VIVA Inaugural Envision Gala Program

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTORS

ere is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If onlywe’re brave enough to be it.

Amanda Gorman

Welcome to the Inaugural Envision Gala ~ a celebration for radical change in support of The VIVA School of Dance.

Tonight you will see acclaimed artists and choreographers from across the country sharing their talent to champion the future of art and a more equitable, inclusive and just world. They will be joined by the evening's featured performers; the young artists of The VIVA School.

These young artists are our hope, our heartbeat and our light. These are the creative leaders of tomorrow.

Since opening our doors in 2017, we have pursued our vision for a school that would not only nurture young talent, but democratize dance education. To those of you who have been on this relentless journey with us for many years, we thank you for your support. To those of you whom we are meeting for the first time, we welcome you.

Tonight, we invite all of you to envision with us. THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!

Sincerely, Chandini & Kelli

Chandini Darby Co-Founder, Artistic Director

Kelli Quinn Co-Founder, Executive Director

ABOUT THE VIVA SCHOOL

Transforming the field of dance through excellence in dance education and a commitment to centering young dancers of color.

The VIVA School of Dance is building the next generation of creative leaders by uniquely merging dance education and leadership development. Young dancers ages 6-18, receive world-class dance training through culturally conscious approaches that encourage them to embrace who they are and where they are from.

Supported by a community of artists, educators and advocates, our students develop as brilliant movers and distinct thinkers gaining acceptance into the nation's top collegiate dance programs and conservatories. Through responsive efforts to address inequitable representation in the art form, The VIVA School is creating a pipeline of limitless talent that will contribute to a cultural shift in the arts. All students attend on a full merit scholarship.

Proceeds from this evening's event support The VIVA School and its barrier breaking initiatives to pioneer a new model of equity in the arts.

e VIVA School is more than dance education; they have a gi of making each dancer's life experience an educational achievement.

Fredrick Earl Mosley, Choreographer

THE

IS BRIGHT

Host

Humphries Linda Potter and Tim Shriver

Kenny Darby Event

Jaya

Event

Rian Matthews Stage Manager Chandini Darby Artistic

Michael Winters Production Manager

Josh Wilkins Lighting Designer Kelli Quinn Executive DirectorTobi Okanlawon Development & Marketing Manager

Carlton Flowers “DJ Konquer” Audio Engineer/DJ

Brown Coral Dolphin Roderick George Jacqueline Green Miller Miranda Quinn Preston Miller Fredrick Earl Mosley Matthew Rushing

TRANSPORT

Choreographed by Roderick George

Performers: Courtney Cooper, Casey Hart, Cydnee Hart, Clara Nuñez, Skylar Mason, Camila Mercedes, Ja’Kyah Vaughns Music: Transport by Tigga Lacole & David Lang

TAKE FIVE

Choreographed by Fredrick Earl Mosley

Performers: Clifton Brown and Miranda Quinn Music: Take Five by Dave Brubeck

EXCERPT OF “THE MISSING FRUIT”

Choreographed by Roderick George

Performer: Roderick George Music: The Missing Fruit by Slow Danger This work is from a work-in-progress residency supported by YoungArts and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Roderick George is a 2021-2022 YoungArts Fellow Recipient.

THE FIRST TIME

Choreographed by Preston Miller

Performer: Jacqueline Green Miller Music: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack

SOPHISTICATED LADY

Choreographed by Matthew Rushing

Performers: Coral Dolphin and Matthew Rushing Music: Do You? by Ruben Fox feat. Shenel Johns

TAKE CARE

Choreographed by Fredrick Earl Mosley

Performer: Clifton Brown Music: Chasing Cars by Tyrone Piper

EXCERPT OF “RUNNING SPIRITS”

Choreographed by Fredrick Earl Mosley

Performers: Ashley Blake, Courtney Cooper, Casey Hart, Cydnee Hart, Clara Nuñez, Skylar Mason, Camila Mercedes, Ja’Kyah Vaughns Music: Rain & A Day a Gorilla Gives a Banana by Ryuichi Sakamoto

