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Kenneth Franks (Kyne), Dance Director, received his early training in dance in Cincinnati. His ballet training was at the Annaliese Von Oettingen School of Ballet and modern dance training at the Contemporary Dance Theatre School.  In 1975, he received an invitation from the Dance Theatre of Harlem to be an apprentice to the company. After three year of apprenticeship, Mr. Franks left to receive a more diverse dance vocabulary in modern, jazz dance and theater.  Mr. Franks' professional performance experience was at the Garden State Ballet in Newark, New Jersey. Upon retiring from performing, he became Assistant Faculty Chair for Garden State Ballet School and Director of Education for Princeton Ballet School in New Jersey.  Before returning to Cincinnati to teach at the Cincinnati Ballet and Contemporary Dance Theater, he was Principal Ballet Instructor for Creative Expression Dance Academy in New Jersey. His focus is on African and African-American history and culture.  Mr. Franks has over thirty years of teaching experience in Ballet, Modern Dance (Horton) and Jazz.  He has trained many young dancers who have gone on to national companies such as, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey's Dance Company, Dance Theater of Harlem and Philadanco.

Eason, Christina (Pre-ballet) (awaiting bio)

Leslie Lucy (Hip-Hop) Ms.  Lucy received her training from Premier Dance Theater, NJ and Broadway Dance Center in NYC.  She began her professional dance career performing in numerous music videos, touring Europe with Jodeci and dancing “back-up” for several Hip-Hop and R&B artists.  She has performed as a “back-up” dancer on:  Soul Train, The Party Machine, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, and BET.  She has also danced on MTV’s “The Grind” for three years.  Leslie also includes movie credits to her resume.  She has appeared in films such as “The Money Train”, “Drop Squad”, and “Substitute 2”.  Miss Lucy is currently a dance mentor for an all girls adolescent program called “Best Friends” and is presently teaching for Maria Priadka School of Dance and Newark School of the Arts.

Nikkia Tyrie Neal (Modern Dance) Ms. Neal received her BFA in Theatre Arts from Howard University where she had the pleasure to develop working relationships with Walter Nicks, Otis Sallid, Keith Lee and Ronald K. Brown among others.  Her performance opportunities included working with Deeply Rooted Productions; “Move” (Chicago, Il.) choreographed by Gary Abbott and Kevin Jeff and “Church of Nations” (NYC), and “The Making of a Perfect Mate” (NYC) choreographed by Bruce Heath.  She has also been blessed to work with Tahitia Nesmith in Passions Dance Project and Keith Anthony Lewis (E-Moves, “America: Zombie Dance”).  Currently Nikkia continues to dance with Umoja Dance Company, is an active member of Agape Family Worship Center’s Dance Ministry and is a full time teacher of dance in the Newark Public Schools.

Nadiyah Smith-McCoy (Pre-Tap & Tap) Ms. Smith-McCoy is an alumnus of Newark School of the Arts where she trained through out her youth.  While earning her BA in Theater Arts at Hampton University she continued her professional dance career with “Terpsichoreans”, Hampton University, Pyramid Dance Company of New Jersey, and was the former Dance Director to Uhuru Dance Ensemble of Norfolk, Virginia.  Nadiyah has had also the pleasure to work for such organizations as NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center) as a Site Coordinator for the Arts Education Department.  She currently works in the New York Public School System as a Dancing Artist teaching several different dance disciplines: Creative Movement, Tap, Hip-Hop, and African, and continues to teach at Morristown Beard School’s Summer Program and at Newark School of the Arts where she has remained for the last two years.

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