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2017 Dance Scholars
- Edge School of the Arts
- The Beijing Experience: Dance Scholar Speeches and Performance
- Meet the Dancers
Don't miss your chance to meet this year's Dance Scholars. For full bios please click here: https://www.eventbank.cn/event/8602/2017-dance-scholars.html#2017-dance-scholars
Ashleigh Au
Ashleigh Au is a Business Consultant based in Beijing China, but as a teenager she had her heart set on becoming a professional dancer. Born in Toronto, Canada, Ashleigh entered Claude Watson School for the Arts at age nine where she studied ballet, jazz, modern and folk dance. As a child she performed with the Canadian Dance Tapestry and competed in Square Dancing.As a teenager Ashleigh worked in music videos for artists such as Wyclef Jean, Donnell Jones, Sean Paul, and NEXT, as well as “Save the Last Dance” the television series, and “Honey” a feature film starring Jessica Alba.
Ashleigh holds a BA in East Asian and Latin American Studies from the University of Toronto, and went on the earn a Graduate Certificate in Chinese and American Studies from Johns Hopkins Nanjing Center. From 2010 to 2017 she led international facing public relations for SOHO China, the largest prime office real estate developer in Beijing and Shanghai, while serving as Special Assistant to China’s foremost women entrepreneur Zhang Xin. Ashleigh also served as Secretary General of the SOHO China Scholarships directing a US $100 million scholarship initiative for Chinese students accepted to top international universities.
Saiku Branch
Executive Director of The Afrikan Poetry TheatreSaiku A. Branch is the son of the late John Watusi Branch, co-founder of The Afrikan Poetry Theatre. He was raised in this cultural arts institution where he was exposed to poetry, creative writing, music, film, dance & other arts disciplines from a young age. His love for music, art & theatre lead to an extensive 18 year career in film and television production, music composition, directing and more. He’s work for Def Jam Island Records, Universal Music Group, BET Networks, HBO, and Fox Searchlight to name a few. His work has appeared on movie soundtracks and multi-platinum albums and his documentary, “Life and Death in Darfur” won numerous awards.
Kerri Edge
Artistic Director of Edge School of the Arts (ESOTA)Kerri Edge is the Artistic Director of the Edge School of the Arts (ESOTA). In the image of the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, ESOTA has dedicated itself to bringing the art of African American dance to young aspiring artists and both community and international audiences. Ms. Edge is most respected for her artistic and scholastic mentorship of young people; her repertoire of works that celebrate African-American achievement, acting as a supplementary history reference; her development and administration of creative arts programming that exposes young people to multiple art genres incorporated with academic concepts; and encouraging students to change their attitude towards learning, community stewardship, civil rights engagement and self-awareness.
Ms. Edge began her dance training at the age of three at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center in Jamaica, Queens and continued her studies at The Eglevsky Ballet School, LaGuardia High School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Martha Graham School, and SUNY Purchase. She has earned her Masters in Arts Administration from NYU and is currently a Professor of Dance at Medgar Evers College, where she serves as the advisor to the Dance Club and Black Student Association.
Her commitment to the Jamaica arts community is evidenced by her work with various organizations and institutions that service the Greater Jamaica area. Ms. Edge has presented and developed arts programming at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, the Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Reversing the Projections, A Better Jamaica, the Afrikan Poetry Theatre and in number of public schools throughout Jamaica. She is the co-chair of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Jamaica Is Steering Committee, a member of Jamaica Now Arts and Culture Committee, the lead on several winning arts projects from Council Member Daneek Miller’s Participatory Budgeting process and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Afrikan Poetry Theatre.
Ms. Edge has worked with New York 1 News Anchor Cheryl Wills on various projects, including the promotional release of her children’s book The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills. She has served as the Dance Director for Americans Promoting Study Abroad New York/Beijing Dance Initiative since its inception in 2013 and will travel with her students this spring to Beijing, China. Her short film 4 Little Girls: The Cinedance will be presented at the Queens World Festival in March.
Wendy Edge
ESOTA Dance Scholar Coordinator at Edge School of the ArtsWendy Edge has a BS in Business Administration from American University and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from George Washington University. She graduated from the High School of Performing Arts and has studied with Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center and the New York State Summer School of the Arts - School of Ballet. Wendy was a merit scholarship student at the Andre Eglevsky School of Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She was a featured dancer in Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield, choreographed by Michael Peters. Wendy currently serves as the Director of Contracts and Compliance for the Supportive Children’s Advocacy Network, where she has served on several training advisory boards in the after-school arena. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and is the Customer Service Manager and a member of the teaching faculty of the Edge School of the Arts. Wendy is committed to serving and mentoring youth. She has served as the Trip Coordinator for 12 World Discovery Tours with the KECDE Children’s Dance Company over the past 18 years and a Dance Scholar Coordinator and Chaperone for APSA’s New York-Beijing Dance Initiative since its inception in 2013.