OUR TEAM

Sarah Crowell is the Artistic Director at Destiny Arts Center, where she is responsible for the artistic quality and mission-alignment of our performing arts programs and public performances. She communicates the depth of our programming to wider audiences through strategic partnerships, speaking engagements and professional development. Sarah also co-directs the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company, which she co-founded in 1993. Originally from Canada and the Bahamas, Sarah has been with Destiny since 1990 in a variety of roles. She served as the organization’s Executive Director from 2002-2007. Sarah believes that the arts are an essential component of the journey to social justice, especially art forms that involve moving the body. She believes that movement must be part of all movements for social change. Sarah directed the dance program at Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco for three years, and directed an award-winning hip-Hop dance ensemble at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond for five. The Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company, a troupe for teens to co-create original movement/theater productions based on their own experiences, continues to perform for over 20,000 audience members a year at conferences, festivals and other community events. In addition to her work teaching dance, theater and violence prevention to youth and educators locally and nationally in schools and community centers, Sarah has performed and toured nationally with modern, jazz and dance/theater companies in Boston and the Bay Area, including Impulse Jazz Dance Company and the Dance Brigade, between 1984 and 2000. She also directed and performed with the dance/theater company i am! Productions between 1994 and 2002. Sarah received nine California Arts Council Artist in Residency grants for her work at Destiny and a National Endowment for the Arts grant to author a curriculum guide for artists working with teens called Youth on the Move: a teacher’s guidebook to co-creating original movement/theater performances with teens. The Destiny Arts Youth Performance was awarded the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in 2017, the nation’s highest award of its kind. Sarah was the recipient of 2006 Purple Moon DreamSpeakers award, the 2007 KPFA peace award, the 2011 KPFA Women’s History Month Local Hero award, the 2013 Bay Area Dance Week Dancer’s Choice award, and the 2015 Alameda County Arts Leadership award. In 2016, Sarah was inducted into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame and was part of the YBCA 100, a list of visionaries assembled annually by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.  Sarah has also been a finalist for a Tony Award for Excellence in Theater Education.

Mika Lemoine is a Teaching Artist Mentor at Destiny Arts Center where she teaches hip hop and street dance to youth in public schools and at our North Oakland Center while supporting emerging teaching artists. Additionally, she is the Artistic Director of the Destiny Junior Company (DJC), a pre-professional performance company where youth ages 9-12 use their powerful voices through word and street dance to make art about what matters to them. Originally from Oakland, CA and an alumna of the program, Mika has been with Destiny as a teaching artist since 2010. In today’s climate of commercial hip hop, Mika emphasizes historical and social context when teaching foundational styles and includes her students in the Bay Area street dance community. She believes that creative expression is a catalyst for social change and vital to human survival. Mika has danced with Versastyle Dance Company, Mix’d Ingrdnt’s, Contra Tiempo Urban Latin Dance Theater, and Embodiment Project where her solo was described as possessing “profound beauty and emotion” by the San Francisco Chronicle. She is the Co-Artistic Director of See Through Soul, an Oakland-grown dance company founded in 2017 that draws inspiration from various dance styles to express self and seek truth. Mika holds a BA in Dance and Latin American Studies from UCLA’s department of World Arts and Cultures.

Rashidi Omari is the Co-Artistic Director of the Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company (DAYPC) and Senior Teaching Artist at Destiny Arts Center. He teaches dance and spoken word at our North Oakland Center and in school and community spaces throughout the bay area, and presents on Destiny’s Creative Youth Development model around the country and around the world. An Oakland original, Rashidi has been with Destiny in various roles since 2003, and became the Co-Artistic Director of the DAYPC in 2010. Rashidi knows that creative exploration and expression are integral components of culture and society. He believes that collaborative arts practices help nurture confidence, connection and cooperation which in turn helps to foster transformative social change. Rashidi has been dancing since the age of three and has been performing locally, nationally and internationally since 1993. He has performed as a dancer and M.C. with Unidentified, Company of Prophets, Loco Bloco, Starchild Entertainment, Unsmokables, Ashe West Dance Company, Liberation Dance Theater Company, and Kiandanda Dance Theater Company, to name a few. Rashidi can’t stop and won’t stop creating music and performance material as an artist. Rashidi’s love and breadth of knowledge of hip hop and performance comes from his experience growing up before and during what is referred to as the “Golden Era” of hip hop, and being inspired by great performers like Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Prince and Sammy Davis Jr.

