About Us
M. Amber Spivey
Founder & Creative Director, I AM ART N MOTION
A Delaware-based performing artist, story-teller, educator, and creative entrepreneur. She studied dance at Long Island University Brooklyn Campus in NYC. As a business owner, Spivey seeks to implement programming using dance as a vehicle for community members to engage creatively, cultivate life skills, achieve fitness goals and experience the holistic benefits of the art form. Deeply aware of her ability to empower and provoke curiosity in people, Spivey uses social and cultural issues as stimuli for creating work that speaks to the adversity and resilience of the human experience. Her choreography is a fusion of contemporary, balletic lines, modern, hip hop influences, African, and her personal style accentuating spinal fluidity. She has served as a presenter for dance educators at Delaware State Arts Day (2023) and as a guest teaching artist at Dover High School’s Dance Program, Outbreak Dance Company, and University of Delaware’s Theater and Dance Program. She has trained with several notable companies and artists including The Martha Graham School, The Ailey School, Earl Mosely, Kim Jones, Shavon Norris, PILOBOLUS, and Philadanco! The Philadelphia Dance Company where she danced as a soloist with the apprentice company (2010-2015).
Spivey has received notable grants and a fellowship from Delaware Division of the Arts that have supported her professional development, research, and artistic practices. Spivey continues to work as an educator and performing artist, while delving deeper into activism through choreography these days. Her work as an educator, performing artist, life coach, and community engagement advocate directly informs her pedagogical practices and the value she creates for others. Spivey is an educator of the Lester Horton technique by way of Master teacher Ana Marie Forsythe at the Ailey School and a certified (level 1) teacher for Progressing Ballet Technique. She is a board member for Delaware Dance Education Organization and serves on the faculty at Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance where she teaches modern and ballet. As the Creative Director of I AM ART N MOTION, LLC. a performing arts agency and inspirational brand, Spivey has contracted dance artists to perform selections for Winterthur Museum, University of Delaware’s CPAB Gospelrama Concert (2022), UD’s College of Engineering RISE Program’s 50th Anniversary (2023), and A Celebration of Black Joy, a collaboration with Jonathan Whitney’s artist/musician collective. An excerpt of Spivey’s new work: Authenticity (2024) premiered at Delaware Contemporary Art Museum for ART+Nights, an intimate evening of dance.
Kamani Abu (Delaware) is native of New Castle, Delaware where he began exploring movement during his
first year of high school in 2017. He was a member of his High School dance team, learning hip hop as well as majorette. After his first year on the team, Kamani found his passion for the art of dance and began his formal training in the fall of 2018 as a scholarship student at Pieces of a Dream, a modern-based studio under the direction of Ashley SK. Davis in Wilmington, Delaware. He continued his training there throughout his high school career. Kamani also became the 2020 scholarship recipient for Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance in Wilmington, Delaware under the direction of Benjamin Sterling Cannon and Christopher Davis. Kamani is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in dance in the Alvin Ailey/Fordham BFA program as well as his Masters of Educations at Fordham University.
Kamani has had the opportunity to learn from Akua Noni Parker (Former Principal at the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theatre), Georgina Pazcoguin (First Soloist at New York City Ballet), as
well as Adam Burrach, and Imani Faye. Before going off to college Kamani performed a
self-choreographed solo and was named “Delaware’s Teen Idol” for the year 2021. Kamani also
is a resident choreographer for Wilmington Ballet he has choreographed pieces for the students
in the school and artists within the company. Upon graduation, he hopes to join a dance company
and continue to find his voice as an artist and dancer, and encourage the next generation of
young male dancers to pursue dance.
Siabhan Brown (New York) is a native of Mount Vernon, NY. Her training began at Nellie A. Thornton Elementary Magnet Arts School, now known as Denzel Washington School of the Arts, under Karen Zambelli. Soon her natural-born talent led her to be recommended to audition for the annual production of The Nutcracker with Ballet Atlantic Academy, under the direction of Leslie Otto. She was later invited to study in their pre-professional program. Over the years Ms. Brown has trained in Ballet, Pointe, West African, Horton and Graham techniques. She studied on scholarship at The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz & Contemporary Trainee Program and the Ailey School. Ms. Brown performed works by Louis Johnson, Frederick Earl Mosley, Robert Garland, Jacqulyn Buglisi and Royce Zackery to name a few. While at the Ailey School she performed in Bird Lives! a section from the original ballet For ‘Bird’ – With Love for the Ailey’s Spring Benefit Gala and Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham in the Annual Macy’s Day Parade, both choreographed by Alvin Ailey. Ms. Brown is currently a free lance dancer and hopes to someday have a non- profit organization to continue to share her passion with her community as well as to assist dancers from single parent immigrant families in pursuing their dreams in the arts.
Aliyah Clay is a 21 year old pre-professional dance artist and entrepreneur from Newark, Delaware. She is currently a junior at The University of the Arts where she received a Directors Scholarship and will earn a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a minor in Business. She began dancing in her church dance ministry at the age of 3 as well as a local dance studio. She also trained at Christina Cultural Arts Center (2008-2019) with Dara J. Meredith and Dance4Life School of The Arts and Training Institute (2011-2019) with Chauntee D. Andrews. Aliyah has developed unique time management skills to manage dancing at multiple dance schools for years in her training. While training, Aliyah has been well versed in Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Acrobatics, Praise, Improvisation, Afro-fusion and Umfundalai.
