Candice Michelle Franklin
Creator of JAZZ AIN'T DEAD® Live Music and Dance Production
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, Ballroom, Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Salsa On2,
Studies in Jazz Rhythms for Dancers, Concert Jazz &
Repertory from Jazz Ain't Dead®
BiographyOriginally from St. Louis, MO, born and bred into Jazz dance and influenced greatly by the Jazz music scene, Candice Michelle Franklin is a New York based professional dancer, choreographer, and producer who has been seen in numerous film, TV shows, music videos, industrials, and, of course, on the live stage performing in plays and dance companies. She holds a MBA from SNHU and Berklee College of Music's joint MBA program specializing in Music Business as well as a B.A. in Fine Arts on four-year scholarship from the University of Kansas majoring in Dance. She also studied on scholarship at Steps on Broadway, trained in St. Louis at Missouri Concert Ballet, and, upon invitation to New York, received her conservatory training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.
She owns 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 Lincoln Center Summer for the City, Dizzy's Jazz at Lincoln Center, Harlem Stage, Jacob Javitz Convention Center, The Syracuse OnCenter, MTV/Viacom, Capitale, Odeum Expo Center, Broad Street Ballroom, The Kumble Theater, the National Black Theater, Symphony Space, Joyce SoHo, 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, Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park, Marcus Garvey Park,Tribeca Performing Arts Center, John Jay College, and New York’s City College, as well as numerous casinos on the east coast such as Turning Stone, the Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Tropicana, Borgata, and Caesar’s.
Additionally, her choreography has been seen in the WEBBY-nominated music video for the rock band Black Taxi called “Shoeshine,” in the holiday stage play for Tiny Starr Productions, "Coming Home to Christmas," and in the gospel stage play, Blest Be the Tide, performed at Aaron Davis Hall in New York City to name a few. Moreover, she has performed collaborations with the legendary master jazz pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs II's New Vintage, Alphonso Horne and the Gotham Kings, world renown tap sensation, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, and word music singer and percussionist, Philip Hamilton. She has also served as Head Choreographer for CEG Productions LLC in addition to being an integral part, as both dancer and dance captain for the production company, for over 20 years. Furthermore, she has served as choreographer for the 80′s Girl Group, Buffalo Stance, and as choreographer for a number of recording artists including Natiah, internationally celebrated Bollywood Hip hop artist, SHAKTI, the rapper BRASCO, Art Aure, Courtney El, and Grammy award winning recording artist, Macy Gray.
Currently, Ms. Franklin works on faculty as an Advanced Jazz instructor for the Joffrey Ballet School's elite year-round ballet trainee program and summer dance intensives as well as serve as a Master instructor and adjudicator for Joffrey's National audition tour. She serves as Artistic Director of the Cumbe RISE Community Dance Company, and works as the producer and choreographer for Jazz Ain’t Dead®, a live music band and dance production group. She performs as one half of the dynamic Lindy Hop duo, Sammy and Candy, and is a fellowship member of the prestigious Al Minns Next Generation Project. She continues to study Dunham as a certificate candidate with IDTC and teaches Dunham-Informed Jazz Technique and Performance at Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance in Brooklyn, NY. Miss Franklin is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and a founding member of the not-for-profit 501(c)3 dance advocacy foundation, iDANZ®, Inc.
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Candice Michelle Franklin Master Teacher in Jazz Dance & Jazz Dance Rhythm Studies | |
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