BUSTIN OUT Series: BOSs Quentin Sledge

Quentin William Sledge is a 22 year old professional dancer from the rough streets of Chicago’s south side. He is the only child of Earnestine Sledge, a strong and resilient woman who made it her mission to educate and and instill within her son the values of life and success. Armed with a thirst for knowledge and unbounded creativity, Quentin began his journey of dance in the fall of 2009 under the watchful eye of Mr. Homer Hans Bryant, a former member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga from 2010-2014 during which time he earned a degree in Business Administration with a Management concentration all the while receiving superb training from a number of mentors in the city. During his senior year at Morehouse Quentin was offered entrance into a training program at Gotta Dance Atlanta under the direction of Daryl Foster and his LIFT company. It was ultimately the culmination of a years worth of intense training at GDA, hard work in Spelman’s dance department, and a stellar foundation laid by Homer Bryant that ultimately landed Quentin a place in the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Quentin is a scholar, an artist, and spiritualist on a journey towards greatness, it is his passion and humility however that seem to be his shinning qualities, he is truly one to watch.  

I first met Quentin at Gotta Dance Atlanta in Daryl Foster's class and immediately knew my young Morehouse brother was a force to be reckoned with. His passion for dance bleeds through his movement. It was always evident that he had much to offer to the world in the area of dance and it has been a joy to watch him perfect his craft. Wishing him much luck and success as one of the newest members of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company!!! 

FULL NAME

Quentin William Sledge

HOMETOWN

Chicago, IL

AGE

22

WHEN DID YOU START DANCING?

I had my first performance on October 31, 2009. I started dancing only a few month before that. 

WHAT/WHO MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL DANCER?

I started dancing under Homer Hans Bryant at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center. It was the joy I experienced every time I took a class or started seeing results that made me fall in love with dance. I had a hard time socially in middle school which made me introverted, but I noticed when I danced I couldn't stop smiling. I would get uncontrollably happy and giddy and I realized dance was the only thing in my life, at the time, that made me feel so strongly. I knew that I wanted to follow my passions in life, but was not completely sure what those passions were until it finally clicked. 

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?
My dream job would be to dance for Alonzo King's Lines. I love their movement quality and rep. I'd also really like to be a part of an emerging company with young dancers/choreographers that I admire and watch as that company grows both in size and notoriety. 

WHAT IS YOUR BEST DANCE MEMORY?
I think one of my fondest dance memories is when I first came to Gotta Dance Atlanta and sat in on a rehearsal of "The Naked Truth" choreographed by Stephan Reynolds. I was completely in awe of dancers like Jasmine Harper, AJ Pang, Jessica Oglesby, Kara Methaven, Brittany, Jessica Guda, Rachel Truitt, and Stephan as they DANCED. And I mean they danced like I had never seen; I fell in love and knew that if this was the quality of dancers that came to this studio I needed to stay and learn as much as I could.

WHAT DOES DANCE AND CREATIVITY MEAN TO YOU?
Dance, and more importantly, creativity means everything to me as an artist. From the time I could crawl I've been exuding creativity from my pores. Everyone has always made note of my creativity between drawing and painting, to sculpting and music. I've been exposed to and dabbled in a number of art forms. Dance has been the most recent adventure in the exploration of my artistic abilities and the most challenging which is why I love it so much. Dance, for me, is expression. It's one of my greatest teachers, it's life, it's love, joy and pain.

WHAT DO YOU APPRECIATE MOST ABOUT THE DANCE SCENE IN ATLANTA?
I appreciate the quality of dance in Atlanta. The quirkiness and clarity; everyone is SO full out. There's amazing talent and beautiful souls in the city. I love that people are able to shine for being themselves, I find that there is not a big push towards conformity.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU OFFER YOUNG, HOPEFUL ARTISTS?
My advice to young dancers is to always be true to yourself. Take everything in stride, (everything from advice to corrections and critiques have a hint of personal bias) you've got to determine how much of what you're receiving is true and how much is simply opinion. Believe in your progress/future and always take responsibility for whatever occurs in your life...both the good and the not so good. 

FUN FACTS!!!

FAVORITE CATCH PHRASE
Ayyyyeeeeee or GO OFF 

FAVORITE FOOD
Indian food...curry or Chinese

WHAT DO YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO WEAR WHEN DANCING?
I love bike-tards 

WHAT CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT?
Love

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE AND WHY?
I'd either be Magneto or have Gene Grey's powers from X-men. They're two of my favorite characters and I love the versatility of their powers. I could fly, read minds, bend metal, etc...that sounds awesome!!!!