She has had numerous performance opportunities such as, The Flatiron Building in New York City, A Soulful Christmas at the Kimmel Center, WAWA Welcome America Parkway Soloist, Artist Simply Human, The University of Delaware Dance Projects under the direction of Dr. Lynnette Overby, Carols In Color annual holiday production under the direction of Shawn Lamere Williams, Dunkin Donuts Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade and guest performer at several events. Aliyah has studied at summer intensives to further her artistry such as Complexions Winter Intensive (New York, New York), Alonzo King Lines Online Intensive, Jacobs Pillow Contemporary Program (Becket, Massachusetts), Eric Underwood Summer Program (virtually - United Kingdom), Complexions Contemporary Ballet (New York, New York), BalletX (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Dance Creating New Stars (Pennsuaken, New Jersey), and Sean McLeod Summer Program (Auburn, New York). During her training, Aliyah has worked with Christine Cox, Tara Keating, Michael Sheridan, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Troy Powell, Tommie Waheed Evans, Janine Beckles, Kim Bears Bailey, Courtney Henry, Milton Myers, Helen Pickett, Gary Jeter and other prominent dance artists. She has also taught classes in Ballet and Contemporary as well as private lessons. Aliyah believes in multiplicity and being well versed so she hopes to work within multiple mediums while finding ways to blend them.
La-Chelle M Dickenson (Delaware) spent most of her adolescence dancing in church, but it was at 10 years old that she began her professional training at DanceWorks Dance Studio. She later joined Pieces of a Dream Inc, Second company (PD2), where she has worked in various dance styles and with many choreographers. After graduating high school she pursued her passion for dance and received her Bachelors in Fine Arts, in Dance Performance and Choreography. She was a performing member of the Towson University Dance Company with whom she worked with world-renowned choreographers such as Linda Denise Fisher Harrell, Runqiao Du, Peter Pucci, Amy Hall Garner, Vincent Thomas, Darrell Moultrie, and Kim Bears-Bailey. Ms. Dickenson is a recent Ailey School graduate where she completed both the Independent Study and Scholarship programs. With the school, she had the opportunity to perform in the Macy’s Day Parade (2019) and a visual project with “Red is Dancing”(2020). She had the recent honor of being mentored and coached by Matthew Rushing in his premier 4-day intimate training project (2021). Ms. Dickenson has also had roles off stage as a rehearsal assistant for the Towson University Dance Company and dance teacher at various dance studios in Delaware and Baltimore. She is currently a freelance artist in the DMV and Tri-State area and an Ensemble-member with Dance & Bmore.
Jasmine Norwood (Delaware)
first began her dance studies at Asbury Park Dance Academy in New Jersey training primarily in Ballet and Modern. When relocating to Delaware she continued her dance training at Stage Lights Dance Academy where she ventured off into other styles such as Jazz, Contemporary and Hiphop. Her professional career started off with Pieces of a Dream Inc, Second Company member (PD2) where she learned from different choreographers and traveled to various venues to perform. She became Praise Dance Leader at her church and performed as a praise dance soloist from 2011-Present. Jasmine graduated in 2018 from Stockton University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies and Dance. During her tenure at Stockton, she was part of the Stockton Dance Company and Dance Team. Stockton has introduced her to working with people such as Rain Ross, Caitlyn Quin Pittenger, Beau Hancock, Chandra Moss-Thorne, Robert Moses Kin Company, Bryn Cohn, Germaul Barnes of Bill T. Jones, John Lehrer, Randy James, director of “10 Hairy Legs” and Jae Hoon Kim who is a former member of Koresh Dance Company. She performed in the “Come Together Festival” from Koresh’s 2 week Summer Intensive Program (2017). Jasmine has done performances at Philadelphia 76ers, Universal Dance Association, Virginia Mid-Atlantic Showcase, Koresh Dance Showcase, Liberty Bowl and lastly American College Dance Association. Post graduation Jasmine became the new Owner/Director of Stage Lights Dance Academy (2018) teaching the next generation of dancers. Her most recent performances were with the University of Delaware’s first production of Suite Blackness: A Dance in Cinema (2023). Jasmine is currently a company member of Camden Contemporary Dance Theater performing in their annual productions of “First We Dance” and “The Resurrection.” Her love for the arts continues to grow as she works with different choreographers and dancers within the DMV and Tri-State area.
Katie Rolph (Delaware)
originally from Wilmington, Delaware, grew up training at the Anna Marie Dance Studio and, later,
Delaware Arts Conservatory in ballet, tap, modern,
contemporary, jazz, and theater. She received additional training at intensives on scholarship with BalletX, Philadelphia Ballet, JAM Youth Tap Project, and Point
Park University. Katie performed as a company member with the Tallahassee Ballet from 2020-2022 and as a guest artist with the Wilmington Ballet since 2023. She
graduated Summa Cum Laude with her BFA in Dance and minor in Communications from Florida State University in 2024. At FSU, Katie had the privilege of training with faculty including Suzanne Farrell, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar,
Kara Wilkes, Donna Uchizono, Ilana Goldman, and Gwen Welliver. She performed in various faculty and student works, including restaging's of Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15 and Serenade, and additionally gained experience as a rehearsal assistant with Ilana Goldman and swing with Timothy Glenn. Katie spent her last semester of the program in New York City working as an intern with
Smashworks Dance, a nonprofit dance company based in the city, and taking in all that the city has to offer.
Katie is currently a freelance dance artist based in NYC. She continues to work as an Administrative Associate with Smashworks Dance and additionally educates
students in the public school system as a Teaching Artist with Notes in Motion/Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre. Alongside performing, Katie has a passion for
capturing dance through the camera lens, including photography and film. She has premiered original dance films static 7 (2022) and in flux (2023), created in
collaboration with io Ermoli, at the Digital Graffiti festival in Alys Beach, FL. She also enjoys photographing performances and capturing each dancer as an
individual, and she roots herself in continued growth and learning as a member of the dance community in every capacity she is able to.
