Move-Ments Artist: Aysha Upchurch.

Aysha Upchurch is a Washington, DC-based dancer, choreographer and poet. The Washington Post calls her poetry “smart” and her movement ranges from Hip Hop to tap, having studied with legends in both genres, from Buster Brown and Diane Walker to Rennie Harris and Mr. Wiggles. She has choreographed, taught and performed throughout the country in Philadelphia, New York, Texas and North Dakota, as well as internationally in the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. In the Washington, DC area, Aysha is in demand as a dancer, instructor and choreographer. She has been on faculty at Joy of Motion Dance Center since 2000 and has worked with CityDance Ensemble since 2003. Her work has been seen at Dance Place, the Carter Barron Amphitheatre, DARS Constitution Hall, Atlas Performing Arts Center, the Verizon Center and on promotional commercials for the Washington Nationals. She has choreographed for Georgetown Dance Company, DCypher Dance Company, Namyanka Dance Ministry and Joy of Motion’s Youth Dance Ensemble Senior Company. In 2007, she received the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Local Dance Commissioning Project, and was nominated for a Metro DC Dance Award for Emerging Choreographer. Aysha is a St. Louis, MO native who motive to DC to attend American University where she earned a BA in International Studies and an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Move-Ments Artist: Steve Connell.

Steve Connell
As a poet, playwright, and actor, his work has continually garnered attention and praise. Poet: he is the 2002 Hollywood Champion, the 2003 LA Champion and the 2003 National Poetry Champion (team LA). His work has been featured on a wide variety of media outlets, including ABC World News, Good Morning America, MSNBC’s Hardball, HBO’s Def Poetry(twice), MTV’s World AIDS Festival, BET’s Lyric Café, Oprah Winfrey’s celebration of Maya Angelou’s 75th birthday and P-Diddy’s Annual White Party. Actor/playwright: His work in, “Downsizing”, won him the “Best Actor” award in the 48 Hour Film Festival and URB magazine declared him one of the “100 Faces To Watch.” His hit one man show, 40 Days, received rave reviews from the LA Weekly (Pick of the Week) and Backstage West (Critic’s Pick) and was declared Best Solo Performance of 2005 by Entertainment Today. His theatrical acting/writing highlights include: no easy choice, at the 12th Annual U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO; The Word Begins, (dir. Robert Egan), just completed its’ first national run in 2007 at the Signature Theater where it was hailed as “explosively funny”, and “…a stunning show on the cutting edge of modern theater.” Other favorite roles include: Tom (Glass Menagerie), Macbeth (Macbeth), and Danny (Danny and the Deep Blue Sea). Film/TV: appeared in independent films, Another Day in Paradise, Shanghai Kiss, and on television in Dirty Sexy Money and The List (both on ABC). His first leading role was in the film, “the Beat”, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His second lead role is in Blues, which should be in theatres in 2008.

Move-Ments Artist: Alana Hill.

Self professed "jack of all trades", Alana Hill naturally took to photography when she enrolled in a photojournalism class at University of Maryland, University College less than a year ago. Although her main task was to complete the class with an "A", Alana received so much more. She has fallen head over heels with photography and has since been shooting more than she could have ever imagined. She has had the opportunity to photograph a wide range of subjects, including, youth and adult portraiture, concerts, theatrical productions, and several dance performances. However, out of everything she has photographed, her favorite is working with people that she loves. "Most people don't consider themselves gorgeous, so it's really difficult for people to appreciate a picture of themselves. However, I find a rewarding challenge in capturing more than outer beauty. I try to capture emotion and sincerity in shots, in addition to the splendor that we all see when we look at them. Most of the times I'm successful!"

Move-Ments Artist: DK aka Wayne Watts.

DK aka Wayne Watts is a national recording hip hop artist on the independent label, Evergreen Music (an associate member of NACA).

DK aka Wayne Watts honed his MC skills in his native city of Baltimore, Maryland and at the age of 15 astonished and entertained music executives and fellow hip hop/r&b artists while interning for the 2002 Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Awards and Conference in South Beach Miami, Florida.

Over the past four years, while completing requirements for a BA Degree in Communications, DK aka Wayne Watts has performed at various events in the Maryland & DC areas, appearing with
Slum Village, The Clipse, Cee-Lo, Raheem DeVaughn, Fertile Ground, Ty Tribbett. DK most recently opened for The All American Rejects at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Maryland. DK also has appeared as a panelist and performer at various hip hop symposiums.

The Spring and Fall of 2008 will find DK aka Wayne Watts embarking on a regional and national tour of festivals, colleges and clubs to promote his latest cd project.

Move-Ments Artist: Boogie Bots Crew.

Boogie Bots Crew:
A collaboration rooted in Culture Shock Washington D.C.'s own Freestyle and Commercial teams bring you a mix of improvisation and choreography. Boogie Bots Crew represents different styles, backgrounds, and concepts being able to move, create, and train as ONE. REPRESENTING THE NJ/MD/DC/VA areas Boogie Bots Crew is MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE.

Move-Ments Artist: Komplex.

"Where Langston Hughes meets Mos Def,”" he walks like a poet and talks like an MC.

Poet. Hip-Hop Artist. Host. Author. Actor. Educator. Professional.
He closes his eyes and the stage becomes GOD’s ear; every poem a secret,
every rhyme a confession. Beautifully torn between Hip-Hop and Spoken
Word he owns the title of a writer and over the years has engraved his
place as a master of the stage. Komplex aka K.o.M.-Mr. Keep On Moving.

