The second Bloom Virtual Summit, two days of workshops and performances, was held from March 19 and 20, 2021 -- all to amplify the voices of women artists of color and support them through COVID-19.
Bloom is the annual fundraiser for In Full Color, our award-winning theatrical event featuring women of color and other BIPOC folx of marginalized genders sharing their stories, in their own voices. We give Black, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern, Indigenous and other marginalized women access to Authentic Representation. Be a part of the storytelling revolution today!
See our summit agenda below.
Summit Agenda
Pre-Show: Born with the Blues
6 pm EST || Tantra-zawadi
We kick off our summit with an uplifting number from Tantra-zawadi's one-woman show "Black Power Baby Blues." In this gorgeous mixture of music and poetry, a Black artist calls out to her people to come together and rise from the shadows to embrace their rich histories and create a new future.
ABOUT THE PERFORMER
Tantra-zawadi, Brooklyn-born performance poet and international recording artist, is a 2020 Brooklyn Arts Fund grantee! She is the author of three books of poetry, alifepoeminprogress (Chuma Spirit Books), Gathered at Her Sky, and Bubbles: One Conscious Breath (Poets Wear Prada). A passionate educator and instigator, she has collaborated with The Senegal-America Project, Betty Makoni’s Girl Child Network Worldwide, and Black Art in America
L.I.G.H.T. U.P.: Spiritual Business Strategies for Womxn of Color
6:10 pm EST || Adelina Tancioco (Surrendered Healing)
Learn the spiritual business strategies Adelina used to step into entrepreneurship full time in just a few months (with no prior business experience), make 6-figures starting year two and now earn what she used to earn in a year, in ONE month! Whether you're a dreamer, newbie, or seasoned entrepreneur, this workshop will support you and your business in shining even brighter!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Adelina Tancioco, MSW, is trained as a mental health & restorative justice practitioner, and certified coach & consultant, however, she most identifies with being a vessel of healing. She has intuitive gifts that have been passed down in her family for generations. She has spent more than half of her life learning from her ancestors and God about how to connect with those who have passed, those who are alive and in pain, and most importantly our own inner knowing. As the founder of Surrendered Healing, she specializes in serving Womxn of Color who question their inherent deserving and helps them trust their higher selves to create the abundant lives they truly deserve!
Musical Performance
7:10 pm EST || Joanne Villavieja
Enjoy the sweet sounds of songstress and guitarist Joanne Villavieja, one of the newest members of our touring troupe!
Screw the It Factor: Radical Acting Fundamentals
7:25 pm EST || Rose Kim (Art Rat Theatre)
Decolonize your acting practice with Rose's techniques including breath and movement-based approaches to utilizing one's energy and presence for audience-compelling actions.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
I'm an actor and the founder and producing artistic director of Art Rat Theatre. I serve radical, indie marginalized/racialized artists. I teach performance using intercultural physical techniques for decolonizing/liberating the actor to play freely, confidently, and fearlessly.
The Business of Sustainable Art
12:10 pm EST || Shekhinah B. (The Women's Coalition for Empowerment Inc.)
What is Art Economic Empowerment? It's the successful integration of workforce development, technology, and entrepreneurship within the art sector; creative activities and art production that generate profits for artists, allowing them to contribute to the economy. Learn how artists like you can use your production power to transform your passions into profitable enterprises -- without compromising your integrity.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Shekhinah B. is a change-maker in the nonprofit and creative cultural sector. She is an avant-gardist using creativity to connect communities, highlight emerging artists, and amplify underrepresented voices. As an independent consultant and speaker, she uses her platforms to empower underserved populations.
Healing and Harmony: Finding Alignment in the Chaos
1:10 pm EST || Marilyn Burgos
This belly dancer, wellness expert and entrepreneur takes you on a journey through the elements to find ways you can stay inspired during challenging time. Marilyn's strategies for balancing business and personal health including time management, meditation, self-nurturing and even supportive foods for an active brain and hormonal balance.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
I'm of Puerto Rican descent, born and raised in NYC. I hold a BS degree in business and currently pursuing an MS degree in Digital Marketing with an expected graduation in May. I’m a 2nd Dan in Taekwondo, and certified in Personal training, mat Pilates and other modalities. I’m also a professional Belly dance artist with over a decade of performance experience. I opened my wellness studio in 2008 and transitioned the business to a hybrid model in 2014. I recently achieved an Integrative Health Coach certification and a 500-RYT Yoga instructor certification.
The (Very Chill) Introduction to Playwriting
2:10 pm EST || Alyssa Haddad
Have you always been interested in writing plays, or the playwriting process, but haven't jumped in? Have you been nervous to start or just don't know where to begin? Alyssa will walk you through the ins and outs of how to write a play in a warm and inviting environment. Workshop will contain exercises that will give attendees the headstart they need to create their new play!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Alyssa Haddad (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based, award-winning playwright of Lebanese and Italian descent. Recently, she was a 2019-2020 member of Art House Productions INKubator Play Lab and a winner of Athena Project Arts’ 2021 Plays in Progress series. She holds a BA in History and Writing from The College of Saint Rose and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.
