Our Staff
A group of people committed to uplifting, advocating and sharing the power of dance.
Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore
Founder, CEO & Artistic Director
Wayne St. David
Resident Choreographer, Artistic Advisor
William E. Thomas
Ballet Master & Rehearsal Director Emeritus
Takiyah Nur Amin, Ph.D.
COO & Administrative Director Emeritus
Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore
Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore is the Founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Danse4Nia, Philadelphia’s premiere arts organization that is the home to professional project-based dance company Phoenix Danse, youth dance company Nia-Next and arts education/ performing arts training program Danse4Nia Conservatory.
Wayne St. David
Wayne David is the curricular head of Jazz Dance and an alumnus of The University of the Arts where he celebrates over three decades of teaching dance. He has been an ambassador for the arts and culture for over forty years. Mr. Wayne (as he is known to many) is well known for his ability to teach many levels from pre-school to professional.
William E. Thomas
William E. Thomas’ concert and commercial dance venues/performances include: Off-Broadway at La Mama E.T.C., The International Theatre Festival of Barranquilla/ Columbia, the National Tour of Sesame Street Live, The Toronto Fringe Festival/Canada and Webster Dancer Theater/US.
He has performed in regional theatre productions such as: Anything Goes w/ Chita Rivera,The Unsinkable Molly Brown w/ Ann Reinking, and The Black Musical Review. He has performed in concert works such as: The Green Table (K. Jooss), Don Quixote/ Pas de Deux (after Petipa), and Galena Summit (K. Posin), among others, and sang as part of the Buffalo Philharmonic Community Chorus.
Patricia Scott Hobbs
Patricia Scott Hobbs, dancer/teacher/choreographer/director, started her training with Philadelphia’s dance pioneer Marion Cuyjet at Judimar School of Dance. Mrs. Hobbs holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Temple University.
She continued her professional training and performance at PHILADANCO with Joan Myers Brown, has performed with The Sybil Dance Company under the tutelage of Eva Gholson of temple university and performed in numerous New Freedom Theatre main stage and touring productions. In addition, she performed in the Philadelphia’s prestigious Barrymore Award Ceremony in 1996 and was a F. Otto Haas Award Nominee for emerging artists in 1997.
Takiyah Nur Amin, Ph.D.
Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin is a proud native of Buffalo, NY and the daughter of Karima and the late Abdul Jalil Amin. In May 2011 Takiyah earned a Ph.D. in Dance (with a concentration in Cultural Studies) and certificates in both Women’s Studies and Teaching in Higher Education as a Future Faculty Fellow at Temple University.
Notably, Dr. Amin is the 2011 recipient of the Edrie Ferdun Scholarly Achievement Award for excellence in dance studies from the Esther Boyer College of Music in Dance at Temple University.
Production Manager, TD and Lighting
Pamela Hobson/Into The Light Productions
Lisa Barnes, Production/ Film
Board of Directors
Kia L. Scott- Vice Chair
Antoinette M. Coward-Gilmore- Founder
Dr. Jamey Rislin- Secretary
Janet King- Financial Secretary (Ad Hoc)
Barbara Williams
Cathy Hensford
Pamela Hobson
Adenrele Ojo-Allen
E. April Badial
Terrill Haigler
Dr. Nyshawana Francis
Advisory Council
Christina Pierangeli
Candace Smith
Karen Taylor Young
Anita Otano