Denise Miller has a background in Middle Eastern dance which she has studied, taught and performed for over 25 years. Denise also traveled and lived in Turkey where she conducted dance research and performed. Denise studied modern dance throughout her career and formed Sandstorm Dance Company in 2003. Sandstorm consistently sold out shows at the Shuster Center in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She is the co-Artistic Director of Women and Dance.
Ms. Diana L. Ford (Choreographer & Dancer) is an experienced Choreographer/Dancer/Multimedia Entrepreneur, and she does creative freelance work in association with DLF Productions & Company. She is a high school graduate from the Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). She has a bachelor’s degree in Communications – Radio/Television from Northern Kentucky University, and an M.A. in Liberal Arts with a discipline in Humanities and a focus on Social Justice, from St. Edward’s University where she created her Community Facebook Blog page called Welcome to America: There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This Crap: www.facebook.com/WelcometoAmerica.TheresGottaBeSomethingBetter, which is in the process of being turned into a full theatrical production. Ms. Diana has a wide range of theatrical and multi-media experience, both onstage and offstage She has created a few pieces for the Performance and Time Arts (PTA) shows at the Contemporary Dance Theater (CDT), and she taught her JUST DANCE Class at CDT and the Williams YMCA in Cincinnati. She also Produced and Directed two PTA programs over the past 2 yrs., and she’s currently working on her 3rd show coming up this November 2017. In addition, Ms. Diana choreographed one version of the musical “100 Years of Divas in American Music” and performed in this production. She directed, produced and choreographed her own dance, spoken-word, multimedia and musical production in 2007 called *The Woman Within (Letting Go…)* for the 20/20 Festival in Cincinnati, OH. She has a very broad singing and acting background, and she writes as well.
Michael Groomes started his dance career at the age of 15 when he became a member of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s second company. His training included notable teachers Jeraldyne Blunden, Kevin Ward, Gregory Robinson, Jon Rodriguez, Bobby Barnett, Doug Nielson, Chuck Davis, Milton Myers, James Truitte and a host of other renowned teachers. Michael was accepted as a member of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s first company and embarked on a career that has taken him around the world and across the country. While performing with DCDC he danced significant roles and worked with choreographers such as Donald McKayle, Donald Byrd, Talley Beatty, Eleo Pomare’, Alejandro Cervera, Kevin Ward, Dwight Rhoden and many others. Michael left DCDC and went to Washington DC to dance with the New World Dance Company under the direction of Lloyd Whitmore. One of his more notable experiences was having Stephanie Dabney complement him on his partnering technique. While in DC he performed for the Black Congressional Caucus Spouses Fashion Show, a guest spot with the Whispers and performances at the Kennedy Center. Michael left DC and began teaching dance in his local community, universities, festivals and for workshops. In 2003 Michael Formed the SMAG Dance Collective, which is a contemporary fusion dance company. Incorporating hip-hop, house dancing, latin dances and other ethnic and social forms of dance with the contemporary genre, Michael has created a unique niche for SMAG. Non traditional venues such as restaurants, bars, street corners, streets, nightclubs and even working fountains have been a few venues where SMAG has performed.
Sophia Kovich is finishing her final semester at Indiana University South Bend where she studies Communications and Public Relations, with minors in Graphic Design and Dance. Sophia was 7 when she found her love for the stage when she landed a role in Macbeth, and she continued to act around the community and received roles in Godspell, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Hamlet, where she played Ophelia. Sophia continued to pursue an acting career in college, but found a love for dance by chance when she ended up taking Ballet for a general education credit at school. After noticing her interest in the art form, the IUSB Dance Company director offered Sophia a place in the Company, where she learned the basics in other dance styles, including pointe, Flamenco, Modern, and some Native American. Sophia is a Belly Dancer in Northern Indiana with the Sisters of the Nile and Company and an African Dancer with Uzima Drum and Dance directed by Alvin Ailey alum Kelly Morgan. She has performed at the University of Notre Dame, IU South Bend, The Lerner Theater of Elkhart, and The World Missions Summit 4. In 2018, she will be traveling with Uzima to dance at Carnegie Hall. She also has a background in Modern, tap, and ballet. Sophia believes that art can change the world and she wants to be part of that change. She enjoys teaching youth gymnastics and youth Ballet and Tap at two local YMCAs in her area. She encourages her students to have faith and often reminds them that they can do anything they want if they keep trying.
Richard F. Mosley II a Detroit native, comes to us via St. Cloud State University in Minnesota where he began his study of dance. He now resides in Dayton, OH where he continued his education in dance at Wright State University. Some of Mr. Mosley’s performance credits include Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II, Florida Grand Opera, Dayton Opera, Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater (The Men’s Project), S.M.A.G. Dance Collective and Miami Valley Dance Company. In addition to performing, he is an accomplished teacher and choreographer including Upward Bound Program at Wright State University, Vocal Performance Institute at University of Dayton, Stivers School of Performing Arts, Miami University Dance Ensemble, Rehearsal Director for Repertory Dance Theater, Associate Artistic Director of S.M.A.G. Dance Collective, Artistic Director of the University of Dayton Dance Ensemble. Some of Richard’s collaborations have been with DCDC2, UD Opera work shop, UD Choral, Ebony Heritage Singers, Winters Tale, Speech and Debate and Theater Under the Stars where he choreographed Babes in Arm for which he also received an award for his work.
Quiterie Gianina-Gabrielle graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance degree where she collaborated with film artists, Nishanti Josson and Pradeep Edussuriya as well as David Glivar, composer. While in Southeast Ohio, she performed with Village Productions in addition to teaching dance at the company’s school. Quiterie has had the privilege of performing the work of Rodney Veal in connection with the Blue Sky Project as well as Mr. Veal and Shaw Pong Lui’s Translations; she also worked with Mr. Veal and other artists on a performance installation at the Dayton Art Institute for Homefull’s 25th Anniversary Gala. Quiterie danced with SMAG Dance Collective and served as the company’s Marketing Director for two seasons. Quiterie has been blessed to perform the work of choreographers Zelma Badu-Younge, Joanna De Souza, Richard F. Mosley II, Denise Miller and Erin LaSala among others in addition to performing the works of emerging choreographers Taiesha Green and Rachelle Cartee. She is the co-Artistic Director of Women and Dance.
Kimala Fentress (Frazier) is a dancer/ choreographer from Trenton, NJ. She fell in love with All styles of dance while working with the Muskegon Civic Theaters repertory touring company in Muskegon, MI. It was there, she was exposed to all styles of Theater and Dance. She graduated from Central State University, in Wilberforce Oh, with a BA. In Communications. While there she had the pleasure of dancing as a CSU Belle. Kimala taught ballroom dance for three years with Dance Time Productions this afforded her the opportunity to teach at Princeton University. She is a lifetime learner of dance and has been blessed to take classes at the Broadway Dance Center with many great choreographers including Deborah Wilson… and at the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, through the Ailey Experience. Here in Ohio, Kimala has been a dancer with Fusion at the Funklab Dance Center under the direction of Kelly Dailey. Most recently Kimala is a dancer with Women and Dance in Dayton under the direction of Denise Miller and Quiterie Gianina-Gabrielle….she has collaborated with and performed the choreography of Richard F. Mosley II as well as Michael Groomes (SMAG Dance Collective).
Women and Dance will present SPIRIT, a modern and contemporary dance concert featuring the work of local choreographers on August 19, 2017 at 8:00pm at Center for Spiritual Living Greater Dayton, 4100 Benfield Drive, Kettering, OH 45429. SPIRIT raises funds for the work of Guy W. Jones.
womenanddance 