
// OUR PEOPLE
Over 50 years of teaching the arts in the Bay Area
Workshop Artists

Brianna Elyse Torres (she/her) is a Boricua movement artist, child of the diaspora, healer, platano lover, and birthworker currently rooted on Lisjan Ohlone lands. Brianna is an alumni of Laguardia Performing Arts High School and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. She is a deep believer in movement as a way to heal, grieve and access collective joy. Brianna approaches teaching with a ferocity, deep reverence to the art form, and collaborative nature. She believes young minds have the power to truly do anything they put their minds to!

Dimitri Elder is a native of Oakland California. Dimitri began exploring his love for Hip-Hop, which birthed his excellence in choreography, break dancing, and turfing. This allowed him to gain professional craftsmanship over his dance language and become the originator of his unique dance technique called “Toon style". As he combined turfing and breakdancing to execute performances, this extended new opportunities to help teach over 26,000 youth in an non-profit organization called Hip-Hop for Change. Dimitri uses expression and structure to orchestrate multiple workshops with organizations such as TPC (The People Conservatory) and Performing Arts Workshop. Dimitri Elder’s mission is to rhythmically teach body discipline and storytelling, using “Toon style" as a blueprint to be a personal visual diary for self expression.

My name is Jamiani Shanté Gray, Also known as Midway Binaural.
I am a native of Philadelphia Pennsylvania and currently abide in Oakland California . I am a Poet, Singer songwriter, Painter, Muralist and contemporary Dancer. My artistry is what keeps me alive and I’ve been an artist all my life.
Putting my voice and vessel on the line to be heard, for the justice of liberty, for my people and culture. I am the survivor of my ancestors and have journey with many leaders to become one myself. With the tools of optimism, leadership and compassion, I bring spoken word to black and brown communities, to tear down the walls of white supremacy, which is a constant battle understanding that there is no simple remedy. I claim strength and integrity to be my sword and as a leader I pass the torch because there’s a light that must shine, in multicultural eyes, A voice that must be heard through the roots of hymns, segregation and the stomping marching vibration of African diaspora. With spoken word I Interrupt the American dream. I believe this to be my duty, my assignment given to me at birth, my mission is to help the youth discover their spoken destiny on purpose, through a family, community, the nation and the world.

Sagaree Jain is a poet, writer, researcher, and queer from the Silicon Valley. Their writing has been featured in Autostraddle, The Margins, them. magazine, and The Offing, where they are an Assistant Editor. Their collaborative poetry collection with Arati Warrier, Longing and Other Heirlooms, is the winner of the Eggtooth Editions Chapbook Contest and is out now, and their book SHRINES will be out from Game Over Books in 2023. Some other things they love include reproductive justice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and working to abolish the prison industrial complex. They are class and caste privileged and tweet at @sagareej.
Pronouns: they/them

Natalya Shoaf is a bay area teacher, choreographer, and dancer. she specializes in creating innovative and inspiring movement classes that can support the general growth of young minds through the use of imagination, focused exercises, play, and exploration.
Pronouns: She/her/hers

Dominique is a powerhouse. A divine vibrant being. She is a
storyteller; revisiting and reimagining all aspects of
herself,allowing her experiences to shape her reality. Diving
into realms of love and collaboration, she is exploring
empathetic and compassionate ways of listening and learning from
her ancestors, family, and friends on how to cultivate and
sustain a thriving community. She is creating a blueprint that
explores healing through integration of spirit, mind, body, and
emotions. She is inviting the process of self reflection in her
teaching and encouraging her students to swim in the pools of
their inner truth. She is opening up again and is so excited to
be back in the sacred space of the studio;diving into the ritual
form that is movement medicine.
asé. amen. and so it is.

