Jay Beck
.•West African Drumming
Jay Beck is an accomplished and seasoned percussionist, drum-maker, and educator who has been performing, teaching, touring and recording for over twelve years. He began studying djembe in highschool under Senegalese friends in Buffalo, NY, moved to Detroit and studied Afro-Cuban drumming while in college for cross-cultural studies. After spending a summer in Africa, he attended many sessions and master classes led by the legendary Malinke djembefola Mamady Keita. He has led workshops, cultural assemblies, and ethnic music classes in every venue from elementary schools to universities and large music festivals. He has performed with numerous groups including Madison Greene, Woodspeak, Miranda Stone, The Factorye, Phillybloco, and Psalters. He believes the drum is a mighty *weapon with two edgesone that heals and ones that cuts away. The drum was given to us by God so we can fight the spiritual forces of darkness on earth and in the heavenly realms.
Dawn Mehan
•West African Dance
•Yoga
Dawn Mehan started formally studying Yoga at 21 and attended a 1 year teacher training program at The Yogalife Institute in PA with no intention of teaching, but rather to understand more about the ancient practice. Within four months, she was asked to co teach the program, which she reluctantly agreed to. Within 8 months, an unknown benefactor donated a scholarship for Dawn to study at the first organized school of Yoga in Mumbai, India. She left for India one month later and attended The Yoga Institute of Mumbai, and lived there with her teacher, Dr Jayadeva Yogendra from 99 to 2000, learning from ancient writings, The Yoga Sutras and The Bhagavad Gita. While in India, she worked with medical doctors and scientists researching the benefits of Yoga relating to various states of physical and mental disorders and the pyshosomatic relationship between the two. She worked with diabetes patients, heart patients, those suffering from orthopedic problems, asthma, depression, anxiety, menopause and women who were pregnant. She lectured at The Womens College of Mumbai and participated in the Caring Heart Program, which set out to Bypass the bypass surgery for Heart Patients. Upon returning to the US, Dawn finished the one year program at Yogalife and began teaching Yoga full time. She continued formal education at the same time and completed another year of Teacher training. In 2003 she wrote a teacher training program of her own and was the Co-Director of the program that graduated 20 teachers by 2005. From 2005 to 2008, she attended Divine Light Ministry in Downingtown, Pa, studying meditation practices of the Worlds religons and was ordained as an Interfaith Minister. She has continued teaching for what has turned into 11 years.
West African Dance
Dawn began studying West African Dance after being inspired by a performance by NBonye Drum and Dance Ensemble. She started learning traditional dances from Djian Tie, Master Dancer from The Ivory Coast and lived with Male Fainke, a member of The Griot society and master djembe player from Mali. She started performing and later joined NBonye Dance and Drum Ensemble. This year, she began teaching West African dance to at risk youth as part of E.M.T.A.H, Educational mentoring through the arts and Humanities.
Mike Stevens
•Brazilian Samba
Mike Stevens, Founder of Unidos da Filadelfia, a Philly-based Samba school, is a percussionist in the Brazilian super-group Alo-Brasil, and musical director of Phillybloco, Mike is a talented drummer and teacher who has been performing in various groups around Philadephia for several years as well as studying under the masters in Brazil. He started the school and the ensemble to further education about Brazil and its rich culture.
Brittney Lewis (Blew)
•Storytelling
Brittney Lewis blew will be teaching the storytime hour and storytelling collaborative workshop. She has been acting for about 7 years, trained at University of the Arts for two of those. She is fascinated by people and their stories. For the past two years she has been geared more toward the world of folktales and traditional storytelling. Folktales have been orally passed on for many generations, before organized education, before technology. The village was the central place for learning where they would use their environment to educate the young and old with wisdom and understanding of the peoples history. Stories united the people. Now, looking back on these stories in our American Empire, we have the opportunity to embrace the wisdom of our ancestors, encouraging our imagination to lead us. The exposure of other cultures help us understand the beauty of God through his people as well as present a different way of seeing, of thinking.
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How interesting.
occamnj 2 years ago