Dance Theatre Of Harlem Adds To Its Board Of Directors

Dance Theatre of Harlem has added three visionary minds to its Board of Directors. These individuals are committed to reinforcing the company's renown and ensuring a continued legacy of forward-thinking repertoire, arts education, and community engagement begun more than 55 years ago by co-founders Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook. Executive Director Anna Glass announced the new directors today ahead of the Company's upcoming participation in the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center (July 30-August 3) and a series of special events on New England's summer getaway destination, Martha's Vineyard (August 8-10). New Directors Terri Prettyman Bowles, Charles DeSantis, and Janice Vickers join the current Dance Theatre of Harlem board: Chair Ackneil M. Muldrow, III, Vice Chair Leslie Wims Morris, Secretary Martino R. Moore, Kevin M. Cofsky, Richard E. Constable III, Molly Hall, Isabel Kallman, Aliya LeeKong, Sharon Madison, Erika Munro, Carmen Perkins, Azhar Richmond, Tangela Richter, Scott Simpson, Bonita Stewart, Peter Sung, and China White. All three of the newest Dance Theatre of Harlem additions possess a passion for bringing diverse perspectives and performing arts experiences to audiences, lending the strength of their individual expertise to support and sustain emerging voices on and off the stage.

"We are thrilled to welcome Terri Prettyman Bowles, Charles DeSantis, and Janice Vickers to the Dance Theatre of Harlem Board of Directors," said Ackneil M. Muldrow, III, Board Chair. "Their incredible passion and extensive expertise in the arts and education will infuse DTH with fresh energy and vision. This dynamic trio is poised to help us reach new heights as we continue to champion the transformative power of ballet and arts education in communities around the world."

A champion for marginalized voices in all aspects of the arts, Terri Prettyman Bowles is a producer, writer, editor and adjunct professor of media studies. Bowles has a long career in media starting with her work in editorial at Time Inc., Vibe, and The History Channel magazine. She is the founder of two companies that uplift work on both stage and screen from Black and female creators and her dedication to education, particularly in arts and culture education for African American youth, is evident throughout her several careers, from publishing to academia to producing for the commercial theatre. In other nonprofit leadership and service arenas, Terri currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Ursuline School in Westchester County, NY and for New Rochelle Council on the Arts.

Charles DeSantis, a philanthropist with a global impact, brings his expertise in both the artistic and academic fields to Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). Currently, he serves as Georgetown University's Chief Benefits Officer and Associate Vice President for University Benefits and Wellness. At Georgetown, Charles is dedicated to fostering a desirable workplace culture by offering benefits that attract and retain employees, driven by a mission of providing choice, access, and service.  In addition to his significant contributions to supporting refugees and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, Charles serves on the boards of The Washington Ballet and the Sitar Arts Center. He also founded the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation and Archive.

With more than 30 years of dedication to dance excellence through teaching, mentorship and philanthropy, Janice Vickers is a natural fit to assist in guiding Dance Theatre of Harlem in its continued mission to bring classical dance to audiences across the country and around the world. A trained dancer from the age of ten, Janice brings her extensive knowledge of dance education to DTH's Board of Directors, having earned degrees in Dance and Choreography from Birmingham-Southern College and UNC-Greensboro, as well as instruction and curriculum-building experience in several academic institutions. Her professional dance career as both performer and choreographer, along with more than two decades of individual mentorship and support for young dancers, will serve as a cornerstone for her contributions to Dance Theatre of Harlem.