Yari Cervas is a theatre director, teaching artist, and somatic worker exploring artistic expression through music, intuitive movement, poetry, illustration, and meditation. They are inspired by yet untold stories steeped in restorative justice, cultural memory, queerness, and trauma recovery. As a developer of new plays they can be found nurturing young playwrights, devising site specific theatre, and creating docuplays in collaboration with local community. Inspired by a lack of Filipino voices in San Diego theatre they founded MaArte Theatre Collective, and as the Artistic Director produced and directed nearly two dozen plays, short and long, by emerging Pilipinx playwrights. MaArte’s work established Yari as a many awarded director for the original docuplay The Fire in Me (Award of Recognition from the State Legislature of California) and the original one-woman show Your Best American Girl (Best of the Fest, Critics’ Pick, and Cultural Exchange awards.) Previously, they were also honored by the first ever Double Indy Award for performance as Dido in Dido Queen of Carthage and Direction of the World Premiere of Tar and Feather. Yari has had the pleasure of collaborating with organizations such as Amigos Del Rep, Asian Story Theatre, Blindspot Collective, Cygnet Theatre, Diversionary Theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse, People of Interest, the San Diego Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory Theatre, TuYo Theatre, The Old Globe, MOXIE Theatre, and Westmont Festival Theatre. They are most proud of their November 2019 docudrama, You’re Safe Here, produced in partnership with Allain Francisco M.D. with support from the UCSD School of Medicine to foster empathy for the experience of patients navigating their relationships with mental health care providers. As the creator of Practical Somatics, Yari teaches body-based meditations, especially for QTBIPOC, to empower them to overcome trauma in their daily lives. Yari believes that by practicing breathing, intuitive movement, and compassionate self awareness individuals are better positioned to heal the relationships with themselves and their wider communities. yaricervas.com
All pronouns

Daniela Garcia is a latina educator, makeup artist, artivist, and performer who spotlights afro-latino traditions and experiences through authentic dance practice, intergenerational community engagement and performance. Garcia’s influence stemmed from current social oppression in the Latinx community in the Bay Area and focuses on showcasing future youth leaders. Dance is much more than just movement, it's about telling the story of oppressed voices through art. She has trained with Rising Rhythm, Hijos Del Maiz, San Francisco Ballet, University of San Francisco, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, and Loco Bloco.
| digarcia4@dons.usfca.edu |
Pronouns: she/her/ella

Hometown: Oakland, CA | Genre: Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, Afro beat, Igbo music, Nigerian Gospel, Igbo Rap | Styles of dance: Bboy, Turf, Pop, lock, house, Rock Dance, Waack, and Vogue | Gideon Mekwunye JR, is a song writer/dancer/Djay who goes by the stage names of Gid-Nasty, Giddy, and 95. The Founder of a Dance crew called Ace Mob (Artistic creative energetic men of brilliance) and Co-founder of Dance crew called The Oakland Originalz.
The Oakland Originalz now cover all aspects regarding the dance. This crew was envisioned to better the community, as each member is currently building skills to later give back to it. As far as song writing his goal is to convey his life story being born and surviving in America as an 1st generation African American and Djays at events to set a positive vibe those in need of services.
Gideon has performed for Alicia Keys at a pre super bowl event in Sf 2016, The Art of Rap festival at Fremont’s amphitheater 2014, Worldwide performances through street theater, Has commercial appearances for both Panasonic, Jan sport backpacks, and much more. Aside this Gideon has worked with multiple artists across California, Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Miami, Thailand, Las Vegas, Nigeria, Taiwan, London and Ghana.
Pronouns: He/Him/His.

