Ballet

I started ballet when I was already in College, but I was very fortunate to be the student of a famous Ballet teacher. I studied with Miss Pheng Lyu, a soloist for the Beijing Ballet who also practiced ballet therapy to prepare the body to be a dancer. I trained with her for many years; but I also had the opportunity, through college mostly and open master classes, to work with many other ballet teachers with different styles and techniques, from Russian, French, to Cuban. Some of my other teachers included Miss Alora Haynes, Miss Sonia Calero (wife and muse of the great Alberto Alonso), Isabel Mercedes Garcia-Rose, and Jessica Mayhew-Borrero just to name a few.

Modern

Peter London introduced me to modern dance with the Graham Technique. I then studied Horton with Sir Angel Martinez from Cuba. During that time, Rodney A Brown, founder of the Brown Dance Project, is who I mostly worked and developed my technique with. His work was rooted mostly in Horton technique, but was a fusion of modern techniques and black dance.

Some of my other teachers were Melissa Canto, Brian Brooks, and many master classes in different techniques mostly from USA and Europe.

African

Though my own traditions are rooted in African Cultures, my introduction to dances of the continent was with Mohamed Dacosta from Guinee. I was first a djembe accompanist in his company: Agbedidi Africa. I later trained and performed with them as a dancer.

It is through Agbedidi that I met many other African teachers who contributed to my training in African Dance. This awoke my interest in pursuing the study of the dances of Africa; I decided to participate in many festivals, master classes, and even traveled to the continent on several occasions.

To cite a few of my teachers, I could mention: Elikem Nyamuame from Ghana, Christa Fatoumata Sylla who studied Guine, Mali and Senegalese Dance, Sebastien Okpotié from Ivory Coast, Barakissa Coulibali, Senny Daffe, Moustapha Bangoura, and Youssouf Koumbassa…

Contemporary

My Ideology on Contemporary Dance is inspired from the well known mother of African Contemporary Dance, Germain Acogny who claims that contemporary dance is dancing in the present time.

My repertoire comes from teachers such as Lassina Coulibali (Africa), Rodney A. Brown (USA), Melissa Canto (USA), Nicole Lumarque (Haiti), Angel Martinez (Cuba), Micheal Foley (USA-France), Neta Pulvermacher (Israel), Jennifer Archibald (USA)… just to cite a few.

Haitian / Caribbean-Movement

Haitian Culture is my tradition; a tradition I am officially initiated in, and in which I am recognized as a Houngan Assongwe: one who has the responsibility of caring for the culture and transmitting it to the next generation.

Many elders would need to be mentioned here as my real teachers; but I must first mention my uncle Julien Cesar who thought me my first Haitian Dance Steps as a child, and also my spiritual/cultural mother: Marie Evains who thought me and accompanied me through my journey to initiation in Haitian traditions. She is my first mentor.

My repertoire for Haitian and Caribbean dance include movement from teachers like Lahens Louis (from Vivianne Gauthier dance school), Nicole Lumarque (Ballet Folklorique d’Haiti), Marc Elie Pierre (Bakoulou-Theatre National); and I must say that the many Houngans and Manbos who accompany me in the field everyday have served heavily as influencers to my dance today. (A special shoutout to “Sosyete Nago” in Jacmel Haiti.

Other

Other movement in my repertoire comes from Jamaican DanceHall, African Pop Dances, Traditional dances of the Diaspora (Brazil, Cuba, Jamaica, India), and Social Latin Dances (salsa, samba, rumba, chachacha)…

I also have some training in Shotokan style Karate, Aikido, and Haitian Stick Fighting.

Some of my teachers include Lionnel Abellard (Shotokan), Frantz Julio (Haitian Stick Fighting), and the many friends and family who love to dance and always teach me their special moves. The list is long but I do recognize they contributed plenty to the dancer I am today.