Building Dreams
PROGRAM
theShorein:SIGHT II
Choreography by cyan cian
Music: The Void by Caleb Dowden, To Flourish and Home, in the Tub by Aminisha Ferdinand, For the Congregation co-produced by KHAM x cyan with text by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Dancers: Caleb Dowden, Aminisha Ferdinand, Chanice Holmes, paris cyan cian
Habari Gani
Choreography by Ceylon Seiber
Music: Good News performed by The Staples Singers, composed by Roebuck Staples
Dancers: Ceylon Seiber
Da Motion
Choreography by Kristal Jones and Dancers
Music:Righteous Soul by KvngDavid, Bree Soultry, K. Cooks, I Don’t Get High, Lazy Daze , and Happy Town by Tank and the Bangas, Earth, Water, Fire and Wind by K.R.I.T, Open to Thyself by Tank and the Bangas, GodNDem by KvngDavid, Jayarson
Mixed in Composition by Kristal M2DaE Jones
Dancers: Aminisha Ferdinand, Kristal Jones, Mackenzie Rosenberg
Rire; to joke to rib
Choreography by Amari Patterson
Music: New Orleans Block Party by Partners-N-Crime, My Favorite Things by John Coltrane, Little Bit of Rain by Fred Neil
Dancers: Catherine Caldwell, A’briel Mitchell, Amari Patterson
Same house, Different room
Choreography by Millenique Brown
Music: Y’Outta Praise Him (extended) by Robert Glapser
Dancers: Jasmin Simmons-Edmond, Celine Seiber, Ceylon Seiber
silo study, on//going
performed by jeremy de’jon guyton
during Art OMI: Dance Residency in 2021
Soundscape: 2024 live recording performed during Art OMI: Dance Residency by Sebastian Abarbanell, Leila Awadallah, Ronya-Lee Anderson, Richie Escenart, Laura Coe, jeremy de’jon guyton, Christopher K. Morgan, Ellen Oliver, Moodzi, and Ryuta Iwashita. Both recordings occurred in the same silo, three years apart; this is a glimpse into an on//going silo study.
Prime 3
Choreography by Joshua P. Bell
Music: Three by Black Decelerant, Premature by Yoshimasa Terui, Hope in Suffering (Escaping Oblivion & Overcoming Powerlessness) by Yves Tumor, Bliss by Klsr, Squared by Kiasmos / Mix: by Phillip Bell
Dancers: Madyson Barbain, paris cyan cian, Jasmin Simmons-Edmond
The Liberation of Ms. Sophia
Choreography by Kehinde Ishangi
Music: Ne Me Quitte Pas by Nina Simone
Dancers: Catherine Caldwell
Just you wait!
*Contains mature language and gestures
Choreography by Celine Seiber
Music: Trouble by DRB Lasgidi ft. Teezee, Fresh L., Tems, No Words 1&2 by Willow Smith, Down by Willow Smith, Ase by Ayra Starr
Dancers: Madyson Barbain, Caleb Dowden, A’briel Mitchell, Celine Seiber, Ceylon Seiber
Black Dance Icons, KMDP 10 Year Anniversary Documentary
Directed/Edited by Catherine Caldwell
Sound by Amara Skinner, Videography by Corey Dew
From Within
Choreography by Catherine Caldwell and Kesha McKey
Music: Isencane Lengane by The Joy, Kunfe Ta, by Habib Koite and Keletigui Diabate
Dancers: Madyson Barbain, Joshua P. Bell, Jasmin Simmmons-Edmond, Aminisha Ferdinand, Chanice Holmes, Kristal Jones, A’briel Mitchell, Amari Patterson, Mackenzie Rosenberg, Celine Seiber, Ceylon Seiber
Kesha McKey, founding Artistic Director of KMDP, is a choreographer, educator, & performing artist from New Orleans. She graduated from NOCCA, received her BS from Xavier University of LA & her MFA in Dance Performance from UW-Milwaukee. Kesha is currently the Director of Arts at NOCCA and a Dance for Social Change Teaching Artist at Dancing Grounds. She has served as a dance educator for over 25 years and is committed to sustaining the artistic voice of Black dancers and choreographers in New Orleans. Her recent awards include: 2022 Dance/USA DFA Fellowship, 2022 UBW Choreographic Center Initiative 2.0
CCI Alum, 2021-22 NPN Creation & Development Fund, 2019 NEFA NDP Production Grant. Performance credits include: KMDP Raw Fruit tour, UBW Hair & Other Stories, Junebug Productions Gomela:to return & Homecoming Project. Choreography credits include: 2023 BAADAss Women’s Festival, 2019 NPN Conference, 2018 UBW SLI, 2018 Women in Dance, Junebug Productions Power of the Black Feminine.