Ebtihal Shedid is a self-taught Egyptian photographer based in San Francisco, she has an MFA from California College of the Arts. Her work explores the intersections of photography, sculpture, collage, and installation. Shedid comes from a background of linguistics, translation, and intercultural communication, and is interested in topics surrounding how language shapes the way we see and interprets ideas such as storytelling, belonging, and attachment.
Website: www.ebtihalshedid.com | Instagram: @ebti_shedid
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Samuel Melecio-Zambrano was first exposed to dance in the womb, as his mother and father salsa-ed their way about the living room. In 2018, he received a BFA in Dance from the University of South Florida (USF), where he performed works by Robert Moses, Kara Davis, Xiao Xiangrong of Beijing Normal University, Michael Foley, Christian Denice, and others. After graduating, Samuel was a member and collaborator for Tampa City Ballet’s debut season. He then moved to Melbourne, Australia to study Countertechnique with founder Anouk van Dijk and other certified teachers. Following a fruitful stint as an avocado picker in Queensland, Australia, Samuel moved back to the United States with a farmer's tan and a bit of perspective. Now a freelance dancer in San Francisco, he has worked with FACT/SF, Robert Moses' Kin, Kinetech Arts, Kristin Damrow & Company, and Mark Foehringer Dance Projects.
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Dionte has been dancing for 10+ years. Gaining experience in performing, teaching, and winning competitions. Dionte has worked with non-profit organizations including Mighty 4 Arts and All
The Way Live Foundation that work with youth and educates them through Hip-Hop culture. Dionte is a Graduate of Cal State East Bay with a Bachelors in Business and dance and hopes to continue teaching and working with the community through Hip-Hop.
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Pierr Padilla currently lives in the city of Oakland, California in the United States where he works as a music and dance teacher for children, youth and adults, and as a musician collaborating with groups and artists from the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. He has made artistic tours of America, Asia and Europe. He has also participated in international events as a speaker at conferences, book presentations, and interviews on Afro-Peruvian music. He leads the musical group "Huarango", directs the festival "Afro-Peruvian Fest" and has recently created the international educational platform, "Seminario de Música Afroperuana (Afro-Peruvian Music Seminar)", which was created with the aim of promoting and disseminating Afro-Peruvian cultural traditions and for this it brings together to the most relevant practitioners, artists and researchers of Afro-Peruvian culture today.
Pronouns: He/Him/His

Kristiana Chan is a first generation Malaysian-Chinese artist, writer, and educator whose work explores the intersection of ancestry, healing, and mythology. She has been teaching for the last 5-6 years, including art classes at a school in San Francisco, thematic study abroad trips, and surf lessons for girls and women of color in the Bay Area. She combines traditional storytelling and art making techniques of embroidery, paper cut, and shadow puppetry with projections, alternative photo processes, and other new media. She helped curate this year’s visual arts showcase at Kearny Street Workshop's APAture festival and is a 2019 resident at the Growlery in San Francisco. This year, she was selected to be an artist mentee in the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program. Her writing and photography has been published by Art Practical, Surfer Magazine, Patagonia, The Bold Italic, and Misadventures Magazine.
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Imani Cezanne is a highly acclaimed writer, performer, and poetry slam coach. Imani joined the Performing Arts Workshop team as a Teaching Artist in August of 2018 and has been teaching both creative writing and spoken word for 5 years. As a nationally touring spoken word artist, Cezanne has been invited to travel all over the country to share her work with poetry venues, colleges, universities, conferences, festivals and more. She is a six time National Poetry Slam finalist and was featured on Seasons 3 and 5 of TV One’s Verses and Flow, a cable television show dedicated to showcasing the best performance poetry in the country. In 2014 Cezanne placed 2nd at the Women of the World Poetry Slam and in 2016 returned from Brooklyn as the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion. She has a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies and a minor in Communication from San Francisco State University.
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Dedicated Capoeirista teaching artist, educator, and fluent speaker of Portuguese, Spanish and English, Salê Ramos has been a capoeira practitioner for over 25 years. He came to the Bay Area in 2001. Today, Salê teaches basic body movement, history, philosophy, rituals and music from Capoeira to inspire and direct young students in reaching high and respectable social skills. Salê has been teaching capoeira and working with Performing Arts Workshop since 2009 and has taught in many schools all over the Bay Area. He adapts his teaching methodology to individual student needs in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for all levels of learning.
Pronouns: He/him/his

