As Kayla Marie Jackson’s career continues to take off, the highly accomplished artist often reflects on the values and community that helped her get where she is today. Living and training in Milwaukee and Los Angeles for much of her young life, the artist eventually relocated to Atlanta to attend Spelman College. Jackson found that her experiences at Spelman pushed her to fiercely chase her goals and improve herself everyday. The focus on sisterhood and scholarship helped her “understand how to network and how to build relationships with people.” Now, as an active alumna and assistant coach of Mahogany-N-Motion, Jackson seeks to provide the same support to current students that she received as an undergraduate. Among numerous other opportunities, Jackson is currently working as dance captain for two-time Grammy Nominated rapper and songwriter Saweetie.
COVID-19
Karl Drake propels Irish dance into uncharted waters, both near and far
At the age of 17, Dublin native Karl Drake immigrated to New York in pursuit of the emblematic American dream. Although Drake’s plans of opening up his own dance studio did not come to fruition during those early years in New York, several decades later, Drake has built his legacy as one of the leading names in Irish dance education across the globe.
Since the establishment of the Drake School of Irish Dance here over 30 years ago, the city of Atlanta has played an integral role in Drake’s story and has stepped into the spotlight for its historic contributions to the expansion of Irish dance throughout the South.
Engaging Atlanta: Indya Childs
November 19, 2021Volume 3 Issue 1 DanceATL: As part of an internal initiative to better address the needs of our community in its entirety, DanceATL is conducting brief interviews with dance organizations around Atlanta to learn and act upon how […]
Engaging Atlanta: Julio Medina
November 19, 2021Volume 3 Issue 1 DanceATL: As part of an internal initiative to better address the needs of our community in its entirety, DanceATL is conducting brief interviews with dance organizations around Atlanta to learn and act upon how […]
Dancing down memory lane: Celebrating 60 years of Beacon Dance and Decatur City Dance
November 19, 2021Volume 3 Issue 1By: Leo Brigg If you have a hard time tracking the history of the organizations now known as Beacon Dance and Decatur City Dance, you’re not alone. These two companies, founded in 1962 as the […]
Zachary Todd combines his experience in dance and design to support emerging Atlanta artists
November 19, 2021Volume 3 Issue 1By: Porter Grubbs Zachary Todd has sustained a presence in the Atlanta dance scene for over a decade. Since moving here in 2010, he has shared his expertise as a performer with many different artists […]
Jerylann Warner embraces lifetime full of history in her work at Callanwolde
March 1, 2021Volume 2 Issue 2By: Ashley Gibson A brilliantly fading sunset outlined the Atlanta skyline, towering over the rambling grounds of Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. Car headlights pierced the December evening air, illuminating a stark, vacant parking lot while […]
Protected: Listening Sessions
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Spring 2020 college feature revisited
October 31, 2020Volume 2 Issue 1By: Ashley Gibson In our June 2020 issue of Promenade, we caught up with recent graduates from universities and colleges across the metro Atlanta area to weave together an intricate story of how the COVID-19 […]
Danielle Swatzie emerges from creative cocoon as her career takes flight
October 31, 2020Volume 2 Issue 1By: Edward McNally “I aim to revolutionize and liberate movement art to connect to my truth, to raise awareness to the present times, and to imagine the future.” With these goals in mind, movement artist […]