The Department of Cultural Affairs Los Angeles recently announced their list of 10 scholarship winners to the 2018 International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) Conference and Festival, hosted by Lula Washington Dance Theater in Los Angeles. The IABD welcomes administrators, artists, choreographers, dance companies, directors, educators, scholars, and those interested in artistry, black dance issues, and performance presentations. The Association, founded in 1991, provides a network, formal newsletters, choreographers directory, published papers, and is the raison d’être for the annual conference. This year's scholarship recipients include alumni Bernard Brown M.F.A. '17 and Allison Gray B.A. '10 as well as current student Jade Charon Robertson.
"Jade Charon, BA '10, is a choreographer, community activist, dancer, filmmaker, and teaching artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She began dancing at the age of 5 with City Ballet Theater, and trained with many local dance organizations around Milwaukee such as: Art in Motion, Milwaukee Ballet School, Feet of Praise Dance Ministry, and graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts as a dance major. In 2005, she joined Signature Dance Company where she served as a company member and choreographer. In 2007, she was accepted into Columbia College Chicago. Jade thrived artistically and academically, and received an Opportunity Scholarship which granted her a full ride for her academic achievements. In 2011, Jade Charon graduated from Columbia College Chicago with honors receiving a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Dance and Theater. After college, she became a backup dancer for Kanye West and performed at Summeriest Music Festival and Essences Fest. Jade’s passion for youth and community landed her a pioneer role of, Youth Choreography Dance Artist Mentor, for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Through this role, Jade was a part of a national research study held by The Wallace Foundation, and had the responsibility of creating a high quality dance program for the youth of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee with a 5.6 million dollar grant. Jade’s professional experience in church ministry , dance, education, and community is the driving force behind her choreography. She is currently a MFA dance student and Graduate Opportunity Fellow, at the University of California, Los Angeles where she explores the ways in which dance can be used as ministry to uplift people of color and heal all people.”
"Bernard Brown, MFA '17, is a choreographer, performer, and educator. Mr. Brown’s choreography has been presented at Royce Hall, REDCAT, the Fowler Museum, Japanese American National Museum, Highways Performance Space, HomeLA, Southern Methodist University, Crocker Art Museum, and Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. He has choreographed Scott Joplin’s opera, “Treemonisha” for Skylark Opera. Bernard has performed with Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Jazz Antiqua, TU Dance, Shapiro & Smith Dance, and Doug Elkins Dance Company. Bernard has also worked with Donald McKayle, David Rousseve, Rennie Harris, Vincent Patterson, Lea Anderson, Rudy Perez, Tamica Washington-Miller, Ann Carlson, Christopher Huggins, among others. His work “Champion” was presented at the launch of the Institute on Inequality and Democracy at UCLA Luskin in 2016. Mr. Brown was published in the inaugural edition of Dancer-Citizen, peer-reviewed dance journal, in November 2015. His work as an activist was featured in the Los Angeles Times. He is also recipient of the Westfield Emerging Artist Award in 2016, and the Lester Horton Award in 2017. He received his BFA from Purchase College and his MFA in Dance from UCLA. Mr. Brown is the recently appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at California State University, Sacramento. The LA Times has called him “…the incomparable Bernard Brown…”
"Current student Allison “Alli” Gray is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Los Angeles, California. Stepping into the dance studio at the age of five, Alli has continued to pursue dance as her greatest life passion. She graduated from UCLAʼs Department of World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in Dance in June 2010. During her four-year tenure at UCLA, she honed her technical and choreography skills as a featured artist in both student and professional productions. Her versatile training and knowledge include such dance styles as Modern, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and West African. Alli has been a principle member of Versa-Style since 2009, a dance ensemble that creates highly energetic work representing the diversity, history, and beauty of Hip Hop dance and culture. She has had the privilege to travel and experience unique dance opportunities such as the Dance and Drum Program (Burkina Faso, West Africa), Illadelph Legends Hip Hop Festival (Philadelphia, Pa), Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute (New Orleans, LA), The Ladies of Hip Hop Festival (New York, NY), Chennai Hip Hop Festival (India), and International Dance Festival (Israel). For the past 7 years, she has shared her strong passion and commitment to the arts by teaching students dance at East Los Angeles Performing Arts Magnet. Alli continues to train, explore, and deepen her practice. She is greatly interested in finding where dance forms can connect and relate to one another. As an African- American woman, she is inspired to create work that represents a unique female voice through powerful, dynamic, and funky movement.”
