Collaborators
Ami Yares
Ami Yares is a performing artist, educator and social activist. He currently serves as the executive director of BuildaBridge International, an arts and education non-profit that provides therapeutic art-making programming and training through a trauma-informed lens. BuildaBridge captures Ami’s passion for the necessity and urgency for the arts to play a more integral role in the healing and wellbeing of society. His experience in arts interventions ranges from research on the arts impact on social wellness to small scale arts-based conflict transformation programming and design as well as being a socially minded folk musician who uses music as means to convey understandings about society and culture. Ami holds a MS in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and has toured all over the United States and Europe, teaching and performing. Ami’s concerts and workshops have been featured components of the US Department of State’s diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Germany, Seeds of Peace, Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. Ami continues his peacebuilding work as a global ambassador for the Israeli and Palestinian youth music program, Heartbeat. For Ami, it’s a privilege and responsibility to follow the path of the arts and justice as one.
Carl(os) Roa
Carl(os) Roa is a creator, writer, performer, organizer, juicy Colombian bear, and effusive Miami transplant. A proud alumni of the Headlong Performance Institute and Drexel University, (os)’ work explores the marginalized within the marginalized, and child-like revelry in performance. They’ve worked with numerous artistic organizations in Philadelphia, including The Wilma Theater, Taller Puertorriqueño, First Person Arts, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective, The Painted Bride, and Swim Pony Performing Arts. They are currently the Education Programs Fellow for Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and a contributing writer for Artblog – two organizations that they are honored to be associated with. Previous projects include From Beneath, It Lurks, a play they wrote alongside local directors Adrienne Mackey and Bradley Wrenn; and Andean Mountains, which was self-produced and the recipient of a residency provided by FringeArts and received its world premiere at Taller Puertorriqueño. Coming up next: Llegando, a dance-theatre piece produced alongside dance artist Belle Alvarez that is slated to premiere in 2019.
Cat Ramirez
Cat Ramirez is an award winning theatre director and creative producer based in Philly, who aims to make work that empowers the person inside them who was socialized to be quiet and ashamed of having opinions. Their directing work has been presented by Simpatico Theatre, Power Street Theatre Company, Lxs Primxs, Arcadia University, Villanova University, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and Phoenix Theatre (among others). As a creative producer and arts administrator, they have worked with Orbiter 3, InterAct Theatre Company, Lightning Rod Special, Obvious Agency, and Asian Arts Initiative. They currently serve as the Creative Director for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists and the Interim Line Producer at The Bearded Ladies Cabaret. Cat earned a BA from Vassar College in Drama. They are an alum of the National New Play Network Producer-In-Residence Program, and are a recipient of Bonaly Reviews’ Unsung Hero and Powerful Producing Awards. Cat was honored by Governor Wolf's Advisory Committee on Asian Pacific American Affairs for their work furthering Asian American Theater in Philadelphia. Cat usually aims to make the last sentence of their bio sound deep and meaningful, but right now they just really want to give all of their friends breakfast sandwiches. catramirez.com
Leilani Chirino
Leilani Chirino started dancing at the age of three at the Conservatorio de las Artes de Conchita Espinosa, a Cuban arts academy founded in Havana, Cuba. She later became principal dancer for the company of Ada Linares, specializing in flamenco, ballet, and modern dance. In college, she studied Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban modern dance. While training in the classical dances at school, she was raised in Afro-Cuban religions at home, exposing her to the music and dances from an early age. Professionally, her goal has been to promote Afro-Cuban culture, dance, and music. Since moving to Philadelphia, she has performed at the Koresh Artist Showcase, the Koresh Come Together Dance Festival, the Painted Bride, World Café Live, Fringe Arts, the Museum of Art, and the Barnes Foundation. She has also taught and performed Cuban social dances at dance congresses in San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta. She is currently an instructor of Afro-Cuban modern dance, flamenco, and ballet at Sound Space studio in Philadelphia.