DANCE FOR SCHOOLS PUBLISHING - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Hip Hop Dance Curriculum Developer

DeAndre Carroll is the director of The FunKinetic Project. He has been an influential figure in the Colorado Hip Hop scene for over 20 years teaching, performing, battling, providing opportunities and throwing community events. He is skilled in many styles of dance and is an award nominated choreographer, accomplished teacher, and performer specializing in dances of the African diaspora, including Traditional West African, Afro-Caribbean, Hip Hop dance forms, and House dance. Learn more about his project and how to contribute at: https://funkinetic.com/.

Job Titles:

• Traditional West African Dance Curriculum Developer

Fara Tolno was born in Guinea, West Africa. Playing djembe since the age of nine, he has traveled extensively performing and teaching both drumming and dance. Fara is a keeper of the history, the music, and the dance in his culture. He holds a vision to build a school of Music, Dance and Education in his home of Guinea, West Africa. This school will help provide a sustainable way to ensure that the knowledge of the music, dance, and history of Guinea will be passed on to the next generation. Learn more about this project and how to contribute at: https://kissidugu.org/

Gabrielle Hamilton is a Los Angeles based professional dancer originally from Harlem, New York. Graduate of Point Park University 2018, Ms. Hamilton was the soloist of Tony award winning Broadway's revival, Rodgers and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA. She received the Chita Rivera award for, "Outstanding female Dancer in a Broadway Show," and The Bessie's award for, "Outstanding Performer", and was the face of Dance Magazine cover January 2020. Dancing has been the anchor to her mission to heal the world for more than 16 plus years. She continues to elaborate on her many gifts, such as illustrating, animating and motivational speaking, in hopes of building a better perspective and outcome of self and the world.

Job Titles:

• Owner, Swing Dance Curriculum Developer

Joe DeMers is a professionally licensed teacher, serving Denver Public Schools for 12 years, and the 2015 National Dance Teacher of the Year (SHAPE America). He is highly recognized for building one of the most successful public school dance programs in Denver. Each dance class is a WOW-like experience where EVERY student has the right and ability to achieve excellence in dance. He is also an three time International Champion Blues and Lindy Hop instructor and has toured the world teaching and performing. He loves to dance and is proud to be a dancer, performer, competitor, and instructor. Joe DeMers was the Director of Dance at South High School in Denver Public Schools (DPS). Being a newcomer school for students with little to no English, he had over 70 countries represented in his classroom! Dance was the expression that needed no words, yet spoke volumes. The diversity of his school brought beauty, stories and a cultural sensitivity that was further heightened when students could share in cultures through dance.

Lucienne Ndoutou is a Hip Hop and Afrobeat dancer in Denver, CO. Born in Cameroon, Africa, she loves to dance, perform, teach, and choreograph. She is the director of the Afrobeat dance team, United African Queens, and studies dance at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She has performed in many shows around the community, in music videos, and volunteers within her community to share her love of dance and music.

Job Titles:

• Owner, Modern and Ballet Curriculum Developer

Winifred R. Harris is a multi-faceted artist, teacher, and community activist. In short, Ms. Harris is a visionary who creates art as conversation, a connective tissue to the world, and a means to see beyond what we think of as "limits." Her work is a strong balance of technical prowess and expression through movement. She has danced professionally and is currently the Associate Artistic Director for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and owner of Your Soul's Movement, a studio in Denver, CO. In recognition of her work, she was nominated for the Lester Horton Choreography Award, as well as the Alpert Award. Winifred Harris is a multi-faceted dancer, artist, teacher, and community activist. She is a visionary who creates art as conversation, a connective tissue to the world, and a means to see beyond what we think of as "limits." Her dance works are a strong balance of technical prowess and expression through movement. She is a master dancer and is currently the Associate Artistic Director for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Denver, CO. Winifred and Joe came together to create a curriculum in which students could develop a transformative relationship with movement and music; especially the beginning dancer. They desired to help teachers develop a classroom environment of hope, joy, kindness, and vision. Though not all students will become great dancers, all students can be pushed to their own versions of excellence and develop a strength to express themselves.