Urbanity X

Celebrating Urbanity’s 10 years of experimental artistic placemaking, Urbanity is thrilled to announce the launch of its new residency program, Urbanity X. This program aims to elevate promising movement artists to the next level in their careers by providing multi-layered support, including dedicated rehearsal space, a substantial stipend, a performance opportunity, technical support, administrative support, and mentorship. Urbanity X will support 5 choreographic residencies from February - June 2022.

Urbanity X is possible due to the generous support of the Garth Family Foundation.

Urbanity X Program Details

Urbanity X aims to provide foundational support for budding artistic talent and serve as an incubator for new or in-process work. Each resident artist will receive:

- An upfront $1,000 stipend

- 30 hours of dedicated studio space

- Access to Urbanity's office space, supplies, and technology

- An archival video recording of their work

- Mentorship from leading Boston-based dance artists

- Resident artists will also be able to show their work at Urbanity's Central studio location, if they wish to have a public performance or showing. If there is a public-facing event, Urbanity will assist with the marketing, provide technical support, and offer access to Urbanity’s costume collection.

2023 Urbanity X Artists

Founded in 2017, Afrobeats Dance Boston is a dance company that focuses on Contemporary African music (African Pop Music). Afrobeats is a catch-all term created by a DJ from the United Kingdom but reflects a current Pan African spirit and movement towards Africa.

We were created from this very spirit and our name represents the momentum and energy of the community.

Afrobeats is infused with both the music and dance of Ghana, Nigeria, Angola, Congo, Senegal, Black America, and so many other regions of the diaspora.

Afrobeats as a genre radiates throughout our people.

Afrobeats Dance Boston holds regularly scheduled dance classes, hosts guest instructors from around the world and hosts an Afrobeats party. We have classes for beginners (all levels!) and an internal unit prepared for different event and performance inquiries. Classes involve learning technical skills and fundamental movement. Our focus is learning, teaching, and performing Afrobeats dance styles as we connect ourselves to the spirit of Africa, and the joy that comes from it. We also develop and build core strength, stamina, rhythmic sensibility, and most importantly build community.We build community and communal fun in a way that is accessible to the people.

Jose Cuadra, is a gay, immigrant dancer from Nicaragua and dancer in the Boston community for over 20 years. He is trained in Zouk, Bachata, Kizomba, Salsa and Argentine Tango.
During his journey in dance he was introduced to switching roles while learning Argentine Tango and fell in love. He now leads and follows all dances and has evolved his language of dance.

He decided to be a brazilian zouk instructor and organizer after many years of discrimination and prejudice in the dance community.
His experiences lit a fire under his spirit to make changes.

A now certified brazilian zouk instructor and organizer in Boston has created performance teams and events that highlight, embrace, educate and open minds. He likes to show the possibilities and differences that are not perceived as the norm in the dance world.

Tarikh Campbell is the Executive Director of The CONcept ARTists Dance Company. He has also co-founded dance collectives such as Side Project, Project Nailz, and Weapons of MASS. Throughout his career, Tarikh has performed with many local companies, including The Company at Stiggity East, Pictures In Concrete, Bosstown, Static Noyze, Tribe The Dance Company, ConnXion, and Ridonkulous. He has also presented original works at events such as World of Dance, Elements, Prelude, Noyze, Connect, Open House, L.A.B.S., Reignbow, Revive, The Dance Complex, Green Street Studios, and Onstage Dance. As an industry performer, Tarikh has opened for musical artists Omarion and The Dream, choreographed for Yanina Johnson, Makio Matthews, and Gilbert Vargas, danced for Elae Weekes, J.A.B.S., and Erene Glimenakis, and appeared in "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody." As a traveling instructor, he has been on faculty for Masters of Mayhem, Elite Academy of Dance Boot Camp, CommVention, E.S.D.R., Diva Dance Competition, the Harvard Dance Center, Endicott College, and many local studios. Tarikh was also a director and executive producer of the annual CONcentrate On The ARTistry urban arts showcase in Somerville, MA from 2016-2019. To this day, Tarikh continues to create, teach, and grow alongside artists of all kinds. 

