Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar earned her B.A. in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and her M.F.A. in dance from Florida State University. In 1980 Jawole moved to New York City to study with Dianne McIntyre at Sounds in Motion. In 1984 Jawole founded Urban Bush Women (UBW) as a performance ensemble dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change.

In addition to creating over 34 works for Urban Bush Women, Zollar has created works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, and many universities across the United States. Her collaborations include Compagnie Jant-Bi from Senegal and Nora Chipaumire. She has recently worked as choreographer for Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of American Popular Music and Daniel Fish’s Most Happy in Concert. In 2023, Zollar was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera to direct and choreograph a new Jake Heggie opera, Intelligence. Urban Bush Women has toured five continents and was selected as one of three U.S. dance companies to inaugurate a cultural diplomacy program for the U.S. Department of State in 2010. Zollar serves as director of the UBW Summer Leadership Institute, founding and visioning partner of Urban Bush Women, and as the Nancy Smith Fichter Professor of Dance and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor at Florida State University. Zollar has been a United States Artists Wynn fellow and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial fellow. She holds honorary degrees from Columbia College Chicago, Tufts University, Rutgers University, and Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.

Craig Harris exploded onto the jazz scene in 1976, bringing the entire history of the jazz trombone with him. Craig handled the total vernacular the way a skilled orator utilizes the spoken word. He has performed with a veritable Who’s Who of progressive jazz’s most important figures, and his own projects display both a unique sense of concept and a total command of the sweeping expanse of musical expression. Those two qualities have dominated Craig’s forty years of activity, bringing him beyond the confines of the jazz world into multimedia and performance art as a composer, performer, conceptualist, music curator, and artistic director.

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, Urban Bush Women (UBW) is a groundbreaking Black women-led theatrical dance company and social activism ensemble founded in 1984 by visionary choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Through its mission of engaging with artists, activists, audiences, and communities through performances, artist development, education, and community engagement, the award-winning nonprofit has performed throughout the United States, as well as Asia, Australia, Canada, Germany, South America, Europe and Senegal (in collaboration with Germaine Acogny and her all-male Compagnie JANT-BI). UBW has been an engine and amplifier for the stories of Black Women+ for forty years. UBW affects the overall ecology of the arts by promoting artistic legacies; projecting the voices of the under-heard and people of color; bringing attention to and addressing issues of equity in the dance field and throughout the United States; and by providing platforms and serving as a conduit for experimental art makers. Signature programs run by UBW include the Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), Bold (Builders, Organizers & Leaders through Dance) and the Choreographic Center Initiative (CCI) and the CCI Producing Program (CCI 2.0). Now directed by artistic leaders Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Speis, UBW combines radical performance, deep engagement, and ancestral knowledge from the African diaspora into a force that is urgent, forward-looking, and essential. www.urbanbushwomen.org

Stephanie Battle is a dance artist, vocalist, somatic practitioner, and educator. She earned her BFA from the University of the Arts and is currently working toward her MFA in Dance at Florida State University. Stephanie is a former member of Urban Bush Women under the direction of Jawole Zollar. She has danced with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, performing the works of Ronald K Brown, Donald McKayle, Milton Myers, Dianne McIntyre, Katherine Dunham ,and Talley Beatty. She has had the honor of working with Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon in the rock opera, The Temptation of St. Anthony under the direction of Robert Wilson. Stephanie also had the privilege of performing in the Broadway production of The Lion King.

Jordyn Davis is a ground-breaking, multi-talented, and award-winning bassist, composer, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She is the first African-American woman to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition from Michigan State University and the first Michigan State student to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Composition and Jazz Studies concurrently. Davis has also completed a Masters’s Degree in Jazz Studies at Michigan State University. After relocating to New York City, she was named one of two inaugural Jazz Leader Fellowship recipients by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and has been commissioned by the Kennedy Center, the New York Philharmonic, and the American Composers Orchestra. Her work spans various musical styles and has been featured on stages worldwide.

Kentoria Earle was raised in Winter Haven, Florida, and is the proud daughter of Kent Earle and Victoria Wilson. She recently graduated from Florida State University where she obtained her Master of Arts in Dance/Studio Related Studies. Since graduating she has had the opportunity to work with choreographers/companies such as Renegade Performance Group, Abigail Levine, and Urban Bush Women as a 2022 New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellow and now company member. Kentoria is a Brooklyn based performing artist and collaborator who works to build an artistic process that looks at solo/improvisational practices as a way to tap into ancestry and lineage-based movement exploration. She believes these practices support and open up spaces where artists can be fully present for what often results in holistic and sustainable approaches to our healing, individually and collectively.

