Jazz Power Youth Master Class

Choreographer/educator Mickey Davidson joined Dianne McIntyre's ground breaking "Sounds In Motion" in 1975 and danced with the company for eight years. She has always taught and performed for children and has an extensive background in African American dance styles. She has been teaching for many years at the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp in New Orleans and has worked closely with jazz musicians including Sun Ra and writers including Ntozake Shange. Mickey won an Audelco award for choreography of "For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf" directed by Ntozake Shange.  

Artistic Director Eli Yamin is a pianist, composer, singer, and educator who has been spreading the joy of jazz through his work for 30 years including 10 years as founding director of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy. Eli tours with his blues band and jazz quartet, has released several CD's and has performed at The White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and over 20 countries as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Department of State. Eli sincerely believes learning about jazz should feel as creative as playing jazz and consistently shares this experience with students of all ages.

                                Broadway star André De Shields visits Jazz Power Youth Workshop

Jazz Power Initiative is a New York City-based not for profit 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to ignite the power of jazz arts education to transform lives by fostering self-expression, leadership, collaboration and diversity. Jazz Power Initiative was originally founded as The Jazz Drama Program in 2003 by jazz musician/educator Eli Yamin and writer/educator Clifford Carlson. Since then, thousands of young people in New York City, across the US and around the world have made friends with jazz and in jazz through Jazz Power Initiative programs.