I N S P I R I N G S T O R I E S :
FROM FRIENDS, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS, WHO ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES OUT THERE CHANGING OUR WORLD OF ART/DANCE
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JESSICA: Visit her website @ www.jchenproject.com
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Jessica Chen is the Founder and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT. She is a global artist with a base in Santa Barbara and New York City. Her work has been commissioned world wide including the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai’s evening length show, “Formosa.” She was honored as the Keynote Speakerat Cornell University’s Celebration of Asian American Women for her work in empowering Asian American women to become leaders in their community. She grew up in Hacienda Heights, California with a passion for story telling and culture given her own Chinese American heritage. She has traveled to nearly 30 countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa teaching, performing and speaking as well as learning and exploring local dances and traditions. Jessica holds a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of California in Santa Barbara. Upon graduation, she moved to NYC to continue her training at The Ailey School, Broadway Dance Center and received a full scholarship to Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts.
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MY JUILLIARD CLASSMATE, DONALD BORROR
The Next Step in the Dance Published in 9/26/2013 By Siddhartha Mitter . . . “Conservatory training tends to make artists in a box, and that seems to be less of a career model in today’s marketplace,” says Borror. “There are fewer opportunities for people to use the skill set they learn in conservatory settings. When that skill set runs dry – when there are no more auditions – they leave the field. I think it’s important that the idea of being an artist is expanded into not just getting a dance job, but making dance jobs.” . . . “It helped me understand the role an arts organization can fill for a specific community: to be able to speak to them and for them, and bring people to something that broadens their horizon of what it means to be a part of that culture,” he says. . . . “I want to create jobs so that talented dancers don’t have to devalue their skill set by working for free,” he says. . . . “I am losing a very personal part of the experience, communicating with the audience directly as a performer. But coming here is a logical step in making dance even more important in my life.” READ FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/news.htm?articleID=9204 |
CHARMAINE JORDAN: A GREAT FRIEND OF MINE FROM HIGH SCHOOL. READ & FOLLOW HER STORY
Charm Ladonna Overcomes Adversity and Now Gives Back
OCT 21st, 2011
AT&T and Dancing With The Stars have partnered to bring inspiring stories of people whose lives have been changed by dance.
Charm Ladonna's natural ability to dance was recognized at a very young age. Unfortunately, her family was unable to afford dance lessons so Charm's mother worked a second job just to pay for classes. With hard work and her mother's support, Charm danced to stay positive and focused through a rough upbringing in one of Compton's toughest neighborhoods. Growing up without a dad, Charm became very close to her older brother. At the age of 12, Charm's life was thrown into an emotional tail spin when she learned that her brother was sentenced to life in prison. Relying on dance, once again she was able to work through hard times.
At 18, Charm Ladonna got her big break, after an intense audition process she was selected to go on tour with the legendary Madonna. Charm used the money she made from the tour to pay for her education at UCLA. Now a professional dancer on tour with the Black Eyed Peas, Charm has chosen to give back to the community. She teaches dance to underprivileged kids at her childhood elementary school. Through sharing her own life experience, Charm wants the kids in her community to know that they can also overcome adversity by believing in themselves and following their dreams!
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.performingartsconvention.org/diversity/id=521
Charm Ladonna Overcomes Adversity and Now Gives Back
OCT 21st, 2011
AT&T and Dancing With The Stars have partnered to bring inspiring stories of people whose lives have been changed by dance.
Charm Ladonna's natural ability to dance was recognized at a very young age. Unfortunately, her family was unable to afford dance lessons so Charm's mother worked a second job just to pay for classes. With hard work and her mother's support, Charm danced to stay positive and focused through a rough upbringing in one of Compton's toughest neighborhoods. Growing up without a dad, Charm became very close to her older brother. At the age of 12, Charm's life was thrown into an emotional tail spin when she learned that her brother was sentenced to life in prison. Relying on dance, once again she was able to work through hard times.
At 18, Charm Ladonna got her big break, after an intense audition process she was selected to go on tour with the legendary Madonna. Charm used the money she made from the tour to pay for her education at UCLA. Now a professional dancer on tour with the Black Eyed Peas, Charm has chosen to give back to the community. She teaches dance to underprivileged kids at her childhood elementary school. Through sharing her own life experience, Charm wants the kids in her community to know that they can also overcome adversity by believing in themselves and following their dreams!
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://www.performingartsconvention.org/diversity/id=521
Gentry George is a good colleague of mine whom I trained with and met at the Juilliard School. As a former Ailey II dancer and an emerging young choreographer, Gentry is currently manifesting his new dance company here in NYC.
Gentry George & his emerging company Zest Collective
StageBuddy chatted with Gentry about inspiration, limitations, and multimedia as it it relates to his work.
StageBuddy: What inspired you to create Zest Collective?
Gentry Isaiah George: I was performing upstate New York when I fell down and had a very bad injury and thinking how I would continue dancing, how would I continue to be a growing artist I was jump roping and the name Zest came to me and I let it sit with me for a while and then the Collective added and the name was so beautiful I just continued with it that way serving as an opportunity to take a break, to invest in something else and I reached out to my friends to see who was interested in doing some creative studies with me and I was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from everyone so I continued with my pursuits.
Zest Collective gives opportunities to very talented performing artists with limited platform to showcase their inner spirit...
CLICK HERE to Read Full Article
VISIT ZEST COLLECTIVE's SITE HERE!
Gentry George & his emerging company Zest Collective
StageBuddy chatted with Gentry about inspiration, limitations, and multimedia as it it relates to his work.
StageBuddy: What inspired you to create Zest Collective?
Gentry Isaiah George: I was performing upstate New York when I fell down and had a very bad injury and thinking how I would continue dancing, how would I continue to be a growing artist I was jump roping and the name Zest came to me and I let it sit with me for a while and then the Collective added and the name was so beautiful I just continued with it that way serving as an opportunity to take a break, to invest in something else and I reached out to my friends to see who was interested in doing some creative studies with me and I was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from everyone so I continued with my pursuits.
Zest Collective gives opportunities to very talented performing artists with limited platform to showcase their inner spirit...
CLICK HERE to Read Full Article
VISIT ZEST COLLECTIVE's SITE HERE!