 

ABOUT THE NEW DIRECTORS 

Terri Prettyman Bowles, a writer, editor and adjunct professor of media studies, began her career in media working in editorial at Time Inc., Vibe, and The History Channel magazine. Her work, which focuses on broadening pathways for diverse storytelling, centers emerging voices in media and engages underrepresented audiences. Terri is a part-time professor of Media Studies at The New School, and of Media & Strategic Communication at Iona University, as well as a Special Advisor to the Provost at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. In 2013, she co-founded Daughters of Eve Media, which showcases the Hollywood and independent film contributions of diverse filmmakers, film scholars and industry professionals in a partnership with the American Black Film Festival. Additionally, she has curated and moderated various exhibitions, programs, and discussions that highlight Black art and visual culture. As the founder of Stage Flight Productions, Terri recently became an investor in stage productions featuring women and diverse creative teams, including Mandela; the Tony-nominated revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman with Wendell Pierce, Sharon D. Clarke, and André De Shields; and the Tony Award-winning musical Hell's Kitchen, based on the life story and featuring the music of Alicia Keys. She is also a Westchester Chapter member of Jack & Jill of America, providing social, cultural, leadership, and educational opportunities for African American youth.

 

Charles DeSantis is Georgetown University's Chief Benefits Officer and Associate Vice President for University Benefits and Wellness. Charles's passion for serving others manifested itself in the workplace through being the founder of GUWellness, Georgetown University's wellness program for Faculty and Staff, as well as his service on boards that influence how they serve their community through the TIAA Client Advisory Council and MetLife Client Advisory Board, and his former board seat on the regional American Heart Association Board and the Fidelity Client Advisory Board. In 2008, Charles and a colleague from Georgetown University started an art education program called Art in Kibera, serving AIDS-impacted orphans in a school in the Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. In 2013, Charles created the Kibera Art Institute, serving those in this informal community from age 4 to 22 in creating art and having a voice and identity through the visual arts. Charles also served as the president of the board of Nyumbani USA serving children with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, as well as the School of Hope Foundation serving the children in a school for AIDS-affected orphans. In 2013, Charles became the Chair of the US Association for UNHCR (UN refugee organization) and was tasked in its 23rd year to re-found this organization as one of the leading UNHCR refugee support organizations worldwide. The growth of this organization's ability soared from $3 Million annually to $60 Million. In addition to his humanitarian work, Charles also sits on the board of The Washington Ballet and the Sitar Art Center. In 2022, Charles founded the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation and Archive. Charles received his bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's College of California in Art Practice and his post-baccalaureate studies at the San Francisco Art Institute in Painting. In 2022, he received the Gatsby Showcase Foundation's inaugural appreciation award for his humanitarian work and was also honored in 2019 by American University's International Relations Society's Activist of the Year award for his work in supporting refugees worldwide. Charles lives in Chevy Chase, DC with his husband David McDermott and their four children, Lucas, Andre, Jasmine, and Lilly.

 

Janice Vickers is a consummate dance educator, with more than three decades of experience teaching, guiding, and mentoring young dancers and students from middle school through college. A former professional dancer, she has also served as an active supporter of dance organizations at the local and regional levels, sharing her passion for dance and arts education with the next generation. A native of Alabama, Janice moved to New York City in 2022 after her husband, Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, was named President and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Janice began her formal dance education at the age of ten. Trained in ballet, she earned a full scholarship to Birmingham-Southern College, where she studied under the renowned Russian dancer/instructor Mira Popovich and served as a lead performer in the college dance company. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, Janice taught dance for two years before earning a Master of Fine Arts in Performance & Choreography from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Soon after receiving her graduate degree, Janice moved to Baltimore, where she danced professionally with The Stephanie Powell Dance Ensemble and Morgan State University Dance Company from 1990 to 1994. During this time, Janice also launched her teaching career as a faculty member at Essex County Community College, the Eubie Blake Center for Art, and

Baltimore City Schools, where she developed the school system's dance curriculum. In 1994, Janice returned to Alabama to continue her academic career as a professor at the University of Alabama Birmingham Department of Dance and Theatre. From 1994 to 1999, she taught dance technique, choreography, dance history and pedagogy, and choreographed student performances for department programs. After leaving the academic arena, Janice continued to mentor and support individuals in dance for more than fifteen years.