Tariq Darrell O'Meally
Tariq Darrell O’Meally (Ta-reek O Meal-ee) is an artist, producer, curator, and community organizer searching for the power within introspection and vulnerability in the African-American body. He has pursued the re-imagining of kinesthetic narratives as a means to resist and disrupt canonized stories that have perpetuated the dehumanization of marginalized groups, specifically black people. He seeks to synthesize those stories that will resonate in a way that is socially relevant, empathetic, and impactful. O’Meally is the creator and lead curator of the BlackLight Summit. Blacklight is a think & move tank that re-envisions dance performance as a conduit to galvanize the social imaginations, resilience, and inventiveness of citizens, thinkers, activists, and artists. As a curator Tariq held the position as an Artistic Planning Coordinator at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, programming Dance, Theater, and Artists-In- Residence programming. He has also directed the International Association of Blacks in Dance Annual Conference & Festival in the position of Conference and Festival Producer. Currently, Tariq serves as the Artistic Director of Dance Place DC.
As a choreographer, O'Meally has presented his work at the John F. Kennedy Center, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival and Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building, By The People Festival, The Clarice Smith 34th & 35th Annual Choreographer's Showcase, Mid-Atlantic North Gala at the American College Dance Association, and Richmond Dance Festival. He is the Artistic Director of Tariq Darrell+theUNUM Dance Collective, a DMV-based collection of dance artists seeking to create doorways and windows leading to the seen and unseen, lived and living experiences of African Americans. As an educator, O'Meally has been on faculty at Hollins University, the City Dance School & Conservatory , Dance Institute of Washington, in addition to presenting as a guest lecturer at Coppin State University, Morgan State University, the National Gallery of Art, The Hirshorn Museum, and the French Embassy.
O'Meally is the Founder/Director of the Dimensions Contemporary Dance Festival, a platform to promote, amplify, and spread the various eclectic voices of DMV contemporary dance artists of color. O’Meally has been chosen as a 2022-2023 Kennedy Center Local Dance Commission Project Awardee, 2022 NDP Advisor, 2021 Rubys Artist Grantee, 2020-2022 Artist-In-Residence at Dance Place, and 2020 Site See Artists-in-Residence. In 2019 & 2021, O’Meally was an Art Omi Resident Artist and a 2018-2019 Halcyon Arts Lab Fellow. He also was a 2018-19 Joe’s Movement Emporium NextLOOK Artist and Dance Place’s 2017-18 New Releases Commissioned Artist. He currently holds a BFA in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Marcus Isaiah
Marcus Isaiah, a Washington DC native, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography from VCU in Richmond, Virginia. Former Company Member of Capitol Movement, Inc. He’s performed extensively at venues across the U.S. and abroad. Isaiah has performed works by choreographers such as Kim Bears-Bailey, Christian von Howard, Nathan Trice, and Ray Mercer. He’s performed in several productions — The Wiz, East African/Oman Smithsonian Project, Children of Eden, and Chicago. Isaiah is the Director of Dance at The Conway Academy, Creative and Company Director of The Collectif Project, and a lead fitness instructor at 305 Fitness + Vida Fitness. Isaiah continues to dedicate himself to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture as the CEO of All Hail The Creatives.
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Jessica Featherson
Jessica Featherson is a multi-hyphenate creative with a background in dance, fitness, and culinary arts among other mediums. She studied dance and interdisciplinary art making at Rutgers University where she received her masters degree in fine arts. Additionally, she received her Health Coach certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition focusing on a holistic and intuitive approach towards wellness. Jessica has had extensive study and practice with the contemporary African dance technique, Umfundalai and is a certified professional instructor. She performed with Kariamu & Company: Traditions for several seasons under the tutelage of mentor and progenitor Dr. Kariamu Welsh and Dr. Kemal Nance. She has trained with the Philadelphia Dance Company (Phildanco!) working closely with Kim Bears Bailey and training with dance masters such as Pat Thomas, Milton Myers, and Delores Brown, among many others. Jessica has performed with NYC based companies, Laurie M. Taylor/Soul Movement and Eryc Taylor Dance at festivals such as Jacob's Pillow Inside/Out, Harlem Stage E-moves, and the International Festival Avante Garde in Merida, Mexico. Most recently, she has worked with Washington, DC based choreographer Ronya-Lee Anderson in her latest iteration of Black Madonna & Miss Amerika.
She was a featured choreographer in the production MANIFEST as part of the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact Series in partnership with Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center. Her interest in arts management landed her a position with the New York Dance and Performance Awards aka The Bessie's, where she served as Assistant to Senior Staff. She is an original cast member of the theatrical production, The Clothesline Muse, a collaboration with Dr. Kariamu Welsh, Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, and visual artist Maya Freelon. Jessica has studied abroad in Mexico and Brazil, and is especially focused on the relationship between music and dance in specific cultural regions. She has also traveled to Havana, Cuba with choreographer Ronald K. Brown to study folkloric and contemporary dance under the auspices of the Joyce Theater Foundation travel program. Jessica has been on faculty at Ballet Hispanico's School of Dance, Rutgers University, Richard Wright Schools, and currently serves as adjunct dance faculty at American University and Prince George’s County Community College.