Beyond The Studio

During our interviews, we try to capture as much of the artist's story as possible, but sometimes we cannot fit it all in. After our interview, Sara and I were talking and we got to the topic about her hair, I hit record, and here is what she wanted to share! 

Annette Daniels Taylor is an artist, and author of the poetry chapbooks, Street Pharmacist and other poetic tales, and Hush now poems to read aloud. Her debut YA novel, Dreams on Fire (October 2018) with West 44 books is a poetic urban teenage journey written in verse. An award-winning playwright, her drama A Little Bit of Paradise, won the 2008 Artie Award for Outstanding New Play.
A poet, artist, and storyteller interested in American public history, her practice includes performance, poetry, video, sound, and vocals.
A 2018-19 New York State Public Humanities fellow, a 2016-18 Arthur A. Schomburg fellow with the Department of Media Study, SUNY University at Buffalo alum; a three-time NYSCA awarded artist; a Pink Door Poetry alum; and lead teaching artist with Young Audiences, Underground Railroad Residency of Western New York program.
A native of Staten Island, New York with roots in North and South Carolina, 
Annette Daniels Taylor's storytelling practice reminds audiences of forgotten histories.

https://www.annettedanielstaylor.com/

insta: @annette_daniels_taylor

facebook: dreams on fire or annettedanielstaylor

twitter: @nettieboom

A native of Buffalo, New York, Naila Ansari (she/her) is an award-winning choreographer, director, and performing artist.  She is a distinguished MFA graduate from the University at Buffalo in Dance and a Cum Laude undergraduate of Point Park's Conservatory of Performing Arts Program. Ansari is an original and former principal dancer for the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble. The company was named “Top 25 Dance Companies to Watch” in Dance Magazine for the 2012-2013 season, featured at Jacob's Pillow and SummerStage NYC at Central Park. Ansari has danced and performed works for the legendary Lula Washington Dance Theatre out of Los Angeles, CA. She has had the privilege of dancing works by Robert Battle, Kyle Abraham, Camille A. Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Sidra Bell, and Trebien Pollard, to name a few. Ansari's choreography has been set on a host of colleges, universities, professional theatres, and commercial projects.

As an Assistant Professor in Theatre and Africana Studies at SUNY Buffalo State College, Ansari has merged artistry and scholarship to build and create works through community and collaborative processes that facilitate conversations on race and Black performance. She has published articles in Theatre Journal, received numerous grants and awards such as the New York State DanceForce Grant, and The Pittsburgh Courier 40 under 40 awards. Ansari is a research assistant and assistant choreographer for AT BUFFALO the Musical and the recent AT BUFFALO TED TALK under award-winning artist and scholar Dr. Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin. Ansari's award-winning choreographed work "Mine Eyes Have Seen" was selected and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C for the American College Dance Association awards in 2018. Ansari is a collaborator with the UB Arts Collaboratory under the direction of Bronwyn Keenan. Her most recent project and a forthcoming book, The Movement of Joy, focuses on the performance of joy through the creative archiving of oral histories, movement histories, live-performance, and film. Ansari is currently the Dance Director for Ujima Company, inc. selected by the late Lorna C. Hill.

Aitina Fareed-Cooke

Bio

Aitina Fareed-Cooke was told at a young age that she would be a “failure to thrive” as a result of her biological mother's addiction to drugs. At 14 months old her and her 2 siblings were placed into foster care and diagnosed as “Emotionally Handicapped”. When Aitina was three years old she and her sibling lost their mother due to a drug overdose. Though the odds were against her she managed to strive due to her adoptive mother's efforts in keeping her involved in extracurricular activities, community arts programs which introduced her to photography, film, and creative writing. Aitina continues utilizing her camera or “my weapon of mass creativity” and her love of writing music and poetry as a type of “Art Activism” igniting thought and change within her community.

Aitina received her Associates degree in Arts & Humanities at Erie Community College (2009), Bachelor Arts degree in English (2012), and Masters in Science & Education with a focus in Educational Technology (2016) at Buffalo State. Aitina has worked within various non-profit organizations for over 15 years throughout the city of Buffalo NY where she has developed, managed, and implemented countless high-quality creative arts programs. Her unique and innovative ideas have assisted countless youth and young adults in fostering opportunities for growth in creative thinking and problem solving, self-esteem, self-expression, social awareness, and peer collaboration.

