ARGS DANCE

Artists in Residence

Take a look at our 2018-2019 artists in residence.

In residence December 10 - 14:

Iquail Shaheed will join us to teach master classes and set work on the Repertory Ensemble.

Mr. Iquail Shaheed is the founder and executive artistic director of DANCE IQUAIL!. As a native of Philadelphia, Iquail was trained at the age of thirteen upon acceptance to the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. He furthered his dance studies with the Philadelphia Dance Company’s (PHILADANCO) “Training & Instruction” program. While at PHILADANCO, he became a senior member of Danco II, under the tutelage of Donald T. Lunsford II.

Subsequently, Mr. Shaheed has earned scholarships to The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, The Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance, the Paul Taylor School, The Juilliard School, Jacob’s Pillow, Pennsylvania Ballet and International Ballet Theatre Schools, among many others. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ballet Performance from the University of the Arts, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Purchase College – SUNY. As a professional dancer, Iquail has worked with internationally acclaimed companies such as Compagnie Thor (Brussels), The Sean Curran Company, Ronald K Brown/ Evidence, and The Fred Benjamin Dance Company.

Iquail has also appeared in various Broadway productions including Hot Feet, The Lion King, and Purlie, in addition to stints on Film, Television and Print. As a teacher, Mr. Shaheed’s style is pulled from his passion and commitment to preserving the Horton Technique. Currently Mr. Shaheed is on faculty at The Ailey School, Steps on Broadway, and Harlem School for the Arts. He has taught at Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet School, Centre Stage, the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts High School, and Purchase College – SUNY. Additionally he enjoys frequent teaching engagements for master classes touring extensively throughout Europe, Africa, North American, and the Caribbean.

Over the years, Iquail has been awarded for his many achievements including Lower Manhattan Cultural Council grant awards, The Caroline H. Newhouse Award, The Suzanne and Larry Engman Second Place Award, The Philadelphia Dance Award (Rocky), The Marion D. Cuyjet Award, NAACP ACT-SO National Silver Medal, and The Promising Artist Award.

Check out his company at http://danceiquail.org/.

In residence Nov. 2 & 9:

Johnnie Mercer (a native of Richmond, Virginia, a graduate of the Appomattox Regional Governors School, and a BFA graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Dance and Choreography) is a maker, freelance-performer, educator, and artistic entrepreneur based in New York City. As the Choreographic/Company Director of Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC, his work has been presented/commissioned/shared at The Center for Performance Research-CPR, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD!), The Dance Place of DC, Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, Judson Church Movement Research, Greenspace, The Bolls Theater of Detroit, The Jamaica Performing Arts Center, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, The Billie Holiday Theater (RestorationARTS), York College’s The Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center, NYU Tisch School of Dance, Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX), NYU Skirball's AUNTS, the NADA Conference, as well as recently at the 2018 Fusebox Festival where he received the 2018 Austin Critics Table Award for Best Toured Performance 2018. As an artistic leader/educator, Mr. Mercer facilitates and teaches within the New York Public School system through The Leadership Program- a mentorship based organization that uses art to foster/engage conversations on self and managing success. Mercer has also been on teaching faculty/a guest artist at The American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, NYU Tisch Summer Dance Program, Gibney, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Desales University, Muhlenburg College, and the University of Texas at Austin (in residence as their 2016 Vangaurd Choreographer). Johnnie is currently a 2018 Choreoquest AIR at RestorationARTS, and an inaugural recipient of 2018 Partnership Residency at the Stephen Petronio Residency Center (in collaboration with Danspace and DanceForceNYC).