Tesfaye Tekelu is the Martial Arts Director at Destiny Arts Center, where he teaches Aikido and other forms of Martial Arts as well as gymnastics and dance. Originally from Ethiopia, Tesfaye has been with Destiny since 2016. Tesfaye believes that the study of Martial Arts encourages young people to improve their self-confidence, learn important values, develop healthy habits and improve their ability to focus and persevere. Prior to moving to the Bay Area in 2015, Tes taught martial arts and offered trainings in non-violent communication in New York City schools. While in New York he also served as Peace and Culture Director for the arts-based peace education organization Kids Creative. In addition to his work at Destiny, Tes is Chairman of the Board and Co-founder of Institute for Social Advancement (ISA) which endeavors to advance youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, conflict-resolution and peace-building, education, gender equality and HIV awareness in both the United States and Sub-saharan Africa. Tes is also responsible for introducing the discipline of Aikido in East Africa. Tesfaye currently holds a 3rd degree black belt in Aikido and has training in other martial art forms. He was awarded the State of California Senate Certificate of Recognition in honor of his work by Senator Mark Leno. A teacher-trainee at Strozzi Institute, Tesfaye is always learning and always creating—in his free time, he writes and produces music in the United States and Ethiopia.

Kate Hobbs a Co-Founder of Destiny Arts Center. In her role as Mentor Teaching Artist, she supported Destiny Teaching Artists to passionately share their art form with young people. Born and raised in San Francisco, Kate co-founded Destiny Arts Center in 1988 with the goal of offering high quality martial arts training for youth. Kate was particularly interested in teaching practical skills for de-escalating violence and promoting peaceful solutions to violence and abuse for young people and their communities. Kate returned to Destiny in 2013 to usher in the next generation of Destiny teaching artists and hone our martial arts curriculum. Kate believes that toughness, skillful expression, and positive experiences of community give young people what they need to creatively navigate their world and develop the capacity to survive and prosper in the face of inequality and injustice. Kate served as Destiny Arts Center’s Executive Director from 1988 to 1998. She then worked for Sports4Kids (now known as Playworks) from 1998-2005, where she wrote curriculum and developed trainings. Kate taught Physical Education with Berkeley Unified School District from 2005-2008 and worked in Early Childhood Education at UC Berkeley Childcare from 2008-2012. In 2006, Kate came full circle, establishing Oakland Kajukenbo Kwoon, an intergenerational martial arts school hosted at Saint Columba Church. Kate holds a seventh-degree black belt in Kajukenbo. She has a BS from UC Berkeley in Conservation and Resource Studies and a Master Teacher Certificate in Early Childhood Education.

Sifu Anthony Daniels is a Co-Founder of Destiny Arts Center and the former Director of Center-based Martial Arts programs at Destiny Arts Center, where he taught an eclectic mix of asian martial arts forms including Japanese Karate, Kung Fu (Wu Chien Pai), and Judo. Born and raised in Oakland, Sifu Anthony co-founded Destiny Arts Center in 1988, with Sifu Kate Hobbs. Sifu Anthony believes that when youth commit to the study of Martial Arts they will learn to prevent violence in their communities and build skills around cooperation and discipline. Sifu Anthony has taught martial arts, youth leadership, self-defense and conflict resolution to youth of all ages since 1980 at Destiny and in many other after-school programs in the Bay Area, including the California School for the Blind, Job Corps, the Chestnut Court Housing Projects, and Parks and Recreation programs. He has also taught youth and adults internationally in Switzerland and Mexico. Sifu Anthony holds a first-degree black belt in Judo and a fifth degree black belt in Wu Chien Pai Kung Fu. Sifu Daniels has taught martial arts at Destiny since 1988. He started studying at age 13 and received his Black Belt in Kung Fu in 1982 and in Judo in 1988. He was a five time state champion with the California Karate League in the 1980s. And a national collegiate medalist in both olympic Tae Kwon Do and judo Sifu Anthony holds an AA in Developmental Disabilities from Chabot College, a BA in Humanities from New College of CA, and an MA in Youth Leadership New College of CA.

