Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, Inc.
Board of Directors
Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, Inc. thanks its Board of Directors for their commitment and generosity in leading Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, Inc. and all of our programs in bringing the highest level of excellence and providing learning and growth opportunities for young dancers and participants from around the world.
Board of Directors
Candace Carponter - President
Fredrick Earl Mosley - Founder and Artistic Director
Torya Beard
Arlene Boop
George Coleman - President Emeritus
Laura Ingoglia
Lavinia Mancuso
Jamal Story
Sheryl Pollard Thomas
Wanda Wiig
Board President
Candace Carponter
Candace Carponter (she/her) is a graduate of Cornell University and received her JD from George Washington University School of Law. While in Washington, Candace worked on Capitol Hill, and after law school, she took a position as a staff attorney with the Civil Division of The Legal Aid Society. For the past twenty-seven years, she has headed her own law practice, now located in Downtown Brooklyn, where she specializes in real estate transactions and litigation, and supportive housing. From 2008 to 2013, Candace served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the Berkeley Carroll School, a private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY where she sat on the Committee on Trustees, the Buildings, and Grounds Committee, and the Development Committee. In the 13 years that her daughter attended school there, she participated in and spearheaded many fundraising activities for the school, including the gift of the Class of 2012, the largest gift given to BC by a graduating class. Candace currently is a Board Member of Everybody's Reading, a not-for-profit organization engaged in training educators in New York City to teach children with learning issues, including dyslexia.
Examples of Candace’s other extracurricular activities include serving as managing attorney for the Legal Team and on the Steering Committee of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, a community organization founded to fight the private taking of 23 acres in the middle of brownstone Brooklyn for a basketball arena, which raised over $2 million to support its efforts. She also served as Co-Chair of the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, a coalition of 40 community groups organized to address the negative impacts of the proposed "Atlantic Yards". She is actively engaged in community issues surrounding overdevelopment in Brooklyn, and statewide issues involving climate change and raising the minimum wage.
Candace is the very proud mom of Alia, an EMIA and Alvin Ailey School graduate, who now attends Skidmore College, majoring in Dance and International Affairs, both passions which were nurtured and flourished under Mr. Mosley's tutelage.
Founder and Artistic Director
Fredrick Earl Mosley
Fredrick Earl Mosley (he/him) is Founder and Artistic Director of Diversity of Dance, with a mission not only to entertain but to use dance to help effect lives in the most adverse circumstances which is a part of Mr. Mosley's life philosophy. Mr. Mosley’s choreographic credits include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theater Studio Company, and Dallas Black Theatre. Mosley has also choreographed on schools such as Montclair State Dance Department, The Joffrey Ballet Trainee Program, The Ailey School, Hofstra University and numerous universities and institutions both nationally and internationally. Mr. Mosley has also had work performed at the National College Dance Festival in Washington DC, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as Lincoln Centers Alice Tully Hall, and Lincoln Centers “Out of Doors Series”. Mr. Mosley has been awarded Teacher of the Year 2005, by Dance Teacher Magazine, and Outstanding Artists Award from the Connecticut Dance Alliance for his commitment and love of mentoring and encouraging young dancers to reach for their dreams. He has also received numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Mr. Mosley was also awarded the outstanding Mid- Career Award for Excellence 2016 by the prestigious Martha Hill Fund, along with the Elisa Monte Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Mr. Mosley strongly believes fully in passion, spirit, and his commitment to appreciating the differences that truly make each artist unique and respected. Mr. Mosley is a Founder and Director who leads the EMDOD vision with a strong hand for all. He welcomes Diversity not only in art but the life experiences that each dancer brings to the process of creating dance that entertains, educates, and heals the human spirit.
Board Member
Torya Beard
Torya Beard (she/her) is a New York-based director, creative consultant/strategist, choreographer, educator, and producer specializing in dance and theater. Her curvy professional path reflects a deep curiosity about and belief in the boundless possibilities at the intersection of creativity, artistic expression, and social justice.
She studied dance at The University of Michigan and performed with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, David Rousseve/Reality, The Kevin Wynn Collection, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, Deeply Rooted Chicago Dance Theatre, among others. She toured with the National Tour of Donald Byrd's The Harlem Nutcracker, made her Broadway debut in Disney's The Lion King (swing, dance captain, understudy Sarabi), and was a featured dancer in the film Idelwild.
