TEA AND TALK WITH CLEO PARKER ROBINSON - NASSAU BAHAMAS - SEASON 3 EP6

American choreographer Cleo Parker Robinson, founder and artistic director of the internationally renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (CPRD), has been a transformative force in dance for more than five decades. Founded in 1970 in Denver’s historic Five Points neighbourhood, her company is celebrated for its multicultural approach to modern dance, drawing inspiration from African American, Caribbean, African, and global movement traditions. Robinson, who was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989 and appointed to the National Council on the Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1999, has toured in more than 30 countries and served as a cultural ambassador worldwide.

In 1992 Mrs. Parker Robinson was brought to The Bahamas in an advisory capacity through The Bahamas Government and The United States Embassy, Nassau. After 33 years Mrs. Parker Returned to The Bahamas to celebrate this milestone with the National Dance Company of The Bahamas.

TEA AND TALK WITH KELVIN COOPER S3 - EP5

Kelvin Cooper is the Chair and Professor in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department at Bronx Community College. He is certified in both fitness and yoga. He has adjunct at NYU teaching Afro-Caribbean dance, and he is a teaching artist for the Alvin Ailey Arts Education Program. He has taught, directed intercultural dance and wellness workshops, conferences and performances on the continent of Africa, South America, Asia, North America and Europe. These are all opportunities that have allowed him to explore much of his healing and creative work on Restorative Practice with diverse communities. He uses this practice to create joy, wellness, and safe space in addressing two fundamental needs of human beings; the need to be connected to your authentic self and the need to be connected to others for mutual support and resources.

Tea and Talk with - Cristin Carole - Shirley Hall-Bass Forum 2025

S3 Ep4

Co- Founder Shirley Hall Bass Forum

Cristin Carole is an interdisciplinary artist,

choreographer, dancer and arts educator. With over 20 years of multi-media performances, curriculum development experience and arts integration methodologies developed in the United states and abroad, Cristin works to bring a greater understanding of content standards, planning, implementation and assessment to teaching artists through professional development workshops and graduate level education courses. Most recently she brought her insight as both and artist and elementary classroom teacher to her award winning educational programming and professional development workshops for the Joffrey Ballet.

Mission of The Shirley Hall-Bass Forum

The mission of the Shirley Hall Bass Dance Educators Forum, first convened in 2019 in Nassau, Bahamas is

to establish dance as a driving force in Bahamian education, tourism and national identity through the

development of a professional learning community with concerted focus on quality education from K-12.

LINDSAY BRAYNEN

Lindsay Braynen [she/her] is a Bahamian-born performing artist currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Known by her stage name Androsia Wilde - “The Bahama Mama Of Burlesque” - her performing journey spans over 3,000 miles and has taken her through the realms of alternative modeling, martial arts, immersive theatre, acting for television, dance, and most importantly - burlesque.

Her burlesque career started in May 2014 with her much-lauded debut as Lando Calrissian in Geekenders' initial production of "The Empire Strips Back", and she has since set stages ablaze with acts that deftly combine her love of storytelling and pop-culture, with a personal pride in her Bahamian heritage.

LINDSAY BRAYNEN Androsia Wild -“The Bahama Mama of Burlesque”

Lindsay Braynen [she/her] is a Bahamian-born performing artist currently based in Vancouver, Canada. Known by her stage name Androsia Wilde - “The Bahama Mama Of Burlesque” - her performing journey spans over 3,000 miles and has taken her through the realms of alternative modeling, martial arts, immersive theatre, acting for television, dance, and most importantly - burlesque.

Her burlesque career started in May 2014 with her much-lauded debut as Lando Calrissian in Geekenders' initial production of "The Empire Strips Back", and she has since set stages ablaze with acts that deftly combine her love of storytelling and pop-culture, with a personal pride in her Bahamian heritage.

TEA AND TALK WITH NICOLETTE BETHEL - SEASON 3 - EP2

Nicolette Bethel was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas to parents Keva (the principal and then the president of the College of the Bahamas) and Clement (who was a concert pianist and a composer and a choral director) Bethel. She studied at Trinity College at the University of Toronto and at Corpus Christi College, where she got a PhD in Social Anthropology. She also lived and worked in the UK and Canada and later moved back to the Bahamas where she served as Director of Culture for the Bahamas for five years.

When Nicolette moved back to The Bahamas she got involved with Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts, which was the community theatre of the time. During this time, she met and married her husband Phillip Burrows and they moved to Canada for a few years. Upon returning in 2000 they formed Ringplay Productions, mostly with the former members of the Dundas repertory company. She later went into the government to work as Director of Culture. Years later she left the government and produced Shakespeare in Paradise.

