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Tracie Jackson |
| Tracie Jackson, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, began the study of African Dance when she moved to New Orleans in 1995. In New Orleans, Tracie studied and performed with the Kumbuka African Dance and Drum Collective and Tekrema Arts and Dance Center. |
| Upon relocating to Houston in 2005 with her family, Tracie continued her African dance studies and performances with the Kuumba House Dancers, appearing in their annual Kwanzza production, AMASIKO; the Wonlande Dance and Drum Company; and with other local Houston artists including the reggae and rhythm band, D.R.U.M. Through the Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture, Tracie plans to educate, elevate, and reconnect the masses with the spirit of West African dance and drum. | |
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Michelle Smith |
Mechelle enjoys a career as a licensed Insurance Agent with Reliable Insurance Company Mechelle began performing at Warren Easton F.S.H.S. in New Orleans. In the fall of 1997, Mechelle became a member of N’Kafu Traditional African Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Mariama Curry. Over the past ten years Mechelle has continue to study, perform and educate herself about West African dance and culture.
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| She has performed and taught in a variety of venues including the New Orleans Jazz Festival, The Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans Recreational Department/Young Audience Summer Camps and The House of Blues. Mechelle relocated to Houston, Texas, along with her husband and son after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She immediately began searching for an African Dance class to help deal with this traumatic experience. She began performing with Kuumba House Dance Theater and in the winter of 2007 she became a member of Wonlande Traditional African Dance Company under the artistic direction of Mohamed Diaby of Guinea, West Africa. African Dance is her passion that keeps her striving, reaching and achieving greater things. She expresses that she cannot imagine her life without it! Her goal is to use African Dance as a tool to empower and uplift young women. | | |