Torya's passion for dance and theatre lead to 15-years in PR & Marketing as Owner/Creative Director of thatgirl006, Inc. Past clients include; Ayodele Casel, Roger C. Jeffrey, Rod Gailes OBC, Evidence, A Dance Company, Savion Glover, Charlotte Brathwaite, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Harlem Stage, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, and Tiffany Rea-Fisher.
Recent projects: Ayodele Casel + Arturo O'Farrill at The Joyce Theater (Creative Director/Assistant Choreographer), YoungArts (Regional Multidisciplinary Co-Director, NYC 2019, Miami 2020), Jesus Christ Superstar - In Concert (Producer), Idina Menzel 2017 World Tour (Creative Director), Harvard University ArtLab (Arts Administration Consultant, Fall 2019), Diary of a Tap Dancer V.6: Us, commissioned by New York City Center (Co-Curator/Co-director).
Torya is Executive Director of A BroaderWay Foundation, Director of Original Tap House, Co-Founder of tall poPpy, Inc., Managing and Creative Director for Ayodele Casel's AyoLives, Inc., Artistic Director at Excellence Community Schools.
Board Member
Arlene Boop
Arlene Boop (she/her) is a graduate of Brown University and received her JD from the New York University School of Law in 1975 and was admitted to both the NYS and Pa bars in 1975. During law school, she was not only active in clinical programs, offering civil legal assistance to the women of the Bedford Hills Prison and to young emancipated adults through an Urban Clinic program, she participated as a member of the National Lawyers Guild with the interviewing of inmates of the Brooklyn House of Detention relative to the pre-trial conditions which significantly impeded their ability to mount a defense to the criminal changes against them. On graduation, she then worked as a stagg attorney and later managing attorney of one of the neighborhood office until her return to New York where she joined the four attorney law firm of Stolar Alterman & Guliemetti. The firm, of which she became a partner eventually, became the present firm of Alterman & Boop LLP and handles both a wide variety of civil rights cases, plaintiff side employment, and public accommodation discrimination cases as well as a significant amount of litigation on behalf of neighborhood organizations including law suits which forced the Department of Sanitation to vacate the Ganservort Peninsula so that the space could be made part of the Hudson River Park in accordance with the enacting legislation. She is also class counsel for a class of nearly 4,000 federal employees on whose behalf she has obtained summary judgment on liability for unpaid premium pay for work on Sundays. The practice also continues to have small neighborhood family practice components, representing small cooperative corporations in general governance issues, tenant representation, and basic real estate transactions. She also advice a number of small non profits such as a family operated Cultural Center of Iroquois Culture and History in the Adirondacks.
She is the mother of two sons, age 31 and 26. She and her husband enjoy hiking, music, and almost anything to do with the water. She looks forward to resuming playing her violin as she attempts to cut down her active litigration case load. She came to a studio performance of Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance about four years ago and was captivated by the heartful artistry and has since come to value the organization for it's incredible sense of community.
Board Member and President Emeritus
George Coleman
George Coleman (he/him) is a graduate of Columbia College (BA) and The University of Connecticut (MSW). Now retired, he spent most of his work life on the faculty of the UCONN School of Social Work, with the exception of a 3-year assignment as Deputy Commissioner of the state's Department of Income Maintenance, and a 5-year digression pursuing his second passion, starting a carpentry/construction business. He has served on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Creative Housing, Inc, and Litchfiled Performing Arts, Inc. He has also been Business Manager for Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance since 2006 and believes that EMDOD makes the world a better place and he is honored to be a part of it.
Board Member
Laura Ingoglia
Laura Ingoglia (she/her) is deeply committed to supporting aspiring dancers and to several dance organizations. She is on the of Board of Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance and of I Dance Because, a member of the Jacob’s Pillow School Advancement Committee annd the Lasalle Dance Lecture Series. She is a former member of the Camille A. Brown & Dancers Board Development Task Force and is on the Cape Cod Theatre Project Advisory Board. Before retiring, Laura was the editor of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s SchoolTime/FamilyTime Teacher’s Resource Guides.
