FACULTY
Tiffany Fleet
Tiffany Fleet is The Director of Dance education, Co-Director and choreographer for Dynasty Elite Dance Company, and ballet, tap, jazz, teacher here at Neema Dance Collective. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also holds a Masters Degree in Education from Grand Canyon University.
She received formal dance training at The Christian Dance Academy where she took intensive dance training under Adrian Bolton and Kathy Smith, The Debbie Allen Dance Academy Summer Dance Intensives and the University of the Arts Dance Intensive. She was a member of hip hop group, Black Ice Entertainment and taught dance at several studios over the past 20 years.
Elise is our stage manager, tap instructor and assistant director of dance education here at Neema Dance Collective.
Elise has been a dancer for 27 years. She began training at Linda Natoli dance studio where she learned tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical training. She also studied at Christian Dance Academy under Adrian Bolton. Elise attended Thomas Pullen and Suitland High school performing arts programs. Elise also trained competitively and won the title of Jr. Miss Dance Xplosion.
She earned a Modern Dance degree at University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has performed professionally along side Chloe Arnold in Syncopated Ladies. Her skills and expertise have garnered a career in stage and production management. She is currently directing and producing shows and entertainment for Six Flags America.
Elise Posey
Monet Gooch
Monet Gooch is a native Washingtonian and a
Shenandoah University and Conservatory graduate. She has always been passionate about the Performing Arts since the age of three. Over the years, she has been seen in several theater performances, including The Christmas Gift, Christmas Celebration, Once on This Island, and Ragtime. Her passion for dance also began at that same age, and shortly after, she became a competitive dancer. The gold first place and medals received for her solo tap
dances and group tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip-hop dances are too numerous to count. She has performed in New York at the world-famous Apollo Theater. In 2008, she performed off-Broadway in the Break the Floor tap dance production “Slide.”
Monet has performed with Savion Glover, Chloe Arnold of Syncopated Ladies, and Debbie Allen, to name a few.
Monet’s love for music grew through the expertise of her music teacher while pursuing her interest in dance. Monet’s vocal accomplishments include singing for several International Festivals, the “We Are One” Inaugural Opening Concert at the Lincoln Memorial, the Inaugural Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral, and showcases with the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel at The Kennedy Center for the Arts.
In 2009 - 2017, Monet was seen in action at
Six Flags America in the Freedom, Rockin’ the Country, and EFX 360 performances. Recently she assisted in producing Fright Fest 2022.
Monet is currently entering her 11th year as a Special Education teacher with Prince George’s County Public School System. While inspiring the minds of children, she also cultivates social-emotional learning in middle school girls by coaching competitive cheerleading. Monet has earned a Master’s degree in Special Education at Walden University.
Throughout her dance career Maya has curated and defined the path of dance for her life by taking big risks and leaps to chase her dreams. Maya has danced across the United States and internationally in her role as a member/ choreographer of Ebony Fire, the premier pre-professional dance team of Hampton University. Since she was 2 years old, Maya has always had an immense passion and love for dance that has afforded her many opportunities to travel, create, and most importantly do what she loves.
Maya has over 20 years of dance experience and training. She has competed in competitions across the east coast and won numerous awards and scholarships for her style and grace on and off stage. As a dancer she believes that it is not about the awards or achievements she has made but her ability to touch lives through her art.
As she continues to touch the hearts of many, her love for children and giving them an outlet through dance has been her greatest accomplishment. Beginning in high school, Maya began teaching and assisting in her community at The Kroc Center and at her studio home, Baila Fuzion. It was there that she realized her passion for teaching and leading and has continued to do so throughout college.
Maya continues to expand her arts management skills for 3 seasons here at Neema Dance Collective in administrative, teaching, and directing roles. She is an award winning choreographer for Neema Dance Collective's Dynasty Elite Dance Company.
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Maya Tillett
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Justin Williams
Justin Williams is a multi-disciplinary visual artist based in the DMV by way of North Carolina. Blending film, dance, and graphic design, Jay seeks to build innovative, personal, and inclusive worlds that feel both familiar and fantastic. A graduate from North Carolina Central University, he bases his work in the experiences of his identities, while also using his platform to collaborate with other marginalized artistic voices. He began his dance training under Nicole Oxendine at Hillside High School. He would later go on to explore dance at North Carolina Central University under the tutelage of Nancy D. Pinckney. He is a member of Koffee Dance Company, and has participated in the American Dance Festival where he performed repertory from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (reset by Shalya-Vie Jenkins). He has also performed with Chuck “Baba Chuck” Davis, in Masha Maddux’s Wake Forest Dance Festival, and choreographed for schools on the primary level as well as colleges in North Carolina.
