Rita Addico Cohen, Executive Director
Valerie Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
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 Cultural (traditional) and Afrobeats Dance classes to
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 Cultural (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.
Valerie Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Valerie Winborne, Assistant Teaching Professor of Dance at the College of William & Mary, has had an extensive, multi-faceted career as a dancer, choreographer, repetiteur, actor, dance movement therapist, educator, and presenter. The President Elect of the National Dance Society and former Norfolk State University Dance Theatre Director
Valerie Winborne, Assistant Teaching Professor of Dance at the College of William & Mary, has had an extensive, multi-faceted career as a dancer, choreographer, repetiteur, actor, dance movement therapist, educator, and presenter. The President Elect of the National Dance Society and former Norfolk State University Dance Theatre Director 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 on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Ensemble (Shelter). 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.
Lela Hernandez, Stage Manager
Valerie Winborne, Afrobeats FEST 757 Coordinator
Lela Hernandez, Stage Manager
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, Teaching Artist
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
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, Teaching Artist
Justin Jumpah, Social Media Manager
Sam Lewis, Teaching Artist
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.