ABOUT THE HOST

ANGELA STRIBLING With her distinctive voice, appealing beauty, smoldering spirit and a heart with room enough for all, she is internationally adored and a precious jewel of the Nation’s Capital. Angela Stribling has arrived at a place in her career akin to an Empress of Media. She has indelibly captivated us in her roles as Influencer, television host, radio broadcaster, evening news anchorwoman and voiceover professional. She is remembered for her class and grace served daily while anchoring on BET, WJZ-TV, and WJLA-TV. You’ve also heard her voice for years on Sirius/XM Watercolors, various national commercials and narrations, The Quiet Storm in several markets, and more. Angela is now named the new host of AFTERNOON GROOVE on HUR Voices, Sirius XM Channel 141. Monday – Friday 1:00pm – 5:00pm as well as her show, PILLOW TALK WITH ANGELA.

Angela has also recorded two albums: The dynamic nightclub document Angela Stribling...Live and her studio recording from Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo Sundays, a 9-song standards CD that is a luscious swing from Van Morrison’s “Moon Dance” to Horace Silver’s “Senor Blues!” She is also preparing a third album produced by multiple Grammy award winner, MARCUS MILLER and featuring WILL DOWNING and GERALD ALBRIGHT.

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CLIFTON BROWN (Goodyear, AZ) began his dance training at Take 5 Dance Academy and continued in the first class of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. Mr. Brown began his professional career when he joined the Ailey company in 1999 and served as choreographic assistant to Judith Jamison. He has also danced with Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and was a founding member and rehearsal director for Jessica Lang Dance. He was nominated in the U.K. for a Critics Circle National Dance Award for Best Male Dancer and received a Black Theater Arts Award as well as a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie). As a guest artist Mr. Brown has performed with Miami City Ballet, Rome Opera Ballet, Nevada Ballet, and Parsons Dance Company. He has set the work of Alvin Ailey, Earl Mosley, and Jessica Lang on various companies around the world. Television appearances as a guest artist include So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. He has had the privilege of performing at the White House for President Obama. Mr. Brown rejoined the Ailey Company in 2017 and is the Assistant Rehearsal Director.

CORAL DOLPHIN LA Native, New York based artist, Coral Dolphin has been honing her career in the arts for over 20 years. She began her acting, dance and aerial training at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. There she learned from the finest teachers in the industry including Debbie Allen herself and studied a vast spectrum of different dance style techniques. After high school Coral moved to New York and soon after began studying at Ballet Hispanico where she became a founding member of the second company. The following year, Coral started dancing with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence for four years as a company member. In 2015, she performed with Madonna for the Rebel Heart world tour. Coral has performed with various other artists such as Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Cardi B and more. Coral is now passionately involved with the role as choreographer and director. She made her directorial debut in 2020 with the film Moonglades, in collaboration with composer Raven Bush. She has choreographed for artists Lenny Kravitz, Lauren Jauregui, Kali Uchis, and Miguel. Ultimately, her goal is to create art that opens the heart and encourages the mind to think beyond what is. Coral believes that there is a deeper freedom that we all possess and the first step towards that freedom takes place within the mind. She hopes for her art to be a breath of fresh air from systematic indoctrination while planting seeds of curiosity into minds of the next generations to come, in hopes that one day we will collectively realize the divinity that lives within us all.

RODERICK GEORGE was born in Houston, Texas, Roderick George studied dance at Ben Stevenson’s Houston Ballet Academy. Roderick continued to develop his skill by exploring other techniques at The Alvin Ailey School, Miami City Ballet, LINES Professional Program, and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, TX. Before starting his professional career, he was a bronze winner of the Youth American Grand Prix in 2005. He was elected as a Presidential Scholar under the YoungArts Foundation in 2003, where he performed for the US President. Roderick joined Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in 2005. Roderick decided to move abroad to work with Basel Ballet/ Theater Basel in 2007 and later to guest with the Goteborg Operan DansKompani. After that, Roderick joined The Forsythe Company in Frankfurt, Germany. He learned and shared his greatest moments with William Forsythe and the artists of TFC. His career has embraced the collaborations of his work and other great choreographers such as Peeping Tom, Jorma Elo, Jerome Bel, Jacopo Godani, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Jiří Kylian, Sharon Eyal, Ohan Naharin, Benoit Swan-Pouffer, Richard Wherlock, Tino Seghal, and many others.

JACQUELINE GREEN MILLER started her dance journey at the Baltimore School for the Arts (performing arts high school) before joining Ailey 2 and graduating from the Ailey/Fordham University BFA Program. She joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and performed as a Principal Dancer for 11 years. She's a Guest Artist with the Royal Ballet, Princess Grace Award Winner, and model/actress appearing as a lead performer in Disney & Netflix films and in campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, and countless others. Her reputation in the dance industry is unparalleled, being known for her pursuit of artistic excellence through daily hard work. She brings the living example of greatness to the dance artists that train at The Dance Artist Prep School (TDA Prep) and the knowledge to support parents supporting passionate artists.

PRESTON MILLER started his dance journey at the Chicago Academy for the Arts (performing arts high school) before graduating from the Ailey/Fordham University BFA Program. He began coaching and choreographing for companies, Principal Ballerinas, Broadway Artists, pop stars, actors, and athletes before he fell in love with teaching. He founded The Dance Artist Prep School (TDA Prep) to make high level information extremely accessible in order to help both dancers and parents find success throughout their dance journey.

FREDRICK EARL MOSLEY was born in Raleigh, NC and began his dance training at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He trained at The Ailey School and Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York. He has performed with Ailey II, Gus Soloman Dance, and Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, and has choreographed works for Dallas Black Dance Theater, EDGEWORKS Dance Theater, Ailey II, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, for which he received critical praise from dance critics and audiences alike. Mr. Mosley has taught at some of the most noted conservatories and institutions of higher learning, among them The Ailey School, University of Oklahoma, University of Kansas City, Wesleyan University, S.U.N.Y. Purchase, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, Long Island University, Ohio University, Santa Fe Community College, Yale University, New York University, Tokyo School of Music in Japan, and the Sadler Wells Theater Senior Citizen Ensemble in London. He was named Teacher of the Year by Dance Teacher magazine in 2005. He is the artistic director of the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment program, Life Dance Company - A Vision Reborn, a student-led dance company in Waterbury, CT., and is the founder and Artistic Director of Diversity of Dance, Inc., and the Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts (EMIA).

MATTHEW RUSHING was born in Los Angeles, California. He began his dance training with Kashmir Blake in Inglewood, California, and continued his training at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He is the recipient of a Spotlight Award and a Dance Magazine Award and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School and later became a member of Ailey II. During his career Mr. Rushing has performed as a guest artist for galas in Vail, Colorado, as well as in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia. He has performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. During his time with the Ailey Company, he has choreographed four ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance; ODETTA (2014), a celebration of "the queen of American folk music"; and Testament (2020), a tribute to Alvin Ailey’s Revelations created in collaboration with Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano. In 2012 he created Moan, which was set on Philadanco and premiered at The Joyce Theater. Mr. Rushing joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1992, became Rehearsal Director in 2010, and became Associate Artistic Director in January 2020.