Pole Dance Performance
3:10 pm EST || Kitty Hok
Enjoy a live performance by pole dancing sensation and IFC alumna Kitty Hok!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Kitty is an aerialist and playwright who has been pole dancing since 2011. As a playwright, her work has been read and presented nationwide, including with The Parsnip Ship, Brave New World Repertory, The Living Room Theater, and HBMG Foundation. As a dancer, she has performed on stages in both New York and Los Angeles, including Velvet Brooklyn and LA Unbound. She believes strongly in the transformative and healing power of art in its many forms, and strives to create work that is both empowering and representational of the diverse communities she belongs to.
Amamantar
3:20 pm EST || Eloísa Pérez-Lozano, dance by Anna Gichan & Naja Gordon
This breathtaking pas de deux brings to life the nurturing and strength passed back and forth between generations of women.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Eloísa writes poems and essays about Mexican-American identity, motherhood, and women’s issues. She graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in psychology and an M.S. in journalism and mass communications. A 2016 Sundress Publications Best of the Net nominee, her work has been featured in The Texas Observer, Houston Chronicle, and Poets Reading the News, among others. She lives with her family in Houston, Texas.
Naja Gordon is a New York City native dancer, teaching artist, and writer with Caribbean roots. She received her dance training from the Alvin Ailey American School of Dance (1997-2010), and holds a B.A. in Dance from Bard College. Naja has taught movement classes at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, The Dalton School, The Abigail Lundquist Botstein Nursery School, as well as in public schools across New York City. Recently, she performed in Sitting on a Man’s Head by Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born at Danspace Project, and showcased her own work in the AUNTS WPA Instagram Live performance series.
Anna Gichan (she/her) is a deaf/hoh NYC based dancer, choreographer, performer, teaching artist and co-founder of Union|One a dual national dance collective based out of Monterrey Mexico and NYC. Anna received her BFA in Dance from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts and at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. She is the two time recipient of BAX disabled artist space grant and has been supported by Gibney Dance Center, The Cooper Hewitt Museum, and Flux Factory. She uses movement to highlight the energetic beauty found in human connections with others and the self.
Flow with Bele: Movement Flow/Yoga
3:40 pm EST || Isabele Rosso, sponsored by NimbusFIT
Decompress with a gentle and healing introductory follow-along yoga/movement flow practice led by Isabele Rosso, a dancer with our friends at Nimbus Dance who teaches for the School of Nimbus and NimbusFIT.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
NimbusFIT is comprised of open level fitness classes as well as Beginner Level dance classes like Yoga, Ballet, Hip-Hop, and more! Ideal for beginners or fitness enthusiasts that are looking for a new way to get up and in to the studio, NimbusFIT is a drop-in program the encourages adults to get fit and offers an artistic experience for adult dancers. Grab a friend and become part of the Nimbus Family! Masks are required for in-person attendance. Follow us @schoolofnimbus / @nimbusartscenter
Isabele Rosso, from Santiago, Brazil, began her dance training at the age of 5. Before moving to the United States she performed national and internationally as a principal dancer and soloist with one of the most renowned dance schools in Brazil, the Ballet Vera Bublitz based in Porto Alegre. In 2017, she joined the school of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where she trained Horton and Graham techniques. Since then Isabele has also trained with Batsheva Dance Company, Hofesh Shechter Dance Company, Vim Vigor Dance Company, BODYTRAFFIC, Northwest Dance Project, Yin Yue Dance Company and Peridance Contemporary Dance Company deepening her experience in contemporary dance, improvisation, theater dance, floorwork and choreographic process. Isabele has had the privilege of performing works by Sofia Nappi, Samuel Pott, Cameron McKinney, Dawn Marie Bazemore, LAJAMARTIN, Julia Ehsrtrand, Jennifer Archibald, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Carlos dos Santos and Carlla Bublitz. Isabele is also a certified Yoga Teacher by Three Sisters Yoga (NYC), she has completed a Mindfulness and Meditation training by The Yoga Collective (NYC) and is currently getting her Hatha Yoga Certification. @isabelerosso
Poetry & Performance Masterclass
4:40 pm EST || reg e. gaines
Legendary hip-hop artist, poet, and musician reg e. gaines helps artists grab attention with their performances, craft strong rhythmic lines and discover their own voices. Come prepared to share your work!
reg strongly recommends listening to this as well as watching this and this before the workshop.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Jersey City native reg. e. gaines is best known for his work on “Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk” a musical that debuted Off-Broadway at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater in 1995. The show later went to Broadway. Gaines also made a splash on the musical scene with an album called “Please Don’t Take My Air Jordans,” which partially parodies modern rap and the trappings of financial success many former street performers took on.