Jo-Mé Dance is a Modern–Contemporary dance organization whose mission is to develop young and new artists regardless of experience and financial means. Their goal is to provide a creative ground for professional and emerging artists to deepen their creative practice especially our BIPOC artist of Boston. Founded in February 2011 by Joe Gonzalez and May-Lisa Chandler, Jo-Mé Dance was originally established as a pre-professional track dance company for teens with limited access to the arts. The company offered free classes and choreography for inner-city youth to develop their artistic hunger. Growing their organization to meet the talent of their young dancers, In 2012 Gonzalez and Chandler established Jo-Mé Dance Theatre (1st Company), a professional company where dancers could pursue their artistic endeavors as a career. The organization expanded further in 2013 to include Jo-Mé Youth Dance in order to open the doors to artistic growth to dancers starting at a young age. 

Both Jo-Mé Dance Theatre and Jo-Mé Youth Dance has performed in Boston and festivals such as Dance for World Community and River Dance Festival (Cambridge, MA), Outside The Box, First Night Boston, and Green Fest (Boston, MA), ArtBeats (Somerville, MA) and many places like Philadelphia, Michigan, New York; to name a few.  The 1st Company has toured the US and internationally to CANADA and were two time nominated for the “Frankie Award” for Outstanding Choreography. Jo-Mé Dance Arts continues to grow their programs offering more artist opportunities for individual artist for our urban community to the greater Boston area. 

Past Urbanity X Artists

Boaz "Statix" Deceus is an upcoming Dancer from Boston, I specialize in street dance, such as Krump, Hip Hop and popping. I've performed and done competitions in the greater Boston area. I've traveled and danced in Texas, New York, California, Minnesota and other states. I've taught at Urbanity and other studios as well, My goal as a dancer is to teach and show people the street dance culture, and how they can use it as therapy. My motto in life is "Practice makes progress".

Miranda Lawson (she/her) is a dancer and choreographer originally from Somerville, Massachusetts where she trained at The Studio Dance Complex (TSDC). She participated in regional and national level dance competitions with TSDC for ten years and frequently returns there to teach. She is in her final semester at Mount Holyoke College and during her time there Miranda has performed in works by Shakia Barron, Barbie Diewald, Katie Martin, Jenna Riegel and in TU Dance’s “One” restaged by Kaitlin Bell. She has also worked professionally with Boston based company Urbanity Dance and has had many collaborations with Contemporarily Out of Order. Miranda has attended Bates Dance Festival, was the recipient of the Leadership Scholarship from American Dance Festival, has been an intern for Boston University’s REACH Summer Dance program, and has had her work selected to be shown at the American College Dance Association Conference. She is currently working professionally on “Concourse” with Barbie Diewald and Shakia Barron, which was most recently in residence at Jacob’s Pillow and High Street Studios.

“Sasi'' Marcelino, is a multi-disciplined performing artist and producer with a passion for investigation, preservation, and conscious continuance of Afro-Caribbean culture through Music and Dance. Born in the Caribbean, raised in Boston, with over 25 years of performance experience, Sasi tours internationally performing as a vocalist, dancer, and percussionist.

Kendall Niblett (he/they), a native of Morris, Alabama, obtained their BA in dance and creative writing from the University of Alabama. Kendall is currently in their third season dancing withUrbanity Dance Company, and is excited to present their latest creation for Urbanity X 2022. He has performed and choreographed internationally with Yonder Contemporary Dance Company at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Jellybean Dance Collective at the International Fitzgerald Conference. Kendall has worked with CREATE, BCA’s Dance Makers Laboratory, Alabama Dance Festival, Koresh Come Together Festival, Young Choreographers Festival, Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, Frame x Frame Film Festival, Alabama Repertory Dance Theater, and Dance Alabama Film Festival.

Ronnie Terrell Thomas is a interdisciplinary artist who journeyed in the rigor of visual and performing arts. With a hand in drawing from very young. Ronnie explored the performance world. Started training as an actor, then venturing into ballet and modern dance as a teenager, and later expanded to include Breakdance, Aerial work, Vogue, and Hip Hop. He has performed with many companies from NYC to Boston. In 2014, he was invited to work in Europe with Teatrul De Balet Sibiu, Romania, which included performing Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker. In 2015, he returned to the USA and started Mystique Illusions Dance Theatre. In recent years Ronnie explores Photography, and Film work.