MIRANDA QUINN (Baltimore, MD) trained in various genres of dance from the ages of 2 to 18 at Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts under the artistic direction of Shannon Torres. Ms. Quinn graduated from The Juilliard School in 2019 under the newly appointed direction of Alicia Graf Mack. Her attendance at the school was made possible by the Jerome L . Greene Fellowship. She is an alum of the Springboard Danse Montréal, Arts Umbrella, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago summer intensives. She joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2019. Ms. Quinn is beyond thrilled and honored to be a part of the Ailey family and legacy.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Microsoft TRAILBLAZER

Kay Kendall and Jack Davies Ruth Sorenson and Family

GROUNDBREAKER

Wiley

PIONEER

Amazon Bender Foundation, Inc. Carl M. Freeman Foundation Kim and Fred Humphries Linda Potter and Tim Shriver

National Football League Peter Shields and Ace Werner Stewart Strategies & Solutions

INVESTOR

Anonymous

The Collis/Warner Foundation Katherine and David Bradley Graham Holdings Company Dr. Michelle Loewinger and Ambassador Howard Gutman

Joseph E. Robert Jr. Charitable Trust The Robert & Mary Haft Foundation, Inc.

INNOVATOR

Ballast Research

Capri Investment Group Charmaine Dittmar and David Gang D&P Creative Strategies Entertainment Software Association

Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) Marlene Moss Pepco Jeanne L . Specchio Tiber Creek Group

United Airlines U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Carol and Tom Wheeler

INITIATOR

Jaime and Pilar Aleman ArentFox Schiff Megan and Don Beyer Jason and Melissa Burnett B&M Steel Mark and Linda Earley Chastang Mignon Clyburn Cornerstone Government Affairs English Hudson Consulting Yolanda Holmes IGC Pharma Winona Lake Sara and Chris Lange Lee’s Flowers and Card Shop, Inc. Parveen and Ram Mukunda Karen and George Marcou Kim and Gerry Mayfield Monument Advocacy Precision Strategies Pamela and Dick Sauber Jamie J. Thompson Kim and Rewi Thompson Dolly Turner

Reginald Van Lee

I embrace the responsibility to impact and to lead at the next level and I am excited about all that I have to o er

Clara, VIVA Young Artist

STAFF

Chandini Darby, Co-Founder, Artistic Director

Kelli Quinn, Co-Founder, Executive Director

Amber Green, Student Development Associate Rian Matthews, Operations Manager

Zenas “Tobi” Okanlawon, Developement & Marketing Manager

FACULTY

Dr. Elana Anderson Yao Adu Boakye-Hunt

Krystal Butler

Jocelyn Cox

Jamison Curcio Dr. Danelle Dickson

Sunmolu Hamilton-Samuels

Jalia Inman

Shanice Mason

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Audrey Medley Tyrese (Ty) Newby Alvaro Palau Palomino Marcela Paz Palau Robbin Tasha–Ford Sheryl Thomas Monique Walker Devon Wallace Anton Wilson

Planet Word Museum and Staff, Sarah Ewing, Najah Fabio, Letitia Hays, Nina Matthews, Janiliss Maynard, Natalia Rodriguez, Kathleen Timm, Monique Walker, Anton Wilson, English Hudson Consulting, Extraordinary Entertainment, Ivan Anhe Productions, Love Life Media LLC, Spilled Milk Catering, U Street Parking

Thank you to the Vision Cast for your multi-year investment and the foundations and government agencies that support The VIVA School.

VISION CAST

Kay Kendall and Jack Davies Ruth Sorenson and Family Linda Potter and Tim Shriver Sachiko Kuno

Emily Spitzer

The Honorable Ann Brown & Donald A. Brown Kim Samuel

FOUNDATIONS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Anonymous Bank of America

Barbara Epstein Foundation Bender Foundation, Inc.

Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation

Dallas Coors Morse Foundation for the Performing Arts

Dimick Foundation

Fight For Children

George Preston Marshall Foundation

John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation

Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Share Fund

S&R Evermay

Venable Foundation Wiley

The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region/Arts

Forward

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

DC Housing and Finance Authority

The DC Office of Out of School

Time Grants and Youth Outcome

Join our relentless journey to defy social barriers, democratize dance education and ignite a cultural shift in the arts.

Donate to The VIVA School thevivaschool.org/support

To learn more contact Tobi Okanlawon at tobi@thevivaschool.org