Field Leadership Fund: Meet Emily Berry & Jehan Young

Arts Organization Fellow, Emily Berry is the Artistic Director of B3W Performance Group, which has performed in the US, England, Greece, Italy, Thailand, and Mexico. In New York City, B3W has performed at Henry Street Settlement, Dance New Amsterdam, Dixon Place, BAAD!, the 92nd Street Y, The Irondale Center as part of FlicFest, and the Manhattan Movement Arts Center among others.

B3W received the Mondo Cane Commission from Dixon Place where we premiered Confined in September 2010 with a three-week run. Spin Art, B3W’s newest evening length work premiered at the Irondale Center January 30th, 2014 with live music by DBR. Spin Art inside of a cube with flying paint premiered in Queens in November of 2014.

Eva Yaa Asantewaa (InfiniteBody) describes Berry’s work as “Memorable, intelligent, strong”. “Violent but engaging” are the words attached to Berry’s work by Clare Croft in the Washington Post. Maura Donahue (Culturbot) writes about Confined as, “Clear expression of idea in movement”.

Emily has performed with danceTactics Performance Group/Keith Thompson, Boris Willis Moves, Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh & Company, Restless Native Dance/Tamieca McCloud, Lesole’s Dance Project, and Ashe Moyubba/Alafia Afro-Cuban Folkloric Dance Ensemble. Emily is a Certified Movement Analyst. She also has a MFA in dance from George Mason  University. Her Bachelor of Dance Arts was earned from the University of Michigan along with a Bachelor of General Studies in Women’s Studies and Political Science. She is currently an assistant professor of dance at Queensborough Community College.

"FLF will give us the help, support, and community to be more effective and efficient in our commitment to resource sharing, addressing issues of diversity, and developing B3W Performance Group as a company making work and engaged with communities in New York City, nationally, and internationally"

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Manager Fellow, Jehan O. Young, Born in Northern California, a week early and in time to attend my own baby shower, I have not been on time for anything since. 

My family eventually headed south of the Alameda County border and in the valley of the shadow of Big Bear Mountain I began to exhibit a certain penchant for performance. Caught in an exclusive living room engagement of lip-synched Peter Alsop covers, adorned with the luxurious cotton mane of a t-shirt belonging to a basket of laundry I was supposed to be folding cascading down my back, I was duly enrolled in ballet.

As a rising fifth grader and the latest transplant to a new school, I managed to land a part in the annual summer camp musical; not the lead, per se, but the character with the most lines; yes, 37 versus the mere 24 spoken by the main character. 

After a fierce audition process comprising each hopeful going to the back of the cafegymtorium and shouting: O Say Can You See By The Dawn’s Early Light (the one line only, nothing further) I won the part, a boy, due to my voice being considerably deeper than any other prepubescent. 

Two years out of college I landed in the Delta terminal of La Guardia airport with one degree, in pursuit of another and a suitcase full of things destined for a charity bin or the nearest curb. I haven’t looked back since. To Be Continued...

"I believe FLF is an opportunity to create a safe space for artists and arts supporters to experiment, to fail and then, to have failure inspire growth. As I endeavor in my own artistic pursuits and work towards gainfully supporting other artists, I am hopeful that I will be empowered to become a more resourceful and active participant of the arts."

Learn more about the Fellows here.

Learn more about the work the paired Fellows are doing here.