Top: Iconic photo captured by Chester Higgins Jr. of Maya Angelou dancing with Amiri Baraka at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Bottom: My fabulous friend and accomplished historian of black culture, @jloving71, found this photo of me and Franck "Life" Muhel dancing Salsa on top of the same cosmogram where Langston Hughes' ashes are interred. It was to celebrate Arturo Schomburg's birthday (January 24)!
So grateful for the opportunity to dance on SUCH sacred ground and follow behind such huge and amazing shoes... Thank you, Schomburg...
After our incredible performance this weekend... Guess what FAM?
I'm an NYSCA Grant Award Winner!
This grant allows me to create a new piece called "Rise" in which I'll lead, teach, and choreograph an open-level Adult Community Dance Performance Group for Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance. My government name is listed under NYSCA FY2024: Support for Artist Awards. Click here to see the list of grantees!
I would like to thank first and foremost Katherine Dunham and my brilliant IDTC family for their inspiration. I would also like to thank Jimena Martinez, our fearless leader of Cumbe, for spearheading our application and believing in me and my vision.
My mission is to bring dance and its performance, with no judgment, back into the lives of adults who used to dance as children and haven't danced in 15 years, the novice, the dance hobbyists, and the self-taught who just want a chance to perform, the busy mother who wants something fulfilling for herself, and the retired professionals who need a place to continue dance in their lives and be challenged without fear of criticism.
We'll be putting together a calendar of local community events for performance opportunities for us to perform by the community and for the community! So look for us This Summer!!!
Dunham-Informed Jazz Class by Candice Michelle Franklin will resume in January 2024!
Another FANTASTIC Dunham Jazz performance in the books!
And We KILT IT!!!
"Red Warrior"
Choreography by Candice Michelle Franklin
Music by Philip Hamilton with percussion by Baba Fitz
Sold out Show
Sunday, December 10
@Billie Holiday Theater
Every dancer did their part with Passion and Energy literally through the roof and our musicianship was AMAZING... We even had beautiful singing in Creole by our very own student @ortaaoverdose with English translations performed by Miss Hettie and @paetra19 as Spoken Word.
But wait, there's more... We even had a whacking solo juxtaposition section from our very own student, Chris!!!
Thank you @philiphamiltonmusic and @fitzoneseven for your brilliant music. Thank you, @cumbedance, for this wonderful opportunity. And, thank you @chicava and @jimenapiacumbe for your brilliant programming, curation, and leadership. You all ROCKED!
Shout out to dancers Chris, Hettie, Izzy, Jernee, Akeela, Aqila, Alisha, Jenny, Tanya, Asia, Gabrielle, Layla, and Sadie!
Shout out to musicians Philip Hamilton and Baba Fitz
Choreography by Candice Michelle Franklin
@billieholidaytheatre
With Instruction & Choreography by Candice Michelle Franklin
10-Class Workshop
Open Level
Taught by Miss Candice Michelle Franklin
Saturdays
12pm - 2:00pm
@Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance
Brooklyn, NY
Starts October 7 through December 9, 2023
Performance on December 10, 2023
@The Billie Holiday Theater
Brooklyn, NY
Join Cumbe's Dunham-Informed Jazz
Performance Workshop!
A Community Dance Group Open to Dancers of All Levels
Dunham Jazz Performance Workshop is a special class and choreography series open to community dancers of all levels culminating into a live concert-staged performance presented by Cumbe at The Billie Holiday Theater with the option to perform at Cumbe socials and locally produced community events.
Next Workshop Series Starts October 7, 2023
Class Description: Inspired by the work of Katherine Dunham, dancers will explore Dunham's movement vocabulary often used in Jazz dance, traditional modern Jazz motifs, as well as vernacular jazz movement and experiment with the three to ultimately train and strengthen the body for a concert Jazz dance movement aesthetic. For each meeting, a classic Dunham warm-up will be given followed by lively, Dunham-inspired Jazz progressions. The final hour of each class will be reserved for choreography creation, ultimately building a concert dance piece. Class is open and embraces all levels, yet challenging enough for students who haven't danced for many years in a fun, freeing, and supportive environment.
Perform with Cumbe. All Are Welcome.
Excited to join? Check out our recap video!
Performance Workshop Recap December 4, 2022 Performed at the Billie Holiday Theatre
Dunham-Informed Jazz Performance Workshop Schedule
10 Workshop Dates:
Saturday, October 7 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, October 14 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, October 21 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, October 28 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 4 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 11 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 18 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, November 25 Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, December 2, Noon - 2:00 pm
Saturday, December 9, Noon - 2:00pm (2:00 - 3:15 pm for Performing Students Only)
(Please note that performing students are not required to attend all rehearsals and workshops, but should make their very best effort to come to any special rehearsals closer to the show to learn their final blocking).
