Talise A. Campbell is a dancer, choreographer, director, and
educator who strives to connect audiences to the beauty of diasporic music,
history, art, and folklore. Campbell creates multidisciplinary and socially
engaging dance for theater, screen, stage, and public spaces. Her work is
deeply rooted in research, musicality, authenticity, and the African American
experience. Talise comes from a family of artisans, including her
great-grandmother, acclaimed actress Minnie Gentry, and her cousin, actor and
producer Terrence Howard. Her choreographic works have received rave reviews in
notable productions such as Ruined, God’s Trombones, Black Nativity, and Julius
Caesar Set in Africa. She is also the creator of the highly anticipated annual
production Juneteenth, which has been featured at the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame and the historic Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square. Combining her love for
the arts and education, Campbell earned both her undergraduate and graduate
degrees in Education and Educational Administration from Cleveland State
University. For over two decades, she has worked in academia and the arts,
sharing her knowledge of culture through dance. At her alma mater, Cleveland
School of the Arts, she spent over 16 years designing and implementing education
plans for students with learning disabilities through the integration of
cultural arts. Campbell is the Executive Founding Artistic Director and
Choreographer of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, where she has created an
extensive repertoire that has touched thousands over the past decade through
stage performances, residencies, lectures, and workshops. Her work is informed
by ongoing diasporic research, community arts engagement, and international
cultural exchange. Through these efforts, her artistic work has been presented
in West Africa, South America, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Dubai, and throughout
the Caribbean, among other locations.