching Hour which can be found on all streaming services. Amina currently teaches as an adjunct professor at Loyola University New Orleans working with various ensembles and bass students within the Popular and Commercial Music program. She endorses Aguilar Amplification.

Christopher Taylor grew up in Newark, New Jersey. He started his dance training at The Ailey School when he was eleven years old. He later attended Arts High School in 2014. During his training, he attended Ailey Camp Newark’s summer program which allowed him to perform at The Apollo Theater and Lincoln Center numerous times for AAADT. After graduating in 2018 from Arts High School he attended The Ailey School’s Professional Division Program under scholarship. Christopher has choreographed while at the school, performed in music videos and other dance projects based in New York City.

Jermaine Terry began his dance training in Kissimmee, Florida, at James Dance Center. He graduated cum laude with a BFA in dance performance from the University of South Florida, where he received scholarships for excellence in performance and choreography. He also received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from USF for outstanding service to the arts. Mr. Terry was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and a member of Ailey II. He has performed with Buglisi Dance Theatre, Arch Dance, Dance Iquail, Philadanco and as a guest artist on the television show So You Think You Can Dance. He has designed costumes for New York City Ballet, Ailey II, Philadanco, Dance Iquail and The Black Iris Project, to name a few. His eveningwear designs have been in Essence online as well as photographed by the late Bill Cunningham for the style section of The New York Times. Mr. Terry joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2010. Instagram: @Jerms83.

Shmuck the Loyal is an experimental music producer based out of Nashville, TN. His idealistic approach to production is driven by the pursuance of maximalism and the deeper, emotive side of electronica. Shmuck has been featured by NoisePRN, CULTR, DLNW music, and EDMSauce.

Fana Tesfagiorgis is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance, with a minor in journalism. She began training at Ballet Madison, under the direction of Charmaine Ristow, and attended Interlochen Arts Academy. Ms. Tesfagiorgis also trained at summer and winter intensives at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Professionally, she has danced with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Black Iris Project, Ebony Williams and Company, Brian Harlan Brooks, and Nimbus Dance Works. Fana has been a rehearsal assistant for Hope Boykin, Clifton Brown, Earl Mosley, Pedro Ruiz, Matthew Rushing, and Sylvia Waters. Recently, she appeared in the opening of the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. Fana is currently performing in the First National Tour of My Fair Lady. Instagram: @fanaminea

TheUltraVisitor (Aaron C. Harmon, in collaboration with morgxn, Schmuck The Loyal & Wes Period) is the freaky brainchild of softcore’s Aaron C. Harmon. While Aaron writes and produces everything from pop to film score, TheUltraVisitor’s alternative identity allows him to explore the bounds of music-creation and surpass them without the restraint of expectation.