Administrative Staff
Jamie Batres
Jamie Batres is a Salvadoran-Mexican self-taught artist passionate about bridging storytelling with thoughtful visuals. Invested in design since the age of 13, Jamie graduated with their Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. Inspired by professors and peers alike, Jamie learned the value of seeing everyone’s ability to be an educator, now informing her collaborative approach as a graphic designer. Jamie experiences joy through having shame-free mental health conversations, championing their community, and spending intentional time with nature. www.jamiebatres.com. Pronouns: Any.
Madeline Easley
Madeline is a Wyandotte artist and fundraiser born on Kaw, Kickapoo, and Osage homelands in Kansas City. She is a proud citizen of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma (Porcupine Clan) and cultivates recognition and healing through authentic, vulnerable storytelling. Madeline holds a B.S. in Theatre Performance and is a 2021 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow. She is an experienced fundraiser for education equity and believes that "money is medicine" (Decolonizing Wealth, 2021). Madeline's work as an artist-fundraiser brings people and partnerships together to support the sacred transfer of stories and growth for all through accessible, inclusive arts. Email: Madeline@performingartsworkshop.org
Pronouns: She/her
Reina Ramirez
Reina Ramirez is a Native Hawaiian and Latina artist activist who prioritizes highlighting work by women of color, LGBTQ artists, and our street communities experiencing poverty and homelessness. Reina finds herself in her fathers hometown of San Francisco pursuing her love for music and discovering her place in this colorful world. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Performing Arts and Social Justice from the University of San Francisco, where she learned to be a performer and a student of the life around her. Her creativity blossoms when she's playing the tuba, dancing the hula, and singing when nobody is listening.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Lorena Landeros Garcia
Lorena Landeros joined Performing Arts Workshop after teaching Middle School English and Special Education in the South Bronx. She earned a B.A. in English and Philosophy from San Francisco State University, an Ed.M from Hunter College, and is a Teach for America alumnus. Lorena is committed to racial justice and community centered approaches to arts education that affirm students' creative capacity and voice. When the sun goes down, she is a fiction writer and photographer. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and young daughter.
Email: lorena@ PerformingArtsWorkshop.org
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Van Nguyen-Stone
Van Nguyen-Stone is passionate about documenting and celebrating stories where people and spirit combine in sacred communication. Van earned two film degrees, a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco State University, and uses the tools she honed in her programs and practice to support communities in telling their stories. She has produced a range of multimedia projects that celebrate spiritual practices, ethnic dances, and traditions, and spotlight Bay Area elders, youth, and community leaders. Van has over fifteen years of experience in arts programming and project management. She started out as a teaching artist and transitioned to developing programs that center youth voice and anti-racist practices. Van brings experience building sustainable partnerships with community partners, technology and media arts integration, and strategic planning. As a child of Vietnamese refugee parents, a mother, and an artist, she is passionate about building spaces where art is a tool for activism, liberation, and healing. Van joined the Workshop in 2018. Email: van@performingartsworkshop.org
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Chinchin Hsu
Chinchin Hsu, Movement Artist; was born and raised in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She has trained in modern, contemporary, Chinese martial art, Chinese ballet, Tai-chi, improvisation ballet, and dance composition. She graduated summa cum laude from New World School of the Arts and received her BFA in dance from University of Florida. In 2008, Chinchin moved to San Francisco and has danced with Lenora Lee’s Asian Improv, ODC, KUNST- STOFF, Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers, Tanya Bello's Project.B., Kara Davis of project agora, Christy Funsch, LEVYdance and Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. Chinchin joined Performing Arts Workshop in 2008 and has taught in various movement arts, and serves as an artist mentor manager at Performing Arts Workshop. Chinchin is a foodaholic, karaoke hugger, and family lover when you don't find her dancing.
