Performance artist and occasional leftie–Zhanna Reed is a multimodal craftsman, who uses creativity as a tool of expression, to learn, teach, and tune in with herself and others. She has an innate sense of service and a love to be involved with the community.  Zhanna is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Buffalo State University of New York, from where she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, the Arts and Humanities Dean’s Award, and the SUNY Chancellor's Award.

Instagram: @ZHELRE

Shameless plugs of things I may have mentioned: My grandpa's IG https://www.instagram.com/henryv.reed/

Charisma Gospel Album https://music.apple.com/us/album/time/1137242402 https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l430NM3xjJxlBqhCK0uY98aIkKDM5Jvfo

New business and project ventures: https://www.instagram.com/thezhenu/

https://www.instagram.com/livelabwithme/

I am Robyn and I have a deep love for all things beautiful. Because of my desire to make all humans feel fabulous Bubbles & Berries Boudoir was born. I am happily married to a wonderful, creative and caring man. Together we are Onion Studio. We shoot weddings, lifestyle, and commercial photography.

I have had the honor of documenting women’s beauty through boudoir photography for the past 11 years. It is a truly humbling experience to take someone through a journey of self-discovery of who they are before, during, and after their session with Bubbles & Berries Boudoir. As my personal life expands to a full expression of my truth I want to bring boudoir to all bodies. Boudoir is for EVERY.Body, and I am here to help you embody your inner sexy. As an Award-winning boudoir photographer, in Buffalo, NY, I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to be able to meet so many amazing people and capture their energy through my lens. I can’t imagine doing anything else for a living.

Boudoir Website: www.bubblesberriesboudoir.com

Boutique Website: www.bubblesberriesboutique.com

IG: @bbboudoir

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BubblesBerriesBoudoir

Members Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bbboudoir

Book Recommendations: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Hacking-Shamanic-Personal-Transform/dp/1250232694/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=spirit+hacking&qid=1614285106&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Slut-Third-Practical-Relationships/dp/0399579664/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W6GZNDUIA7PP&dchild=1&keywords=the+ethical+slutt+third+edition&qid=1614285124&sprefix=ethical+slut%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-1

Fellow business babes:

IG: @rachelrizzohairandmakeup

@wildrose.creations

@drj.xo

@primrosepathboutique

@onionstudio

@lauriegurrbeauty

@northnodeholistic

@beyondthestudio_yourstories

A Note From Miss J:

Bio:

Miss J is the founder and Mistress of Ceremony of Buffalo’s longest running burlesque troupe, The Stripteasers. She has been a performer her entire life. Even her birth was a spectacular show of how one starts life kicking and screaming for the world to know that a star was born!

After starting the first Buffalo-based Neo-Burlesque troupe in 2004, The Stripteasers quickly became a hometown sensation. Three years later Miss J began to teach burlesque classes so that she could share her knowledge and passion with the rest of the world.

Links to follow:

Facebook- Buffalo Burlesque Studio

Instagram- @buffaloburlesquestudio

Patreon- www.patreon.com/buffaloburlesquestudio

Nels Ross is an entertainer, speaker, and teaching artist. As Chief Executive Oddball of In Jest, Inc., he works solo and with others to uplift and inspire audiences (www.InJest.com). His diverse background includes performing theater, touring with a nonprofit circus, teaching math, leading juggling/life workshops, and performing and speaking for 25+ years. He is also a husband and proud father of five kids. @NelsRoss @InJestInc

During our interviews, we try to capture as much of the artist's story as possible, but sometimes we cannot fit it all in. After our interview, Sara and I were talking and we got to the topic about her hair, I hit record, and here is what she wanted to share! 

Annette Daniels Taylor is an artist, and author of the poetry chapbooks, Street Pharmacist and other poetic tales, and Hush now poems to read aloud. Her debut YA novel, Dreams on Fire (October 2018) with West 44 books is a poetic urban teenage journey written in verse. An award-winning playwright, her drama A Little Bit of Paradise, won the 2008 Artie Award for Outstanding New Play.

https://www.annettedanielstaylor.com/

insta: @annette_daniels_taylor

facebook: dreams on fire or annettedanielstaylor

twitter: @nettieboom

A native of Buffalo, New York, Naila Ansari (she/her) is an award-winning choreographer, director, and performing artist.  She is a distinguished MFA graduate from the University at Buffalo in Dance and a Cum Laude undergraduate of Point Park's Conservatory of Performing Arts Program. Ansari is an original and former principal dancer for the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble. The company was named “Top 25 Dance Companies to Watch” in Dance Magazine for the 2012-2013 season, featured at Jacob's Pillow and SummerStage NYC at Central Park. Ansari has danced and performed works for the legendary Lula Washington Dance Theatre out of Los Angeles, CA. She has had the privilege of dancing works by Robert Battle, Kyle Abraham, Camille A. Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Sidra Bell, and Trebien Pollard, to name a few. Ansari's choreography has been set on a host of colleges, universities, professional theatres, and commercial projects.

As an Assistant Professor in Theatre and Africana Studies at SUNY Buffalo State College, Ansari has merged artistry and scholarship to build and create works through community and collaborative processes that facilitate conversations on race and Black performance. She has published articles in Theatre Journal, received numerous grants and awards such as the New York State DanceForce Grant, and The Pittsburgh Courier 40 under 40 awards. Ansari is a research assistant and assistant choreographer for AT BUFFALO the Musical and the recent AT BUFFALO TED TALK under award-winning artist and scholar Dr. Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin. Ansari's award-winning choreographed work "Mine Eyes Have Seen" was selected and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C for the American College Dance Association awards in 2018. Ansari is a collaborator with the UB Arts Collaboratory under the direction of Bronwyn Keenan. Her most recent project and a forthcoming book, The Movement of Joy, focuses on the performance of joy through the creative archiving of oral histories, movement histories, live-performance, and film. Ansari is currently the Dance Director for Ujima Company, inc. selected by the late Lorna C. Hill.

Saranaide is an accomplished vocalist, songwriter and musician based out of Buffalo, NY.  With parents from Panama and Puerto Rico, Saranaide has dipped into her DNA to embrace and celebrate the pulses and sounds of Latin America; exploding on the Buffalo Jazz Scene with a new vigor.  Inspired by the legends of soul and jazz riding on the rhythms of the world, Saranaide's unique sound is sweet honey dripping over a spicy stew.

A lifelong learner, she has traveled the world to better inform her process – whether it is studying Maracatu in Canada and Brazil or traveling to Ghana to immerse herself more fully in West African drumming & dance, Saranaide beautifully blends and reflects her Afro-Latino roots. She writes in both English and Spanish, most recently adding Portuguese to her singing repertoire. Her songwriting is universal and highly personal; her stage presence ethereal and earthy, wrapping her audience up in each story told through her sultry vocals, willowing flute and jazzy guitar riffs.

She began her musical journey learning the piano at the age of 4. She picked up the flute in grade school and played in various ensembles and bands throughout her life. Her musicality sparked her interest in teaching herself guitar (and later ukulele) for church services, where she spent most of her youth building the foundation for her practice. Saranaide also sings with the Buffalo Afrobeat Orchestra and is passionate about her work as a birth doula.

Most notable performances of her career were being a guest of the Brooklyn College Choir in 2018 to perform two sold out nights at Carnegie Hall with Joe Hisaishi in a symphonic concert featuring the music of Studio Ghibli, wowing a sold out crowd at Hotel Henry with a night of bossa nova, and opening up for Jane Bunnett and Maqueque.

To find out more about Sara check out her website www.saranaidemusic.com