Please visit https://www.facebook.com/Apollo.Nagini.Vaughn?fref=ts for more insight and footage!

Behind the Lens with Shocphoto (Full Interview)

Shoccara Marcus was born in Bridgeton, NJ and raised in Atlanta, GA. Her journey with dance began in afterschool programs and local dance schools. She pursued this curiosity for dance studies at Tri-Cities Visual & Performing Arts High School in East-Point, GA and cultivated it at Howard University in Washington, DC.



She now resides in Atlanta, GA and is in her  2nd  year of graduate studies for photography at Savannah College of Art and Design (Atlanta). She was a 2012 RAW Photographer of the year  nominee, has produced 2 dance calendars, premiered her first dance photography book Thirteen Moments in  April 2013 and recently studied abroad in Lacoste, France.



Shoccara’s photography focuses on fine art, portraits, and dance. Much of her photography reflects the body as a delicate subject. She captures images with fluidity, creative angles, and dynamic spatial structure.  This embodiment  has formed into the creation of Shocphoto Imagery.

I first met Shoccara on a gig in 2012 as a dancer. She's a tiny person, yes, but I could tell that she was a force to be reconned with not long after we started rehearsals for our show. Eventually I learned that she was a photographer and after seeing her images I was a total fan! It's obvious that Shoc "has it" when it comes to her photography....she has the eye and it catches such amazing shots. From headshots, to action, to family portraits Shoccara is a great choice for anyone looking for a photographer. 

Our conversation for the WERKing dancer focused specificially on how dancers can prepare for a photoshoot and how to get the best shots. We speak about makeup application, stretching before your shoot, connecting with the photographer and much more!!! Please check out our interview below as there are a number of helpful hints that you can apply to your next shoot!

READ, WATCH, LIKE, SHARE....THANKS!!!

Videographer: Brooks Brantly

Editor: Nia Lancelin 



Behind the Lens with Shocphoto PREVIEW

Here's a sneak peak of the behind the scenes during my interview with Shocphoto! Full 2 part interview is coming soon so, make sure you stay tuned!!! Enjoy!

Let's get LIFTed with Daryl Foster

Daryl L. Foster Founded LIFT in 2009 with local dance artist Terry Slade. The first showcase premiered on May 15^th 2010. Foster currently is the sole artistic director of LIFT, and runs the company as a collective of choreographers, photographers, dancers, and other artist dedicated to the mission of LIFT. The work of LIFT is based on 6 pillars of manhood: Community, Masculinity, Sexuality, Spirituality, Politics and Family. The art is produced on these ideals with the purpose of developing strong male artists, and removing negative stigmas surrounding male dancers. 2014 will be a monumental year for Foster, and for LIFT. As LIFT prepares for its 5^th season Mr. Foster celebrates his 20^th anniversary as a Dance artist. He began seriously pursuing the art of dance at the age of 18 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where he is from. Mr. Foster would eventually finish the University of Alabama with a BA in Dance and English and move to Ohio to dance with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Over the past 20 years he has worked continuously as a teacher, choreographer, dancer, and arts administrator. In 2005 Mr. Foster graduated from The Florida State University with an MFA in Dance, and moved to Atlanta in 2006 where he has worked on the dance faculties of Kennesaw State University, Spelman College, Agnes Scott College, and the Dance Faculty at The University of Georgia. This year LIFT will add a six-man dance company to its annual season. This is an exciting move towards full realization of the LIFT artistic vision. Daryl, is currently the director of the Scholarship programs at Gotta Dance Atlanta. 


I met Daryl almost 8 years ago at Spelman College. It might be strange, but I think I remember the very first time I saw him! Spelman Dance Theatre was rehearsing for one of our concerts and he came in with Trent Williams, who is an AMAZING dancer and technician. A few months later he was one of my professors! Daryl's vibrant, unapologetic, creative energy beams off of him; when you meet him he is the same as if you've known him for 8 years. One thing I've always respected about Daryl is his business mind and this mind has carried him to the widely know Alliance Theatre on this 5th year of presenting Lift. What an awesome journey this must have been! I sat down to talk with the brains behind Lift....real questions for a real person and OF COURSE I got real answers! There is an overload of invaluable advice and material from Daryl that I was not able to add to this video blog, but I'll say this....if you ever get a chance to sit and talk with Daryl please do so. He's an awesome person and I thank him for what he's done for me in my career! I hope you enjoy the video and please visit mendancelife.com to purchase your tickets for next week's show!!!!