Archie Nagraj is the Executive Director at Destiny Arts Center, where she oversees Finance, Human Resources, and Operations, supporting all of the back-end operations that make Destiny run. Originally from Boston, by way of New York City, Archie has been with Destiny since 2015. Archie believes that the arts are fundamental to positive social change and community health. The arts provide shared languages that young people can use to take control of their lives, make healthy decisions and build community. Archie has been in the youth development field for over twenty years, honing her holistic expertise in programs, administration, development, and executive leadership. From Citizen Schools in Boston to Creative Arts Workshops for Kids in New York City, where she served as the Executive Director from 2004-2009, Archie has facilitated the operational systems and working relationships that make it possible for passionate people to effect positive social change. In addition to working at Destiny, Archie loves spending time with her son, exploring the wonders of the West Coast, baking and traveling. Archie received her BA from Boston University, and holds an MPH from Columbia University as well as an MSW from Rutgers University.

Aliza Schnayer is the Development Director at Destiny Arts Center, where she works to develop relationships around contributed support for the organization. Having grown up in San Diego, California, Aliza has been with Destiny since 2017. She believes that fundraising is a meaningful way to participate in Destiny’s mission and she knows that all students benefits from arts education. Aliza recently served as Director of Development for Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Prior to that, she helped raised money for the new Strand Theater as the Associate Director of Development at American Conservatory Theater. She grew the individual giving program at The Contemporary Jewish Museum and was previously the Manager of Individual Giving at Children’s Musical Theatre San Jose. Aliza was the Director of Educational Programming at Pentacle, overseeing school partnerships and managing fundraising. In addition to her work at Destiny, Aliza is an avid explorer of all of the Bay Area’s culinary and beverage delights. Aliza is a graduate of the Kennedy Center Performing Arts Management Fellowship Program. She holds a certificate in Fundraising Management from Community Resource Exchange/City College of New York. Aliza is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University with degrees in Dance History and Art History.

Mike Lee is the Director of Programs at Destiny Arts Center, where he works to provide programmatic oversight for center-based work and school and community sites. Mike has been with Destiny since 2019. Born and raised in Oakland, Mike believes that investing in young people is one of the most valuable things a society can do and is committed to ensuring that Oakland maintains safe spaces for creative expression and youth development. Before joining Destiny, Mike developed and expanded youth programming at YR Media (formerly Youth Radio). He formalized their workforce development program by expanding its budget and forging key relationships with quality employer partners and developed a restorative justice program at the organization. Mike has over 15 years of experience developing and managing programs in social services and youth development, including international experience working with systems-engaged young people in Germany. In addition to his work at Destiny, Mike provides training through A Better Way and Fred Finch Youth Center on best practices for working with transition-age youth. Mike founded a local charitable group, Give Oakland, which provides support during the holidays for Oakland Head Start programs. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Equitable Futures Project through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from San Francisco State University.

Joy Tang is the Grants Director at Destiny Arts Center, where she supports fundraising, writing, and evaluation practices that honor and uplift the work of educators, artists, and youth development professionals. Originally from Houston, Texas, Joy has been with Destiny since 2011. Joy believes that movement/arts practices can provide individuals of all ages with a felt sense of their own power and beauty. Her work is part of a shared effort that supports young people in gaining self-knowledge, voice, and a sense of accomplishment through arts. Before coming to Destiny, Joy taught high school English and ESL in Houston and holds an English/Language Arts teaching credential with an English Language Learner authorization in Texas and California. Since arriving at Destiny, Joy has supported the organization’s first grants-funded intergenerational performance collaborations and helped to increase public funding by over 70% between fiscal years 2015 and 2018. Joy holds a B.A. in English with a minor in Chinese Studies from Brigham Young University and an M.A. in Folklore from the University of California, Berkeley, where she completed her thesis, Dancing Towards Freedom: An Auto/ethnography on the Relationship between Salsa, Following, and Agency. She is a current member of the Grant Professionals Association; a volunteer copyeditor for Cultural Analysis, an online journal for folklore and popular culture; and teaches yoga at Options Recovery Services in Berkeley, CA.