Move-Ments Artist: Carla "Jupiter" Byrd.

Artist Carla “Jupiter” Byrd’s paintings are often described as her “Urban Haikus on Canvas”. The self taught fine artist comes from a long line of artists and started showing artistic capabilities by the early age of two. But, it wasn’t until the early 2000's that the universe began calling her back to what she always was. Following her natural path, this talented sister started making a name for herself as an artist. She is inspired by the rhythm of life and its eclectic mixes, music, memories, books, friendship, roots, learning, anything that moves her. “I see art in everything” she says.

Using a variety of mediums, her art is beautiful, bold, fun and optimistic, yet hip and clever giving it that urban edge. She speaks through her art, and each piece of art does indeed carry a story, a moment, a thought, an emotion, or just a bit of knowledge. She’s still, growing, and constantly honing her skills. She started signing all of her paintings with the name “Jupiter”, drawn from her zodiac sign. It represents luck abundance, and expansion, all the things she strives to reciprocate through her art.

She resides in Washington, DC.

Move-Ments Artist: Contradiction Dance.

Contradiction Dance is a place where theatre meets dance meets pop-culture. The company's vision is to make dances that report on, reflect, and question the world in which we live. Nurtured on the belief that artists and audience members communicate in a dialogue through the chosen medium, Contradiction Dance fosters discussion, reflection, and change through live performance and dance education.

Founded in 2006 by Artistic Director, Kelly Mayfield, Contradiction Dance blends several dance forms (modern, hip-hop, tap, and jazz elements) with aspects of storytelling, and theatre. This eclectic mix, fused by the direct purpose of theme, allows the company to create an exchange between art and life for audiences, performers, and collaborators. The company members are not simply dancers, they are artists; each contributes greatly to the process and the final product. Each has invested in their message, the desire to share it, and the study, practice and performance of the craft they bring to Contradiction Dance.

For more information or to book a performance, workshop, or master class, please contact: Kelly Mayfield at ContradictionDance@mac.com.

Move-Ments Artist: Comedian Damo.

Damo, is a Maryland native and is a rising star in the world of comedy. His mother says she knew he would be a comic from birth, especially when his first words were “Did you hear the one about...?”. As an only child Damo used humor and the plight of others to occupy his ever-wondering mind. From that point on he has been making folks laugh.
In college at Bowie State University, Damo worked in the Wiseman Student Union building. There he made that atmosphere one of humor and ease. After hearing from his friends and family “You should do comedy” over and over again he did just that.
2003 was the year Damo attended his first comedy workshop class with the Fabulous Fat Doctor, who made a huge impact on such comics as Martin Lawrence , T-Rexx , Dave Chappelle , and many more. With the tutelage of “Doc”, Damo went from being just the funny guy people knew to a comedy phenomenon. Damo's average Joe abrasive comedy style is setting him apart from the masses.

Countdown Begins

Fifteen fierce artists/companies. Three days. One word... Move-Ments. Please check back as we add one new Move-Ments artist daily between now and April 9, 2008. Then come out and see them and their artwork LIVE April 10-13!

Please click here to purchase tickets.
(Required for the Day 1/Club Event and Day 3/Reception/Live Auction with a Twist.)

Move-Ments. The Artists Way.

Complementary Noise and Expansion Dance Project Are Proud to Present:

Tickets can be purchase in advance. Please click here.
And please note, some events require advanced purchase/reservations.

Move-Ments Schedule of Events:
April 10
Club Event @ The Space
903 N St NW Washington, DC 20001
10pm-3am
Featuring DJ El Ninyo, with live appearances by Move-Ments artists
Admission: $10
*Please purchase your tickets in advance for the club event

April 12
Live Performance @ St. Stephen's Church
1525 Newton St NW Washington, DC 20009
4pm and 8pm:
Featuring Aysha Upchurch/Life, Rhythm, Move Project, Boogie Bots Crew, Contradiction Dance, Comedian Damo, Holly Bass, Kelly Isaac, Tianna Cohen-Paul, with LA guest artist Steve Connell
DJ battle: El Ninyo vs. 2-Tone Jones
Tickets: $15

April 13
Reception/Live Auction with a Twist @ Dissident Display Gallery
416 H St NE Washington, DC 20002
5-8pm
Hosted by Komplex, featuring DJ 2-Tone Jones
Featuring work by: Alana Hill, Ayodamola Okunseinde, Carla Byrd, Meggan Rees Eckert, Timothy Slayton
Admission: Free
*Please RSVP



Complementary Noise is a fiscally sponsored project of One Common Unity:
Move-Ments is sponsored in part by Words, Beats & Life Inc., Dissident Display, and Cricket Cola

April 4-12
Gallery Preview: Dissident Display Gallery
416 H St NE Washington, DC 20002
Hours: Mon-Fri 11-6pm Sat 12-5pm
By appointment only. Please call 202.332.3346 to schedule.

Small. But Serious.

Please Join Complementary Noise and Life, Rhythm, Move Project for an event of Major Proportions:

Tickets can be purchased in advance by clicking here.

WHAT: The Smaller Side of War: Building Awareness Through Art

WHEN: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
6:30-9:00pm

WHERE: University of Maryland’s Nyumburu Cultural Center
Campus Drive Building no. 232
College Park, MD

COST: $15: With $2 of every ticket going to support the Save Darfur Coalition.