Meet The Artists of Poetic Xpressions Dance Company
Founder/ Director
Amanda T. Fair
The Poets
Spoken Word Artists-
*company*
Tracy Eaddy and Amanda T. Fair
The Dancers-
*company*
Amanda T. Fair
Tracy Ference
Francis Soane
Noelle Tolbert
Guest Choreographers-
PXDC's 1st annual full length concert PXDC:The Awakening
Algernon Campbell (Moonray)
PXDC's 2nd annual full length concert BOND: Exploring The Relationships That Connect Us All
Madi Jackson (Broken) Garry Dunn (Motherless Chiild)
Guest Poets-
Performed live in our 2010 fundraising event-
Shelby Jade
Performed live in our 2nd annual concert-
Vickie Lawson
Ben Logan
Gary Logan
Main Choreographer-
*company*
Amanda T. Fair
Artist Bios.
The Poets
Tracy Eaddy-In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was God. And the word became flesh; giving birth to letters that form sound, and making more words that create the language in which we speak...thus giving birth to she.
Tracy... Muhammad "the believer", Eaddy "the author", Ward "the writer/journalist", Internal "the poet" and Sister Tracy "the forever friend". Sista Tracy is a social entrepreneur dedicated to uplifting communities through inspiring people to heal. As a survivor of molestation, she sincerely believes in the greatness of God's healing power and it has inspired her to do more to help others. Her earnest desire to make a difference in the world has propelled her to actively participate in numerous organizations with a shared mission of uplifting people. To date she has partnered with the Nation Of Islam, Urban Leadership Institute, Universal People Improvement Corporation, the UrbanAve31 movement, and Heal aWoman To Heal a ation to name a few. Sister Tracy has a keen ability to connect with young women and girls and has demonstrated this gift through volunteering with the Waxters Center for Juveniles, GirlsBELIEVE, the North East Middle School girl's development program and many other girls groups in various schools throughout Baltimore City. A midst the many iindustrious componets of her life Sister Tracy is a recent graduate of Coppin State University with a B.S. in English and a concentration in Journalism. She is the author of the book Sunken Treasure and is a spoken word artists and host of the monthly artist sessions at A Good Book Too. Tracy has been a member of PXDC since January 2009.
Amanda T. Fair- Amanda started writing at the age of seven. She began with short stories and competed in dramatic readings in Elementary school where she discovered the art of performing her words onstage. She then turned to poetry and began to perform her work at school events, performances and talent shows. At the age of 16, while working at North Star Book Store in Security Mall she was given the opportunity to meet and speak with poet Nikki Giovanni and to hear her perform her work at a book signing there. Having been inspired, and encouraged by her mother and then boss Bob Kurr, that same year she brought in her own poetry and discovered her first open mic held weekly there at the store hosted by Mel Brooks,who was then a member of Pozativ Chainge. Amanda joined the performing poetry group Pozativ Chainge (Founder Bleek) along with members Bleek, Mel Brooks, Lyrical and Keshia Lambert. Pozative Chainge hosted for many open mic venues and performed in the Maryland/ DC area at different open mics, universities, festivals and other poetry events. At the age of 17 Amanda hosted a weekly open mic set called Teen Verse at Sibanye's Bookstore for Pozativ Chainge and published her first book entitled To All Who Can Relate. Since then she has been published in an anthology for The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, has had the honor to write for and perform live for Kwaisi Mfume at the presenting and unvailng of his wax figure for the Great Blacks in Wax museum, and has published two additional books, Revealed and Unspoken Words. She is currently getting ready to release her fourth book, Inner Strugglings and New Beginnings: The Re-Birth, in 2011. She attended the People's Poetry Awards in 2006 where Revealed won Best Poetry Book and during this time she was also able to get her book placed in to A Good Book BookStore for sale in Woodlawn, and online at stores such as Target, Barnes and Nobles, and Borders. Shortly after Amanda released her first spoken word CD, JOURNEY and had an amazing line up of artists to perform with her at the CD realease that was hosted by poet Da Truth.Those poets included D. Chase, Chuck the Mad Ox, Da Truth, Adar Ayira and Sista Tracy with a performance by Poetic Xpressions Dance Company. Amanda has featured at many of Baltimore's favorite spots including Notre Masion, Raw Poetry, Organic Soul, Art Of Coversation, Baltimore Book Festival, and Barnes and Nobles in DC and Maryland to name a few.She was given the opportunity to perform, as a dancer, in a Black History show with poet Sonia Sanchez in Philadelphia. She decided in 2007 to combine her love for both dance and poetry and founded Poetic Xpressions Dance Company to offer new opportunites to other working professional dancers and poets in the city of Baltimore. She continues to do book readings and to perform as a spoken word artist in Maryland, DC, and Philadelphia and is inspired by the ups and downs of everyday life, the power of the pen, and other artists on the scene today such as Gary Logan, Ben Logan, Nikki Giovanni, Wanda Robinson aka Laini Mataka, Maya A, and Slangston Hughes.