Aitina has worked with organizations such as Say Yes to Education serving as a Community Schools Navigator; Young Audiences of WNY serving as the ArtWorks Director & Education Coordinator, Community Action Organization serving as a Youth Services Site Coordinator; CEPA Gallery continuously serving as a Photography Teaching Artist and Board Member, just to name a few. Throughout her tenure at each organization, she was able to contribute to the increase in retention rates of youth and parent involvement in programming and activities, the development and increase in community engagement and partnerships, and securing grant funding for the successful longevity of such programs within such organizations.

The skills that Aitina has developed over time has led her to developing ​Get Fokus’d Productions​ (GFP). GFP is a creative media arts company ​dedicated to capturing project-based stories, designing curriculums to teach youth soft skills through the implementation of photography, film, and creative writing programs, and giving back to the next generation of creatives through a movement called ​Young & Fokus’d​. ​Aitina’s original work has been exhibited at ​CEPA Gallery​, Jamestown Community College, Darwin Martin House, Crzurles-Nelson Gallery at SUNY Buffalo State, Main Street Art Gallery, Blue Plate Studio, and PineAppleCo.

Aitina is now an award-winning photographer, teaching artist, creative director, and lyricist earning recognition through ​43North​’s Ignite Buffalo People’s Choice Award, CEPA Gallery Exhibition Award, SUNY Buffalo State Young Alumnus Achievement Award, Canisius College Trailblazer Award, the National Society of Leadership & Success Excellence in Teaching Award, Kingdom Choice Up Next and Breakthrough Artist Award, BULYPNY Entrepreneurship Award, Mayors Citizens Participation Academy Award, and more. Aitina has also been featured in Buffalo Healthy Living Magazine, Upstart New York, Challenger News, Buffalo News, Buffalo State Alumni Magazine, National Young Audiences Emerging Leaders, ​DJ Booth​, Rapzilla, Trackstarz, and much more.

From chemotherapy to now radiology. Lisa's story in our first episode was just scratching the surface of her journey. When we sat down again, earlier this month, she explained things to me that I never could have imagined. Her story is moving, inspiring, and shows how remarkably resilient she is. 

Lisa’s Dance Bio

Lisa Latempa was born and raised in New York City. She started dancing at the age of 5 taking contemporary, tap, ballet, jazz, and African dance. Her dance roots began at a local community dance school, Children’s Arts & Science Workshops before moving on to the Heights School of Ballet and the Harlem School of the Arts. She began flamenco lessons at the age of 10 and continued for over 8 years under accomplished flamenco dancers Ricardo Santiago and Maya de Silva. Following her move to Buffalo, NY in 2006, Lisa began teaching flamenco in the area after taking several workshops in Toronto. She joined the Syracuse-based flamenco dance troupe Puente Flamenco in 2012. Lisa was also a troupe member of Devi Bollywood Performing Arts. Outside of dance, Lisa is a special education teacher in the Buffalo schools and a mom of a 3-year-old boy. 

In March of 2020 she gave a talk about "Identity", the very next day, she finds herself in a nationwide lockdown. Singer, songwriter, recording artist Maya loses herself but finds her purpose during a global pandemic.

Maya By Name, aka Maya Satterwhite, is a recording artist, writer, and inspirational speaker. Maya has self-written and released four musical works, and has had songwriting placements on the Today Show, NCIS: New Orleans, and more. Behind the lens, she has been a part of modeling campaigns for Wristcam, Jared Jewelers, Dick’s Sporting Goods, JoAnn Stores, and Fisher-Price. In 2020, Maya started her “Be Love, Spread Love” movement: daily inspirational and motivational messages, along with her Be Love, Spread Love Podcast.

A dancer’s battle with breast cancer.

Lisa tells an incredible story of her experience with being a stage 3 breast cancer survivor. In our one on one, Lisa takes us through her journey, where she was surrounded by courage, love, support, along with the pain and strength which unfolded after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Through her story and experience, Lisa hopes to inspire others to speak up, to share their journey, and for everyone to take their bodies and health seriously.

Lisa’s Dance Background

Lisa Latempa was born and raised in New York City. She started dancing at the age of 5 taking contemporary, tap, ballet, jazz, and African dance. Her dance roots began at a local community dance school, Children’s Arts & Science Workshops before moving on to the Heights School of Ballet and the Harlem School of the Arts. She began flamenco lessons at the age of 10 and continued for over 8 years under accomplished flamenco dancers Ricardo Santiago and Maya de Silva. Following her move to Buffalo, NY in 2006, Lisa began teaching flamenco in the area after taking several workshops in Toronto. She joined the Syracuse-based flamenco dance troupe Puente Flamenco in 2012. Lisa was also a troupe member of Devi Bollywood Performing Arts.