ADVISOR

Michel DeGraff, born in Haiti, is Professor of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Michel dances as often as he can at JAE’s Afro-Haitian classes at the Dance Complex in Cambridge. On the scholarly and activist fronts, his interests concern the development and structures of Creole languages, with focus on his native Haitian Creole (“Kreyòl”) and on the uses of Kreyòl in research and education. Most recently, these interests have taken him to collaborate with MIT Sloan and Haitian colleagues. Two of Michelʼs recent projects in Haiti, both funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and with the support of Haitian leaders and educators, have explored some of the ways in which the strategic use of Kreyòl and educational technology improve Haitian students’ active learning. In the ongoing MIT-Haiti Initiative, Michel has enlisted the collaboration of colleagues at MIT and in Haiti to help make high-quality education accessible to the greatest numbers of Haitian students while strengthening the foundations of Haiti’s linguistic and cultural identity—in a spirit similar to JAE’s work in Haiti. A stronger and more vibrant Haiti must be rooted in the wealth of its linguistic and cultural soil, along the ideals embodied in JAE’s mission. Wi, se kon sa Ayiti ap djaye ak bèlte pou tout pitit li! For more information about Michel DeGraff’s projects, see http://mit.edu/degraff and http://haiti.mit.edu.

ADVISOR

Danielle Legros Georges is a writer, translator, academic, and author of several books of poetry including The Dear Remote Nearness of You, winner of the New England Poetry Club’s Sheila Margaret Motten book prize. She is a professor in and director of the Lesley University MFA program in Creative Writing, and taught in the Joiner Institute for the Study of War and Social Consequences Writer’s Workshop, at the University of Massachusetts, Boston for more than a decade. Her awards include fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Boston Foundation, and the Black Metropolis Research Consortium. The Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition recognized her civic work with a Champion of Artists Award in 2017. She was appointed the second Poet Laureate of the city of Boston, serving in the role from 2015 to 2019. Her most recent work is a book of translations from the French, Island Heart: The Poems of Ida Faubert, published by Subpress Collective in 2021.

Image credit: Jennifer Waddell

ADVISOR

Born in Haïti and raised in the United States and Canada, Nadège V. White works in the non-profit healthcare sector, has a keen mind for numbers and finance, is an amateur photographer, and has dabbled as a performer of Caribbean and West African cultural dances. An avid explorer of beauty, diversity, and truth, Nadège has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Canada. Her self-expression is a blend of quirky sense of humor and imagination, a deep respect for the inherent “efficiency” within us all, and a penchant for hopefulness.

BOARD MEMBER (on sabbatical)

Raquel Cardoso is an art educator and artist who believes that we are most connected to ourselves and the world around us when we are creating, whether it be painting, dancing or making music. She has spent the last 16 years sharing this vision with her students with an emphasis on themes of social justice, honoring identity and each child's personal experience and voice. She immigrated to the U.S from Portugal when she was a child and has always felt connected to others who straddle two countries, cultures and families like herself. She is an avid traveler, taking full advantage of summers off, and has traveled to numerous countries, including southern Africa, Europe and South America. She was called to the strong sense of community and powerful and grounding movements of Jean's dance class 4 years ago and has never turned back.

JAE ADVISOR, COFOUNDER

Stephanie co-founded Jean Appolon Expressions with Jean Appolon in 2011 and served as Executive Director for the organization’s first five years. Stephanie is a non-profit professional with nearly twenty years of experience in arts management leadership. She has held recent leadership positions with Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium and El Sistema USA at New England Conservatory. From 2005-2008, she lived in Maputo, Mozambique where she was the Founder and Project Manager of a grassroots project called “Dance for Life,” done in partnership with a local dance company and funded by foreign embassies and corporations. From 2000-2005, she served as the Director of Outreach and Education at Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB), one of Seattle’s largest arts organizations and one of the major ballet companies in the U.S.  Currently a freelance consultant and writer, Stephanie received a B.A. in English Literature at the University of Virginia and an M.A. in English Literature at the University of Washington.

ADVISOR

Francie Latour is a writer, educator and diversity/inclusion practitioner. Her writing on race, culture and identity has appeared in the Boston Globe, The Root, Essence and Ebony, among other publications. She has appeared as a guest on NBC’s Today and on National Public Radio. In 2000, Francie’s essay on Haitian-American identity was selected for the anthology The Butterfly’s Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, edited by author Edwidge Danticat. After 17-year career in journalism, Francie now works in higher education, coordinating a diversity initiative for undergraduates at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a leading center for biomedical research. Francie is also a co-founder of Wee The People, a new arts-based series for kids ages 3-12 exploring social justice and activism. Francie, who lives in Roslindale, is a mother of three and a daughter of Haitian heritage. Her mother was born in Les Cayes and her father was born in Petion-Ville. 

ADVISOR, STEAM EDUCATOR, PAST COMPANY DANCER, PAST JAE MEDIA + MARKETING DIRECTOR

Meghan Riling grew up dancing in Connecticut and moved to Boston to study at Boston University, where she joined the Dance Theatre Group and got very interested in choreography and improv dance. Since graduation, she has performed and/or choreographed for the Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance Company, the CRLS Modern Dance Company, and Luminarium Dance Company. She co-directed and choreographed for Calamity Co Dance, which performs goofy modern dance pieces and produces casual modern and pop art variety shows. Outside of dance, she was one third of the indie pop band One Happy Island, which played around the country and did some brief tours in the UK. Meghan also taught high school math for a number of years and earned a Ph.D. in Math Education at Boston University, researching creativity, social dynamics, and aesthetic experiences in the mathematics classroom. She is currently an instructor and researcher in education at BU.

ADVISOR & PAST BOARD MEMBER

Pierre is a Body-Based Coach helping people who feel stuck or are in pain. He helps his clients understand the interactions of their emotions, perspectives, and spirit, and how these can manifest as issues in the body when they’re out of alignment. He helps them figure out how to navigate these parts, so they can shift the relationship to one that makes them feel better and empowers them to move in the direction they want. Pierre uses an integration of modalities along with his Embody to Evolve Model that has space for an individual’s expertise so they can heal in a way that is deeply satisfying. His background includes a B.S. in Exercise Physiology, Qi Gong Teacher Certification, Four Forces Interpersonal and Group Facilitator training, Shamanic Healing, Afro-Haitian Dance and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

ADVISOR

Alicia Greene is an accomplished educator, performing artist and arts administrator. She is a committed advocate for social justice and has been published in the Journal of Museum Education. Alicia is a noted speaker and facilitator on issues of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. She has trained at Kansas State University, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts-NYC, Brown University and Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero. Alicia has worked with non-profit organizations for over 20 years in community engagement, community advocacy, performing arts and education. Ms. Greene is also a Member of NECAP (New England Consortium of Artist-Educator Professionals) as well as a former professional football player.

ADVISOR & PAST DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

Dana is a passionate advocate for public health nationally and internationally and brings an equity-focused public health approach to Jean Appolon Expressions’ work. An experienced nonprofit development and project management professional, Dana has been a part of the Jean Appolon Expressions community for over 4 years. Dana partners closely with all members of the JAE team to support the organizations’ strategic growth efforts, leading fundraising, grant writing, and organizational development work for the organization. Hailing from Madison, WI, Dana studied International Relations and Public Health at Boston University and received her Masters in Public Health from Tufts University. After many years serving on the JAE Board of Directors in Boston, Dana now resides in Palo Alto, California where she continues her work to advance the JAE mission.