Pronouns: She/her/她
Hien Huynh
Hien Huynh was born in Da Nang, Vietnam. Through the sacrifices, courage, and resiliency of his parents’ refugee passage, Hien dedicates his artistic and living practices to share, move, and dance in honor of their story alongside the oceanic journeys of ancestors. His movement practices stem from the spirit of improvisation. He recognizes improvisation as an ancestral form of survival, navigation, and ingenuity. With immense gratitude, he is grateful to be able to continue sharing, exchanging, and empowering through the arts with stories and reflection to ignite dialogue and change. www.hien-huynh.com
Camuel Baldwin
Camuel Charold Baldwin, Navy veteran, born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, is an industrial mechanic and theater technician with 10 plus years of combined experience. He graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A in Drama with an emphasis in dramaturgy, 2019 and has worked on many different aspects of theater production from set building and lighting designing to writing, acting and directing. Camuel joined the Performance Art Workshop in 2022 as the Facilities and Events Associate to help facilitate Performance Art Workshop maintenance needs.
Pronouns: He/him
Rory Cox
Rory Cox joins the Workshop after decades of business office finance in public schools. Originally from Texas, he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Abilene Christian University. He is excited to apply his knowledge and experience for the Workshop and to benefit arts education, something he wishes was more broadly available to youth everywhere. Since moving to the Bay Area, Rory’s added singing with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus to his list of hobbies. He also enjoys scuba diving and playing the French horn and piano. Rory and his husband live in San Francisco. Email: rory@ PerformingArtsWorkshop.org Pronouns: he/him/his
Natasha Huey
Natasha Huey is a poet, teaching artist, and project manager. Natasha has performed on stages across the nation and beyond including the Oracle Arena in Oakland, the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles, and Atlantis, the Palm in Dubai. She has performed on five nationally competing spoken word poetry teams and was awarded "Best Poet" at collegiate nationals. At Youth Speaks, she organized Brave New Voices, the largest international youth poetry festival in the world, and managed campaigns that applied youth voice to changing public conversations about systemic injustices including environmental drivers of health disparities, educational inequity, and more. Natasha is currently the Artist Mentor Manager at Performing Arts Workshop, Administrative Assistant to People's Kitchen Collective, co-founder of The Root Slam, and the co-founder of the Write Home Project.
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Board of Directors
Ashley Smiley
Ashley Marie Smiley aka Smiley is a native AfroFranciscan holding a B.A. in Performing Arts and Social Justice, an M.A. in Drama and is currently a PhD candidate in the Historical and Cultural Studies Department with a concentration in Art and Religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. In her current role as the Program Manager for the Bayview Opera House Ruth Williams Memorial Theater Smiley draws upon her 16+ year background as a Production Manager, Stage Manager, etc to activate the programming, promotion, marketing, community development and public relations that are helping to align BVOH as an organization dedicated to preserving, cultivating and celebrating Black Arts and Culture in San Francisco. Creatively, Smiley is a member of the Board of Directors for The Living Earth Show, a tenured member of the Campo Santo Familia, a commissioned artist with the Magic Theater and an inaugural member of the JANGA's House cohort of Black Women creatives led by Dr. Ayodele Nzinga and Cat Brooks . Currently Smiley is working on her debut triptych theatre-film hybrid, Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad. Smiley is excited, humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as the President of the Board of Directors for the Performing Arts Workshop.
Pronouns: She/her/Gxds Reflection
Gabriel Cortez
