KCFAA Master Class Series Bios
Tyrone Aiken
Tyrone was born and raised in Amityville, New York. He began his dance training at the Cultural Arts Center and the Eglevsky School of Ballet on scholarship. Upon graduation from high school, Tyrone attended The Ailey School’s Certificate Program graduating in 1983. He continued his studies on scholarship at the Ailey School. Tyrone began his professional dance career with the Cleo Parker Dance Ensemble in 1983. Tyrone’s choreographic credits include works for Dance Institute of Washington, “Kwanzaa” performed at the Kennedy Center, “Summerland” commissioned by Dance Theater of Harlem’s Virginia Johnson, and works for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, The Dance Theater of Harlem Ensemble Company and Blue Mercury Dancing Company. In Kansas City Tyrone has choreographed for The Lyric Opera, The Coterie Theater, The KC Symphony, Wylliams/Henry Danse Theatre, KC Ballet and the KC Rep. He has taught at universities and colleges, elementary and secondary schools and conservatories in Europe, Asia and the US, including the Dance Theater of Harlem, Rutgers University, Sapporo College in Japan, Wesleyan University, Duke University, and has been a faculty member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Arts Connection in New York, The Educational Center for The Arts in New Haven, CT, BOCES Cultural Arts Center in Syosset, Long Island, The Charles Moore Dance Theater, The Huntington Ballet School and the New York City Housing Authority. He founded Ethos...a Dance Theater Company in 1989. Tyrone served as Director of Artistic and Educational Programs from 1995 – 2005 and as Executive Director from 2005 – 2015. As the former Director of Artistic and Educational Programs for KCFAA, Tyrone has directed two AileyCamps and an after camp program (AileyCamp The Group) and developed new and innovative programming.
As Executive Director Tyrone successfully launched KCFAA’s move to the 18th and Vine Jazz District, received the Neighborhood Builders Award from Bank of America, and lead KCFAA through a strategic plan with Michael Kaiser creating a new Festival On the Vine and Symposium series.
In addition to his work at KCFAA Tyrone started The Center Dance, a not for profit school for dance in 1998. He has served as a panelist for the Missouri Arts Council. In 2003 Tyrone received the Robert A. and Dr Phyllis Bernstein Humanitarian Award from the Jewish Family and Children Services and traveled to the White House to accept the Coming Up Taller award presented to KCFAA for AileyCamp. In 2005, he was selected as a Bank of America Neighborhood Hero. From 2007 to 2011, he was appointed by the Mayor of Kansas City to serve on the Parks and Recreation board. As a Park’s board member he also serves on the board of the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, The KC Arts Commission and the City of Fountains Foundation. Tyrone has also served on National Endowment For the Arts panels in 2011 and 2012. Tyrone also received a Pinnacle Award for Arts excellence from the Johnson County Library in 2014. Tyrone’s up-coming partnerships includes: projects with The Nelson/Atkins Museum, Heartland Men’s Chorus and the American Jazz Museum.
Caroline Dahm
Caroline was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. She trained at numerous places in the Los Angeles and has trained over the summers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, Orlando Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, and River North Dance Chicago. She had the opportunity to dance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Memoria in 2014 and with the Kansas City Ballet in Todd Bolender’s The Nutcracker as part of the corps de ballet. Caroline graduated with her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in both Ballet and Modern Dance from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri- Kansas City in 2015. Caroline is a member of Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company and a instructor for Kanas City Friends of Alvin Ailey’s AileyCamp and Studio Programs.
Kevin Goodwine
Kevin began his dance training at the age of nine studying tap. Performing in elementary school led him to discover his love for dance. Kevin attended and graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts and has sustained his dance training by graduating with his B.F.A. in Fine Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He was the recipient of a full scholarship to the Ailey School in NYC where he danced with Ailey II, Elisa Monte Dance Co. Fred Benjamin Dance Co. and Tania Perez-Salas Dance Co. of Mexico City. Furthering his professional journey, he has toured with Radio City Christmas Spectacular for over 10 years. He has worked with choreographers such as Earl Mosley, Troy Powell, Francesca Harper, Christopher Huggins, Donald Byrd, Kevin Malone, Derrick Sellers, Wayne S. David, Hope Boykin; among others.
DaJuan Johnson
DaJuan Johnson is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music and Dance receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. He has worked with Gary Abbott, DeeAnna Hiett, Sabrina Madison-Cannon, Paula Weber, Mary Pat Henry, Gregory Dawson, Bernard Gaddis, Wylliams Henry Dance Company, and Kansa City Friends of Alvin Ailey. DaJaun will teach at AileyCamp Missouri this summer and looks forward to an exciting journey as he professional career.
