Bio

Candice Michelle Franklin

Dance Artist/Choreographer/Producer


Dance Artist/Choreographer/Master Instructor in Jazz Dance Studies:  Traditional Jazz Technique, Contemporary Jazz Soul, Lyrical, Theater Jazz, Afro-Fusion Jazz, Latin Jazz Styles, Commercial Jazz, Street Jazz for Young Dancers, Studies in Jazz Rhythms for Dancers, 

Concert Jazz & Repertory from Jazz Ain't Dead®

Born and bred into Jazz music and dance, Candice Michelle Franklin is the creator and choreographer of the music and dance live stage production, "Jazz Ain't Dead®" and a national touring master instructor in Jazz dance studies to academy, collegiate, and conservatory-trained students across the country.  Originally from St. Louis, MO, she is now a New York based professional dancer, choreographer, and producer who has been seen in numerous film, TV shows, music videos, industrials, and, on the live stage performing in plays and dance companies.  While in St. Louis, she trained at her cousin's studio, Pelagie Green Wren Academy of Dance, Ray Parks Academy of Dance, Geri Stretz Academy, and Missouri Concert Ballet.  Later, she received her in B.A. in dance on a four-year dance scholarship. While in New York she received her formal training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center as well as studied on scholarship at Steps on Broadway.  Since then, she performed in New York City with the Dunham-based dance company, Joan Peters Dance Company and modern-based company, Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, and performed as principal dancer with Nommo Contemporary Dance Company, Phoenix Rising Dance Company, the Underground Dance Project, Vissi Dance Theater, and the Graham-based dance company, Avodah Dance Ensemble.                                          

Since 2001, she has owned Dance Industrial Professionals, Inc./The Pro DANZ Group in which she oversees the dance and creative direction of several performance groups, recording artists, industrials, and stage shows. Her work has been performed in a host of New York venues including Jacob Javitz Convention Center, The Kumble Theater, Syracuse Oncenter, Odeum Expo Center, Broad Street Ballroom, Capitale, Symphony Space, Brooklyn Academy of Music's BAM Cafe, Webster Hall, The SPACE at Westbury/Westbury Theater, Stage 48, the Oheka Castle, The Theater of Riverside Church, The Sage Theater, American Theater of Actors, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and Joyce SoHo, as well as numerous casinos on the east coast such as the Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, the Borgata, Turning Stone, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Tropicana, and Caesar’s.

Currently, Miss Franklin performs live with legendary Jazz Pianist, Onaje Allan Gumbs II's New Vintage, works as an Advance Jazz Instructor and adjudicator for the Joffrey Ballet School in the Jazz and Contemporary department and instructs on the Joffrey Ballet School's Master Teacher National Tour, serves as the Head Choreographer for CEG Productions, a high-end exclusive event production company choreographing singers and dancers, background singers, and actors for live stage shows, and produces and choreographs, Jazz Ain't Dead®, a live band and dance production group performing for Jazz festivals.  Miss Franklin is a founding member of iDANZ, Inc., a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, and is represented by DDO Artists New York City

Photo:  Members of the JAD team pictured with Candice (second from left).

Recent Choreography Credits:

·         WEBBY-nominated music video for the rock band Black Taxi called “Shoeshine,”

·         Music video for rapper, BRASCO called “So Fresh”

·         Holiday stage play, "Coming Home to Christmas," at Theater of the Riverside Church

·         Gospel stage play, Blest Be the Tide, performed at Aaron Davis Hall in New York City

·         MTV’s “Listen to the Beat” Live in Concert

Additional Chorography Credits:

• The Live Concert Grammy Award winning recording artist, MACY GRAY
• 80′s Girl Group, BUFFALO STANCE
• R&B Hip Hop recording artists including NATIAH
• Internationally celebrated Bollywood Hip hop artist, SHAKTI  

Current Positions:

·         Performs with the legendary master Jazz pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs II's New Vintage

·          Advanced Jazz instructor and adjudicator for The Joffrey Ballet School in the Jazz and Contemporary department to their summer intensive and elite professional bound trainee programs, and instructs in Joffrey's Master Teacher National Tour. 

·         Head Choreographer for CEG Productions, a high-end exclusive event production company, choreographing dancers and singers, background singers, and actors for live stage shows

·         Works as the producer and choreographer for Jazz Ain’t Dead®, a live band and dance production group performing at Jazz Festivals and Jazz concert series’ such as Jazzmobile, the Harlem Shrines, and the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.  

Coming Next Year:

JAD (Jazz Ain’t Dead), Candice’s production company, will be featured as one of the resident performance groups for the upcoming NASHVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL slated for the Summer 2015! 


Click Here for C.V.            

Click here for choreography recommendation letters:

Randy Thomas, Universal Music Group (Jazz & Contemporary Music Label Executive)

Beverly Fish, CEG Productions, LLC (Live Music and Dance Event Corporation)

Adam Hootnick, Resonance Interactive (Music Video Film Director/Film Production Company)

Lafayette Harris, Jr., Pianist (Major Jazz Recording Artist and Music Director of Bring in Da’ Noise/Funk)

SHAKTI, Internationally Celebrated Bollywood Hip Hop Recording Artist

Michael Blake, Director of Jazz and Contemporary at Joffrey Ballet School (Testimonial of Choreography/Instruction)

PS 87, Testimonial of Student Lecture Demonstration

Contact Info: 
Candice Franklin, New York, NY  ♦ (212) 426-1305  ♦ Email: candicegetsdown@gmail.com   

♦ Website: www.JazzAintDead.com