Ripple Effect Movement Lab

Anastasia Johnson (she/her) is a dance artist, performer, educator, curator, and choreographer born and raised in Richmond, Virginia., Johnson has performed with companies and artists such as, VT Dance Company, dani tirrell and The Congregation,  Rae Luebbert, Juanita Maria Dance Company, Contra-Tiempo, Coyaba Dance Company, Liz Miller, Jamison Curcio& Shanice Mason, ReVision Dance Company, Soka Tribe, and New Growth Collective. Johnson has been developing her own movement based company called A.J. Collabs (AJC). AJC uses the vehicle of education, community engagement, collaboration, performance, and choreography to shed light on the black experience, including but not limited to: black love, black girl magic, black church, black artistry, black joy, and black oppression. Johnson has had the pleasure of being an alumni of the 202Creates Residency Program, a former Emerging Artist for the BlackLight Summit Emerging Artist Laboratory, has been featured in a DanceTeacher Magazine article, and holds a certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship from Cornell University.

Baltimore native, Aubree Brown Nelson, honed her craft at the prestigious Baltimore School for the Arts and attended elite summer intensives including the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, and The Ailey School as a fellowship scholar. She furthered her training at SUNY Purchase College, where she earned her B.F.A. in Dance Performance. Aubree has had the honor of working with renowned choreographers such as Troy Powell, Jessica Lang, Ray Mercer, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Jennifer Archibald, Amy Hall Garner, Otis Sallid, Tessandra Chavez, Rich & Tone, Anthony Burrell, JaQuel Knight, Oth’than Burnside, Sarah O’Gleby, Chris Bailey, Kevin Maher, Marguerite Derricks, and more.

In 2013, Aubree launched her professional career with Ailey II and has since thrived as a freelance dancer and model, now represented by Bloc NYC. Her standout performances include working with major artists like Beyoncé, Lil Mo’, Silento, CNCO, and Becky G, and appearing on SNL, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the national tour of Chicago the Musical, NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Julianne Hough, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Aubree has also been featured in major campaigns and commercials for Panera Bread, Samsung, Shea Moisture, Exhale Spa, Heineken, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, as well as Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She currently appears on the Chicago the Musical billboard in Times Square and is featured in the new Downy Unstopables commercial.

Camille Weanquoi, a freelance interdisciplinary artist from the Bronx, NY, is a force to be reckoned with. Holding a B.A. in Dance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Winston Salem State University, and an MFA in Choreography from Wilson College, she is committed to driving the growth and preservation of dance, particularly those rooted in the African diaspora. Camille is the visionary director of Camille W. Dance, a culturally immersive dance consulting firm and pick-up performance company.

In addition to her role as the founder and Executive Director of the Baltimore Black Dance Collective and co-founder and co-director of the annual Baltimore Black Choreographers Festival, she is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Coppin State University. Currently in training as a candidate for Dunham Technique Teacher Certification, Camille creates, performs, and teaches African Diaspora dances rooted in tradition and culture alongside various other dance styles in the Baltimore/D.C. area and beyond. Beyond her professional accolades, Camille is a devoted wife, mother, sister, friend, and unwavering advocate for the arts.

Brendan Drake (all pronouns) is an interdisciplinary artist, performer, writer, and, currently, the Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at The Corcoran School of Arts and Design at George Washington University. Their work uses diverse movement forms, text, and sound manipulation to interrogate notions of vanity, rage, humiliation, and pleasure, as well as gender and sexual power dynamics. Critics have described their work as “a glorious exploration of the body at its extremes” (Brooklyn Rail) and “hilarious and sobering: a way to say the unutterable (Culturebot). Brendan was a 2017-2018 Fresh Tracks Artist at New York Live Arts and, in fall 2025, became the inaugural recipient of the DC Dance Network Choreographers Commission. Additionally, they have been awarded grants and residencies through the Brooklyn Arts Fund, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, the CUNY Dance Initiative, Brooklyn Studios for Dance, the Monira Foundation, The Tank, and Chez Bushwick. Brendan’s recent work has been presented in New York at Kestrels, Danspace Project (Draftwork), The Exponential Festival, Movement Research, The Brick, La MaMa, PAGEANT, Joe’s Pub, The Wild Project, and AUNTS, and at JrHigh (Los Angeles, CA), Fowler Museum (Los Angeles, CA), and The Dance Complex (Boston, MA). Their newest evening-length work, Ceremonials, which abstracts Trans and homoerotic subtexts within Catholic iconography, will premiere at Dance Place DC in July 2026. In addition to their work on stage, Brendan choreographed the fall 2014 “Equality = Love” campaign for Adidas Originals/Pharrell Williams. They were the movement coordinator for editorial shoots with Vogue, Porter, V, and Elle Magazines (photographers: Liz Collins, Ryan McGinley, Collier Schorr). Additionally, Brendan has enjoyed guest artist and teaching engagements at UCLA, Columbia University, the University of Massachusetts, Muhlenberg College, DeSales University, Ball State University, Skewl, Peridance, SCDT, Loculus, and the New York Film Academy. As a dancer and performer, they have worked with Nattie + Hollis, Kayla Hamilton/Circle O, JChen Project, and Emily Barasch. Brendan holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MFA in Choreographic Inquiry from UCLA. They are also a Certified Pilates Mat and Apparatus instructor through the Kane School for Core Integration.