The Dancers
Amanda T. Fair- Ms. Fair is a full time artist who has been both dancing and writing poetry for over 21 years. She is a graduate of The Baltmore School for the Arts and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she received her BFA in Dance- Ballet Performance. She studied Ballet, on internship, at The Dance Theatre of Harlem for her senior year at UARTS. She studied in thier professional program while assisting with teaching in The DTH Community Outreach Program. She has worked with choreographers such as Milton Myers, Andrew Papp, Reginald Cole and Ronen Koresh. She has taught Ballet, Poiinte, Modern and Jazz in numerous dance programs and schools including The University of the Arts summer intensive, Baltimore Ballet, The Morton Street Dance Center and The Dance Institute of Washington. She is currently on staff at Rayn Fall Dance Studio, Baltimore Ballet, Inertia Performing Arts, and is adjunct faculty-dance- at The Community College of Baltimore County's Essex and Catonsville campuses where she teaches all levels of Ballet and Modern Dance, and choreographs for the school's dance company, Synergy. Amanda has performed in many independant projects as well as with a number of companies that include Full Circle Dance Company, VTDance, Shange Dance Productions and The Washington Reflections Dance Company and is founder and directior of Poetic xpressions School for the Creative Arts and Poetic Xpressions Dance Company. PXDC was founded in October of 2007 and the company performed in thier 1st annual full length concert PXDC: The Awakening in June 2009 at Baltimore Theatre Project. The company also performed in it's 2nd annual full length concert, BOND: Exploring The Relatonships That Connect Us All, on August 28th and 29th of 2010. Her choreography has been performed in theatres such as The Baltimore Museum of Art, The Hippodrome, Baltimore Theatre Project and The Kennedy Center. Her choreography can be seen on Full Circle Dance Company, Shange Dance Productions, Synergy and PXDC. Amanda is also a private dance coach for many students in the state of Maryland. Her private lesson students have been accepted into many high school dance programs and performing arts colleges and universities that include George Mason University, the Alvin Aiely Independant Study Program, The University of the Arts, Fordham University, and Carver Center for the Arts to name a few. Amanda is also a winner of the 2010 Baker Artist Awards where her work was featured in an exhibit at The Baltimore Museum of Art. Ms. Fair is very serious and passionate about her work and is most thankful for her parents, Nancy and Willie Fair, former dance instructors Deborah Black, Norma Pera, Stephanie Powell, Arthur Mitchell, Lavine Nadu, Suzanne Slenn, Milton Myers, and every last one of her students.
Tracy Ferenc- Tracy Ferenc began her training at MidAtlantic Center for the Performing Arts in Baltimore Maryland under the direction of Shannon Torrez. She continued her training at Towson University where she received her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and had the opprtunity to work with many celebrated artists such as Runqiao Du, Susan Mann, Linda- Deniese Fisher- Harell, Leah Cox and Chris Elam. Recently, she has performed in Semesters Best at DanceRink and the Young Choreographer's Festival. She has also had the opportunity to perform in the CCBC Dance Company, where she performed a solo, Considerans, choreographed by Melinda Bloomquist. She is very excited to begin working with PXDC this season.
Francis Soane- Francis W.Y. Soane is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and was an Interdisciplinary Studies major. He is a graduate of Coppin State University. He began his journey of dance at the age of nineteen at Coppin State University. Mr. Soane is an actor and has performed with Coppin Players. He is also a poet and playwright. Francis joined PXDC in January 2010.
Noelle Tolbert- As a Phildelphia native and hip hop being the start of the journey, Noelle has been creative for over 12 years. At the age of fourteen she was part of the foundation of the Souderton Area High School Hip Hop Dance Team in 2002 under training of Colleen Hartman. Noelle received numerous awards for All American Dancer. She was accepted into Music and Motions Dance Productions in 2003 where the versatility in ballet and modern began. Under the direction of Steven Weis, Noelle choreographed "Romance". From 2003-2008 she performed at numerous venues throughout the tri-state area including the Philly Fringe Festival and Live Arts for all five productions. As an independant artist Noelle has choreographed with spoken word "Desire the Love of the African Sun" and performed at intimate settings in the Philadelphia area. She is currently a student at Community College of Baltimore County as a dance major. Noelle loves a good laugh, traveling, and to express herself through drawing, poetry and dance. Noelle joined Poetic Xpressions Dance Company in January 2011.
Guest Artists- Poets
Shelby Jade- A Baltimore bred lover of language, Shelby Jade is an award winning poet whose poetry fearlessly delves into the personal issues that are common to the human experience. She currently has released two recordings, We All Fall Short, (February
2008) and Revelationary, (September 2009) A member of Torchlight Entertainment, Smart Chics Inc. and the Baltimore Black Arts, her poems are real life told in Technicolor. Her hope is that each poem travels the world, but never forgets where it came from. This is Shelby Jade's first performance with Poetic Xpressions Dance Company.
Vickie Lawson- Vickie Marie Oliver Lawson is a retired public school administrator, wife, and mother of two. This Baltimore native is a member of The International Society of Poets. She is an alumus of Morgan State University and Loyola College. She is listed amoung Who's Who In The East and Who's Who Amoung Business and Professional Women. Vickie was recently inducted into the Baltimore chapter of The National Association Of Negro Business and Professional Women Clubs, Inc. Over the years Vickie has collaborated with other poets and has been featured on various radio programs via the Internet including The Arts Have It, Thru the Cracks of Time and Vocalized Inc. Vickie's poetry has also been featured several times on Baltimore's WCAO's Instruments of Praise and Morgan State University's WEAA radio programs. Her first professionally published collection of poetry is entitled Vocal Moments which was given favorable reviews by both Rawsistaz and Marguerite Press. Her second self- published collection of poetry is Timeless Influences, released in 2009. She writes children's books and has self-published two titles, In The Quilting Tradition (2005) and Assata and the Secret of the Cowrie (2008). Vickie alo performed in two choreopoems at the Harlem Theatre in NY entitled The Strength of Sisterly Love (2002) and Womenwording: Dueling Tongues (2004). She has performed her works in NC, MD, PA, NY, and Washington DC. In addition to writing poetry, Vickie enjoys sign language, music, reading, computers and mathematics. Vickie Lawson has performed three times with Poetic Xpressions Dance Company.
Ben Logan-
Gary Logan-