“Mama Janell" Scott
Founder and Director

Arla Scott began dancing in high school and carried it into college. After graduation from the University of California at Davis, she became the Director of the Black Repertoire Dance Troupe of U.C. Davis. Once she relocated to Washington, D.C. she began dancing with the University of the District of Columbia and then joined the staff at the D.C. Youth Ensemble (DCYE) under the Direction of Carol Foster.

While working with DCYE Mama Janell studied Taratibu with Mama Afia Akoto of the Nationhouse Positive Action Center, Watoto Shule. In 1980, she started the DCYE Taratibu Drill Team and has since performed Taratibu nationwide as well as internationally in the Virgin Islands and Edinburgh, Scotland. After approximately17 years of teaching and performing Taratibu with DCYE, Mama Janell started the Taratibu Youth Association in August of 2007.

Mama Janell has been invited to teach and has conducted intensive workshops in Taratibu for youth organizations in the following venues:

As an Instructor:

• DC Department of Recreation & Parks (coordinated instruction at seven recreation centers)
• Oakhill Youth Facility (through Voices & Motion Players)
• Over 10 DC Public Schools and several P.G. County Schools:
  
  

  - Bunker Hill Elementary School (E.S.)	- Buchanan Middle School (M.S.)
  - LaSalle E.S.	- Garnett-Patterson M.S.
  - Garfield E.S.	- Browne Junior High
  - Turner E.S.	- Wilson Senior High
  - Parkview E.S.	- Oxon Hill High School
  - K.C. Lewis E.S.	- Largo High School
  - Patricia Harris M.S.

  
  
• Ebenezer AME Church, Fort Washington, MD
• Bladensburg Youth Incentive Program, Bladensburg, MD
• First Rock Baptist Church , Washington, DC
• Peoples Congregation Church , Washington, DC
• Kipp Charter School

As an Artist in Residence:

• Youth Multi Service Centers; St. Thomas & St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Kuumba Collective, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Lula Washington L.A. Contemporary Dance Theater; Los Angeles, California
• Lafayette Youth Congress; Lafayette, Louisiana,

Naima "Mama Daniel" Hylton
Founder and Co-Director

Naima began dancing at Suto Dance Studio, Hyattsville, MD. After a few years with Suto, she quickly joined the D.C. Youth Ensemble (DCYE), founded and directed by Carol Foster; where she studied ballet, Horton modern dance, tap, and Taratibu. As a student of DCYE, she was afforded the opportunity to learn the basics and choreography of Taratibu under the direction of "Mama Janell" and was part of the first DCYE Taratibu Pan African Drill team. She has performed Taratibu locally as well as nationally from 1990 - 1995.

Soon after graduating high school, she began teaching Taratibu in the D.C. public schools and for the D.C. Department of Recreation. She assisted in the development of and participated in 7 annual Harambee's (a Taratibu conference developed by Mama Arla and hosted by DCYE) where 15 - 20 Taratibu teams/organizations from the greater Washington metropolitan area as well as Pennsylvania and California celebrated and promoted Taratibu. The conferences included workshops and master classes on African and African American history, dance, culture and arts.

Naima developed and mastered the technical side of the arts. She learned and later worked as the Technical Director for DCYE on at least 8 concerts. She still works in that capacity for DCYE as well as other artistic organizations. Naima's strong organizational skills led her to serve as DCYE's Studio Manager for several years managing the daily operations of the organization, scheduling performances and serving as the liaison to parents and students. She recently served as the “Acting Director” of DCYE while Mrs. Foster was on hiatus; having complete oversight responsibility for the organization.

Naima, a founding officer and Co-Director of the Taratibu Youth Association, brings her wealth of talent, organizational and technical skills, as well as love for the arts to full use while playing an essential role in the development of this organization and the mentoring and support of our dancers.

Nehemiah Dixon III
Visual Arts Director

Nehemiah Dixon III has exhibited at The PASS Gallery , The Sumner Museum, The Phillips Collection, Maryland Institute College of Art, Delaware College of Art and the Washington DC Superior Court house. He has taught painting and drawing at Sidwell Friends and is currently finishing his degree in General Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has spent the past several years working as an art installer in various Smithsonian museums throughout the metropolitan area. His goal is to stay involved in the arts through youth outreach groups such as Taratibu Youth Association and pursue his career working with museum exhibition.

Janell Edgerly
Instructor

Bio

Doris White
Wardrobe Director