Catherine Caldwell, Associate Director, company member, and rehearsal director of KM Dance Project. Catherine is a performing artist, choreographer, writer and dance educator holding a Master of Arts Degree in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans. She received two Big Easy Awards in choreography and performance for her solo “IONO”. After spending over ten years in Dance Education, Catherine switched gears to arts administration. Her previous administrative positions include Director of Member Services at Dance/USA, Managing Director for Dancing Grounds, Programs Logistics Coordinator for Urban Bush Women, Administrative Associate with Junebug Productions and Program Associate for the Kuumba Institute at Ashe Cultural Arts Center. She is currently a freelance artist and creative consultant.
The Company
(*denotes a featured choreographer)
Madyson Barbain began her dance training over twenty years ago at Art in Motion Dance Academy. She is an alumna of Warren Easton and NOCCA, receiving honors in academics. Barbain graduated from Tulane University receiving a BFA in Dance and BA in Kinesiology. She’s danced with KM Dance Project, Artivism Dance Theatre, Goat in the Road Productions, Dancing Grounds and Boston's Commonwealth Circus Center. Barbain has also performed in festivals: Jazz Fest, Fried Chicken Fest and Miami Pride Festival and with musical artists Master P, John Batiste, Dawn Richard and more. In 2023, she was recognized as a finalist for the Gambit’s New Orleans Big Easy Outstanding Choreography award.
Joshua P. Bell* is a multidisciplinary artist born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Clinton, Mississippi. Graduating from Belhaven University with a BA in dance, he moved to New Orleans to embark on a new journey in 2016. He has enjoyed many career highs as a freelance dancer performing locally, nationally and internationally. He is now exploring his interest in fashion as a designer. With the support of the Material Institute Joshua expands his creative ability in textile development and garment construction. Joshua is looking forward to sharing his vision and artistry with all who are open to receive. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Millenique Marie Brown*, a New Orleans native, began her dance training under Kris Cangelosi at the Cangelosi Dance Project School where she trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, and modern dance techniques. After completing college at Southeastern Louisiana University with a degree in General Studies with a minor in Dance, Brown had the privilege to work with various companies such as KM Dance Project, Artivism, The Radical Buffoons, Lula Elzy Dance Theatre, Zion Dance Project and De La Soul Dance Co. Brown has worked with dance education programs such as The Cocoon YEP, Dancing Grounds, and the BLOOM Experience. Other programs include the Dallas Conservatory, Fearless Dance Headquarters, and Art of VIII. Millenique Brown is currently pursuing her MFA from Texas Woman’s University.
Caleb Dowden is a choreographer, educator, and researcher from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2021, she graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase with her Bachelor of Fine Art degree in dance. As a 2021 recipient of a Fulbright Independent research award from the U.S. Department of State/ J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and a Fulbright Hay’s Fellowship with SUNY Purchase (July 2023), Caleb’s choreographic work and research has been presented and supported locally and internationally by the French Alliance of New Orleans, Le Centre (Benin Republic), Borna Soglo gallery (Benin Republic),UNO, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, International Dance Fest of N.O., The New Ohio Theatre , and MANCC at FSU. As the director of Dow-Dance Company, Caleb Dowden produces choreographic work at the intersection of African history and culture with a unique vision of (re)connecting the African Diaspora with the African continent.
Jasmin Simmons-Edmond is a New Orleans-based dance artist, leader and educator. With over a decade of experience in dance education, she has shaped young minds at The Dalton School in NYC and several New Orleans charter schools. As Creative Director and Co-Leader of Dancing Grounds, she ignites community through movement and fellowship. Her choreography spans stage and screen, including AMC’s "Interview with a Vampire" and the local production of “The Defiance of Dandelions”. With performances alongside Grammy award winning artists like John Batiste and Solange Knowles, and recognition from the Big Easy Awards for her work with KM Dance Project, Jasmin is a dynamic force in the dance world. She is passionate about using dance as a catalyst for well-being and activism, inspiring and uniting communities.
Aminisha Ferdinand is an educator, performing artist and child of New Orleans. For two decades, she taught children and adults how to access their inherent creativity within the confines of public school systems. Before entering the field of arts education, she performed in theater and film in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans. In this current leg of life’s journey, Aminisha is stretching herself into invigorating and challenging creative growth. She is deeply grateful to Kesha for creating these opportunities for ensemble movement. Aminisha is forever indebted to Syrell for instilling a deep love for dance and providing lifelong sisters to move thru life with. She currently facilitates gatherings for artists, educators, and organizations to build within and beyond their communities.