Photo: Hayim Heron

Roobi Gaskins is a NYC based artist, who specializes in dance, choreography, and wearable art. Although she has always had a passion for dance, she owes her movement genesis and training to 14 years of competitive figure skating, where she competed internationally as a member of the Puerto Rican national team. She began her formal dance training at Bard College where she received a BA in Dance with a focus in Africana Studies. Roobi has been a touring company member with Urban Bush Women since 2021. In addition, Roobi also holds a rigorous practice in house dance, where she teaches the form in the NYC area, and participates in battles both nationally and internationally.

Photo: Hayim Heron

Gary Jones is a 23-year-old percussionist and composer based in Manhattan, New York. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Gary has drawn a tremendous influence from gospel and hip-hop music growing up. Over the past few years, while attending the New School College of the Performing Arts, Gary has been studying traditional, avant-garde, and contemporary jazz with a notable list of artists, including Buster Williams, Dave Glasser, and Matt Wilson. Gary has worked and performed with many prestigious artists such as Terence Blanchard, Reggie Workman, Dominick Farinacci, and Cisco Swank among others. Gary has a deep passion for art and cherishes every moment serving as a creative vessel. His mission is to bring the community together through his music.

Raised in Richmond, VA, Keola Jones is a Brooklyn based movement artist. She is a ‘22 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Dance and Choreography. Keola has worked with artists including Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, Johnnie Cruise Mercer (TheRedprojectNYC), Dr. E. Gaynell Sherrod, and Trebien Pollard, among others. She served as adjunct professor at the College of William & Mary. Additionally, Keola works with the Leah Glenn Dance Theatre based in Williamsburg, VA. Keola is currently a Bold facilitator in-training and concluded her apprenticeship with Urban Bush Women in January ‘24 to join as a performing company member.

One of Dance Magazine‘s “25 to watch 2023” & Chita Rivera’s Outstanding Female Dancer on Broadway 2022 as Lady in Brown in the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Ntozoké Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf, choreographed/directed by Camille A. Brown. International dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter, and Spelman College graduate, Tendayi formerly performed as a background vocalist/dancer and original cast member of Special Tony Award-winning David Byrne’s America Utopia on Broadway and its World tour in 2018 and the HBO Film adaptation directed by Spike Lee.

A 24-year-old Haitian-American vocalist from sunny Florida, Tyreek McDole shines brilliantly as his star rises in the bustling New York scene. With a string of prestigious awards to his name, Tyreek stands out as a rising star in the music world. It was during the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2018 Essentially Ellington National Competition that Tyreek made his vocal debut, leaving an indelible mark as he walked away with the prestigious Outstanding Vocalist Award, presented by none other than the iconic Wynton Marsalis.

His performances have seen him share the stage with an impressive roster of musicians and acts, including Theo Croker, NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz, Miki Yamanaka, Mike King, Mike Ode, Eric Wheeler, Ted Nash, Matt Wilson, Ben Allison, Rodney Whitaker, Rockelle Fortin, Winard Harper, Marcus Printup, Eric Reed, Carl Allen, Victor Goines, Chris Crenshaw, Johnathan Michel, Isaiah J. Thompson, Miki Yamanaka, Charlie Sigler, Chris Beck, Kyle Koehler, and many others. Together, they have graced renowned venues like The Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club, Birdland Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Minton’s Playhouse, enthralling audiences with their collective artistry and musical prowess.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, TW Sample has a style that spans from jazz to gospel, R & B to hip-hop, and classic rock to country. His talent allows him to be a proficient pianist, Hammond B3 organist, and keyboardist. T.W. Sample graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, William Paterson University with a Master of Music in Jazz Performance, and Five Towns College with a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance and Commercial Music. In addition to touring, Dr. T.W. Sample is an educator, a music producer, and a proud member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

A Portland, Oregon, native currently residing in Brooklyn, Symara Sarai has immersed herself in interdisciplinary and choreographic studies globally. Her work varies due to the different influences she has embraced throughout her life. A 2023 Bessie winner for Breakout Choreographer, Symara is also a recipient of the Dai Ailian Foundation Scholarship based in Trinidad and Tobago. The scholarship led her to Beijing, China, where she spent two years gaining an associate degree in modern choreography at the renowned Beijing Dance Academy. Symara is a graduate of SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Dance Program. She was a resident artist for Bearnstow, Gibney 6.2 Work Up, Gallim’s 2022 Moving Artist’s Residency, BAX’s Fall 2022 Space Grant Program, and Center for Performance Research’s 2022 AIR Program. She is a 2023 Women in Motion Commissioned Artist. Their work as a performer and maker has been reviewed and featured in the NY Times, Dance Enthusiast, Fjord, as well as promoted through Forbes. She has had multiple film works commissioned by Berlin-based choreographer Christoph Winkler.