Jiamond Elizabeth Watson was born and raised in the DMV Area. She began her formal dance training with African dance, tap and ballet in a garage in Fort Washington, MD. Her excitement for movement followed her through adolescence. She declared a dance major at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she trained in Horton technique and Vaganova while acting as Vice President in the student council.
She received many awards at Ellington like the Shirley Chisholm Leadership Award from the National Congress of Black Women and 1st Place at the DC Capital STARS Talent Competition in 2015. Her demonstrated talent and motivation granted her a Director’s Scholarship to attend the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.
Her undergraduate studies revealed a path to choreographic experimentation and teaching pedagogies. During her tenure as Captain and Head Coach of a university affiliated dance team she choreographed five group routines, one full production and approximately fifteen stands in which dancers performed in an improvisational format. Her development of the dance team's aesthetic and professionalism granted them Organization of the Year and local notoriety.
Jiamond excelled in her undergraduate studies which allowed her to perform as an apprentice with BalletX in 2019. Her technique and determination allowed her to act as a guest artist with Alonzo King Lines Ballet during the global pandemic in 2020. She has performed with Spectrum Dance Theater of Seattle, WA and Chamber Dance Project of Washington, D.C.. She has performed works by Tommie Waheed-Evans, Amy Hall Garner, Sidra Bell, Matthew Neenan, Christopher Huggins, Ronald K. Brown, Donald Byrd and Alonzo King. Jiamond’s appreciation for dance practice and performance is transferred to her beloved dance students.
She creates a light and disciplined environment for young dancers to learn foundational concepts. In modern dance, Jiamond introduces somatic pathways and mindful movement practices with adult students. At the Paula Brown Performing Arts Center, Dance Dimensions and Spectrum Dance Academy, and Neema Dance Collective, Jiamond enjoys cultivating a love for dance in students as young as 3 to 13.
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Jiamond Watson
KeAira Grimes
KeAira Grimes, began her dance training at the age of 4 at Palmer Park Recreation Center. At Palmer Park she attended classes in ballet, tap and jazz. Dance came naturally to KeAira and she then began to broaden her horizons. At the age of 6, she stepped into the world of gymnastics also at Palmer Park, under the instruction of Avery Taylor. She had the privilege of performing halftime at numerous Washington Wizards basketball games, county fairs and various events. Having training in dance and gymnastics, she started All-Star cheerleading with the Cheer Magic All-Stars. Her team traveled to Los Angeles, California and won the National Championship at Disney Land. KeAira decided to expand her knowledge in cheer with the Palmer Park cheerleading team and even volunteer at the cheer camp every summer where she earned all of her community service hours. She also studied dance at Joyce LaVerne Dance Studio where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and pointe.
KeAira attended Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, MD. She was a member of the Dance Ensemble for 4 years and performed in the Prince George’s County Multicultural Dance Showcase, traveled to New York and Miami for workshops and master classes, along with other productions. She was a member of the Ladies of Sapphire dancers in the Largo High School Marching Band where she competed in Battle of the Bands and many parades. KeAira was also a member of the Pom Squad for a semester. While in her senior year she had the opportunity to join Showbiz under Shawn Cosby. She performed in showcases and a music video with Tabi Bonney for his song “The Pocket”. After graduating high school in 2007, KeAira attended Morgan State University where she continued her growth in dance. She joined the Morganettes dance team for two years, until she returned home.
Years after returning home, KeAira was offered her first job teaching Acrobatics in 2015. Since then, she has taught skills ranging from forward rolls to back tucks and layouts to student from ages 5-17. Teaching has been the most rewarding part of KeAira’s creative arts journey and she wouldn’t trade this passion for anything!
Alphonso Johnson III is an artist from Hampton, Virginia, currently pursuing his BFA in Dance at George Mason University's School of Dance under Susan Shields. He began his training at Middleton Academy Dance with Iris Goode and later at The Academy of Dance & Gymnastics under John Alexis Bonilla and Pat Sorell. At George Mason, Alphonso has participated in guest artist residencies and performed in works such as Rafael Bonachela’s Variation 10 and Doug Varone’s Double Octet, Lawrence Jackson's Come Sunday, and Susan Shields' Visions and Miracles. He has also attended a variety of dance conventions and summer intensives with Ballet Virginia, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Visceral Dance Company, and Bodytraffic Dance Company. There he had the opportunity work, collaborate, and build connections with acclaimed chore form convention circuits as well as notable artists like Kevin “Iega” Jeff, Tracy Franklin, Francisco Magadan, Juel D. Lane and Rena Butler.
Passionate about dance and choreography, Alphonso has created works for university performances, including The Way Of Wa..., S!NG UNTO, Category 4, and “WEINWEHO.” He currently teaches and choreographs at Studio Bleu Dance Center, where he has contributed to various award-winning routines and actively trains young dancers in improvisation, performance, and various techniques, imparting his rich knowledge to the next generation.