jeremy de’jon guyton* is a performance artist primarily working with Afro//queer archives and disco dreams to construct spaces of love and liberation. He has toured globally with critically acclaimed artists such as Solange Knowles, is an active member of regional and international artist collectives, has designed and managed programming at the intersection of arts and advocacy for both youth and adult artists, and employs deep listening, critical questioning, and big dreaming as core practices in the pursuit of expanding imaginative possibilities. At the root of his practice, he is a storyteller. More information can be found at www.jeremydejon.com
Chanice Holmes, a New Orleans native, is an international choreographer, dancer, educator, and mom, with a deep belief in the transformative power of movement. She holds a BFA in Dance from Hollins University and an MS in Kinesiology from LSU. Chanice has worked with renowned artists and companies such as Ronald K. Brown, Urban Bush Women, and Ballet Hispanico. She has also toured with Solange Knowles and Peaches. As a vessel of creative expression, Chanice has been featured in films on Netflix, music videos, and more. Currently, she is a member of KM Dance Project and co-executive director of Dancing Grounds, where she leads programs centered on social justice, making dance accessible and impactful for all communities.
Kehinde Ishangi* is a dance artist, filmmaker, educator, scholar, and somatic practitioner. She is an Associate Professor in Dance at Florida State University. Ishangi serves on the board of ISMETA and is the founding director of The Ishangi Institute.
Kristal Jones* also known as M2daE, is a self-taught and community-developed choreographer, mover, and instructor. She has cultivated a style of dance that is a blend of Hip Hop, New Orleans Bounce, and Contemporary movement. With interest in intuitive/ expressive, healing movement, Kristal knows that the body is our first home and we can design its movement by being our full selves.
A’briel Mitchell is a dance artist who completed her training at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and New Orleans Ballet Association. Mitchell has performed in works companies such as Dance Theater of Harlem, Evidence Dance Company, Parsons Dance Company, Complexions Dance Company and more. Mitchell is now working towards building relationships in the dance community and creating a dance company for dancers in all styles of dance in New Orleans.
Amari Patterson* received her BFA degree in Dance at Point Park University in April of 2023. Throughout her career she has performed works by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico, Evidence Dance, Martha Nichols, Martha Graham and other professional works. Post graduation her own works curate an outlet through movement and creativity for the youth of New Orleans, and have been featured in the @makingspacenola Volumes I & II.
MacKenzie Rosenberg is a multi-disciplinary performance artist, and has danced with KM since 2015. He's worked with, and alongside various artistic collectives and entities in New Orleans, including KM Dance Project, BUKU Dance Krewe, Goat in the Road, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and Liquid Rhythm Inc. MacKenzie has served as a teaching artist and mentor to more than 2,000 youth artists/adults in New Orleans across his former role as Youth Programs Manager at Dancing Grounds and currently as a Success Coach for New Orleans Career Center.
Celine Seiber* was born and raised in New Orleans. Seiber enjoyed classes at Kelly's School of Dance and Crescent City Gymnastics. A NOCCA and Florida State University graduate receiving her BFA. Performed works by Martha Graham's Panorama Project, Jennifer Archibald, Melanie Richards, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Millicent Johnnie, Anjali Austin, Ann Carlson, and Kesha McKey. After teaching & learning dance in West Africa, she is excited to continue performing and building connections. Celine integrates passion for community by sharing knowledge, time, and opportunities. Working with artists in her community, she’s performed with Dow Dance, Artivism Dance, Edward Spots, Courtney Paige and Amari Patterson.
Ceylon Seiber* is a New Orleans native, born and raised, who has a deep passion for the art of dance. She is a NOCCA Alumnae and graduated with a BFA in dance from Florida State University. Ms. Ceylon has had the opportunity to perform choreography by Jennifer Archibald, Stefani Kammer-Taylor, Kesha McKey, the Martha Graham Project for Panorama, Ann Carlson's Flag2Redo, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's Urban Bush Woman's Shelter: Belongo excerpt. Now residing in New Orleans, she has had the pleasure of teaching dance and working with Dow-Dance Company, KMDP, Courtney Paige, and Edward Spots. She has showcased choreography at the CAC and the Binge Dance Festival with Dow-Dance Company. Her number one priority as a dance instructor is to bring out the best in her students and make them feel comfortable moving around inside their bodies wherever they may go.
Special Thanks to
The Louisiana Division of the Arts
Alternate Roots
Schuyler Williams, Jaime Bird and the CAC staff
Stephanie McKee and Junebug Productions (junebugproductions.org)
The Dancing Grounds Staff (dancingrounds.org)
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts
Dale Baxter and DB Productions
Steve Gilliand -CAC Technical Manager
Amara Skinner -Backstage and Technical Support
Corey Dew -Videography Support
Jeremy Tauriac -Photographer
Bruce France -Videographer
This project is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, as administered by the RAC. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment of the Arts, Alternate ROOTS, Mellon Foundation, and Ford Foundation as well as generous support and assistance from the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, Junebug Productions and Dancing Grounds.
