Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Rita is excited to combine her Ghanaian culture, extensive performing arts background and foreign language skills, and love for Africa to help fulfill TACA's Mission.
Under her leadership, TACA has been placed on the Teaching Roster of the VA Commission for the Arts; has been offering Traditional and Afrobeats Dance classes to the commun
Rita is excited to combine her Ghanaian culture, extensive performing arts background and foreign language skills, and love for Africa to help fulfill TACA's Mission.
Under her leadership, TACA has been placed on the Teaching Roster of the VA Commission for the Arts; has been offering Traditional and Afrobeats Dance classes to the community; and continues and continues to form meaningful partnerships to engage and bring the community together through various cultural programs and events. The ACE (African Cultural Education) with TACA program which she developed is now in 5 schools across South Hampton Roads.
She is a graduate of the Norfolk Academy; earned her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Music from the University of Virginia; and her Master of Music in Classical Voice Performance.
J. "Shine" Allison, African Dance
Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Spanning over half her life, J. “Shine” Allison has built an impressive career as a teacher, choreographer, director, and performer of dance. She illuminates the dance floor with her striking, effervescent, energetic movements imbued with depth, power, and grace.
Her craft was honed through steadfast training, teaching, and performing with
Spanning over half her life, J. “Shine” Allison has built an impressive career as a teacher, choreographer, director, and performer of dance. She illuminates the dance floor with her striking, effervescent, energetic movements imbued with depth, power, and grace.
Her craft was honed through steadfast training, teaching, and performing with renowned NY based artists and companies from Africa, the Caribbean, and America, including Malaki Ma Kongo, Izulu Dance Theater, and Kowteff West African Dance Co. Some of the highlights of her dance career include multiple appearances at "Dance Africa" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; as well as "Nzinga: The Queen King" Theater Production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; dance features with Reggae artists Bunny Wailer (of the renowned group Bob Marley and the Wailers) and Jimmy Cliff at Radio City Music Hall, NYC and "Sunsplash", in Jamaica, W I; Bishop Tutu at the United Nations; and Senegal, West Africa with Baba Chuck Davis.
Read more on our Dance Class page!
Leajjah Flemings, Events Coordinator
Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Leajjah Flemings, Events Coordinator
Nashville, TN native Leajjah Flemings is excited to join the Tidewater African Cultural Alliance team. Leajjah graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Design/Technology. As a natural creative in both her personal and professional life, she has been involved in numerous artistic endeavors in stage manageme
Nashville, TN native Leajjah Flemings is excited to join the Tidewater African Cultural Alliance team. Leajjah graduated from Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Design/Technology. As a natural creative in both her personal and professional life, she has been involved in numerous artistic endeavors in stage management, lighting design, event planning & content creation. In 2021, Leajjah & her business partner launched their media company, In Full Blume Media, a creative studio whose mission is to examine and improve the human condition by harnessing the transformative power of storytelling. Their first project, the In Full Blume Book Club Series, offers hosts & viewers alike, the opportunity to embark on a powerful journey of discovery, reflection & healing, with literature as their guide.
Growing up, Leajjah felt disconnected from Black culture. Therefore as an adult, she has committed herself to self-discovery and has worked to strengthen her ties to her heritage. Today, Leajjah is a proud Black woman, committed to educating herself about Black issues, celebrating Black culture, and investing in Black communities. She is thrilled to be joining this group of passionate leaders working to create memorable and meaningful events that reflect the beauty, diversity & excellence that is the African Diasporic experience.
Lela Hernandez, Stage Manager
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
Suzanne Hing, Programs Assistant
Lela Hernandez is a proud Puerto Rican Cinema Production Major at Old Dominion University. She has directed and produced numerous works, and has grown fond of both theatre and filmmaking. She enjoys working closely with the theatre department and loves watching each show come together to tell its unique story. She is excited to help TACA tell its unique story to the community.
Suzanne Hing, Programs Assistant
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
Suzanne Hing, Programs Assistant
Suzanne learned the love of Dance and culture from her native Trinidad and Tobago. She currently teaches Dance Fitness classes and enjoys incorporating her culture through dance and stories.
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
A native of Accra, Ghana, Justin is excited to return to work for TACA, after having been the Social Media Marketing Intern.
He is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where he studied Digital Marketing and Advertising, Social Media Communications.
He is also a podcaster, and hosts Chale! What Dey Go On?
Sam Lewis, Admin/Programs Assistant
Valerie A. Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie A. Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
A native of Chesapeake, Sam is an energetic Dancer with 6 years of experience performing solo and with highly talented Dance groups (Baile Fuzion Dance Company, Ubuntu Dance Company). Her skills include Breaking, House, and Whack/Punking dance genres. She is also a compassionate mentor in Rites of Passage to young girls at Village Academ
A native of Chesapeake, Sam is an energetic Dancer with 6 years of experience performing solo and with highly talented Dance groups (Baile Fuzion Dance Company, Ubuntu Dance Company). Her skills include Breaking, House, and Whack/Punking dance genres. She is also a compassionate mentor in Rites of Passage to young girls at Village Academy; a Volunteer and activist in the African-American Community (Together We Stand, nonprofit, and Eturnal Roots Band).
She uses Dance to heal those by and large ignored by the dominant culture, and free the minds of people who have been restricted in their own natural growth. Thus, her dancing promotes self-awareness, discipline, confidence, and
healthy expression, attributes that the ACE with TACA program aims to develop and enhance.
Valerie A. Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie A. Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie A. Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie Winborne has had an extensive, multi-faceted career as a dancer,
choreographer, repetiteur, actor, dance movement therapist, educator, and presenter.
She toured extensively with the internationally renowned Urban Bush Women and assisted in staging Jawole, Willa Jo Zollar’s (Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women) work, Shelter, with
Valerie Winborne has had an extensive, multi-faceted career as a dancer,
choreographer, repetiteur, actor, dance movement therapist, educator, and presenter.
She toured extensively with the internationally renowned Urban Bush Women and assisted in staging Jawole, Willa Jo Zollar’s (Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women) work, Shelter, with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Ensemble. Shelter is celebrated and
showcased on film in the African American Museum of History featuring Winborne, who also performed with many other choreographers, including Ron Brown, David Rousseve, Johanna Boyce and presented her own choreography in New York City at
Dancespace, Henry Street Settlement Playhouse Theater, and Performance Space 122.
Honored by the National Dance Society as its 2016 Master Dance Educator of the Year, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, Valerie is currently Director of the Norfolk State University Dance Theatre; a consultant for Gifted Dance Education; and youth dance instructor in the Hampton Roads area.