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Urban Jazz Dance Company
presents first ever Sign Language, Dance, & Music Conference November 6th and 7th, 2020. 10 AM-12:30 PM PST/ 1-3:30 PM EST. All events are free and everyone is welcome. On both days the conference will start off with a “Coffee Chat.” 9:15Am - 9:45Am PST/ 12:15PM-12:45PM EST Click here to enter the “Coffee Chat.” This is your chance to mingle and connect with other conference attendees and presenters. Bring your favorite mug. This event is tea and hot cocoa friendly as well. Following the coffee chat, we will kick off the conference with our keynote speaker, Harold Foxx. Conference presenters will share insights on sign language, dance, music, and accessibility with presentations such as “TOUCH PAH!” and “We Can Deaf Can”. Click here to enter the“Conference” 2020 Deaf Louder Virtual performances Don't forget to stop by to see our Free Evening performances! November 6th and 7th, 2020 6 PM PST/ 9 PM EST. Both evenings, performances co-produced with CounterPulse, will feature Urban Jazz Dance Company’s work in progress, UNHEARD: Deaf Refugees in USA, and amazing Deaf talents. For tickets and more information visit: http://counterpulse.org/event/deaflouder2020 #SignLanguageDanceMusicConference |
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Conference Program:
Day One
Friday, Nov 6th
Conference Presenters & Bios
Keys Note Speaker: Harold Foxx
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"From the Street to the Stage" presented by Harold Foxx (Keynote)
For Nov 6th and 7th Session Description: Harold Foxx will be presenting about his journey as Black Deaf artist and how he overcame being homeless to where he is right now. It's all about hard work and not giving up. Bio: An American theatre, film, television actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker who happens to be Deaf. Harold Eugene Catron Jr. (Born on December 17, 1978) better known by his stage name Harold Foxx, is an American theatre, film, television actor, comedian, and writer who happens to be deaf. He launched “The Harold Foxx Show," an online entertainment brand featuring comedy skits, which has gained over 80,000 followers on various social media platforms. Harold was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and White Station High alumni (Class of 1999). Harold currently resides in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Gallaudet University, the world’s only university for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. He is most well-known for his stand-up comedy, which he has performed across the nation in D.C., Maryland, Michigan, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Jamaica, and most notably at Busboys & Poets and the National Black Deaf Advocates conference, Theatre of Note (Hollywood) and National Association of the Deaf. Harold has been involved in numerous film, television, and stage production as “The Actor Whisperer,” “For My Woman,” “Audism Unveiled,” Deaf West Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse's "Our Town," Playwrights Horizons' "I Was Most Alive With You" (NYC Off Broadway Production) and more. Currently, Harold is training with The Groundlings, the improvisation and sketch comedy theatre & school based in Los Angeles. Image Description: Black man with beard, black beanie, and with a smile. Also black leather jacket. |
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"Incorporting Sign Dance in Performing Arts for All" presented
by Fred Beam/Sunshine 2.0 Session Description: Sign Dance is one of the rare visual arts forms. People believed that sound is the only thing that makes us dance. Many people don't realize that dance comes from inside of us and dancing to our "music" has been created from inside, not from hearing or feeling the sound alone. Today, the field of dance strives to be more inclusive, even though learning to dance without depending on two fully functioning ears remains a challenge. This presentation will open up the door wider for the dancers with full and partial hearing loss and making performing arts more visual with our own visual language, model, accessibility and movements... thanks to growing opportunities in Sign Dance from those who paved the way before us. Bio: Sunshine 2.0 offers performances for children, teenagers and the community at large. Workshops and performances provide educational opportunities for audience members to learn from each other, make discoveries in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) fields, and gain new awareness. Our engaging shows provide valuable insights into the human condition and demonstrate how hearing and deaf people can interact and engage with one another. |
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"Begin: Your Art, Your Heart, and How to Start"
Presented by Danielle Silk Session Description: This presentation is for the beginning artist and art-curious. We all have stories inside of us waiting to be told but many of us from marginalized communities have been told we are not enough. This presentation will help you identify simple tools around your home and in your heart for creating art. Bio: danielle lives at the intersections of white Deaf, Disabled, queer, Jewish, Mad, and femme. She is a youth organizer by day and a dancer, artist, and access worker by night. She was raised by a poor and working class mixed faith family on Pomo, Graton-Ranchera, and Coastal Miwok land all over Sonoma County. She now lives on Ohlone Land in Oakland, California where she dances with Urban Jazz Dance Company and creates accessible art media. Image Description: Color photo of danielle taken from above. danielle is a white DeafDisabled queer Ashkenazi Jewish femme with curly chin-length hair and baby bangs. She is looking off camera and smiling with teeth. She is wearing a black sweater with a white button-up blouse underneath. She has turtle-print glasses, a Star of David neckless and a pin reading "soar" with an abstract bird. The photo has a vignette effect. |
We Can, Deaf Can--
How to Follow Your Passion as a Deaf Artist"
presented
by Brandy Mimms
Session description: It will be a short information and tips how a Deaf artist can follow their passion. The presentation is about how to use your passion to follow your dreams as a Deaf artist. I will teach the participants a few tips and experiences that I learned through my journey as a Deaf artist. They can bring a notepad to take notes.
Bio: Brandy "Unique the Deaf Dancer" Mimms was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a Deaf dancer, choreographer, teacher at Arkansas School for the Deaf, and founder and director of Listen With Your Eyes Dance Troupe. She recently graduated from UA Little Rock with a Bachelor In Dance. Her first choreographic work was presented at the American College Dance Association 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. She had the opportunity to perform at the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival in 2017, 2018, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Her company recently had the opportunity to perform the 2020 Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival virtually.
