STUDENTS FROM JUILLIARD RETURN

TO GABORONE, BOTSWANA

Project Maru-a-Pula (Project MAP)

Promises of Blessings 2011

Gaborone, Botswana

June 5^th -June 21^st , 2011

June 17 & 18 at 7PM — “Tapestry” Maitisong Performance Theater

After a long awaited arrival, students from the Juilliard School, passionate about becoming ambassadors of the arts and beacons of social justice, initiated a community service project and arts education program in 2010 that served the communities in Botswana, Africa, called Project MAP. The Group returns this May with 3 students and includes 2 team leaders: Alumni/Project MAP Founder LeBaron McClary, and Staff/Project MAP Founder Candace Feldman. The group continues to serve primarily the Maru-A-Pula School (Setswana for Promises of Blessings) an independent day & boarding secondary school in Gaborone and students from Moshupa Village, located in a village 45 minutes outside of the city.

The Project MAP Team will teach master classes in dance and  drama to students from Maru-a-Pula ( and the community) in the afternoons, followed by intense evening rehearsal that will culminate in a full-length performance presented on June 17 & 18 at the Maitisong Performing Arts Theater.

Ernesto Breton, Dancer Hailing from New York City, Ernesto began his formal training at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, better known as the "Fame" School, at the age of fourteen. Ernesto has had the privilege of performing José Limón's Missa Brevis and new choreographic works by Andrea Miller and Raewyn Hill. Ernesto is currently in his second year of studies at The Juilliard School.

Jeremie Harris, Actor Jeremie is a native New Yorker who attended NYU before coming to Juilliard. He began acting because of a love for storytelling, collaboration, and the power theater has to bring diverse groups together. Some of his favorite roles at Juilliard include, Sorin in "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov, Norbert in "Blue Window" by Craig Lucas, and Eddie Fuseli in "Golden Boy" by Clifford Odets. This year Jeremie is entering his third year of training and is extremely excited about performing in two Shakespeare plays in Repertory in the spring of 2011. In addition to acting Jeremie is deeply interested in community development, and has taught children and helped rebuild houses in New Orleans with the Juilliard ARTreach program and is a Gluck Community Service Fellow who performs at hospitals, nursing homes, and other redevelopment institutions.

Kerry Warren, Actress  From Juilliard Drama’s Group 42, is excited to return to Botswana and join the new team of Project Map. In Botswana she performed a Shakespeare piece with her colleagues in the production Tapestry. She also co-directed the students and community members of Maru-A-Pula for the drama portion of the event and taught poetry and acting throughout the school day. She has a strong interest in Arts Reach and was named Treasurer to the Black Student's Union in its inaugural year. This summer she also assistant directed Macbeth with Insurgo, a nonprofit theatre company, in her hometown Las Vegas before returning early to New York to be an Orientation Leader for the incoming Juilliard students. Her performances of 2010 include Medea from Pecong by Steve Carter and Melissa from Less Than Human Club by Timothy Mason. Outside of Drama Division she performed a political speech at Juilliard’s Martin Luther King Celebration; the production for V-day from the Vagina Monologues ran by students who fight against woman brutality; and the Gala event celebrating President Polisi where she portrayed Laura from Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Kerry is now in her 2nd year of training for her Bachelor's in Drama and has recently finished her role as Viola in the Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night and Rust in Landford Wilson's Balm In Gilead directed by Becky Guy. She is excited to work on a collaborative piece with her colleagues using the works of Federico Lorca directed by a Juilliard Alumni Jesse Perez. She will be ending the year with Chekhov projects as well as continuing her service work through the Black Student Union as Vice President and Arts Reach.          

LeBaron I. McClary, Coordinator & Founder Project MAP  LeBaron Isaac McClary, native of New York, began dancing at of 5. After attending the Alvin Ailey First Steps program, Mr. McClary trained privately with Darrell Chase for several years before attending Broadway Academy of the Arts and Academics and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. While attending LaGuardia, Mr. McClary had the honor of dancing with the Martha Graham Dance Company. During his senior year at LaGuardia, Mr. McClary was an ARTs week finalist and graduating with several leadership scholarships. Soon after, Mr. McClary was accepted into The Juilliard School, where he had the honor of dancing in work by Jose Limon, Paul Taylor, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Johannes Weiland, Aszure Barton and many other choreographers. 

Additionally, while at The Juilliard School, Mr. McClary explored, what would soon become, another passion, community service and outreach work. Beginning in his first year at Juilliard, Mr. McClary participated in several school organizations such as ARTreach, Multicultural Youth Artist Network (M.Y.A.N) and the Residence Hall Community Counsel and later founding Juilliard’s first Black Student Union. As well as participating in multiple school organizations, Mr. McClary also volunteered on many out-of-school community service and arts residency projects like the New Orleans Project (2009-2010), Project Philippines(2010) and co-founding Project MAP 2010. Upon graduating from Juilliard, Mr. McClary moved to Torino, Italy to dance with Balletto Teatro di Torino. Missing his work with children and community development, Mr. McClary returned to the United States to continue serving and helping those in need. Mr. McClary looks forward to continuing his career as dancer and activist and firmly believes that as artist and citizens we are obligated to help and serve others. Botswana 2011!!!

Candace Feldman, Juilliard Staff & Founder Project MAP Daughter of a Zimbabwean Father and Hawaiian mother, Candace received her B.S. in Theater with her emphasis on Directing from Kansas State University. While at KSU she minored in Leadership Studies, American Ethnic Studies and Women’s Studies. At the age of 23, Candace was awarded the Society of Stage Director’s and Choreographers Fellowship for her direction on The Last Black Play, ACTF-Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Invitation and the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion Award for Excellence in Theatre. That same year she was awarded the Joey-Lee Garman Award for Social Justice. Since then Candace has been working diligently to promote social justice through the arts. Candace has directed The Meeting, The Author’s Voice, Labor Love and Laughter and many original scripts. She Associate Produced Eti! East Africa Speaks in NYC, where 11 artists from East Africa performed their original works. She currently works for 651 ARTS: a non-profit arts organization dedicated to performance from the African Diaspora as the Educational Outreach Director and still remains with The Juilliard School as the Willson Theater House Manager. Candace also freelances in Television, Award shows including GLAMOUR Woman of the Year, The Tony’s, Drama Desk Awards and the International Emmy’s. She continues to promote and support artist and activists by producing reading series for playwrights based in Brooklyn, mentoring, volunteering and hosts Sisterhood Tea Parties for women activists in New York. She continues to stay closely connected to Sundance East Africa and Theater Without Borders. Candace is thrilled to be back in Botswana and back to a place she calls home. She is looking forward to the rare and blessed opportunity to interact with the young and talented minds at Maru-a-Pula.

Tapestry

Friday, June 17 & Saturday, June 18, 2010 at 7PM

Maitisong Performance Arts Theater

For ticket information contact Maitisong at maitisong@gmail.com 

www.maitisong.org

This program is part of Project MAP Arts Initiative and presented by Project MAP, in partnership with Maru-a-Pula International School and Maitisong Theater.