Gabriel Cortez is a Black biracial poet, educator, and organizer of Panamanian descent. His work has appeared in The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Rumpus, and The Breakbeat Poets Anthology Volume 4. He is a VONA fellow, #BARS workshop alum, Palette Poetry Emerging Poet winner, and recipient of the Judith Lee Stronach Baccalaureate Prize. Gabriel is a member of the artist collective, Ghostlines, and co-founder of The Root Slam, an award-winning poetry venue dedicated to inclusivity, justice, and artistic growth, as well as Write Home, a project working to challenge public perceptions of houselessness and shift critical resources to houseless Bay Area youth through spoken word poetry. Gabriel works as Programs Director at Youth Speaks, one of the world’s leading presenters of spoken word performance, education, and youth development programs. For more on Gabriel, visit gabrielmcortez.com
Pronouns: he/him/his
Katherine Robles-Ayala
Katherine is a fundraising professional with 4.5 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.
Currently, Katherine is the Philanthropy Manager at MAF, where she oversees an active
portfolio of more than 80 grants, plays a key role in the relationship management of over 130
funders, and has helped the team secure $100M in funding since 2020. Prior to MAF, Katherine
was an integral member of the Performing Arts Workshop's development team, helping to bring
more resources to youth of color and increase access to an equitable arts education. Katherine
has a B.A. in German and Music from Wellesley College.
Brontez Purnell
Brontez Purnell is a writer, musician, dancer, filmmaker, and performance artist. He is the author of a graphic novel, a novella, a children’s book, and the novel Since I Laid My Burden Down. Recipient of a 2018 Whiting Award for Fiction, he was named one of the 32 Black Male Writers for Our Time by T: New York Times Style Magazine in 2018. Purnell is also the frontman for the band the Younger Lovers, the co-founder of the experimental dance group the Brontez Purnell Dance Company, the creator of the renowned cult zine Fag School, and the director of several short films, music videos, and, most recently, the documentary Unstoppable Feat: Dances of Ed Mock. He recently released his current novel "100 Boyfriends" on FSGxMCD. Born in Triana, Alabama, he’s lived in Oakland, California, for 20 years.
Candice Wicks-Davis
Candice Wicks-Davis is the founder and CEO of Edutainment for Equity. She holds a Masters in Education from San Francisco State University and a Bachelors in Sociology from UC Berkeley. She has 22 years of experience in the field of technical assistance. Candice is also an artist who travels extensively. She is the volunteer Operations Manager of the award-winning performance ensemble Young, Gifted & Black of Oakland.
Imani Cezanne
Imani Cezanne is a Black writer, performer and tamale connoisseur living in Oakland, CA. In March she became the 2020 Woman of the World Poetry Slam Champion for the second time and in July of the same year she was named a finalist for the 2020 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship. As a two time Pushcart Prize Nominee, Imani has forthcoming work in Nimrod, Fugue, Red Wheelbarrow and POETRY magazine, among others. While all are welcome to enjoy her work, Imani writes for Black people, Black readers and is committed to the liberation of all oppressed people.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Lillian Giles
Lillian Giles is a Black Queer writer and educator living in Oakland, California. She holds a BA in literature and is currently earning an MFA in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. Lillian is finishing a novel that is based on her great grandmother’s life as a midwife and defender of the 1940s Black Queer nonbinary community. It is fiction but all of those stated parts are true. Her lyrical essay, “Dear Daughters” has been published in The Rumpus. She’s been awarded the Joe Brainard writing fellowship in fiction, was a finalist for the Audre Lorde award in poetry, and won the Nomadic Press Lit award for fiction. You can reach or follow her on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bsidereading/ or on twitter at https://twitter.com/lilliangiles01

Advisory Council
- James Levy
- Peter Rothblatt
- Charles & Jean Wood
- Sonia Wong
- Nancy Wang
- Marilynne Solloway
- Dana Smith
- Vivian Redsar
- Francine Prophet
- Sheila Pressley
- Donald Ohlen
- Jeanne Milligan
- Carlene Laughlin
- Nina Kwan
- Beatrice Krivetsky
- Carol Kocivar
- Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo
- Margaret Jenkins
- Geoff Hoyle
- Joanna Haigood
- Diane Downing
- Tom DeCaigny
- Diane David
- Linda Belden
- Aliza Arenson
- Michelle Angier