BIOGRAPHIES OF CCPVA PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTORS:

LAUREN ANDERSON,
Houston Ballet Outreach Associate
Former Principal Dancer of the Houston Ballet

Native Houstonian Lauren Anderson danced with Houston Ballet from 1983 to 2006, performing leading roles in all the great classical ballets, appearing across the world to critical acclaim, and in the process, becoming one of Houston Ballet’s most beloved stars. 

She trained exclusively at Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy from the age of seven. She joined Houston Ballet in 1983 and in 1990 became the first African-American to be promoted to principal dancer at Houston Ballet – and one of the few African-American ballerinas at the head of a major ballet company anywhere in the world.

Ms. Anderson danced leading roles in most of the classics. She created the title role in Ben Stevenson's Cleopatra, and her performance as Cleopatra received accolades from international critics. Anna Kisselgoff, dance critic for The New York Times compared her to the great Italian actress Eleanora Duse, and Christine Temin of The Boston Globe pronounced her "a powerhouse in interpreting the role that Stevenson created on her." Ms. Anderson performed across the globe as a guest artist.

In 1990, Ms. Anderson received The Special Jury Award in the USA International Ballet Competition and in 1996, the International Critics award in Chile. In April 1999, she was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine. She’s been featured in the magazines People and Pointe, as well as on the television programs "A&E Breakfast with the Arts," "CBS News Sunday Morning," and the game show, "To Tell the Truth." She has been honored by The Martin Luther King Foundation, Coalition of 100 Black Women, YWCA, by the Urban League, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Delta Gamma Foundation, Texas Woman’s Chamber of Commerce, National Council of Jewish Women, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Houston City Council, Texas Legislature, and the United States Congress and the list goes on.  In 2000, Ms. Anderson was chosen to be an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

In January 2007, Ms. Anderson assumed her new role of Artistic Outreach Associate in Houston Ballet’s education department where she teaches ballet classes at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, conducts master classes at area schools, and lectures to students on dance and her historic career as one of America’s most distinguished African-American ballerinas.

lauren@moshows.com

DWIGHT J. BAXTER

Director/Choreographer/Playwright/Dance Instructor-Ballet, Jazz and Modern

Dwight B. has been passionate about the performing arts since the age of eight. He was born in Houston, Texas, Educated at Purchase College of S.U.N.Y in New York, trained at Pasty Swayze's School of Dance and the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Mr. Baxter has a variety of performing arts backgroundS and experienceS. He brought a striking vitality to the Broadway Tony Award winning shows he has performed in: “Treemonisha,” “Bubbling Brown Sugar,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Daddy Goodness,” “Three Musketeers,” “Grind,” “Woman of The Year” and “Ain't Mis'Behavin.”

It was here that he developed his stage craft in theatre by working with such directors as Harold Prince, Joe Layton, Billy Wilson, Israel Hicks, Lester Wilson, Michael Peters, Louis Johnson, George Faison, Kenny Ortega, Tony Charmoli and the great Bob Fosse.

Mr. Baxter's television and film credits include “The Wiz,” “Hair,” “Beat Street,” Berry Gordy's “Last Dragon,” “Raquel Welch with Love,” “Cookie,” “True Identity,” “Cher; I love New York” “Cotton Club,” “One Life to Live” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” He also has appeared in numerous of operas, music videos, and television commercials. He has worked as directed and choreographed several small showcase theatre companies based in New York, gaining invaluable experience in virtually all aspects of producing professional theatre for all audiences.

As a playwright, in 1997, Mr. Baxter staged his first production titled, “Stop Cheating on God's Time” starring the Levert Brothers Gerald and Sean. After a few years of the development of this production and some type of success Mr. Baxter was asked by Houston Grand Opera to restage the Original Broadway Musical “Daddy Goodness” for the new audiences of Opera New World. His committed efforts to this work pushed him further to develop A new musical "Will a Real Man Please Stand Up" with such celebrity performers as Tommy Ford from the T.V show Martin and Ms. Michelle Williams from the world famous group Destiny's Child .

Since then Mr. Baxter has re-developed the musical into a show stopping –foot stomping musical production with reviews from Voices Magazine and Sister 2 Sister “Dwight Baxter’s “Will A Real Man Please Stand Up,” gives Tyler Perry’s Madea’s, a run for her money. “ With a cast of outstanding musical and comical performers Johnny Gill, Clifton Powell, Sean Levert, Monifa, Trent Roberts, David Hollister sensational Erica Atkins-Campbell of Mary-Mary, Nicci Gilbert from the group Brownstone and with special guest appearances by the late great Gerald Levert  this can only be a great show.