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Board Member
Lavinia Mancuso
Lavinia Mancuso (she/her) is the Coordinator or the MyLibraryNYC program at the Queens Library. Queens is the most diverse county in the continental United States. The library reflects that diversity in its cradle-to-grave programming and its print and on-line collections in many languages. Lavinia was previously Executive Director of Everyone Reading, a not-for-profit organization offering professional development, tutoring and information on reading and reading disabilities. Before that, she was an administrator at a tutoring program, a museum educator, a school principal and a teacher, with occasional stints as an adjunct professor.
Board Member
Jamal Story
Jamal Story (he/him) trained at the Lula Washington Dance Theatre. He holds degrees in Dance Performance and TV/Radio Communications from Southern Methodist University. He performed with Complexions, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet, Donald Byrd/theGroup, Madonna’s 2001 Drowned World Tour, and Cher’s Living Proof: The Farewell Tour and is currently the dance and aerial captain for her Here We Go Again tour. In addition to workshop teaching appearances at several dance training programs, Jamal taught as an interim professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City. He continues arts advocacy outreach as the chair of the National Dance Committee for SAG-AFTRA, and has written two books, 12:34 and Toss in the Ether, both available on his website:
Board Member
Sheryl Pollard Thomas
Sheryl Pollard-Thomas (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and internationally recognized dance educator with over thirty years of experience. A D.C. native, Sheryl Pollard-Thomas’ training includes Bernice Hammond’s Northeast Academy of Dance, The Duke Ellington School of the Arts and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (HS). S.U.N.Y.@ Purchase College is where she received a B.F.A. in Dance. She was also trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater School on a Merit Scholarship.
Ms. Pollard-Thomas has conducted master classes in the Lester Horton dance technique in Italy, Germany, Detroit, NYC, Miami, and Boston. She has served as Co-Chair of the Department of Dance at the Boston Arts Academy for twelve years and dance teacher for 19 years. She served as Adjunct Professor at Harvard University, The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and dance teacher at The Jeannette Neil Dance School, Origination Cultural Arts Center, and dance residency at Boston University.
Ms. Pollard-Thomas is proficient in Modern, Ballet, and Jazz dance techniques. She is the Residential Director, Assistant Director and teacher/choreographer for Earl Mosley’s Institute for The Arts Summer Intensive and year-round programs. In May of 2014, Ms. Pollard-Thomas received the 2014 Champion of Arts Education Advocacy Award from Arts|Learning for her outstanding contributions to the promotion of artistic excellence within Massachusetts.
Her professional credits include principal dancer with the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company, Mafata Dance Company, Michiyo and Dancers and Detroit City Dance Company. She has toured Japan, Italy, Germany, Vienna, Aruba, Jamaica for various dance companies and Musical Theater productions. While performing in various musical productions she was afforded the opportunity to work with such notable choreographers as George Faison, Mercedes Ellington, Graciella Danielle, Judith Jamison, and Gene Anthony Ray, as a dancer and/or assistant choreographer.
Currently Ms. Pollard-Thomas resides in MD. and she is the Founding and Lead Instructor of Dance at Maurice J. McDonough High School. She is dance faculty at City Dance DREAMS, and adjunct faculty at George Mason. Assistant Director and Residential Director at Earl Mosley’s Institute of The Arts.
Board Member
Wanda Wiig
Wanda Wiig (she/her) has been on the Board of Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance for a plethora of years. She has worked with Founder and Artistic Director Earl Mosley for 20 years, both at Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts (EMIA) and with Life Dance Company (LDC) since it's inception. She first met Mr. Mosley during Project Poetry Live in 2001.
While working with LDC and EMIA, she was Program Manager overseeing LDC's activities and assisting in coordinating EMIA's Program. Beyond the administrative responsibilities, she assumed a mentoring role for the organization and program participants. She provided educational and career guidance for students, many of whom did not have access to someone who can provide this level of counseling.
In addition to working with Earl, she originally worked in the computer industry as a programmer / IT Manager and eventually a Y2K consultant. Today, she works as an Administrative Assistant for the Vice Principal at a nearby school.
Wanda went to Hartford High School and the University of Connecticut. She is married to David R. Wiig and has one son named David and daughter-in-law, Becca. Her family has also been involved in EMDOD's programs in one way or another as they love Mr. Mosley's goals.