Juel D. Lane - Director of Choreographic Institute

Juel D. Lane, an Atlanta native, honed his artistic talents at Tri-Cities High School, The Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, and The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Dance Magazine recognized him as one of their "25 to Watch," and his captivating performances have enthralled audiences worldwide. He's shared the stage with luminaries like Ronald K. Brown/Evidence and is currently a vital member of the acclaimed Bessie Award-winning Camille A. Brown & Dancers and Executive Artistic Associate with the Black Acting Methods Studio. Lane's choreography has graced Ailey II, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Atlanta Ballet, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, and numerous universities. He's also performed in productions such as The Metropolitan Opera's "Fire Shut Up In My Bones,"  Amazon Prime's series “Harlem,” and NBC's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live.” Lane received the Bronzelens film festival award for his remarkable dance film, “The Maestro" and showcased his directing and choreography talents in the captivating music video "Only-1" with Roc Nation artist Dixson. 

Maleek Washington - Choreographic Fellow

A native New Yorker from the Bronx, Maleek Washington is a performer, choreographer, and teaching artist. Maleek began his dance training at Harlem School of the Arts, Broadway Dance Center, and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, and attended the Boston Conservatory on a full scholarship before beginning his professional career with CityDance Ensemble (Washington, DC). Upon his return to New York City, Maleek collaborated with MacArthur Genius Awardee Kyle Abraham and his company Abraham.In.Motion for four seasons before becoming the first African-American male to perform in the critically acclaimed immersive show Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More. Maleek has choreographed for rap legend Nas ’2022 “Big Nas MasterClass” commercial and video and also performed for musical sensations, such as Sia, Phish, and Rihanna.

Maleek was part of NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live and performed with Camille A. Brown and Dancers in the 2018 TED Talk Conference in Vancouver. Maleek has been a member of Camille A. Brown and Dancers for five seasons, having the opportunity to work on shows like the Grammy-winning Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera as an assistant choreographer, Spike Lee’s Mont Blanc commercial as assistant choreographer, and Camille’s Alvin Ailey piece entitled City of Rain. Maleek was recently the assistant choreographer to Camille A. Brown at the Metropolitan Opera for her directorial debut of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which made history for being the first opera composed by Terrance Blanchard, an African-American man.

Maleek’s performance talent has been recognized nationally at prestigious venues, such as the White House, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, the Joyce Theater, and the Apollo Theater. With multidisciplinary, experiential performance works that investigate the people, practices, and spaces shaping Washington’s Black identity, Maleek is proud to have been commissioned by renowned presenting organizations, such as New York Live Arts/Fresh Tracks Program, Gibney, Movement Research at Judson Church, and Pepatián/BAAD!, and internationally in Australia, Jordan, Mexico, and Sweden. In addition to his performance and choreographic career, Maleek is a sought-after national and international teaching artist at Broadway Dance Center, MOVE|NYC|, Joffrey Ballet School, LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, and Brent Street in Australia; Maleek was a guest choreographer and adjunct professor at University School of the Arts for fall 2019 and Bard University in 2020.

Maleek is honored to be a 2022 Princess Grace Award winner in choreography, a 2021 Bessie nominee as an emerging choreographer, and to have co-curated the 2019 Bronx APAP Dance Festival at Hostos.

Trish Casey - Mentor

Trish Casey is Faculty Emeritus with the School of Dance, which she joined in 1989. She was an Associate Professor in the Contemporary Dance program and had a joint faculty appointment in the Division of Liberal Arts. As a proud alumna of both the high school and undergraduate programs at UNCSA, Casey has a long-standing relationship with the school spanning more than four decades. She declares herself to be “shaped by the wisdom, vision, practices and aesthetic values of beloved teachers along the way,” and in turn, she continues to inspire students who will impact the field for years to come.

Casey's students are encouraged to enter into a journey of life-long learning and inquiry as they build a strong technical, creative and intelligent foundation in dance. This paradigm suggests fostering patience with “not knowing,” and discovering a way of working with the whole of the self, even in such specialized circumstances, in a more mindful and curious manner.