Life is a process and the process is living

At The Black Academy of Arts & Letters
“Life is a process and the process is living”
“Life is a process, and the process is living”
On behalf of Happy Nia Dance Theatre Productions, we
want to thank you for your interest in our Dance Company.
We feel that we have an organization that will truly make a
difference in the community. Already, we are gearing up
our organization be a voice of the community, that not only
entertains, but educates. Our talented group of dancers
has been working very hard on perfecting our craft as
theatre professionals. It is organizations like yours that
will help keep this dream alive. Dereque Whiturs, Founder
& Artistic Director and I have made a commitment to
produce quality and meaningful productions that will have
a lasting effect in our community.
Through our
commitment to our heritage and to our Christian faith, we
endeavor to make bold statements on HIV/AIDS in the
black community, teen pregnancy, gang violence, illiteracy
and community involvement through the arts. In this
packet you will find a recent newspaper review of our
debut performance at The Black Academy of Arts and
Letters Black Dance Weekend, a brochure with photos and
our mission statement and also enclosed is our
Sponsorship / Donation plans. I sincerely hope that Happy
Nia can create a lasting partnership with your firm. Please
look over the information and please feel free to contact
us. We look forward to a wonderful relationship. We
would like to sit down and discuss our future together.
Thanking you in advance for your consideration.
Carl E. Long
Co-Artistic Director
Happy Nia Dance Theatre Productions
Dereque Whiturs
Artistic Director/Founder
Happy Nia Dance Theatre Productions
Donations/Sponsorship
As a people we choose to live by spiritual principles and who we are as a company
recognizes these principles as a way of life; and it is a necessity for the functioning
of our organization.
As we grow in our infrastructure we become a performing arts company
who takes our rightful place in our community doing our part, being
responsible and accountable for the positive growth of that community.
We are a performing arts organization that recognizes that “It takes a
whole village to raise a child.” We ask for your support and your help to
make our foundation strong. Happy Nia Dance Theatre welcomes
donations through these 7 principles:
1.
Umoja- Unity: $500.00
(Together we stand strong)
2.
Kujichagalia- self determination: $1,500.00
(With self determination we grow to be all that God created us to be)
3.
Ujima- Collective work and responsibility: $2,000.00
(We work together to fight racial injustice in the world and preserve the
integrity and future of our African American community)
4.
Ujamma- Cooperative Economics: $2,500.00
(Working with other organizations to grow and develop the educational
institutions in our African American community)
5.
Nia- Purpose: $5,000.00
(The purpose is to build awareness to HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence,
Substance Abuse, and Self Actualizing creating platforms for dialogue
to better understand what role we play in each others lives)
6.
Kuumba- Creativity: $10,000.00
(Teaching our youth of their creative responsibility in giving back to
their own community)
7.
Imani- Faith: $15,000.00
(We continue in the faith of our ancestors by maintaining a strong
spiritual connection to our rich legacy and heritage)
As an Imani sponsorship you are entitled to 2 free tickets to all
performances, company branding in all playbill publications of
performances given by Happy Nia Dance Theatre and an opportunity to
view a rehearsal of the company before annual season at The Black
Academy of Arts and Naomi Bruton Theater.
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Web: www.happyniadance.com
About the Artistic Directors
Dereque Whiturs a native of Dallas Texas began his career as a
performing artist at the Booker T Washington High School for the
Performing and Visual Artists. Mr. Whiturs has been trained in ballet,
modern, jazz, tap, and the Dunham techniques and he has trained with such
artists as Alvin Ailey, Ulysses Dove, Donald McKayle, Donald Byrd, Talley
Beatty, George Faison, Tina Yuan, Christine Lawson, Homer Bryant, and
George Skibine, and Maria Tallchiief, Mr. Whiturs is an Alumni of California
Institute of the Arts in Valencia California. Mr. Whiturs was a principle
dancer with the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble under the direction of Sylvia
Waters former principle dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
and he went on to become a principle dancer with the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theatre under the direction of Alvin Ailey where he traveled the
United States and Europe for 13 years. Mr. Whiturs is currently a principle
dancer with Deeply Rooted Productions in Chicago Illinois where he is also
on the Associate Artistic team for the Deeply Rooted summer intensive
program and the Deeply Rooted 2. He is also a member of the Malone
Group Incorporated in Washington D.C. Mr. Whiturs has an extensive
background in dance education he has taught in the United States and
Europe in such places as The Chicago Multi Cultural Dance School in Chicago
Illinois, Deeply Rooted summer intensive program in Chicago Illinois,
Bertino’s School of Danceology In Chicago Illinois, Duke Ellington Performing
Arts High School in Washington D.C., Booker T. Washington High School for
the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas Texas, The Black Academy of Arts
and Letters in Dallas Texas, and for the Renalto Greco School of Dance in
Rome Italy. Mr. Whiturs has recently come back to Dallas and has started
his own company with Mr. Carl Long co-Artistic Director “HappyNia Dance
Theatre” Because of his passion for building awareness in the African
American community about HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse,
and Self Actualizing he wishes to use HappyNia Dance Theatre Productions
as a means to communication to the people in his community to call in the
community to stand for something and not just settle for anything, to work
together to make a change in the community his way starts with the arts.