Nicolette is a playwright, poet, fiction writer, and anthropologist who is the Chair of Social Sciences at the University of The Bahamas. She is also a theatre producer and director and is the founder and Festival Director of Shakespeare in Paradise, co-founder and Vice-President of Ringplay Productions, and Vice-Chair of the Dundas Centre for the Performing Arts in Nassau, Bahamas.

TEA AND TALK - WITH CRISTIN CAROLE - SEASON 3 - EP: 1

Co-Founder Shirley Hall Bass Forum

Cristin Carole is an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, dancer, and arts educator. With over 20 years of multi-media performances, curriculum development experience, and arts integration methodologies developed in the United States and abroad, Cristin works to bring a greater understanding of content standards, planning, implementation, and assessment to teaching artists through professional development workshops and graduate-level education courses. Most recently she brought her insight as both an artist and elementary classroom teacher to her award-winning educational programming and professional development workshops for the Joffrey Ballet.

Mission of The Shirley Hall-Bass Forum The mission of the Shirley Hall Bass Dance Educators Forum, first convened in 2019 in Nassau, Bahamas is to establish dance as a driving force in Bahamian education, tourism, and national identity through the development of a professional learning community with a concerted focus on quality education from K-12.

TEA AND TALK - WITH GILLIAN GIA CURRY-WILLIAMS & DR. JOANN CALLENDER - S-2 EP14

GILLIAN GIA CURRY- WILLIAMS

In the face of her father’s courageous battle with cancer in 2016, Gillian developed a profound connection with cancer survivors. She channeled her creativity into “The Fabric of Hope,” a print fabric design garnering global attention for its symbolic depiction of the beauty and strength of cancer warriors. Inspired by her experience, Gillian also initiated an annual Fashion Show highlighting and honoring the strength and resilience of cancer warriors, who, as the runway models themselves, are affectionately called “Remilda Rose Designs Honorees.” Deepening her commitment to bring hope. Gillian established the Fabric of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals battling cancer.

DR. JOANN CALLENDER

Dr. Joann Callender is a survivor and the patron of this year's “Fabric of Hope” Remilda Rose Design Honorees fashion show. Dr. Callender has worked for decades to exhibit the music of The

Bahamas around the world. A renowned soprano soloist, she is also well regarded as a champion of Black excellence in the performing arts for her long career as a writer, producer, and director of stage productions that have been brought to international audiences. She is a Bahamian

cultural ambassador and is dedicated to preserving a legacy of Bahamian music for future generations.

TEA AND TALK - WITH SHANESS D. KEMP - PART 1

Shaness D. Kemp is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, and holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Fine Arts from Temple University. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and continues to work as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. Most recently, Kemp was invited to be a guest performing artist with the Tabanka African & Caribbean Peoples Dance Ensemble which is Northern Europe’s largest all-black professional dance company. As Master Teacher of the Umfundalai technique, she has taught at various institutions, festivals, and intensives, both nationally and internationally. Kemp has trained and performed with several notable artists and professional dance companies, including Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Kariamu & Company: Traditions, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, Eleone Dance Theatre, Philadanco! The Philadelphia Dance Company, Urban Bush Women, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Rennie Harris Puremovement, The Katherine Dunham Seminar, and The American Dance Festival to name a few. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally at organizations such as the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and the 37th Annual Choreographers Showcase where she received the Audience Choice Award for her choreography. She was also the 2015-2016 recipient of the Ellen Forman Memorial Award.

TEA AND TALK - WITH SHANESS D. KEMP - PART 2 - EPISODE 12

Shaness D. Kemp is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, and holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master of Fine Arts from Temple University. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and continues to work as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. Most recently, Kemp was invited to be a guest performing artist with the Tabanka African & Caribbean Peoples Dance Ensemble which is Northern Europe’s largest all-black professional dance company. As Master Teacher of the Umfundalai technique, she has taught at various institutions, festivals, and intensives, both nationally and internationally. Kemp has trained and performed with several notable artists and professional dance companies, including Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Kariamu & Company: Traditions, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, Eleone Dance Theatre, Philadanco! The Philadelphia Dance Company, Urban Bush Women, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Rennie Harris Puremovement, The Katherine Dunham Seminar, and The American Dance Festival to name a few. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally at organizations such as the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and the 37th Annual Choreographers Showcase where she received the Audience Choice Award for her choreography. She was also the 2015-2016 recipient of the Ellen Forman Memorial Award.