STAFF
ANTWAN SESSIONS
Owner & Artistic Director of Namari Dance Center
Owner of Namari Dance Conservatory
Founder/Artistic Director of Namari Ballet
Antwan Sessions, native of Charleston, South Carolina started his dancing career while attending North Springs High School located in Sandy Springs, Georgia. There he found his passion for dance. Searching for outside training, Antwan join Total Dance in Adamsville, Georgia where he studied Ballet, Modern, & Jazz dance. Since then he’s attended several dance school under a full scholarship such as, Renaissance International School of Performing Arts (RISPA) in Milton, Georgia, Atlanta’s Resource for Entertainment & Arts (AREA), Burklyn Ballet, Tolbert Yilmaz, and Metropolitan Ballet Theatre in Alpharetta, Georgia to name a few. Antwan’s passion for dance has allowed him to perform and teach in places like Denver, San Francisco, Mexico, Canada, China, Europe, Africa and so many more. Some of Antwan’s credits include: Assisting for Georgina Louchiey who’s the Artistic Director/Co Owner of RISPA. He’s danced for Tracy Vogt
of Philadanco, Kim Robards of Kim Robards Dance, Kiki Ely of ATLA, Stephan Reynolds of Cirque Du Soleil, and Jeffrey Page former choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance and Beyonce. Not limiting himself to concert dance, Antwan was the principal dancer for Sea Beach Resort in Egypt for a year, he also danced in former Danity Kane member D. Woods in her music video “Best You Got” toured China with pop artist Christah Ray as well as toured with artist Nikki Jane. He is now the Founder of Lamorris Namari Contemporary Ballet Company, Owner of Namari Dance Conservatory and Artistic Director/Owner of Namari Dance Center.
SHERVOSKI MORELAND
Owner / Associate Artistic Director of Namari Dance Center
Hailing from Athens, Georgia - Shervoski Moreland is a lifetime creative, as well as Producer of two years. His initial foray into the entertainment industry came by way of being a professional dancer. His dance interests began at a very impressionable age and remained consistent throughout his school aged years. Upon graduating from high school, Shervoski embarked on his professional entertainment journey and has services several notable entertainment journey and has services several notable entertainment brands in a plethora of capacities including VH1, Tyler Perry Studios, Swirl Film Studios, TVONE, among others. In 2017, Shervoski began serving as an intern & assistant and subsequently as Associate Producer for Derek Blanks Productions. Accredited work attributed to hm in his tenure includes work with artist such as Keke Palmer, Missy Elliot, Cynthia Ervio, Fantasia, Vanesa Bell Calloway, and so many more. Presently, Shervoski serves as the Executive Producer for IBC Productions and Co-Owner of Namari Dance Center.
DANA CRIGLER
Ballet / Pointe
Hailing from the Windy City, Dana was born, raised and trained in Chicago, IL. She started her training at the age of 4 with Jack and Kathleen Villari at American Dance Center and finished her professional training under the guidance Elizabeth Boitsov at Boitsov Classical Ballet. She has performed professionally with Lamorris Namari Ballet Company (principal), Southwest Ballet Theatre (guest artist), and Boitsov Ballet. Her professional dance career was temporarily interrupted with the blessing of a wonderful husband and 5 beautiful children, which have been her rocks of support in coming out of retirement to perform professionally again and teaching full-time. All of her students, co-workers, and fellow dance professionals are here family and she feels so blessed to be able to share her gifts and experiences.
TERESA WILSON
Company Rehearsal Director
Teresa is a graduate from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA with a BFA in Dance Education. Throughout her journey at The University of the Arts, she was invited to perform with Philadelphia's West African Dance Company. Kulu Mele African Dance & Drum Ensemble, by Emmy Award nominated choreographer Jeffrey Page, and has performed works created by Pearl Primus (restaged by Kim Bears-Bailey). In the years, Teresa has assisted with the production of Jazmine Sullivan's London Performance, performed in Debbie Allen's Brothers of the Knight, Sir Rosevelt, Step Up: High Waters, HBO's The Watchmen, BET's American Soul, HBO Max's Doom Patrol and the Triumph Awards. Teresa recently finished touring internationally with recording artist Keith Sweat as the dance captain. Since touring, she set sail with Norwegian Cruise Lines as a singer and dancer for Broadway's After Midnight. She is now back home performing with City Gate Dance Theater and The Tap Rebels, and teaching dance across the metro Atlanta area.
TROY POWELL
Horton
A New York Native, Mr. Powell Began his Dance training at the age of nine at the Ailey School as well as The creative Dance Theater in Harlem. After graduating from The High School of Performing Arts Mr. Powell joined Ailey II, after two seasons performing and traveling the US and Caribbean with the company he joined The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where he traveled to Europe, Asia,South America, South Africa and The United States Of America for ten seasons while also performing with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison, Ulysees Dove, George Faison, Talley Beatty, Donald McKayle, Jawole Willa jo Zollar, Ron K. Brown, Dwight Rhoden and Donald Byrd to name a few. Upon leaving the Ailey Company in 2001 Mr. Powell became resident Choreographer and Company teacher of Ailey II. In 2004 Mr. Powell beame Associate Artistic Director of Ailey II and in 2012 became the 2nd person in history named Artistic Director of Ailey II, where he traveled across the US, Canada, The Caribbean and Europe for eight years. Mr. Powell has taught all over the world and has Choreographed on companies such as The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (NY) Ailey II (NY) Dallas Black Dance Theater (Dallas, TX) Exclamation Dance Company (Houston, TX) National Dance Theater Company (Kingston, JA) America's Next Top model and three segments of Sesame street. Mr. Powell is continuing to focus on maintaining teaching and educating students of the next generation of young artists all over the world.
LATONYA LASTER
Tap
LaTonya Wise is local Athenian, wife, and mother of four. She started her dance career at the age of 11 and fell in love with it from day one. Her formal training began at East Athens Educational Dance Center, where she studied ballet, tap, modern, and jazz. She was able to perform with many companies including Jacksonville Centre of the Arts, DanceFX Concert Dance Company, and the University of Georgia Ballet Ensemble to name a few. She has also had the opportunity to partake and perform West African. After graduating with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Marketing Management in 2013 LaTonya founded WiseXpressions Dance Studio Inc. The studio was a nonprofit organization in which students would not only get the fundamentals and a strong technique base, but also dive into the competition world. Covid closed the studio but LaTonya’s 30 year dance background allows her to still teach and choreograph for children and adults. Dancing is her passion and she honors teaching students that want to learn the technique and creative side to dance.
