Visions of a People Performances, June 20

Rein - Strange Fruit

Ms. Reina Pelle-Joseph is Bronx, NY based dancer and choreographer who began her studies at the tender age of 5 under the tutelage of Ms. Robin Williams and Ms. Hanan Hameen at the historic Uptown Dance Academy in Harlem, NYC. Ms. Pelle-Joseph quickly advanced in her disciplines of Ballet, Modern, African, Tap, Flamenco and Jazz, which enabled her to land her first professional role as Timoune in the Off-Broadway play “Once on This Island” just two years later. This was the start of a long and ever-budding journey in the arts. As a teen in her community, Reina developed a passion for the youth and began to share her love of dance with her younger peers as a teaching assist. While attending North Carolina A&T, Ms. Pelle-Joseph focused her energy on creative movement for children, and with years of experience in all facets of dance, is primed to perform her craft at the highest level both physically and as a dancer and academically as a seasoned dance teacher. She has also traveled to learn from and performing with numerous international artists and dancers to help her get back in tune with her culture and heritage. As an Artsucator-in-Training, Reina he then aided and assisted her mentor Ms. Hanan Hameen at Neighborhood Music School and Lincoln Bassett Elementary School in New Haven, CT as a lead teacher. Ms. Pelle-Joseoph was also integral in the development of dance programs at Teaching of Arts Horizons, the Boys and Girls Club, Pathways to Graduation, and many other Public and Private Schools around the TriState Area and has instructed at each. Currently, Ms. Pelle-Joseph is the Dance Captain for Artsucation Academy Network’s Keepers of the Culture Performing Arts Company. She hopes to continue pushing love art and education to her community then the rest of the world!

Sista Zock/Zock Solid

Harlem based artist, Mount Vernon native, SISTA ZOCK aka ZOCK SOLID Renaissance Woman (“artivist”, poet, song writer, actress, dancer, playwright) celebrates her musical debut this year on Academy Award winning Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It Season 2”. The song titled “YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT” off her debut album “ZOCK SOLID, Where the Stem Meets the Root” is currently being used as a trailer for the show in episode 203. The Netflix Series “She’s Gotta Have It Season 2”.
Sista Zock’s music straddles the fence between Spoken Word/Song and Jazz Hip-Hop and Jazz. She received a sturdy platform for her art at ST. NICKS PUB. Her performance can be intimate enough for a living room setting or can power up a small city with drumming, dancing and live models. Her body of work is dedicated to the Fallen Soldiers, the ones who have sacrificed their lives for the betterment of others, the Victims of senseless killings, to the ones who are ahead of their time and the ones whose time has yet to come. Her album is a testimony of the life of a “Black Girl” in America,. Sista Zock has the ability to mesh all of her talents into one performance. Zakiyyah has appeared on stage, film and TV. She is an ensemble member of Knoxville, Tennessee’s company The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. It was in Tennessee where she met her mentor and dear friend Abiodun Oyewole of “The Last Poets”, who is featured on her recent album “ZOCK SOLID, Where the Stem Meets the Root”.

ZOCK has been performing in and around NYC since 2006 with various artist Dennis Davis, Gregory Porter, Chip Crawford, Lakecia Benjamin, Aziza Miller, Lady Cantrese, Kelvyn Bell. She has worked alongside and or shared the stage/film with Wole Soyinka, Ben Vereen, Erykah Badu, Stephen Baldwin, Loretta Divine, Doug E Fresh and more.

Her work is dedicated to the growth and development of people enabling them to find their true authentic self

Ya’ikobi

Ya’ikobi is an artist from Connecticut and a 4 year resident of New Haven. His music expresses his political ideals, social observations, and life experiences, and discusses spiritual themes and compassionate living. Ya’ikobi is also an avid agriculturist, student of African traditional and diasporic spirituality and a vegan. “Ya’ikobi” is a form of “Jacob” in the Ethiopian language Amharic.

Sharon Dickey

Sharon Dickey is a local dance artist born and raised in New Haven, CT. She is an exhibiting member of the ‘Keepers of the Culture Performing Arts Company’. Sharon has a passion for taking charge and making an impact in her community on all levels. She is a student at Gateway Community College and is acting president of the Black Student Association.

Performing with Earl Ali-Randall

Earl Ali-Randall

Earl Ali-Randall, New Haven native, is an Arts &Ideas Fellowship Alumni and performed for the festival for the past 7 years. Mr. Ali-Randall worked for the Festival during the summer of 2014. Mr. Ali-Randall is an alumni from Albertus Magnus College with a BA in Early Childhood Pyschology/Education. Earl is a dancer for the ""Keepers of the Culture Performing Arts Company and teaching artist. Mr. Ali-Randall was trained at the Educational Center for the Arts and the Caldwell Dance Center in New Haven. As a budding professional dancer Earl later performed for Kwanzaa and other community events with Elder Elaine Peters for the past 5 years. Currently, Mr. Ali-Randall is an African dance instructor in New Haven for LEAP and Elite Sounds of the Arts teaching African Dance, Contemporary Modern, and Jazz. Lastly, Earl is an Educational Assistant for New Haven Public Schools.

Performing with Sharon Dickey

Chaz Carmon

Chaz Carmon is an Actor, Educator, Youth Advocate, Activist and the President of Ice The Beef Anti Gun Violence Org. in New Haven Ct. He has worked on 45 Tv Shows and 46 Movies like The Following,Blue Bloods, The Black List, The Other Woman, Chill Pill, Spider Man 2, Madame Secretary on CBS, Luke Cage Iron FIst and Dare Devil to name a few. His model is I am My Brothers Keeper.

Ms. Hanan Hameen

Ms. Hanan Hameen, Doctoral Candidate is the Founder of the Artsucation™ Academy Network, Ms. Hanan’s Dance and Beyond, New Haven Hip-Hop Conference, and Premiere Dance Company at Neighborhood Music School. Ms. Hameen is also Artistic Director of the BAM DanceAfrica Candle Bearers founded by Baba Dr. Chuck Davis, and an Adjunct Professor. Currently, Ms. Hameen is pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Administration, Master equivalent in Dance Education, Master of Science in Educational Leadership with an Advanced Certificate in School Building Leadership, Dance Education Laboratory Alumni, a Lupus support group facilitator, an author, dance mentor, and curriculum developer. Before Lupus diagnosis in 2010, Ms. Hameen performed with 13 dance companies, instructed at 8 colleges and universities, choreographed for major and independent artists, founded 6 dance companies, and owned/operated 4 dance schools during her dance career of over 30 years. Now being employed disabled, through Artsucational™ events she uplifts the community domestically and abroad. Ms. Hameen’s awards and recognitions include three honors societies and Arts Council of Greater New Haven 2018 Phenomenal Woman and Artist Commission Awardee. Her doctoral research interests are on STEAM education, culturally relevant instruction, and gifted and talented African-American youth. During this pandemic Ms. Hameen is hosting an online diasporic class series with former artists from BAM Dance Africa and national dance companies.