STAFF
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Chanon Judson joined the critically acclaimed Urban Bush Women in 2001. She has had the privilege of serving the company as rehearsal director, Director for UB2 – Urban Bush Women’s performing apprentice ensemble, and now furthers her work with UBW as Co-Artistic Director and Co-Director of BOLD (Builders Organizers and Leaders through Dance).
Chanon judson
CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Mame Diarra Speis (she/her), is a mother and movement improviser intrigued with play, risk, rigor, and experimentation. Speis has had the pleasure of working with Gesel Mason, The Dance Exchange, jumatatu poe, Deborah Hay (as part of the Sweet Day curated by Ralph Lemon at the MoMA), Baba Israel, Marjani Forte-Saunders, and Liz Lerman.
MAME DIARRA SPEIS
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Tahnia Belle is a Haitian-American arts leader, cultural producer, artist, meditation teacher, and mother. For over twenty years Tahnia has led social impact and leadership development projects for public and nonprofit institutions including City University of New York, Africa-America Institute, Columbia University and Urban Bush Women (UBW). Her career has spanned the fields of international programs, higher education scholarship management, consulting, and the arts.
Tahnia Belle
PRODUCER; and EXECUTIVE CREATIVE PRODUCER, 40th ANNIVERSARY
Jonathan has worked in and around the arts for over three decades as a facilitator for creative artists and ideas and is delighted to once again be working with Urban Bush Women, having previously worked as Producing Partner. Jonathan was producer for NYC Free, a four-week festival, curated by Mikki Shepard. Prior to this, Jonathan was Director of Public Programs for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
JONATHAN D. SECOR
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Lesley Hunter is an experienced musician, dancer, arts educator, arts manager, program creator, and project management with over twenty years of experience working in the area of performing arts, arts education, and management in both the profit and nonprofit industries. Her work with such organizations as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Arts Administrators of Color Network, Black Curators Dance Performance, and Arts and Education Roundtable demonstrate her service to the arts community. She has served as an arts program curator, developer, manager, and administrator for programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City.
LESLEY HUNTER
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION, BOOKING & TOURING
Michelle has worked in the worlds of performing arts and independent film for more than two decades. Prior to joining UBW in 2017, she was Director of Booking at MAPP International Productions for 6+ years, overseeing booking and touring of all of MAPP’s multi-disciplinary projects. Artists included: Nora Chipaumire; Marc Bamuthi Joseph; Okwui Okpokwasili; Ralph Lemon; Samita Sinha; Dan Hurlin; Lars Jan; Gregory Maqoma/Vuyani Dance Theater; Emio Greco & Pieter C. Scholten (ICK Amsterdam).
MICHELLE COE
TOUR & COMPANY MANAGER
Jolie Saltiel is an arts administrator, dance artist and cultural producer. A NYC-native, Jolie holds a BFA in Dance and Business Administration from The State University of New York at Brockport. She has since worked across NYC and abroad to bring arts performances and installations to life. In her work activating performances and advocating for artists, Jolie has contributed to the NYC FREE festival at Little Island, Mark Morris Dance Group, Americans for the Arts’ Diversity in Arts Leadership program, Hivewild and INSITU Site-Specific Dance Festival
JOLIE SALTIEL
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER OF SPECIAL PROJECTS
Cheri L. Stokes born and raised in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, NY received her M.F.A. in Choreography and Performance from The Florida State University (2017) and a B.A. in Dance Studies with a K-12 Dance Teaching Licensure from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2005). Her performance background spans the genres of West African, Afro-Contemporary, Contemporary, and Hip Hop dance forms.
CHERI L. STOKES
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/COMPANY MEMBER
Courtney is a Virginia Native now residing in Brooklyn, NY. She began her formal dance training at the Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts. She later attended and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University, receiving her B.F.A in Dance and Choreography. In addition to being a company member with Urban Bush Women, she also performs in projects, working with astounding choreographers and artists of the community such as Christian Von Howard, Jennifer Archibald, Brotherhood Dance, and The Indigo Artists Collective.
COURTNEY J. COOK
MARKETING MANAGER
Makeda Smith, born in Los Angeles, CA, is a versatile marketing professional with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University (2013). Her journey from performer to digital marketing specialist began with a deep-rooted passion for the arts, which has evolved into a thriving career in marketing for the performance arts and nonprofit sectors. She has been honored to be part of the Urban Bush Women organization since 2018.
MAKEDA SMITH
MARKETING ASSISTANT
Angelina Lopez received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) at The City College of New York, focused on International Studies and Anthropology with a minor in Economics and Public Policy. In studying these fields, her research examines the socio-political powers in global governance that institute the cultural processes forming the dysphoric experience of Latinx mobility bounded by capitalistic limits.
ANGELINA LOPEZ
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
Brooke Ashley Rucker (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based artist with a BFA in Dance from Florida State University. She has danced for choreographers Camille A. Brown, Annie-B. Parson, Donna Uchizono, Nia Love, Tendayi Kuumba, Johnnie Cruise Mercer, Charles Anderson, and Louis Gaspard. Accomplishments include 2023 Gallim Dance Moving Artist Residency; 2022 SMUSH Gallery Curatorial Fellow in Dance, and more.
BROOKE ASHLEY RUCKER
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Elsie Neilson is a Philadelphia based dancer, choreographer and instructor. In Philly, she worked as the assistant to Dr. Gaynell Sherrod who served as the Interim Executive Director of PHILADANCO from 2019-2020, as well as an administrative intern for Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers. She became a company member with the Philadelphia based company, Opus 1 Contemporary, in 2019 and continues to perform with them.
ELSIE NEILSON
FOUNDER’S ASSISTANT
Veronica Jiao (she/her), born on the traditional land of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso, Etiwan, & Kiawah peoples (settled as Charleston, SC), is a Filipino-American dance creative and educator. As the grandchild of immigrants, she is engaged in the work of dismantling white supremacist structures as they exist in the arts.
VERONICA JIAO
BOLD COORDINATOR
Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Pinar Goodstone relocated to New York City permanently in 2014, having lived on and off since 1998 in the United States, as well as in Paris and Rio de Janeiro. Pinar’s passion for culture, music and dance has transported her across physical and philosophical borders and provided her with a vast and varied global background in the arts, from research to performance and creative production.
PINAR GOODSTONE
BOLD ARTISTIC COORDINATOR
Jaimé Yawa Dzandu is a movement artist, choreographer, and educator with roots from Hampton, Virginia, and Wusuta Dzigbe, Ghana, West Africa. She has been committed to holding space for youth and facilitating a learning environment of self-discovery, restoration, and liberation through dance for over a decade. She facilitates year-round programs for the Mark Morris Dance Center, Lower Eastside Girls Club, and Family Arts Movement.
JAIMÉ YAWA DZANDU
CCI PRODUCING PROGRAM (CCI 2.0) PROJECT PRODUCER
Lai-Lin is a Producer, Curator, Performance Artist, and Arts Advocate who is passionate about nurturing art that challenges the way we exist. Originally from Washington, DC now living in New York City, Lai-Lin is grounded in her core values of empathy, community and anti-racist practices. For over 10 years she has collaborated with artists and organizations to transform their visions into a dream reality.
LAI-LIN ROBINSON
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Zoe Walders is a dancer, choreographer, and arts administrator from Rochester, NY. She holds a BA in Dance from SUNY Potsdam. She is a company dancer with Rochester based company, Frazee Feet Dance, and also works as their Business Manager.
Zoe Walders
OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
Ameeya Singh is a multifaceted movement artist currently based in New York City. Her work spans choreography, performance, photography, and writing. She has presented solo and collaborative works at various venues.