Bio:
Talise A. Campbell is a dancer, choreographer, director and educator who strives to connect audiences to the beauty of diasporic music, history, art and folklore. Campbell creates multi-disciplinary and socially engaging dance for theater, screen, stage and the public space. Her work is continuously focused around research, musicality, authenticity and the African-American experience. She comes from a family of artisans having acclaimed actress, Minnie Gentry as a Great-Grandmother alongside her cousin, Actor and Producer, Terrence Howard.
Her choreographic works have been featured receiving rave reviews in notable plays such as Ruined, God’s Trombones, Black Nativity, Julius Caesar Set in Africa and her annual highly anticipated self-produced production of Juneteenth, which was recently featured at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the historic Ohio Theater at Playhouse Square.
Combining her love for arts and education, Campbell received both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the field of Education and Educational Administration at Cleveland State University. She worked in academia and the arts arena for over two decades sharing her knowledge of culture through dance. Campbell also designed and implemented education plans for students with learning disabilities through the integration of the cultural arts at her Alma Mater, Cleveland School of the Arts for over 16 years.
Currently Ms. Campbell is Associate Professor of Music at Oberlin College & Conservatory. She is also the Executive Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute where she has created an extensive repertoire that has touched thousands over a decade through stage performances, residencies, lectures and workshops. Her work has been achieved through her ongoing diasporic research, community arts engagement and her annual international travels where her work has been featured in West Africa, South America, United Kingdom, Cuba, Dubai and the Caribbean Islands to name a few.
“I want my work to allow dancers and audiences to be able to escape the world around them while tapping into what it really means to be alive” -Talise Campbell