WATCH OUR INTERVIEW BELOW!!!!!

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING the WERKing dancer blog!!!!

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, BLOG IDEAS BELOW!!!

Read, Watch, Like, Share, Support....THANKS

GET INTO IT: quick notes just for you

http://www.firsthomelovelife.com/2013/12/budget-paychecks-differ.html#_a5y_p=1160772

We all know that the toughest thing to do is budget when we have inconsistent check amounts. Let's face it, 9 out of 10 of us consistently have inconsistent pay! This article is quite extensive, but a great read if you're really looking to be more responsible with your money. One of the most important things we can be as artists is organized. So, I hope this helps you get closer to that money goal you've been trying to set, but didn't know how to accomplish. Dancers can live comfortably too!!!

This is a little sub series I'm starting under the WERKing dancer blog. I will be simulataneously dropping little notes, tips, quotes that I find.....anything to inspire and assist you on your journey to/of being a WERKing dancer!!! 

Inside the Mind of Lauren Debrick

Lauren Debrick was born in DC and started her training in Frederick, MD.  At an early age she moved to Atlanta were she trained extensively in ballet, pointe and jazz technique at Decatur School of Ballet and joined the Decatur City Dance Company as a junior company member. Her training continued once she joined the University of Maryland dance department where she trained in modern dance. During that time she trained and performed with many modern and contemporary companies, which gave her tremendous growth. After receiving a BA in Dance she moved to Atlanta were she began her professional career in both performance and teaching.  Lauren believes dance is one of the best ways to be expressive and that it help us grow in every aspect of our lives.

CHECK OUT LAUREN'S WORK AT...

https://www.youtube.com/ldebrick

After taking an amazing, yet challenging, class from the talented Lauren Debrick, I sat down to get into her mind and find out just where her inspiration comes from.  I learned so much, in speaking to her, about her background and how it has shaped her into the dancer and choreographer she is today. I wanted to talk to Lauren because I truly appreciate the artist she is and how she has grown as a "vision creator". Yup! I definitely just made that up :-) To me that's what she is though....as we were talking I expressed to Lauren how an audience member might be able to see the exact story she is telling because her thoughts and direction are so clear...not much left to interpretation with this one; what she sees is what you get!! So, I hope you enjoy our convo and I hope that it inspires you! Answer the questions I asked her for yourself and see where you are on your journey, what's important to you, and find your message to the world. Enjoy!!!

THANK YOU LAUREN FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!!! EVERYONE PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MORE FROM the WERKing dancer RIGHT HERE AT niatheartist.blogspot.com. Leave a comment and suggest a topic or artist you'd like to hear about! the WERKing dancer blog is here just for you so whether it be tips, suggestions, advice, inspiration....I'm here to serve you...so let's get to WERKing!!!!

10 Questions Every Artist Should Ask Themselves

Here's 10 important questions to ask yourself. Read them constantly as a checklist to make sure your are heading in the right direction and using your artistic potential. 

1. What motivates you to create art? Write down your answer and think about how you can use this very important information.

2. What kinds of information have you been putting on the internet? The internet is the new resume. If I can find dumb pics or comments from you then other people can too...

3. Does your art express something interesting? Great art means something to its viewers, not just its creator.

4. Does failure push you forward? How you deal with failure will determine how skillfull you will become.

5. Do you enjoy arguing or flaming people's work? If you are the type of person to hate on others, it will come back to you. Especially with the internet and all the social networking. 

6. Do you try out new methods/materials/subjects that might be unconfortable at first? Success is inevitable if you always choose to believe "It is my obligation to try."

7. Do you have a strong purpose or goal? When you have a purpose, you stand by it. Something special happens when you show an undying drive to achieve a goal.

8. Are you open to meeting new people and hearing others opinions with an open mind? Your heart & mind are the gates to success & happiness. Keep them open or miss out on great opportunities.

9. You can either let your environment shape you or choose YOURSELF to be who you want to be. The body & mind can be shaped into almost any type of person you wish to be. You just have to train it through persistence & constant search for knowledge. (*I started to be "good" in art when I decided to be extremely serious about it.) What kind of person do you want to be?

10.Do you constantly think about your goals? The best way to accomplish a goal is to have it on your mind all the time. Keep thinking about it until you obtain your goal. I'm not the first to say this one but I can't emphasize it enough.

Source: deviantart.com