Elaina Levingston
Elaina Levingston is a Kansas City, Mo native. Ms. Levingston is very versatile in her dance forms and styles. She is trained in Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, African and certified in Yoga. Elaina has participated in workshops with well-known choreographers such as Debbie Allen, Shayne Sparks, John Silver, Jamaica Craft, Cleo Parker Robinson, Anna Maria Forsythe, Frank Gatson, Lisa Attles, Theo Jamison and Chris Tyler. She is an Ailey Camp alumnus (2001), and instructed in both camps in Kansas City, Mo and in Chicago, IL. Ms. Levingston has international credentials from a 4 month 15 city tour in China, with the international girl group FEME, and toured Italy, with the Clubesque superstar Sunni Stephens. Elaina had the great opportunity of performing on stage at the Chicago Theatre for “America’s Got Talent” in 2011 and graced the stage with international superstar Beyoncé, for the debut of “Run the World” on “Oprah’s Surprise Spectacular”, in Chicago, IL. She has worked with HipHop and R&B artist including Tyrese, Jeremiah and Tech 9. She was also a principle dancer for the 2013 IMAX feature film “Dhoom3”. Levingston choreographed and danced alongside of Kansas City’s Diva Jackie Michaels opening up for Keith Sweat at the Sprint Center. Most recently she performed as a principal dancer for the R&B sensation, Ginuwine. Along with performing she stays active in modeling and acting. Ms. Levingston is signed with Exposure Model and Talent Agency. She loves theatre and incorporates it into many of her choreography works. Ms. Levingston has choreographed works for Redmoon Theatre (Sam Zell), Columbia College Chicago Manifest of 2011, Bookaflashmob.com, Zuma Records, Artistic Faith Dance Ministry, KCFAA and Paseo Performing Arts Academy Kaleidoscope. She has also done commercial work for Diamond Direct imports, Brown Mackie College, Sprint, and co-starred on season 2 of Bravo’s “Chicagolicious” and MTV’s Unlocking The Truth. She has been a part of many runway shows including Artopia 3, as well as advertisements for Columbia College Chicago and Artis Photography. She was the featured model on the published book cover “The Beginning” written by Sonya Artis. In 2012 Elaina Levingston received her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. Currently, she is employed as Master Teaching Artist at Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey. Elaina looks forward to furthering her performance career and education in the arts, as well as opening an arts agency facility of her own.
Rodni Williams
Mr. Williams boasts an extensive performing career in both theater and concert dance. He has performed with several prestigious companies and renowned choreographers including Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Wylliams / Henry Dance Theater, The MAFATA Dance Company, Rod Rogers Dance Company, Garth Fagan Dance, The Clive Thompson Dance Company, The Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Productions and Dance Miami. His work in theatrical productions includes the Jay Leno Show, Love in Four Acts for PBS Chicago, a tour of FAME the Musical, the PBS Special Martin, Bible Stories, Mephistopheles, God’s Trombones and Abyssinia with director, Mike Malone and the Philadelphia Opera Company. Last season, Mr. Williams performed in Denver Opera’s production of Aida.
In addition to holding a BFA in dance from Adelphi University, Rodni has studied at the Dance Theater of Harlem and The Ailey School in New York City, and holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from The University of Arizona, Tucson. He is also the Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director of the Black Dance Festival in Vienna, Austria and has been nominated into the 2010 edition of Who’s Who in America. Mr. Williams has taught and performed extensively throughout Kansas City and the surrounding region. He served as guest faculty member at The University of Arizona-Tucson, faculty member at Grand Canyon University, and has taught at the Ailey School and MOVE ON Dance Center in Vienna, Austria. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Inc.
Rodni recently relocated to Denver, Colorado where he serves as the new Associate Artistic Director of The Davis Contemporary Dance Company. Rodni is both pleased and honored for the opportunity to continue the tradition of creating magic for a new generation.
Latra Wilson
Latra began her dance training at The Dance Factory under the tutelage of Pamela Erwin and Thersa Bryce-Cotes. She went on to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where she graduated with a BFA in Dance. Ms. Wilson has had the distinct pleasure to train as a scholarship recipient at The Center Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and Tisch Dance Summer Festival. Ms. Wilson has worked and performed with Taylor 2, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Earl Mosely Diversity in Dance, Iluminate Artist of Lights, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’s production of "The Kiss" & world premiere of "Champion", Owen/Cox Dance and Broadway Dance Lab Cycle 2. As a teaching artist Ms. Wilson is currently working with KCFAA, Youth Arts Academy and Alvin Ailey Arts in Education. In addition, Ms. Wilson just signed with McDonald Selznick Associates, also participating in various productions with The Box, Queen of The Night Late Night and Company Stefanie Batten Bland in NYC.