Show Week InformationCulminating Show:
Sunday, December 10, 2023
@The Billie Holiday Theater
Time: TO BE ANNOUNCED
Show Week Rehearsals (Student Performers Only)
2 Night Rehearsals (Possible Dress Rehearsal/Dates Subject to Change)
*Wednesday, November 29, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (Reserved if needed)
*Wednesday, December 6, 6:30pm - 8:30pm (Performing Students Only)
*Friday, December 8, 6:30pm-8:30pm (Dress Rehearsal/Performing Students Only)
*Saturday, December 9, 2pm - 3:15pm (Extended Class/Performing Students Only)
*Sunday, December 10, Tech Rehearsal & Performance (Same Day- Time TBA)
Performance opportunities for other community events and Cumbe socials are optional and may require additional rehearsal.
10 Sessions @Cumbe Center for African and Diaspora Dance
Brooklyn, NY
Performance Workshop Recap December 4, 2022 Performed at the Billie Holiday Theatre
DANCE FOR JOY!
Dunham Jazz Performance Workshop
With Instruction & Choreography by Candice Michelle Franklin
Join Cumbe's Dunham Jazz Performance Workshop!
A Community Dance Group Open to Dancers of All Levels
Dunham Jazz Performance Workshop is a special class and choreography series open to community dancers of all levels culminating into a live concert-staged performance presented by Cumbe with the option to perform at Cumbe socials and locally produced community events.
Next Workshop SeriesTo Be Announced
Please note that this choreography workshop is an extension of the
Dunham-Informed Jazz Technique class at Cumbe.
Class Description: Inspired by the work of Katherine Dunham, dancers will explore Dunham's movement vocabulary often used in Jazz dance, traditional modern Jazz motifs, as well as vernacular jazz movement and experiment with the three to ultimately train and strengthen the body for a concert Jazz dance movement aesthetic. For each meeting, a classic Dunham warm-up will be given followed by lively, Dunham-inspired Jazz progressions. The final hour of each class will be reserved for choreography creation, ultimately building a concert dance piece. Class is open and embraces all levels, yet challenging enough for students who haven't danced for many years in a fun, freeing, and supportive environment.
Perform with Cumbe. All Are Welcome.
Excited to join? Check out our recap video!
Sample Dunham Jazz Performance Workshop Schedule
8 Sessions (Dates To Be Announced)
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm Dunham-Informed Jazz Technique Class
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm Creative Choreography Session and Rehearsal
Show Week (Dates To BE Announced)
2 Night Rehearsals
Tech Rehearsal & Performance (Same Day)
Performance Location: Billie Holiday Theater
Performance opportunities for other community events and Cumbe socials are optional and may require additional rehearsal.
On a random google, I found that I have been giffed!!!!
Showing my Michael Jackson moves as Yuko 6000 on Netflix Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt!
Well, that made my day! LOL...
In my dressing room the day Yuko and Yuko 6000 embraced and walked away into the sunset!
Director/Owner of Pro DANZ® Group, Inc. Master Teacher in Jazz for Joffrey Ballet School Joffrey Ballet School Jazz & Contemporary Audition Instructor/Scholarship Adjudicator Former Head Choreographer for CEG Live Productions Artistic Producer/Choreographer for Jazz Ain’t Dead® www.CandiceFranklin.com
Originally 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 has a B.A. in Fine Arts majoring in Dance on four-year scholarship, 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 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, 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.
More recently,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. Additionally, she has been performing with the legendary master jazz pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs II's New Vintage and has served as Head Choreographer for CEG Productions LLC in addition to being an integral part, as both dancer and dance captain for the organization, for over 15 years. Moreover, 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, and Grammy award winning recording artist, Macy Gray.
Currently, Ms. Franklin works as an Advanced Jazz instructor and adjudicator for The Joffrey Ballet School in the Jazz and Contemporary department for their summer intensive and elite professional bound trainee programs, instructs in Joffrey's Master Teacher National tour, and 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. She continues her dance education as a candidate for certification in the Katherine Dunham technique and in the DVIDA Bronze Rhythm Syllabus in the Latin Ballroom styles at the Ballroom Dance Teacher’s College where she just received her Full Associate status this Spring. Ms. Franklin is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, and a founding member of iDANZ®, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)3 dance advocacy foundation.
Excerpts from Jazz Ain’t Dead: Celebrating the Legacy of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess –All Choreography by Candice Michelle Franklin
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Dance Styles Taught: Traditional Jazz Technique, Contemporary Jazz Soul, Lyrical, Theater Jazz, Afro-Fusion Jazz, Latin Jazz Styles, Commercial Jazz, Street Jazz for Young Dancers, Ballroom, Swing, Studies in Jazz Rhythms for Dancers, Concert Jazz & Repertory from JAZZ AIN’T DEAD®
