2008 Music City Arts Conference Announces Line-up for Comprehensive Arts Classes: Acclaimed Full Circle Dance Company of Baltimore to headline conference

twitt 2008 Music City Arts Conference Announces Line up for Comprehensive Arts Classes: Acclaimed Full Circle Dance Company of Baltimore to headline conference

Nashville, TN – The 2008 Music City Arts Conference announces its comprehensive week-long schedule to promote training and performance in the areas of Dance , Drama , Poetry and Literature . This is the first annual arts conference hosted by Cathedral of Praise Church , under the leadership of Bishop Jerry L. Maynard, Sr ., which will bring nationally recognized instructors and an acclaimed dance group to Nashville with the goal of expanding, educating and strategically uniting and developing ministry arts.

The 2008 Music City Arts Conference will be held at the Cathedral of Praise Church , 4300 Clarksville Pike, Nashville, TN, August 5th – 9th with nightly classes from 6PM – 9PM . The week will end with Divad !, a grand finale production featuring regional actors and select drama, dance and literature students. Divad ! is a modern day production based on the life of the shepherd boy, warrior, psalmist and King, David . Divad ! is free to the public. Drama students will also be joined by the Poetry /Literature students in showcasing their talents at the Cathedral of Praise Poetry and Comedy Café .

Director of the 2008 Music City Arts Conference Jerome Roberson , Minister of Music, Arts and Worship at Cathedral Of Praise , has established this multifaceted ministry arts gathering with the mission of perpetuating a comprehensive arts constituency within the local church as well as the city of Nashville and throughout the Kingdom of God. “As Levites (servants), if we are to have a profound and lasting impact on the church of today we must develop ministries that are relevant to today’s culture,” says Minister Roberson . “Thusly, the focus of each component of this arts ministry conference is determined by the generation that it seeks to serve.”

An unparalleled grouping of educators specializing in the areas of Dance , Drama and Poetry have been brought together to facilitate an extraordinary week of master classes.

Dance: Donna Jacobs of Baltimore, MD will lead the Dance instruction . Donna Jacobs is the artistic director for The Morton Street Dance Company and Full Circle Dance Troup and is an honors graduate of the New York School for the Performing Arts and Wesleyan University . She has been inducted in the “Circle of Excellence ” for her professional accomplishments and youth mentoring as well as being named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women three times by The Daily Record . Her Full Circle Dance Company , is a multi-ethnic professional ensemble that performs exciting choreography from a variety of modern dance traditions. Drawing on the diverse backgrounds of its dancers, the company works in a collaborative spirit to bring technically stunning and emotionally challenging dance to a wide audience.

Full Circle Dance Company boasts performance credits at New York City’s Broadway Dance Center Performance Outlet , Tribeca Performing Arts Center , Baltimore’s Theatre Project , Towson University , the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Maryland Council for Dance . The Full Circle Dance Company will not only assist with the dance instruction for the week, but will be featured in Divad !, the production at the end of the conference. www.fullcircledance.org

Theatre: Edmon Thomas , who is the creator and director of theatre for Volunteer State Community College of Nashville , TN will instruct the theatre classes . Edmon Thomas has landed several roles with the Black Actors Workshop , The Black Repertory Theatre and American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T. ). His directing accolades include the shows Joseph & His Technicolor Coat of Dreams , Tennessee Roots , Nunsense , Macbeth , Malcolm X , Guys and Dolls , 12 Angry Men and more. To his acting credits are A Raisin in the Sun and Hamlet – Los Angeles , Assassination in Memphis , Trespasses and Shades of Melanin , Jesus Hopped The A Train – Nashville to name a few.

Participants in the theatre sessions will receive instruction on the mechanics of acting, physical movement, body control, and character-building techniques and the basics of speaking with and without regional dialects. The theatre sessions will also include tips and guides on the essentials needed in preparing for and attending acting auditions.

Poetry/Literature: Indiana native Andre Anderson will administer the Poetry/Literary track . Andre Anderson holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Indiana University at South Bend and a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from Fisk University . Andre Anderson is also the first African-American male board -certified Behavior Analysis in Middle Tennessee. As a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, TN, he’s a part of the Wedding Ministry and the resident poet at the church’s popular citywide 5th Friday social which encompasses Inspirational and Jazz music and spoken word. There, Andre is recognized as “Dre the Poet ” and hosts /ministers the spoken word which he also infuses with music. Andre Anderson was also a featured artist on The Pinnacle Project : Bricks Without Straw , which topped Billboard’s Top Gospel Charts . Andre penned and performed two tracks on the project which was highlighted during Black History Month on Black Entertainment Television (BET ) in 2003 .

“Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones” – Proverbs 16:24

Poetry/Literature attendees will be introduced to writing styles and techniques, learn to transform life experiences into spoken word stories, learn visualization and rhythm and how to create your own poetic environment.

Registration for classes is now open and is only $50 for the entire week. The time is now for leaders of music and arts ministries to develop artistic presentations in churches across the country with the highest level of professionalism and integrity. This conference, designed for all ages, has been created to promote education and instruction of the arts, excellence in ministry and continual progress for His Kingdom.

To register for the 2008 Music City Arts Conference log on to: www.cathedralpraise.org or Call 615-876-8740 ext 208 or email musicarts@cathedralpraise.org

Hotel/Conference Lodging: Hampton Inn & Suites Mt. Juliet, 5001 Crossing Circle, Mt Juliet, TN, 37122, Tel: 1-615-553-5900

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I have worked in the Gospel Music industry continuously since 1993, as a Gospel Music Promoter and Musician. My career has included working with some of Gospel Music’s top recording artist, such as Kurt Carr, Maurette Brown Clark, Stephen Hurd, J Moss, and Andrae Crouch etc. I am experienced in many areas of the Gospel Music Industry. I am a Promoter, Musician, Singer, Music Coordinator, Event Manager and Gospel Music Reviewer. I have particularly strong experience in Event Management and have managed and organised many successful event throughout the years. I have developed a strong international Gospel Music Industrial respect from industry. My event management experience is founded upon a strong Musical background.