Afro-Fusion

Students will enjoy Urban Afrobeat steps infused with traditional West African, Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk and Dancehall. This class is designed to strengthen the student’s ability to adopt a range of styles and get an understanding of how these movements are connected. Get ready to sweat, workout and enjoy the sounds of popular music from Nigeria, Ghana and across the African continent.

Tamara Jones is a dancer and choreographer in New York. She has been a member of several different dance companies including Harambee Dance Company and Umoja Dance Company. Throughout her dance career, Tamara has had the opportunity to perform on many stages and venues, including Symphony Space, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), for Essence Magazine Events, Summer Stage, the International African Arts Street Festival, New Jersey Performing Arts Center NJPAC and Broadway Dance Center’s Tribute to Savion Glover 2005. She also choreographed Jona Briddle for “The Jonah Show,” a tribute to Hip Hop pioneer and for Brickhouse Studios founder Kelly Peters at Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre. Yearly, as a part of Nabisco’s Black History Program, Tamara teaches an Afrobeats and African dance class to employees to help celebrate African culture.

Aside from dance, Tamara Jones has also explored a career in acting as she was a dancer in the 2016 Indi Film “The Magnificent Cooley T,” starring Jackie Long and Tiearra Marie and produced by Steven Leeds. She was also in “A Meyers Christmas,” a movie produced by Will Packer and directed by David E. Talbert (2017).. Ms. Jones shares her passion for dance through teaching. She currently teaches West African, Tap and Hip Hop to ages 6 and older. She teaches Sub African dance at Broadway Dance Center, Afrobeats at Ripley Grier Studios and at Grammy Award Winning singing artist Chrisette Michelle’s new dance studio, RH Studios. She also shares are passion for dance through her instruction at a free class at Union Square’s Reebok store, sponsored by Reebok.

Host or Publisher Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance