Emerging Dancers Return to Dallas Black Dance Theatre

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merging Dancers Return to Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Some of the members of Emerging Dancers of Dallas from both seasons share a fun moment. From left, Taylor Boyland, Antuan Byers, Natalie Newman, Alysia L. Johnson, Madi Hicks, Mykal Stromile, Alex Clair. (Photo Courtesy of Izahm Wilson/DBDT)

Academy Alumni Produce Dance Performance

The Emerging Dancers of Dallas will perform at Dallas Black Dance Theatre August 15, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. Eight of the 14 company members are alumni of Dallas Black Dance Academy.

This is the second annual summer performance of the dance group that was created by Alysia Johnson, a junior at The Juilliard School in New York City. Alysia started taking lessons at Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) when she was five. Alysia grew up in Oak Cliff. She was a member of the academy’s Bloom Performing Ensemble and a guest performer with DBDT II while attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

“To be producing this performance, on the same floor of Dallas Black Dance Theatre where I was a student just a few years ago, is so humbling to me,” said Alysia Johnson. “I have danced with all of these dancers for many years, some for more than a decade. It is such a great way to unite and show our family, mentors, and supporters how well we have progressed.”

Alysia will produce the performance as well as dance and choreograph a work, in the DBDT studios located at 2700 Ann Williams Way in the Dallas Arts District.

Other Dallas Black Dance Academy alumni involved in the production are graduates of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and include the following dancers:

McKinley Willis – currently a Dallas Black Dance Theatre company member. She is choreographing a work for the production. McKinley began her dance training at Dallas Black Dance Academy while growing up in DeSoto. She is a 2011 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and a 2015 graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

Layla Brent – starts an apprenticeship at the Oklahoma City Ballet this fall after graduating from Booker T. Washington HSPVA. Layla, grew up in Oak Cliff and performed with Dallas Black Dance Academy Allegro ensemble for two seasons while attending high school.

Jared Brown – is a 2016 Presidential Scholar and will be a freshman at The Juilliard School this fall. The Oak Cliff resident is choreographing a work for the showcase. Jared was both a member of Dallas Black Dance Academy Allegro ensemble as well as Booker T. Washington HSPVA’s Repertory Ensemble I during high school.

Mykal Stromile – a junior at The Juilliard School. He is choreographing a work for the performance. Mykal, of Lancaster, trained at the Dallas Black Dance Academy for a short time before joining DBDT II, the second company of Dallas Black Dance Theatre. He also performed with Booker T. Washington HSPVA’s Repertory Ensemble I.

Jordan Willis – a sophomore on scholarship at Point Park University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Jordan was both a member of the Dallas Black Dance Academy Bloom Performing Ensemble and the Allegro ensemble. Jordan also performed with Repertory I and Repertory II, at Booker T. Washington HSPVA. She is McKinley’s sister and is from DeSoto.

Sydney Winston – a sophomore on scholarship at Point Park University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Sydney, of Dallas, was a member of World Dance Ensemble, after taking part in Dallas Black Dance Academy’s Bloom and Allegro ensembles.

Amaria Stern – a freshman on scholarship at University of Southern California. Amaria trained in Dallas Black Dance Academy and performed with Booker T. Washington HSPVA’s Repertory I. She grew up in Cedar Hill.

“It just makes my heart swell with pride to see so many Dallas Black Dance Academy graduates come back to their home studio to produce their own dance performance,” said Ann Williams, founder of both Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Dallas Black Dance Academy. “It is wonderful to see that we were able to give them the foundational dance training they needed to succeed academically and professionally.”

Other members of Emerging Dancers of Dallas are attending college after graduating from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and performing with the school’s Repertory I and Repertory II ensembles.

They are Alex Clair, Taylor Boyland, Madi Hicks, Amy Allen, Caroline Haidet, and Natalie Newman.

The Dallas Youth Repertory Project will make a guest appearance in the showcase.

Presale tickets for the performance are $10 and can be purchased at http://www.alysiajohnson.com/edd/.