This similar cast will be featured in his next two musical “The Man He Use tooBe” and “U So Right that U Can’t be Wrong” followed by his debut Novel “A Blacklight on the Great White Way”, debut March 2011, “Broadway want be the same.” Recently Mr. Baxter has been working as Entertainment Director and coordinator and talent contractor for MWR U.S Army with KTCOK Enterprises, LP and the 46th Special Forces Company Airborne Association under direction of Mr. Ron Foster , Brigadier (ret) General Remo Butler and Mr. Johnny Pelton of MWR U. S Army Fort Hood for the welcome home celebrations of our troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Baxter was very instrumental and directed the largest Gospel of star’s event to be seen at a military base in the world, at Fort Hood.  The talents included Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, CeCe Winans, BeBe Winans, Trini-tee 5:7 Mary-Mary, Spenca Baker, Bishop T.D Jake’s, Joel Osteen’s - Lakewood Church Praise Team, Lou Gosette Jr., Rissi Palmer, Tamara Tunie and Sinbad. This event took place at Abrams Field House April 10, 2008.

 

From the success of that event , in 2010, Mr. Baxter, will poduce the  Civilian Dedication Awards Ceremony for the United States Military Armed Forces titled “Night of 100 Stars-American Freedom Awards” to be held in Houston,Texas. The first civilian recognition awards ceremony in honor of our 7 United States Military Uniformed Armed Services, through clearance of the Department of Defense, Washington D.C, and this event will take place in April of 2011.

More info:  dwight@moshows.com  •  713-931-2449

 

KIJANA WISEMAN, M.Ed.
Singer, Actor, Playwright, Director, Educator and Modern Day Griot

Kijana Wiseman has worked or performed in over 20 countries on the American, African and European continents. This child actress of Houston's Theaeatre Inc. and Alley Theatre, integrated Rice University in 1966--at the age of 16--in a special program for gifted students.  After high school, she attended Houston Baptist College, then University of Houston where she received a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Drama.  Her Masters of Education, specializing in  African Theatre, is a result of joint studies at Texas Southern University and the University of Liberia in West Africa. 

LIBERIA:  Kijana arrived in Liberia as a Peace Corps Volunteer, liked it and stayed six years. She arrived as a Peace Corps Volunteer, then, after her 2 year duty was completed, continued her work at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs & Tourism's National Liberian Cultural Center.  NLCC was a government sponsored village of writers, singers, dancers, actors and musicians in Kendeja, Liberia. At the Cultural Center, she was assistant director of the National Cultural Arts High School. Wiseman also worked as the speech and drama instructor of the American Cooperative School; hosted two national talk and entertainment shows: "Bargain Fair" and "Under the Palm Tree " on Liberian ELBC-TV; shot commercials in Germany as the  Merz Skin Care international model; performed before heads of state; interviewed and performed with international touring stars (Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masakela, the Drifters, SSSteam, Moga, etc) as a talent for Palm Inc., an international marketing firm. 

The Liberian war forced Kijana to return to America. She took a 5 month vacation to recuperate.

AMERICA. Returning to America in December of 1979, Kijana and opened The Wiseman Company, an advertising, marketing and creative production company.  In 1985, her event and entertainment affiliate, Modus Operandi, was born.  With the advent of the internet, the company was renamed MoShows.com.

Kijana has written and produced ad campaigns, commercials and jingles for hundreds of advertising agency/PR clients.  She has also provided back-up vocals for recording artists whose styles range from jazz to the classics. She currently tours colleges with relationship & motivational speaking engagements and creative "singing" lectures that combine audience participation, poetry, on-stage costume changes, characterization, narrative storytelling and song to take audiences on musical journeys that spans genres from traditional African music to the classics--encompassing spirituals, showtunes, opera, vaudeville, pop and jazz.

FYI.  Wiseman studied voice under Mary Robey at Kashmere High and later with operatic soloist, David Brewer (who later also coached Beyouncé). She has been a soloist / performer with the Workshop Chorus, Sudan Arts Southwest, SSSteamMoga, Implosion, and has performed with the Conrad Johnson Big Band, The Houston Symphony Chorus, Greater Houston Chorus and Houston Oratorio Society's Masterworks Chorus. She has been a member of the African Overseas Union, Liberian Studies Association, the Society of Children's Book Writers and APCA & NACA college booking associations and is past VP of the Houston Association of Black Journalists. She is currently on the board of Emancipation Park. 

RECENT AWARDS:

1997:  1st place in the City of Houston Talent Competition.

1998:  Texas Commission on the Arts Kijana's "The Griot" was awarded inclusion as one of the

            148 touring artist programs eligible for local, state and national performance arts grants.

2002:   "Best Performing Artist of the Year" Assoc.for the Promotion of Campus Activities Nationals

2001 & 2002: Best College Diversity Program of the Year"  (APCA Nationals)

1992-2010:   16 First Place Awards for originally written and directed plays for  Jack & Jill Teen teen competitions for the five-state southwest region.  Plays "Cognocenti" and "The Millennium Game" have seen more than one 1st place award in additional competitions.

Video and Mp3 demos, history, photos and Kijana's original plays are available for download at http://kijana.com.

More info:  www.kijana.com  •  713-521-0900  •  www.MoShows.com

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