"Jade Charon, BA '10, is a choreographer, community activist, dancer, filmmaker, and teaching artist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She began dancing at the age of 5 with City Ballet Theater, and trained with many local dance organizations around Milwaukee such as: Art in Motion, Milwaukee Ballet School, Feet of Praise Dance Ministry, and graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts as a dance major. In 2005, she joined Signature Dance Company where she served as a company member and choreographer. In 2007, she was accepted into Columbia College Chicago. Jade thrived artistically and academically, and received an Opportunity Scholarship which granted her a full ride for her academic achievements. In 2011, Jade Charon graduated from Columbia College Chicago with honors receiving a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Dance and Theater. After college, she became a backup dancer for Kanye West and performed at Summeriest Music Festival and Essences Fest. Jade’s passion for youth and community landed her a pioneer role of, Youth Choreography Dance Artist Mentor, for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Through this role, Jade was a part of a national research study held by The Wallace Foundation, and had the responsibility of creating a high quality dance program for the youth of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee with a 5.6 million dollar grant. Jade’s professional experience in church ministry , dance, education, and community is the driving force behind her choreography. She is currently a MFA dance student and Graduate Opportunity Fellow, at the University of California, Los Angeles where she explores the ways in which dance can be used as ministry to uplift people of color and heal all people.”
"Bernard Brown, MFA '17, is a choreographer, performer, and educator. Mr. Brown’s choreography has been presented at Royce Hall, REDCAT, the Fowler Museum, Japanese American National Museum, Highways Performance Space, HomeLA, Southern Methodist University, Crocker Art Museum, and Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. He has choreographed Scott Joplin’s opera, “Treemonisha” for Skylark Opera. Bernard has performed with Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Jazz Antiqua, TU Dance, Shapiro & Smith Dance, and Doug Elkins Dance Company. Bernard has also worked with Donald McKayle, David Rousseve, Rennie Harris, Vincent Patterson, Lea Anderson, Rudy Perez, Tamica Washington-Miller, Ann Carlson, Christopher Huggins, among others. His work “Champion” was presented at the launch of the Institute on Inequality and Democracy at UCLA Luskin in 2016. Mr. Brown was published in the inaugural edition of Dancer-Citizen, peer-reviewed dance journal, in November 2015. His work as an activist was featured in the Los Angeles Times. He is also recipient of the Westfield Emerging Artist Award in 2016, and the Lester Horton Award in 2017. He received his BFA from Purchase College and his MFA in Dance from UCLA. Mr. Brown is the recently appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at California State University, Sacramento. The LA Times has called him “…the incomparable Bernard Brown…”
"Current student Allison “Alli” Gray is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in Los Angeles, California. Stepping into the dance studio at the age of five, Alli has continued to pursue dance as her greatest life passion. She graduated from UCLAʼs Department of World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in Dance in June 2010. During her four-year tenure at UCLA, she honed her technical and choreography skills as a featured artist in both student and professional productions. Her versatile training and knowledge include such dance styles as Modern, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and West African. Alli has been a principle member of Versa-Style since 2009, a dance ensemble that creates highly energetic work representing the diversity, history, and beauty of Hip Hop dance and culture. She has had the privilege to travel and experience unique dance opportunities such as the Dance and Drum Program (Burkina Faso, West Africa), Illadelph Legends Hip Hop Festival (Philadelphia, Pa), Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute (New Orleans, LA), The Ladies of Hip Hop Festival (New York, NY), Chennai Hip Hop Festival (India), and International Dance Festival (Israel). For the past 7 years, she has shared her strong passion and commitment to the arts by teaching students dance at East Los Angeles Performing Arts Magnet. Alli continues to train, explore, and deepen her practice. She is greatly interested in finding where dance forms can connect and relate to one another. As an African- American woman, she is inspired to create work that represents a unique female voice through powerful, dynamic, and funky movement.”