The People
Buen Aché speaks both Spanish and English. We see bilingualism
as a key factor in promoting and honoring Hispanic culture.
Oneil Abercrombie
Oneil
Abercrombie is a native of South Carolina and attends the College of Charleston majoring in Communications.
Of mixed Scotch, African, and Native American ancestry, she easily relates to all
ethnicities and has a gift for bringing diverse groups of people together
With a background in acting, she easily takes to the stage and has danced with the
West African Company Kambiri since 2006. Her vivacious personality makes her a star
in any crowd.
Amanda Adams
Amanda Adams is a native of
South Carolina. She has been dancing since 3 years of age (including 9 years of
competitive performance). Her background is in ballet, jazz, and tap dancing, however
she has enjoyed her new-found love for African, Caribbean, and Latin dancing since
2005.
She graduated with a
B.A.
in Spanish as well as in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the College of Charleston, and is currently pursuing
her teaching certification to teach Spanish in the Charleston area.
She loves Buen Aché because it combines her utmost passions: dance, the Spanish
language, and Latin American and Caribbean culture!
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Tanya Enid Altagracia-Morán
Tanya
Enid Altagracia-Morán was born in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Her
Afro-Caribbean roots come from her dad who was born in the Dominican Republic, and
her Puerto Rican mother. Tanya grew next to her hard working mother and one older
sister in the town of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. She was always involved in dance and
theater while growing up and followed her passion with dance all the way to college
where she organized a new play on campus every month.
After many years out of the dance scene while raising her only son Egon Adrian, Tanya
decided to start taking professional dance classes. Her interest to learn lead her
to study Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Tango, Belly dancing and Afro-Caribbean dances.
Tanya arrived in Charleston, SC in August, 2007 and a year later she founded AfroVida
Exotic, a company which provides ethnic hair care products used by Afro-Caribbean
women. Tanya also works full time at the YMCA of Greater Charleston. Tanya's nickname,
"La Negrita", (coined by her family and friends), is a nickname name often used
in the Latin Nations of the Caribbean as a sign of affection.
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Alice Bigirimana
Alice Bigirimana grew up in
Burundi, East Africa and came to the US in 2008. Having grown
up dancing traditional Burundian tribal dances all her life, Alice incorporates
her knowledge of traditional African dance in her expression of Afro-Latino dance
and movement. Her African cultural dance background enhances her experience of Caribbean
and Latin style movement.
In many parts of Africa the social fabric of life is held together by dance and music,
so dancing with Buen Aché was a natural fit for Alice as she embraced her new culture
in the US.
Although she misses home, Alice's dance experience with Buen Aché brings her
closer to her African roots and continues a cultural and musical tie with home that
makes her feel connected to the people and the life she left behind.
Alice's tender spirit has led to her to choose a career in nursing, and she will
enter the nursing program at Trident Technical College in 2010.
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Vandana Hoolasie
Vandana Hoolasie is a native
of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and has been in the
US
since 2006. She has been dancing since she was 11 and has performed and choreographed
classical Indian dance (also known as Chutney dance). She plans to study veterinary
medicine after graduating high school.
She can cook typical West Indian style curried chicken and goat over dumplings and
loves to cook for friends and family. She is a brilliant choreographer and has a
great eye for innovative steps and patterns of dance.
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Kathleen Hope
Kathleen is a North Carolina
native who studied Spanish and African Dance at UNC-Asheville. While living in Asheville,
Kathleen danced with the West African dance company Ballet Warraba, and developed
her technique and foundation in West African movement.
Kathleen lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 4 years where she taught English and
studied Arabic and Latin dance. Fluent in Spanish and thoroughly acculturated to
South American values and culture, Kathleen now teaches Spanish at Porter Gaud in
Charleston, where she enjoys sharing her love of the language and her bi-cultural
experience with her students.
After moving to Charleston in 2008, she joined Buen Aché and began to combine
her love of West African and Afro-Latino dance. Kathleen hopes to continue to develop
her love of dance and explore different cultures through their various dance styles.
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Emrys Jaskwhich
Emrys Jaskwhich is a native
of South Carolina and attends the College of Charleston majoring in Latin American
and Caribbean studies and History. She traveled to West Africa in 2004 and 2006
to study Guinean style dance, and studied in Cuba for a semester where she was exposed
first hand to Afro-Cuban culture and dance.
Fluent in Spanish and with some command of French and Portuguese, she is at ease
among people of diverse cultures and languages. Emrys also dances in the West African
dance company Kambiri.
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Julia Jaskwhich
Julia Jaskwhich graduated from
the College of Charleston
in 2002 where she majored in Anthropology, Latin American and Caribbean studies.
She currently attends the
Medical University of South Carolina where she is pursuing a Psychiatric
Nurse Practitioner degree.
Julia founded Buen Aché in 2006, and has served as Artistic Director and principal
choreographer for the company since that time. Julia is fluent in Spanish and has
traveled extensively in Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
She has studied dance in West Africa and Cuba, and continues to develop her dance
technique by studying with prominent West African and Afro-Latino dancers and choreographers
around the US.
In addition to dancing with Buen Aché, Julia also dances with the Charleston-based
West African dance company
Wona Womalan, led by Guinean Artistic Director Fode Moussa Camara. Julia continues to refine her style in Latin social dance by frequenting
the Latin dance scene around the Southeast.
