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MEET THE STAFF

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Jamel Gaines

Founder and Executive Artistic Director

Creative Outlet Founder and Artistic Director, Jamel Gaines has dedicated his life to delivering artistic excellence and stirring, soaring performance to audiences everywhere. Gaines started his training under the guidance Diane and Adrienne Brown and James Grant. He continued on to recieve a full scholarship at Purchase University from Harry Bellafonte. Gaines started his professional career under the mentorship of Kevin Iega Jeff, the founder and artistic director of Jubilation Dance Company! With more than 25 years of teaching and choreography experience, Gaines seeks to inspire, motivate, and nurture dancers and artists.

Norva Alleyne

Director of Operations

Norva Alleyne holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communications with a minor in Psychology, and a Master's Degree in Arts in Media,Culture and Communication from New York University. In New York City, Norva has worked as a Case Worker with Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers and Chemical Abusers Mentally Ill individuals. She is the CEO and owner of En-Norvation Business Solutions, and JMari Beauty Lounge. Ms. Alleyne is an ardent volunteer and advocate for the homeless. She has been working with Creative Outlet as a Board Member and Director of Operations for the past fifteen years.

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Melinda Walker

Cultural Arts Program Coordinator

Melinda Walker currently works at the Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Program, located in Brooklyn, NY. She is one of the Administrators for the Saturday Cultural Arts Program (CAP). Her love of dance began at the age of 13, when her school cut out our gymnastics program. She joined a school located in Cambria Heights, Queens called Dance Explosion, it was run by her beloved dance teacher Adrienne Brown. This is where she first met Jamel Gaines, we both were going there for dance. The school offered all forms of dance, African, Modern, Tap, Gymnastics, Jazz and Ballet. During her time with Dance Explosion, her love of dance grew, and at the age of 16, she became a dance teacher for the babies ages 3-5, then a choreographer for ages of 7-12.

 

She would later follow in the footsteps of Adrienne and attended Hunter College where she majored in Dance and received a Summer Scholarship. Another dance friend of hers named Donna Maxell were the original founders of Opus dance Company which they created along with one of their previous dance teachers named Buster Grant. Opus was mildly successful until lack of funds cut their success short. Although she no longer dances due to old age and dance injuries, she still loves to watch and help the students wherever possible. Her original love of dance is alive and present when she watches the wonderful students at Creative Outlet’s Saturday (CAP) Program. Jamel Gaines has done a wonderful job of providing the students, not only an outlet but something they can take pride and claim as their own.

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Shandale Ricketts

Marketing / Graphics

Shandale Rickets is a graphic designer, web designer, and digital marketer with Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet.  Shandale is from from the Bronx and is studying at the New York City College of Technology for Communications Design. She is also a visual artist with a focus on illustration. Her interest in Graphic Design started from her daily walks in NYC and observing the amazing visuals that city life offers.

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Hopie Lyn Burrows

Costume Designer

Hopie Lyn Burrows is an extraordinary Costumes designer whose work includes   Dance, Theatre, Opera, Film, Home Decorating and Television.
She has created classical character unique, One of a kind creations for professionals, NYC Schools, Professional/community schools, children, weddings, churches, proms, various special occasions. 
Burrows work successfully designs takes the storytelling, characters,  historical facts, and translate them through emotional artistic lens.


Burrows has created costume design throughout the New York tri-state area nationally and internationally, Some of the groups that she’s design costumes are Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Forces of Nature, Purelements, MAAFA , Melissa Vaugh, Nathan Trice, Ifetayo cultural arts Center, mind builders performing arts Center,  deeply rooted Dance Theater of Chicago, Various universities, Stars of New York Dance,  to name a few. Burrows has shared her  designs in Productions across the United States, Europe, and abroad, such as New York City, Clinton Maryland, Seattle Washington, Atlanta Georgia, London, Italy, Germany, Trinidad, Guadalupe, and Jamaica. Burrows has been commissioned by many artistic Directors and prominent festivals throughout the world such as Brooklyn New York’s Dance Africa, New York City Apollo Theater, Seattle Washington’s  Dance This, Clinton Maryland’s Maafa, Washington DC Kennedy Center and Italy’s Spoleto festival.

 

Burrows is a sought after master  costume designer and wardrobe extraordinaire. She began her work at a very early age her one-of-a-kind pieces are unique what style colors textures structural design and unique character Burrows work stands out above the rest. She maintains a active freelance design career.

Talu Green

Music Supervisor

Percussionist and Composer Rasaan 'Talu' Green's performances include ones with Fela! on Broadway, the Brooklyn Nets, Soutsatzka the Musical, and MAZE, along with band collaborations with Ms. Patti Labelle, Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Roots, Aloe Blacc, and Estelle. Green has performed globally in Africa, North America, Australia & New Zealand, and Europe. He is a resident musician with Resura Arkestra and provides musical arrangements for dance companies and master workshops throughout New York City. He holds a BFA in music from Long Island University.

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Zoë Cleland

Grant Research and Development

Zoë Cleland, a dancer from the age of 3, started her career in Production and Costuming for film and tv and ended up with over 20 years of experience in the dance industry fulfilling various roles behind the scenes . Specialising in Pointe Shoe Fittings and Special Make Up shoes she enjoyed costuming for professional companies and clients all around the world when she represented and worked closely with Capezio, Grishko, and Freed of London.  Also during 2010’s, she was co-founder and co-curator of the Reverb Dance Festival. Previous work includes Office Manager for Westside Academy of Dance, Store Manager for both Grishko in NYC and The Dance Store in Los Angeles. Zoe also received a BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley. 

Shaheen Kothari

Company Manager

Shaheen Kothari joined Creative Outlet in 2022 as Company Manager, and brings with her over 15 years of work experience within the arts and the hospitality industry. Prior to relocating to New York in 2018, Shaheen lived in Hong Kong with her family. While in Hong Kong, Shaheen worked at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, in the capacity of Program Manager, and managed and executed a myriad of visual and cultural art events during her tenure. One of the most exciting parts of her role was working and collaborating with talented individuals passionate about their art. Shaheen holds an M.A. in Art Business from Christie’s Education, NY, and a B.A. in Hospitality Management from Les Roches, Switzerland & Kendall College, Chicago. Shaheen is a strong supporter of the arts and is a board member of the South Asian Womxn’s Creative Collective.

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Wade Watson is a 31 year old freelance artist and NYC native. He’s toured nationally and internationally throughout his career. Wade has worked with Earl Mosley, Clifton Brown, Candace brown, Darrell Moultrie, Christopher Huggins, and Jamal Story, to name a few. As an artist based in NYC, Wade has been exposed to all styles of dance. He’s performed concert dance, in music videos, movies, and theater! He’s worked with Classical Theater of Harlem in their productions of Macbeth and The 3 Musketeers. He was also featured in the hit show POSE on FX, as well as the hit show Dickinson on Apple TV. Wade stepped into his role as Musa, in the new and original musical Goddess. Written by Jocelyn Bioh Directed by Saheem Ali, and choreographed by Darrell Moultrie, performed at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Recently Wade traveled to Accra, Ghana as well as Cape Coast as a company member with Creative Outlet. While there he participated in Outreach with the movers of Ghana and performed alongside the National Dance Theater of Ghana! Currently, Wade is signed with CESD agency gearing up for the opportunities that will arise in the near future.

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