D.A.N.C.E

Jazmine Taylor

“Everytime I dance, I’m trying to prove myself to myself.”

-Misty Copeland

Inspiration and encouragement. Flare and Sensuality. Truth and Vulnerability. Strength and Grace. None are in short supply when it comes to her style and her journey as a dancer. Through her lineage as a professional dancer and choreographer, Jazmine Taylor is relentless and has evolved into a woman of passion, skill, wisdom, and empowerment.

Through conscious and continuous reflection of her own mistakes, pain, and insights she felt the need to explore and embrace the power of the feminine. She realized that she had been giving too much and accepting too little. Denying her own self worth, lacking confidence, shrinking around others, and the drive to push her dreams into motion, Jazmine decided that enough was enough! It was time to be selfish and make a change. It was time to stop making excuses. It was time to give herself the love that no one else could. It was time to stop living through the eyes of others. It was time to embody her inner truth. It was time to value herself in a way that radiated her deepest desires. This was the impetus and inspiration for the creation of Powerful Embodiment Heelz: a dance class that serves to empower women of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds through the strong yet gentle exploration of the feminine.

Her movement focuses primarily on discovering and honoring truth by tracing lived experiences and being intentional about the creation of new ones. She uses dance symbolically as a seed in which desires can be met, manifested, and felt through the power of movement. She invites participants to fall in love with themselves by honoring what they feel and guiding them to express the lusciousness of their inner truth.

Jazmine began her dance training at the age of twelve and dancing has been a gift that she continues to unravel. Born and raised in Milwaukee WI, she studied West African Dance with Ko-Thi Dance Company and ballet at the Milwaukee Ballet Theatre and the University of WI Stevens Point before packing her bags to relocate to Texas. Since, she has continued her studies in ballet, modern dance, Horton technique, Latin dance forms, and elements of the African Diaspora. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from the University of North Texas and M.S.Ed. from Johns Hopkins. Jazmine is currently a teacher and a member of the Terrance Johnson Dance Company where she advocates for dance education for underserved youth.

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Whitley N. Green

"It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for – and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool – for love – for your dreams – for the adventure of being alive."

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Choreographer, educator, performing artist, and Founder/Creative Director of D.A.N.C.E Academy {Dances of The African Diaspora}, Whitley Green is passionate about using dance as a tool for self-actualization-inspiring curiosity into our infinite creative potential, leadership, and personal power. Raised in a single parent home, Whitley did not have the opportunity to enroll in a traditional dance program, but watching Missy Elliot, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, among a list of other artists inspired her love for entertainment, performance, and the desire to make it a reality for herself.

One of her greatest insecurities was provoked when people would ask “how long have you been dancing?” Making her feel a deep sense of unworthiness as it related to her identity in the field of art and entertainment. She sensed it was beginning to have a negative effect on her confidence causing her to deny herself certain opportunities or giving it bare minimum effort as a cop out. Deep down it was evident that the problem was not what other people thought, or that she did not deserve to call herself a dancer, but it was that she did not believe in herself.

This realization started Whitley on a self explorative journey to discover the origins of her self imposed doubt and debilitating fear of bringing out what she knew was inside of her. D.A.N.C.E ACADEMY was birthed from this place of curiosity, with the mission to discover identity, pursue a worthwhile purpose, and lead with unique creativity. She realized that her background was unique to her story and would be the catalyst behind a greater vision to connect people to their passions through becoming self aware and promoting healthy self esteem.

Whitley has since pursued dance training and education at The University of North Texas, New York University, Dance Place in Washington, DC; Dance The Yard in Martha’s Vineyard, MA; Peridance & Cumbe African and Diaspora Dance Center in New York City. Whitley has had the opportunity to perform and choreographed locally and abroad {The National Theater- Kampala,Uganda; Frederick Lowe Theater-NYC; & Radio City Hall}.She currently teaches Hip Hop and West African Drum and Dance at the University of North Texas, Texas Woman's University & Richland College Dance & Fine Arts Department with a curriculum focus in cultivating total mind- body & soul awareness, esteem, and wellness through movement. She is a new performer with Bandan Kora West African Drum & Dance Community Group in Dallas,TX.

Ms. Green continues to train and educate herself in and beyond the field of dance to provide the best quality service and she is committed to mastering her craft to give herself the best chance to actualize her dreams while helping others do the same.She is honored by the privilege to serve people from all walks of life through the medium of dance, encouraging them to be confident in themselves and their worthiness to CREATE and LIVE the life they desire.