dannIGeeLive with Raquelle Chavis

"The Beat and the Beauty" vimeo.com/ondemand/gprothebea...
Raquelle Chavis is from Queens Village, New York. Her studies began at The Long Island School of Music, The Eglevsky Ballet School, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center’s Children’s Program, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center’s Merit Scholarship Program, and The School of American Ballet. Chavis is a Graduate of New York’s Prestigious High School of The Performing Arts (La Guardia High School of music and performing Arts), where she received The B’nai Brith Award for Excellence in Dance, and the “Arts Award” from The National Foundation for the Advancement of The Arts, placing as a Finalist. Raquelle has performed throughout the U.S and the Caribbean with The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble / Ailey II, under the direction of Sylvia Waters, and she performed as a Principal Dancer for seven years with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater throughout the United States, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Soviet Union, The Middle East and Asia, under the Direction of Alvin Ailey until his death in 1989, and Judith Jamison until 1994.
She has worked very closely with Alvin Ailey, Mary Barnett, Talley Beatty, Fred Benjamin, Donald Byrd, Vinette Carroll, Ze’eva Cohen, Blondell Cummings, Katherine Dunham, Ulysses Dove, George Faison, Sylvia Waters, Warren Spears, Mari Kajiwara, Jerome Robbins, William Hammerstein, Pearl Primus, Keith Lee, Josephine Premice, Kelvin Rotardier, Anna Sokolow, Jimmy Truitte, Garth Fagan, Ralph Farrington, Linda Haberman, Judith Jamison, Jawole Willa Zollar, Norma Miller, Frank Manning & Donald McKayle, just to name a few..
Raquelle was a featured Soloist in the “Emmy Award” winning documentary film, “Two by Dove,” for PBS and Great Performances. She has appeared as a featured singer in four Radio City Music Hall productions including “PIPPIN”, the Broadway Concert with B. D Wong, Lucie Arnez, Audra McDonald, Pia Zadora, Gregory Harrison, Boyd Gaines, and Dr. Ruth Westheimer. For many years, she worked side by side with the legendary choreographer Talley Beatty on productions of “Carmen Jones” as Assistant Choreographer, Lead Dancer, and Dance Captain, and for the restaging of his Ballet - “Congo Tango Palace”.
She was Dance Captain and Assistant Director to the Tony Award winning Director and Playwright Vinette Carroll, and received outstanding reviews for her starring Dance role as “Mary” in Carroll’s “Your Arms Too Short to Box with God,” with Teddy Pendergrass, Stephanie Mills, BeBe Winans, and Jennifer Holiday. In 2002 she directed and choreographed the musical/play "Marion Anderson, The Lady from Philadelphia," for the National Black Theatre (NYC), and Town Hall (NYC), produced by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, and Woody King Jr.
As a Singer/Songwriter, Raquelle has performed in numerous European music festivals and touring engagements with The Andy Lutter Trio, her Jazz Quartet, and has written music and lyrics for American Independent films and European feature films. In 1999, she hit the charts in Europe as a featured artist on the compilation CD, “Rave Around The World Vol.II,” with the single, “The Girl from Ipanema" which was later released as a single for Warner Music. It hit the dance charts in Japan and Australia, at numbers 2 & 4 respectively, and it was featured on Video Vox, and Radio stations daily. She has written lyrics and hooks for Taca Tuca records as well an eclectic group of talented DJ’s and producers.
Since her return to America, she has recorded with Guitarist Rodney Jones and Lonnie Plaxico of Blue Note Records, Mark Sherman, David Mann, and Jim Hynes. In 2009, she was the recipient of the 2010 “ASTRAL” Award from The NFAA (National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts) Alumni Association.
Raquelle has taught Master Classes, and choreographed for numerous Universities, public schools, dance companies and dance studios in the USA and Europe. In 2017-2019 she moved to the UAE to found and head the Dance Division at Studio Republik Dubai. Raquelle’s students have furthered their education and careers at Prestigious schools, and Dance Companies in the USA and Europe such as: North Carolina School of The Arts, Ailey Fordham, Northwestern, Julliard, Frankfurt Ballet, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, Ailey II, The NYC Broadway Stage, Cal Arts, NYU Tisch School of The Arts, and more.
Raquelle continues to perform, direct, choreograph, and stage productions worldwide, and is currently creating dance, theater, musical theater, and music works for her multidisciplinary Performing Arts company -Geechie Anne Productions.

[@DanceMr]

Still watching to this day! Wonderful Interview. I have so many young ladies following in the same steps of you wonderful ladies of Ailey!