CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS

Updated October 16, 2024

Certified Professional Teachers have studied Umfundalai intensely, have performed with the technique's professional company, Kariamu & Company: Traditions, and/or have completed NAAADT's M'Singha Wuti and Professional Training Programs. They have "active" certification to teach Umfundalai at professional levels which include but are not limited to professional dance companies, college courses, dance conference attendees, etc.

This Adinkra symbol, Adinkrahene, is attached to the images of the teachers who serve on Umfundalai's Uongozi Leadership Circle.

This Adinkra Symbol, Musuyidee which means "good will" is attached to the images of the teachers serve on Umfundalai's Council of Elders.

Click on any of the images below to see the Certified Umfundalai teacher who is working in your state.

BEVARA ANDERSON, MFA (She/Her/Hers)

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Bevara Anderson is a professional dance artist from the Maryland coast whose embodied research lives within Umfundalai, house footwork, Horton, contemporary ballet, improvisation, and other contemporary movement styles. She is an Assistant Professor of African Diasporic Movement at Columbia College Chicago and presents her artistic work with her project-based company BĀLA Dance Project. After its premiere at the Tyron Festival Theater in March 2022, the company has presented A Balm of Joy: The Film, a feature-length dance. Anderson performed with Kariamu & Company: Traditions from 2014 to 2019 and is one of the final generation of dancers to have studied directly with the late Dr. Kariamu Welsh. With pride, she continues Dr. Welsh's legacy, as a certified professional Umfundalai, teacher. Anderson holds a BFA in Dance from Temple University and an MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois Urban-Champaign (UIUC).

STAFFORD C. BERRY, JR., MFA (Fluid Pronouns)

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

Baba Stafford C. Berry, Jr., MFA, is an accomplished artist, educator, activist, and scholar of African-rooted dance, theatre, and aesthetics with an extensive background in arts and education. He has studied performing arts in the US and in Guinea West Africa, and he has toured nationally in the US, and internationally to London, England, and the Caribbean. He is a certified teacher of the Umfundalai Contemporary African Dance Technique and a licensed Zumba® Instructor. Baba Berry was Associate Artistic Director of Baba Chuck Davis' internationally acclaimed African American Dance Ensemble (AADE) for 14 years; Assistant to the Choreographer of Kariamu & Company: Traditions in Philadelphia for 5 years; former Co-Director of The Berry & Nance Dance Project; and former Faculty at the American Dance Festival.
Baba Berry’s artistic work has toured internationally and is concerned with black male discourse, black folks’ embodied epistemologies, and “making space” for African American, LGBTQIA+, “weirdos,” and disempowered communities. He has won several choreographic and residency grants from: Durham Arts Council (NC), North Carolina Arts Council (NC), Greater Columbus Arts Council (OH), Taft Museum of Art (OH), Bloomington Arts Commission (IN). In addition, Mr. Berry has served on various arts boards nationally.

LEANNA BROWNE (She/Her/Hers)

MINNESOTA

JULIAN DARDEN (He/Jim/His)

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

JOSEPHINE HEARD, MEd (She/Her)

PHILADELPHIA/PENNSYLVANIA

Josephine Heard is a long-time Kariamu & Company Traditions performer and professional Umfundalai teacher. A founding member of National Association of American African Dance Teachers (NAAADT), Heard has a plethora of professional experiences in managing finances. Chief among them has been assisting buyers, sellers, and investors in the southeastern Pennsylvania housing market. Heard also owns Andika Mobile Notary LLC. As a certified loan signing agent and mobile notary, she has facilitated the signing of deeds, refinances, HELOCs and other transactional documents pertaining to real estate. Heard holds a BA in Integrated Arts from the Pennsylvania State University.

SHAVONNE MUNIR, MA (She/Her)

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Shavonne Munir is a Philadelphia native, a loving wife and a boy mom with a BS in
Kinesiology (sports medicine) from The Pennsylvania State University. She also
received her Masters in Holistic medicine, all while managing the Fitness and
Recreation department at the Salvation Army Kroc Center. Loving to learn, she is
now a ADMI Medical School 2025 candidate at Boise State University. She has
been dancing for 29 years and is professionally trained in ballet, modern, jazz and
African dance (Umfundalai). She has received most of her early training at the
New Freedom Theatre, in Philadelphia, and has traveled locally, nationally and
internationally through dance and fitness opportunities. She has since trained
and performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Eleone Dance Theatre, and
Kariamu & Company. She was blessed to be a principal dancer of Grace Dance
Theater for over 11 years.
Being an established dance instructor and fitness specialist around the city of
Philadelphia, she loves nothing more than combining her love for dance, fitness,
wellness and children into an educational, fun, and active forum. Munir has been
afforded the opportunity to work with various organizations, educating and
teaching about fitness, holistic health and the importance of living a healthy
lifestyle. As a fitness children’s book author, Munir enjoys the opportunity to talk
with young people, and adults alike, to spread her “Fitness is Fun” message. This
led her to form FCG Training and Wellness LLc., in which she does just that.
She is a proud member of Beta Delta Zeta Grad Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta
Sorority Incorporated, by way of the Mighty Mu Eta Chapter (PennState
University). She prides herself on giving grace, forward mobility and grit. “Little
girls with dreams become women with vision!”

TINA MULLONE GRIFFITH, MFA (She/Her)

RHODE ISLAND

Tina Mullone (BA, MFA) is Assistant Professor of Dance at Bridgewater State University and a New England board member for the American College Dance Association. She is a certified M’Singha Wuti instructor of Umfundalai contemporary African dance technique, Pilates mat instructor, and dance education consultant. She has performed in Texas, Louisiana, Philadelphia, Virginia, New York, Germany and Mexico. Her training background is in Agrippina Vaganova technique, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Katherine Dunham, Umfundalai contemporary African dance, various dances from Africa and the Diaspora. To highlight training, she studied at Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco Dance School, Urban Bush Women, Katherine Dunham Institute and the American Dance Festival. In addition to a number of outreach programs and studios, Tina taught at Texas Ballet Theater School, Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth and Texas Christian University. Tina is co-director of M2, a performance art duet based in Monroe, LA. For 11 years, she commuted from Louisiana to Texas to continue her professional career as a performer with Beckles Dancing Company, and CD/FW (as Associate Artistic Director). Tina’s current research interests are centered around the following: African Diaspora dance, dance as a conduit for social change, African- Americans and the spaces that define/confine, the presence of spirituality in dance, Black feminism in movement & visual art, arts + education=what? and movement based therapy as a result of trauma. Tina is humbled and excited to begin this next journey with Umfundalai. All praises to Mama Kariamu, the master teachers and those who continue to keep the flames burning.

ANGELA PITTMAN, MFA (She/Her)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Angie Pittman is a New York-based dancer-choreographer whose works sits in the Black Radical Tradition. Her choreographic work uses dance, text, and sound to illuminate nuanced and experimental portrayal of Black dance. Angie has had the pleasure of being able to create collaboratively with A Sef, Jasmine Hearn, Jonathan Gonzalez, Athena Kokoronis, and Anita Mullin. She holds a MFA in Dance and Choreography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a graduate minor in African American Studies and is a certified Professional teacher of the Umfundalai technique. As a dancer, she has danced in work by Larissa Valez-Jackson, MBDance, Ralph Lemon, Tere O’Connor, Cynthia Oliver, Anna Sperber, Donna Uchizono Company, Jennifer Monson, Kim Brandt, Tess Dworman, Antonio Ramos, C Kemal Nance and many others. As an educator, she has taught at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Movement Research, MoMA, Sarah Lawrence College, Marymount Manhattan College, and is currently an Assistant Arts Professor of Dance at NYU: Tisch School of the Arts.

JUMATATU "MAKINI" POE, MFA (He/They)

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

TABATHA O. ROBINSON, EdM (She/Her)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Tabatha Robinson, EdM received her Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree in dance and Master’s degree in Dance Education from Temple University. For over 20 years, she has built her career as a teacher, choreographer, performer, curriculum specialist, and arts advocate. She continues to train, teach, choreograph, and speak about dance education throughout the country. Tabatha has performed and choreographed throughout the East coast as a guest artist for the Seventh Principle Performance Company. For three years, she was a company member with Kariamu and Company and is a Professional certified Umfundalai teacher. Tabatha founded and was the artistic director of the Monarch Dance Company based in the Lehigh Valley, PA for over 20 successful seasons. Tabatha is also a former column writer for Dance Spirit Magazine. Her choreography has also been highlighted internationally at the 2012 London Olympics. Images of her work and writing have been presented in the Philadelphia Dance Collective and Dance Spirit magazine, as well as the Community Education Center, the PA Theater Guide, and online publications. She currently serves on the board of the National Association of African American Dance Teachers and the development coordinator for Umfundalai teacher training. She is currently the director of dance and the Performing Arts department chair at Lick-Wilmerding high school in San Francisco, California and a guest teacher for Broadway Dance Center in NYC and ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco, CA. Tabatha is currently in the final stages of completing her Doctorate in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Organizational Leadership.

TYLER ROSS

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MARYLAND

Tyler Ross , born and raised in PG County, Maryland, is an Afro- Indigenous movement artist, choreographer, and dance educator. Ross holds a BFA in Dance Education from Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance. Within her time at Temple University, Tyler joined collegiate dance organization ,D2D: Dare to Dance, and transitioned from Event Coordinator to President. In the past few years, she has been a company member to Urban Artistry with Junious Brickhouse, Bmore Houseful with Esperonto Bean, Laura Edwards Dance Company (LED), MOTUS Company with Diana Matos, Ladies of Redemption, MoDance Work with Monique Walker, and Kariamu & Company: Traditions with Dr. Kariamu Welsh . Ross held her M’Singha Wuti Instructor certification from 2016-2024. Honoring this privilege, Ross received her Professional Certification within the Umfundalai Technique in June 2024. As one of Dr. Kariamu Welsh’s last generation of dancers, Tyler educates young, fresh minds of age the legacy of Umfundalai throughout the DMV. Throughout the process of achieving her Professional Certification, Ross served as Programs and Communications Specialist alongside Mama Monique for the National Association of American African Dance Teachers (NAAADT)

Tyler strives to educate the next generation of artists as a dance educator within prestigious Institutions and curators in the performing arts such as the Dance Institute of Washington, the Washington Ballet, the Kennedy Center, Culture Shock DC, Waldorf Senior Recreational Center, and Abundant Dance.

