// EMCEES
MISTRESS
OF CEREMONIES - The Reverend Dr. Susan Newman is the Director of the
Balm in Gilead’s Washington, DC Office. She most recently served the District of
Columbia Government as the Senior Advisor to the Mayor for Religious Affairs,
and is an Adjunct Minister of Peoples Congregational United Church of Christ,
Washington, DC. Dr. Newman is an inspirational, motivating and humorous speaker
whose soul-stirring, thought-provoking insights on healthy relationships from a
spiritual perspective have garnered nationwide attention and acclaim. Hailed by
Ebony magazine as one of the Top Black Women Preachers in America, the Atlanta
Journal and Constitution has called her “down-to-earth,” powerful,”
“life-changing,” and “a reality check for the church.”
She has had a 31-year career as a pastor, a community advocate, a teacher, a
chaplain, and author. A native Washingtonian, Dr. Newman consults as a Teen
Pregnancy Prevention and HIV/AIDS Educator and Trainer. She has worked with
several community organizations and faith-based groups, including the Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice, the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy,
and Planned Parenthood. In 2006 she was appointed to the Mayor’s DC Task Force
on HIV and AIDS.In the 1990’s living in Atlanta, Ga., Dr. Newman served as Chair
for the Mayor of Atlanta’s Commission on Community Relations and the Georgia
Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Welfare Reform. She also served as the Executive
Director of Georgians for Children, an Atlanta-based child advocacy organization
that monitors and recommends changes in Georgia policies that affect children
and their families.
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Dr. Newman has served as
the Senior Pastor of First Congregational Church, UCC, in Atlanta, Georgia; the
Resident Chaplain at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC; Adjunct
Professor at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where she mentored
Doctoral students – The Wheeler-Newman Fellows; the Religious Coordinator for
the Children’s Defense Fund; the Chaplain and Director of Community Service at
Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, and is a member of the Executive Board of
the Ministers for Racial, Social, and Economic Justice, UCC.
She has several publications including With
Heart and Hand: the Black Church Working to Save Black Children (Judson Press:
1994); Oh God! A Black Woman’s Guide to Sex and Spirituality, (Random House:
2002); and Your Inner Eve: Discovering God’s Woman Within, (Random House: 2005).
Dr. Newman received a B.A. in Journalism from George Washington University in
Washington, DC, a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity
in Washington, DC, and a Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary
in Dayton, Ohio.
EMCEE - Marsha Ann
Turner - is a native of New York, but moved to Baltimore at an early
age. She grew up in Cherry Hill and attended Eastern High School but, returned
to New York and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School. Knowing that she
always wanted to be a nurse, she started her college education at Queensboro
Community College, and graduated from LPN school at Wyckoff Heights Hospital in
Brooklyn New York. But Baltimore was calling and she returned and began her
nursing career at Provident –Liberty Medical Center. While working there for 22
years she worked numerous nursing units including psychiatry, med-surg, family
practice clinic and emergency room. She then became employed at the Baltimore
County Detention Center for five years and while there completed her Associate
Degree and became a registered nurse at Baltimore City Community College.
During the 1980’s she developed a love of
roller-skating which she continues to do regularly. She first learned to dance
from her parents, who were lovers of dance and music. This love caused her to
become a collector of do-wop and sixties sounds records. Her love to dance led
her to attend her first dance competition in 1990’s at the Meadowlands in New
Jersey. To increase her knowledge she took hand dance lessons under the
leadership of Shirley Duncan.
Now semi-retired, she is on the next leg of the journey by giving her time to
tutor nursing students at Baltimore City Community College. She will be
attending University of Maryland this fall to pursue a BS to MS in Nursing
Education.
Marsha enjoys playing her collection of 45’s
and 33 1/3 records, listening to oldies music on Baltimore and DC radio, and
roller skating. She is a member of The Empowerment Temple Church and the
Baltimore City Community College Nursing Alumni Association. She is the parent
of one daughter, Aidan-Marie Turner. Her enthusiasm for hand dancing leads her
to attend competition events. There is no time to compete because of her
devotion to continuing her nursing career. Since competing is out and she has a
gift for gab, she instead emcees these events. She has been Mistress of
Ceremonies and an assistant at the Virginia State Open. She enjoys the
friendship of the dance community, but would like to increase her skills in West
Coast swing, Stepping and Philly form of dancing in her spare time. But when is
that?
EMCEE - Ray Moore
// DJs
- DJ VSmooth
Victor Howard aka DJ VSmooth - came to the DJ scene as an
extension of his love for hand dance and all the varieties of music that we love
to dance to. Smooth, as folk like to say has enjoyed much success in dance
performance and competition with partners Angela Tindle and Joy Hunter, and the
Smooth-n-EZ dance troupe. As a DJ, VSmooth has played at Elements of
Entertainment, the Smooth-n-EZ Reunion Ball at Martins Crosswinds, Promenade
Dance Sport, Hollywood Ballroom, Tradewinds for the II Dance graduations, Solar
Eclipse, Howard University, for conferences and meeting s and at many other
venues. Currently DJ VSmooth is the resident hand dance DJ for Mirrors Night
Club and Lounge hosting the best Tuesday night hand dance party in the
Washington area. DJ VSmooth has produced music mix's for some of the top
performers in swing, and teaches hand dance in the form of private lessons.
- Dee Jay Bobby
William Pierce (Lil’ Bobby) is a native Washingtonian, I grew
up with a love of music and a fondness of watching people enjoy themselves. A
little later in life, as Hand Dance began its resurgence, I had the occasion to
assist one of the local Dee Jay’s. He recognized my passion for music and gave
me an opportunity to play. Since that time, I have had the distinct pleasure of
playing music for not only Hand Dancers but for all types of dancers, of all
ages and genres. I am considered by many as one of the most dynamic and flexible
Dee Jay’s around. My dream has been realized, I am in the mist of my music and
thoroughly enjoying watching people enjoy themselves.
- DJ Figgy
Anthony Jones aka DJ Figgy - is a native Baltimorean. He says
that being a DJ is his life, he absolutely loves it and the moneys not bad
either. Figgy, as he is affectionately known believes that providing music to
the entertainment industry requires an energetic person. “ The DJ directs the
events and helps to insure that its is a non-stop fun and memorable time for
all.” He has owned and operated his business since the late 70’s making his
knowledge of music vast as he grows and changes with the music. “It’s not just
about the music but about the crowd. You have to know how to read them to gauge
what they need at that moment and give it to them. I’ve played at some of the
top swing dance events in the country.” Since a dancer would know what dancers
want. Figgy, an accomplished dancer and his partner Linda Allen have been
dancing together since 2001 and have a unique style of hand dancing.
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