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Tamesha Jennings
Tamesha Jennings, also known
as "Mesha", is a native of Charleston, SC. With a mother from the Virgin Islands,
Mesha was exposed to West Indian culture and dance from a young age. As a result,
very early on in her childhood Mesha developed a keen sense of movement and rhythm.
Mesha began dancing with a dance group called "Youth Out Loud" at the age of 9. Since
then she has focused on African dance, dancing with companies such as the West African
Company Kambiri, Egbe' Kilimanjaro Company, and Adance Drumming & Dance Company.
Mesha partnered with Julia to teach a West African dance class in Charleston in
2006.
In addition to dance, Mesha is versed in various form of artistic expression. She
practiced gymnastics for 7 years and piano for 4 years, and has a natural talent
for learning West African drum rhythms.
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Tuan Anh Le
Tuan Anh Le was born in Vietman and moved to
California at the age of 9. Tuan began his dancing career as a student at Santa
Clara University in Californa, where he studied ballet, jazz and modern dance. He
enriched his skill in choreography by taking dance composition classes while at
Santa Clara.
Tuan went on to dance under Warren Lucas, dancing Jazz, ballet and modern at De Anza
College in California. He performed with Peninsula Ballet in the 1990's and joined
Margaret Windrove Dance Co. in 2002. Tuan performed and choreographed with the De
Anza Dancers in the mid 2000's.
Linguistically and culturally bilingual, Tuan combines his Vietnamese cultural roots
with his classical dance background to create innovative dance styles that enrich
Buen Aché's artistic diversity.
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Chiniqua Reinaldo
Chiniqua
enjoys a fusion of dance styles and, as a choreographer, seeks to invigorate the
audience with high energy dance combinations. She began her dance training in ballet
and was blessed to perform with many multicultural dance companies through out the
United States. Chiniqua is a certified fitness instructor and has been recruited
by local school districts to conduct Heart Healthy Dance Programs for students with
a weight challenge.
Chiniqua has appeared in the series "Army Wives" and has been a cast member of the
revivals of the stage play "Purlie Victorious" and "Cabaret". She has also danced
several times in the Afro-American day parade in New York. As a mentor in dance
her commitment to excellence and methodology inspires fellow dance company members
to excel in all performances.
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Ludivine Renaud
Ludivine Renaud (a.k.a. "Lud")
is from Montceau Les Mines in the Burgundy region of France, a coal mining region.
She studied at Euro-American Institute of Technology (EAI Tech) on the French Riviera
and then transferred in 2000 to the
College of Charleston, graduating with a
BS
in Marine Biology.
She then attended the graduate school at
College of Charleston where she obtained a Master's in Environmental Studies.
She has traveled to The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St John, St Thomas, and St Croix,
as well as various parts of Europe.
Ludivine is very much interested in all cultures, from the Inuits in Alaska to the
Aborigines in Australia, with a special interest in Latin American and Caribbean
cultures. She studied ballet and modern dance during childhood, and synchronized
swimming as teenager. She is an avid salsa dancer and is passionate about bachata,
calypso, cha cha and salsa (music and dancing). She loves kids and is currently
an instructor for afro-cuban dance for ages 3 years and older.
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Mellissa Scott
Mellissa Scott was born in California and raised in Charleston. She began dancing at the age of 17 when she joined the Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theatre in Tallahassee while attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. After returning to Charleston, Mellissa went on to dance with the West African Dance Company Adande, and later joined Buen Aché in 2008.
Mellissa is pursuing a career in education and hopes to use her education to focus on outreach with disadvantaged youth. Mellissa works at the Charleston urban YMCA, and is a passionate advocate for inner city youth.
With an exceptional talent for motivating and inspiring children, Mellissa serves as Community Outreach Coordinator for Buen Aché and coordinates dance outreach with underprivileged urban and rural children. Mellissa has an extraordinary ability for using the arts to help children discover their abilities and hidden talents. With her exceptional talent as a dancer, Mellissa is able to offer a unique artistic experience to children who have little access to instruction that enhances their creative abilities.
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Samantha Test
Samantha Test, or La Samantita,
is from Baltimore, Maryland and is of Mexican descent. Her extensive international
traveling has integrated her into many diverse cultures and styles of dance. She
has performed salsa with Charleston's Latin Groove in Piccolo Spoleto and is thrilled to incorporate the
Afro-Latino element into her varied Latin dance repertoire with Buen Aché.
While living in Sevilla, Spain she was also exposed to Flamenco and the regional
folk dance Sevillanas - a colorful and vibrant dance of many turns and flaunting
skirts. Dance is only one of her passions, though. She played Division I soccer
for the College of Charleston,
where she also earned a
BA
in Communications, and a
BA
in Spanish.
She has a lot of experience writing in Public Relations and editing the fashion and
sports sections for the bilingual AVANCE Magazine. She previously worked in Marketing
at the
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, does some freelance writing, and is
involved in many events in the community, including the Charleston Cinco de Mayo Festival.
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Melissa Walker-Dushak
Melissa
Walker-Dushak, although having lived in various parts of the country, is a Charleston
native (she grew up in Mt. Pleasant). She is currently a senior at the College of Charleston majoring in Communication.
After taking an African dance class at the College, where she met Julia, she danced
with the renowned Adande West African dance company.
Melissa works as a dental hygienist and is also a clarinet player in the 108th Division
Army Reserve Band. Melissa stars as "la Jaba" in one of Buen Aché's dances;
a story about overcoming racism, "La Habana".
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