Flavia Nascimento is an Afro-Brazilian Dance artist and educator with over 22 years of dedicated training in both traditional and contemporary Afro-Brazilian Movement. Her work delves into the rhythmic embodiment of African oral traditions through Afro-Brazilian Dance, folklore, and the symbolic movements of the Orixás. Having studied extensively in Salvador, Bahia, she draws directly from the teachings of master artists and living cultural traditions. Through her performances and instructional work, Flavia preserves and shares the history, spirituality, and cultural richness of Afro-Brazilian Dance. Her efforts inspire diverse communities to connect with the power, rhythm, and ancestral roots of the Afro-Diasporic Movement.

Kevin Thomas Malone, a native of Washington, DC, has taught on staff at Jyla’s School of Dance, Metropolitan School of The Arts, Katherine Smith Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) and Ballet Nouveau. Kevin has choreographed contemporary ballet solos for dancers representing the Ukraine and the U.S who competed in the 2006 International Ballet competition and the Youth America Grand Prix. A graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) and the University of the Arts with a BFA in modern dance, Kevin has had additional training at the Ailey School, the Washington School of Ballet and the Adrian Bolton Dance Company. He was also a principal company member with Philadanco, touring the U.S., Europe, Canada, Asia and the Caribbean, and taught for the Rock School of the Pennsylvania, the Alvin Ailey Dance Camp, DESA and Ballet Royale Academy.

Kevin served as Associate Artistic Director for the Bermuda Dance Company and DIW. Kevin also served as a guest Master Teacher for Olga Tozyiakova’s Ballet Studio #7. Kevin is currently on faculty at The Washington School of Ballet Adult Division and teaching Performing Arts and Dance at Barnard Elementary School, DC Public Schools teaching Pre- K through 5th Grade.

Recent past Artistic Leadership Roles and Teaching former Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer at the Dance Institute of Washington personally appointed the late Founder Fabian Barnes were he proudly served producing award winning choreography for the annual Spirit Of Kwanzaa Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Wolf Trap Outdoor Theater In The Woods and the Carter Barron Amphitheater. Mr. Malone has taught recently at Seber Method Academy, George Mason University School of Dance , Georgetown University with Black Movement Dance Theater. Under Mr. Malone Artistic Mentorship and Coaching his students are currently performing in American Ballet Theater, Alvin Ailey, Philadanco, Deeply Rooted as well as National tour of The Lion King. Kevin enjoys pouring into the lives of aspiring artist of all ages and creating meaningful choreography that raises social awareness while leaving positive impact on audiences globally to promote Diverse , Equitable and Inclusive Art for all to appreciate.

Rashaad Hasani is a professor, historian, storyteller, and multidisciplinary artist focused on Hip Hop, Popping, Strutting, and Locking. His work blends scholarship and performance to honor Black cultural memory, rhythm, and legacy. As a father and co-creator, he centers family, freedom, and movement as living tradition

Stephen Shynes is a choreographer, creative director, and performing artist whose work amplifies Black voices and explores identity, liberation, and resilience through storytelling and movement. A graduate of Montclair State University’s BFA Dance program and alumnus of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, he has trained at Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey, Jones & Haywood, and Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts. His choreography has been presented at The Public Theater, Movement Research at Judson Church, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Dance Place, and more. In 2019, he founded theLAB by Artists of Color, producing platforms like Color Stories and the film It’s BIGGER Than Me, which examined the Black experience during the pandemic. His work spans live performance, film, and creative direction, collaborating with artists, musicians, and production teams. As a performer, Shynes has works by Antonio Brown, Nathan Trice, Bill T. Jones, José Limón, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and others. His production assistant credits include POSE (FX), Helpsters (Apple TV), NBC’s The Blacklist, and the MTV VMAs. Recently awarded a CUNY Dance Initiative residency at Medgar Ever College in 2023 and the 2025 Choreography Fellowship at UNCSA, Shynes continues to create, teach, and expand his artistic practice in both performance and visual storytelling.