Photo: Hayim Heron

Milton Suggs voice and musical approach reflect the profound African-American heritage from the past century and beyond. Rooted in the blues, Suggs’s rich baritone echoes the breadth and power of Joe Williams, his soulful intensity evokes Donny Hathaway, and his velvet tones are reminiscent of Nat King Cole. A master of phrasing and dynamics, Milton’s music, as a composer, arranger, and lyricist, is both honest and inventive, drawing from a myriad of genres to create a distinct identity. Voted repeatedly as a top 10 rising star male vocalist in Downbeat Magazine’s annual critic’s poll, Milton has worked with renowned artists like the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Orrin Evans, Wycliffe Gordon, and Ulysses Owens. Milton has produced five albums and continuously develops new projects as he remains dedicated to exploring new creative terrain and furthering the legacy of his predecessors.

Born and raised in Peoria, Brianna grew up surrounded by music. Her father, Charlie Thomas, not only influenced her with his own unique talents as a vocalist and percussionist, he created an exceptionally well-rounded musical environment that fostered Brianna’s emerging abilities. At the tender age of six, Brianna made her singing debut performing a duet rendition of the jazz classic What a Wonderful World with her father. At the age of eight, she won her first of 13 trophies from various district and regional talent shows. Between the ages of eight and ten, she had her first gigs performing for a variety of banquets, black tie affairs, and as a guest on local radio stations. Brianna’s extensive list of stateside performances includes appearances with Fred Anderson, Von Freeman, Houston Person, and the Barber Brothers. She has performed across the country from New Orleans to Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center. In 2001, Thomas was awarded “High School Jazz Vocalist of the Year” by DownBeat magazine. Notably, Brianna Thomas is the youngest person ever to be inducted into Peoria’s African-American Hall of Fame at the age of 13 in 1996. She has also received a certificate of excellence from the State of Illinois in recognition of her musical accomplishments.

Charenee Wade, first runner-up in the 2010 Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition and award-winning, critically acclaimed vocalist, arranger, educator, and composer from New York City, has excited audiences all over the world with her ingenuity and vibrancy through her artistry. Recipient of the 2017 Jazz at Lincoln Center Millennial Swing Award, Wade has worked with notable artists including Wynton Marsalis, Terri Lyne Carrington, Christian McBride, Winard Harper, Eric Reed, Jacky Terrason, Curtis Lundy, Robert Glasper, and Kyle Abraham (MacArthur Genius Awardee). Wade’s current CD, Offering: The Music of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson, is a powerful re-interpretation of the poet’s musical library, which features notable artists including Lonnie Plaxico, Marcus Miller, Stefon Harris, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Christian McBride (spoken word).

Mikaila Ware (B.F.A. Florida State University) grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where she trained at Price Performing Arts Center and Dekalb School of the Arts. Now a NY-based movement artist, teacher, and facilitator, Mikaila has worked with choreographers such as Kayla Farrish, André Zachery, and Johnnie Cruise Mercer. She was a guest teacher at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance Program (Fall ’20). Featured performances of Mikaila’s appear in articles such as The New York Times, Dance Magazine, Dance Enthusiast, and Danspace Project. Additionally, Mikaila completed the Accessibility Partnerships and Programs Fellowship at Lincoln Center and is an alumna of the Diversity in Arts Leadership program with the Arts and Business Council of New York. She is currently a company member with Urban Bush Women.

Photo: Hayim Heron

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar earned her B.A. in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and her M.F.A. in dance from Florida State University. In 1980 Jawole moved to New York City to study with Dianne McIntyre at Sounds in Motion. In 1984 Jawole founded Urban Bush Women (UBW) as a performance ensemble dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change.

In addition to creating over 34 works for Urban Bush Women, Zollar has created works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, and many universities across the United States. Her collaborations include Compagnie Jant-Bi from Senegal and Nora Chipaumire. She has recently worked as choreographer for Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of American Popular Music and Daniel Fish’s Most Happy in Concert. In 2023, Zollar was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera to direct and choreograph a new Jake Heggie opera, Intelligence. Urban Bush Women has toured five continents and was selected as one of three U.S. dance companies to inaugurate a cultural diplomacy program for the U.S. Department of State in 2010. Zollar serves as director of the UBW Summer Leadership Institute, founding and visioning partner of Urban Bush Women, and as the Nancy Smith Fichter Professor of Dance and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor at Florida State University. Zollar has been a United States Artists Wynn fellow and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial fellow. She holds honorary degrees from Columbia College Chicago, Tufts University, Rutgers University, and Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.