As a movement artist within Black Dance and African Diasporas, Tyler encourages the DMV community to gain knowledge of street dance culture through teaching Hip Hop and House dance classes, participating in battles, and performing an array of dance techniques throughout the USA.

ALLEXIS SMITH (She/Her/Hers)

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

SHEILA A. WARD, PhD (She/Her)

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA

Dr. Sheila A. Ward is presently a tenured Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science at Norfolk State University. She is Co-Director of and performs professionally with Eleone Dance Theatre of Philadelphia, PA. She holds a B.S. in Physical Education with an emphasis in Dance from Indiana University, M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Temple University, and MPH with a concentration in Epidemiology from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She is a licensed PreK-12 Virginia Educator in Dance Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Health and Medical Sciences. Integration of her degrees in exercise physiology, epidemiology/public health, and dance has served as the foundation to promote, ‘Health Empowerment through Cultural Awareness,’ the guiding principle from which she conducts scholarly activities related to chronic disease prevention and management. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a Registered Kinesiotherapist, and a Certified Instructor for both the Umfundalai African Dance Technique and the Katherine Dunham Technique. She is currently on the Editorial Board of the Physician and Sportsmedicine, a reviewer for JOPERD, and Chair of Grants & Research for Black Women in Sport Foundation. She is the Project Director for the NSU Health and Wellness Initiative for Women, a Roster Artist for the Virginia Arts in Education Residency Program, Virginia Commission on the Arts, and Past-VP of Dance, Virginia Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. She has served as a reviewer for the Virginia Commission on the Arts Virginia Arts on Tour and most recently, a panelists for two New Jersey State Council on the Arts programs, general program support for professional dance organizations and an arts education special initiative.

Dr. Ward has successfully received state, federal, and private funding for research and program implementation including authoring and implementing twelve (12) dance-related grants such as $40,000 from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance Award for the reconstruction of “Americana,” a signature work of the legendary Ms. Katherine Dunham and $96,000 to acquire and present a new work by Dianne McIntyre. Her presentations and publications on the international, national, state, and local levels are extensive and varied such as the publications of African-centered Dance: An Intervention Tool for HIV/AIDS Prevention, Health and the Power of Dance, and African Dance Aesthetics in a K-12 Dance Setting: From History to Social Justice. She was the recipient of Norfolk State University’s Distinguished Faculty Award for Scholarship and most recently the recipient of a Virginia Department Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant related to High Impact HIV Prevention Efforts, Monitoring, and Evaluation in Hampton Roads.

She began dancing with Robert Pemberton, Jr. and Rodney Williams in Richmond, VA. She performed and trained with The Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) and Philadanco II. At Indiana University, she was a member of the African American Dance Company and the IU Dance Theater. Dr. Ward was featured in Dance Teacher Now and Upscale Magazine and was an Honoree of the Virginia Peninsula ACT-SO Program and the recipient of Mayoral Citations from the City of Philadelphia for her contributions to the Philadelphia arts community. Dr. Ward is a Herman C. Hudson Alumni Award Recipient, African American Arts Institute, Indiana University for her “outstanding career as a dance artist, educator and scholar.”

ERRIN WEAVER, MA (She/Her)

CLEVELAND, OHIO

Errin Weaver is a choreographer, community activator, and the Executive Artistic Director of Mojuba! Dance Collective (@mojubadance), an African contemporary dance company dedicated to exploring spiritual and cultural dance traditions of the African Diaspora to restore community wellness, share and validate the Black narrative experience, and reestablish cultural connection, based in Cleveland, Ohio. Errin Tennessee State University, on a university performing arts scholarship, and then relocated to Chicago where she performed with the renowned Muntu Dance Theatre, under the direction of Amaniyea Payne. She now holds a Masters in Public Service from DePaul University and an MFA in Choreography and Interdisciplinary Studies from Wilson College.
Currently the visiting guest artist in dance at Cleveland State University, Errin has taught, been in residency, and sat on panels regarding sacred dance rooted in the Gospel tradition and cultural dance forms extensively. Through her work, she has created the Black Choreographers Incubator which supports and nurtures Black choreographers, hosted and taught at conferences and festivals such as the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference, Ohio Dance Festival and others, and become a published author with her piece about decolonizing dance writing and criticism in ThINKing Dance.
Errin is certified to teach Umfundalai Contemporary African Dance technique, is in the professional certification process for Katherine Dunham technique certification, and has worked with such notable choreographers as Abdel Salaam, Jeffrey Page, Monique Haley, Ronald K. Brown, and the late Baba Chuck Davis.

THE COUNCIL OF UMFUNDALAI TEACHERS

CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS

Updated October 16, 2024