Image Description: An African American woman with long red braids. Her head is tilted to the side. She is wearing a black leotard.
www.brandymimms.com
Instagram: uniquethedeafdancer
Facebook: @Listenwithyoureyesdancetroupe
How to Follow Your Passion as a Deaf Artist"
presented
by Brandy Mimms
Session description: It will be a short information and tips how a Deaf artist can follow their passion. The presentation is about how to use your passion to follow your dreams as a Deaf artist. I will teach the participants a few tips and experiences that I learned through my journey as a Deaf artist. They can bring a notepad to take notes.
Bio: Brandy "Unique the Deaf Dancer" Mimms was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a Deaf dancer, choreographer, teacher at Arkansas School for the Deaf, and founder and director of Listen With Your Eyes Dance Troupe. She recently graduated from UA Little Rock with a Bachelor In Dance. Her first choreographic work was presented at the American College Dance Association 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. She had the opportunity to perform at the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival in 2017, 2018, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Her company recently had the opportunity to perform the 2020 Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival virtually.
Image Description: An African American woman with long red braids. Her head is tilted to the side. She is wearing a black leotard.
www.brandymimms.com
Instagram: uniquethedeafdancer
Facebook: @Listenwithyoureyesdancetroupe
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"Def Lens Media: Accessibility and Inclusion in Marketing"
Presented by Teddy Dorsette III Session Description: Learn how to hit a typically neglected market through accessibility and inclusion with Teddy Dorsette III, owner and co-founder of Def Lens Media! Expand your outreach, get great PR, and make that bank! Bio: Teddy Dorsette III was raised in Detroit. When he's not working to increase accessibility in marketing he thrives in that arts; obtaining degrees from the University of Michigan and the Motion Picture Institute. Over the span of 14 years, he has created 35 music videos, two documentaries, six shorts, and one feature-length film. Image Description: Teddy is thin and dark skinned, with dark hair in braids, wearing glasses, a white sweatshirt, and jeans while sitting atop a motorcycle adjacent to a white exterior house wall. www.Deflensmedia.com @deflensmedia |
Day two
Saturday, Nov 7th
Conference Presenters & Bios
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"My World is Silent" presented by Dani Duran Bio: I have been a dancer for 20 years. I am also a motivational speaker and educator. I was raised from two worlds, although I finally did find my deaf identity. I’ve been involved with the acting/dance industry which has allowed me to see the true colors of the world. Does that stop my dream? And am I giving up on my passion? Image Description: Dani posing in front of a body of water. She has long dark brown hair and has her hands on her hips. She is smiling directly at the camera. Dani is wearing a bright red blouse with ¾ sleeves and a black, above the knee pencil skirt. She is barefoot. IG: @0daniduran0 FB: Dani Duran |
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“Groovin' With Mervin: Learn a new song in ASL!”
presented by Mervin Primeaux-OBryant Session Description: Teaches you how to move and groove in American Sign Language! Learn tons of performance tips as we learn "That's What Friends Are For" together. Come and join us! Bio: Mervin Primeaux-O’Bryant is Deaf, a native of Lafayette, LA, who graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with an Associate of Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography., He has he attained outstanding credentials in its world-renowned as an actor, director, co-director, choreographer, International Deaf Performer, and Artist and assistant director for Quest Visual Theatre for the deaf and hard of hearing and occasional American Sign Language consultant in theatre, music videos, ASL Coach, mentor, deaf rights, film, LGBTQ rights, and advocates and traveling the world. He has performed in Senegal, Puerto Rico, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Romania, Vienna (third) Guangzhou (twice), Kulangsu Island (South China). Image Description: Pink background shows a clean shaven black male smiling with dreads down to his chest area and wearing light blue collared shirt as his arms are folded. https://www.facebook.com/MervinPrimeauxOBryant https://www.instagram.com/mervinpobryant/ www.deflensmedia.com |
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Do Feel
presented by Samantha Figgins DANCING WITH SPIRIT: HOW I TAP IN Session Description: This short conversation, I want to share tools that have helped me turn out the noise and tap into The energy of the dances within all of us. We’ll discover how to let that dancing spirit move us into the places and spaces we see our highest self occupy. Bio: SAMANTHA FIGGINS (Washington, D.C.) began dancing at Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the tutelage of Charles Auggins and Sandra Fortune-Greene and attended summer intensives at Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. She continued her education at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. There she performed works by George Balanchine, Bill T. Jones, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. Upon graduating cum laude, Ms. Figgins became a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, performing works by Dwight Rhoden, Jae Man Joo, and Camille A. Brown. She also performed at the 2014 DanceOpen Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ms. Figgins was featured both on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine and in Pointe magazine’s “10 Careers to Watch” in 2013. She has worked with Beyoncé and can be seen in the film Enemy Within alongside Tiler Peck and Matthew Rushing. During her time in the company, Figgins has had the privilege of opening of the Oprah Winfrey Theater at NMAAHC in 2018 and performed with Judith Jamison for her TEd Talk in 2019 Ms. Figgins joined the Company in 2014. Image Description: Samantha is a young Black woman wearing a sky blue sweater hugs herself and smiles bright. @Sfigg_Udigg |
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"TOUCH PAH!"
presented by Ashlea B Hayes Session Description: Participants will learn how to PT (pro tactile) a song. Bio: Ashlea is a DeafBlind Artist seeking to shed light on the DB artist community. She is an actress with SAG-AFTRA and enjoys learning and honing her craft Image Description: Black deaf woman light skinned with black shirt on natural hair in a twist out parted to the side https://m.youtube.com/user/ashleabrittney |