Mr. Whiturs believes that through the arts, song, dance, and drama one
can communicate in a way that all can understand, Mr. Whiturs started
the company Nia Dance Theatre in Dallas Texas 8 years ago before he
moved to Chicago Illinois where he met Mr. Taron Webster who was the
director of a company called Happy which means HIV/AIDS Prevention
Protecting Yourself. The two companies merged to serve in a way of
educating the youth as well as the adults in the African American
communities. His goal was to dispel the fears and educate. Mr .Whiturs
continues to do the work necessary here in Dallas Texas. He is persistent
in being a voice through the arts to fight injustices in communities
everywhere. Mr. Whiturs knows that he cannot do it alone. He is a firm
believer that “It takes a whole village to raise a child” even the child
within ourselves. HappyNia Dance Theatre Productions invites any
support from positive activists in the community who wishes to make a
difference in changing the negative cycle that has been given to our
community. Mr. Whiturs is a writer and choreographer who uses his
artistry to speak authentically and truthfully about what’s wrong in our
community and what we can do to change it.
Carl Edward Long,
Happy Nia Co-Artistic Director (Sacred
Dance Division) He has studied dance since he was 15 years old. A
vocal performance & dance major (Trinity Valley College) where he
received an Associates of Arts. At TVC he was the student dance
instructor and choreographer for the world famous "Cardette" precision
drill team, choreographed for the Miss Texas America Scholarship
program. Currently he serves as the Artistic Director of the Pilgrim Rest
Baptist Church Dance Ministry where he provides creative and spiritual
growth of the dancers. At Pilgrim Rest, The Tribe of Judah, Shabach,
Essence of Praise and the WFAM Steppers are the adult, teenage,
children’s and Step ministries respectively that were created under
Minister Long’s leadership.The former Co-Artistic Director of the
Mahogany Dance Theatre, Carl has studied ballet, jazz, & tap dancing
with notables: Arthur Mitchell, Buster Cooper, James Clouser, Melvin
Purnell. He has danced with the Houston's Theatre Under the Stars,
Houston Grand Opera, Houston Vaudeville Theatre Co. Carl was also a
camp instructor with the World Cheerleading Council. Currently he works
for The Dallas Morning News where advertising system management is
his profession. At the News Carl also founded a vocal ensemble formed at
his workplace called the"Voices of News", a group of singers that
appeared on “Good Morning Texas”. Every year he coordinates &
choreographs 200+ praise dancers for the Martin Luther King Civic Rights
Concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center which is nationally televised.
Minister Long has choreographed for the National Baptist Convention and The
Gospel Music Workshop of America (Metroplex Chapter), Worship Alive - Praise
Dance Celebration annually at the Black Academy of Arts & Letters, "Gut Bucket
Gospel" a Gospel Musical Revival featuring Dallas based Gospel Artists with the
Black Academy of Arts & Letters. Under Carl's leadership the Pilgrim Rest Dance
Ministry The Adult Group “The Tribe of Judah” was awarded the 2003 Steeple
award as the Most Outstanding Adult Praise Dance Group for excellence in
Christian Ministry. The Tribe of Judah was the focus and study of an article in
The Wall Street Journal “Spirited Debate, Dancing in the Church.” This article
was published nationally. In 2007 The Gospel Announcers Guild voted Carl
Choreographer of the Year.“God has given me the awesome responsibility of
spreading His message through the dance. “No accomplishments in my life
equals the joy and fulfillment I receive when worshipping and praising God with
the dance. God will grant you the desires of your heart. I thank Him every day
for what He has given me”. "Whatever you do, whether you eat, drink or sleep,
do it all for the glory of God!
Mission Statement:
Happy Nia Dance Theatre is inspired to build
awareness and sensitivity to our community young
and old. Teaching one another about who we are,
what we have in common as a race, and how we
can be supportive of each others’ individualities
living in harmony. The survival of the African
American community is vital, and every link to the
community is important to its continuing growth
and strength. We invite you to travel with us as we
live life on life’s terms reinforcing our efforts to
stand together as a family; who passes down the
richness of the African American heritage and
culture to the next generation in our community.
Through dance, song, and drama we entice our
community to live and grow in our individual
contributions to society - accepting all of our
characteristics, with flaws as well as without, and
embracing those characteristics to appreciate the
beauty in ourselves spiritually.
Purpose
Happy Nia Dance Theatre is committed to
fighting injustices of our society using arts as a
platform for freedom of expression, self worth,
and self actualization. As artists, Happy Nia bring
ordinary lives to life on stage and bring the stage
to the lives of ordinary people, challenging them
to be accountable for their responsibility in their
own community, and creating dialogue that
welcomes change and the rights (rites?) of passage.
Happy Nia is a company inspired to inform our
community about HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence
and Substance Abuse. Happy Nia Productions is a
performing arts company with an HIV prevention
entity. Happy Nia productions is designed to
make our community aware of service available to
them by showcasing productions and community
forums, featuring dance, theater, song, and other
forms of expression. We believe the performing
arts is a positive and effective way to education,
advocate and support our community. We are
seeking additional help from community partners
to assist in the life sharing of the message of
health and wellness.The survival of the African
American community as well as a community
itself to continuing the strength.
To Audition for Happy Nia Dance Company
I & II or The Dancing for His Glory Sacred
Dance Company, Please visit our website
“Contact Us” page and leave your contact
information. Thanks!
Offering Course Studies in:
Beginning & Intermediate Ballet
•Beginning & Intermediate Modern/Jazz
•Beginning & Intermediate Tap
•Sacred/Praise/Liturgical Dance Studies
•Dance Technique & Body Conditioning
•Vocal Training
•Drama Coaching
•
All classes are held at The Black Academy of
Arts and Letters. Please contact us for class
schedules. Some courses are seasonal. Class times
are Wednesdays & Fridays 6:00 –7:00 p.m.
Saturdays from 2:00—6:00 p.m.
Happy Nia Dance Productions
www.happyniadance.com
Email: [email protected]
[email protected] or
[email protected]
214-661-0659 or 214-724-1789
Voicemail: 214-333-3275