Sophie Becker is the Communications & Creative Content Associate at Destiny Arts Center where she is videographer for Destiny’s programs, manages digital communications, and oversees a robust digital archive of Destiny’s video and photo collection. Having grown up in San Francisco and Marin County, Sophie has been with Destiny since 2016. Sophie believes that impactful visual storytelling is an important tool for cultural institutions, amplifying youth voice and the voice of their communities. In addition to being a freelance film editor and actor, Sophie has worked for KPFA public radio, the Exploratorium, and Oakland Museum of California.  Sophie is a recipient of the CA$H, a grants program of Theatre Bay Area in partnership with Dancers’ Group, a finalist for the 2018 Tiny Dance Film Festival, and a current resident of the A&Air program at the Finnish Hall.  She is represented by Cast Images Model and Talent Agency and holds a BA from Oberlin College.

Danielle Kreie is the Development & Finance Associate at Destiny Arts Center, where she works to improve data tracking systems while supporting the organization’s development efforts. Originally from Illinois, Danielle has been with Destiny since 2018. Danielle knows that arts programming can be a powerful tool to engage the mind and empower youth. She believes that every child has great potential and that the arts provide a unique opportunity for young people to build confidence, gain leadership skills, and learn self-discipline while becoming part of a welcoming community that promotes self-expression and creativity. Danielle has many years of nonprofit administration experience in the youth development sector. Prior to joining Destiny, Danielle was the Office Manager for the Bay Area Urban Debate League, an organization working to bring debate to under-resourced high school and middle schools. Danielle also worked, and still volunteers regularly, with the Sun Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing youth education through the arts and sciences. In addition to her work at Destiny, Danielle enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and exploring new places. Danielle holds a BS in Architectural Engineering with a minor in Psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Bryan Massengale is the Arts Center Coordinator at Destiny Arts Center, where he embodies our culture of welcome, supporting Teaching Artists, families, students, partners and guests to thrive at our North Oakland center. Hailing from Pasadena, California but with deep familial roots in Oakland, he has been with Destiny since 2016. Bryan knows firsthand how important the work of supporting and mentoring youth is through his decades of experience providing direct services to young people in various capacities. Bryan first learned about Destiny while running the after-school program at Oakland’s Westlake Middle School. He spent fifteen years working with autistic, blind, and learning-disabled youth at the LeRoy Haynes Education Center and Group Home. There, he advocated for justice-involved youth who had been identified as vulnerable to repeated incarceration, helping them reintegrate into their communities after being released from correctional or foster care facilities. Bryan holds BA in Social & Behavioral Sciences from San Francisco State University.

Christina Chan is the Senior Programs Manager at Destiny Arts Center, where she works with partners at schools and community centers to create programs that provide students with spaces for artistic expression and community building. Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Christina has been with Destiny since 2015. Christina believes that all youth are vulnerable to different risks in this world. However, through the love and nurturing of their communities, young people can become caring leaders who have the power and drive to implement positive social change in our society. Through her work at Destiny, Christina supports youth on this journey through building strong bonds and encouraging them to find their own unique voices. As a Manager for the California Youth Energy Services program, Christina helped set over six-hundred young people on a path to higher education through job skills training and community service. During her tenure with An Taisce, the Green Trust for Ireland, Christina created programs and curriculum to help young people become better stewards of the earth through action and example. In addition to her work at Destiny, Christina enjoys finding new hiking trails with her partner, Matt and her dog, Buddy, who also happens to be the official Destiny office dog. Christina graduated from UC, Berkeley in 2002 with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in Education.

Nasim Coy is the Business & Operations Manager at Destiny Arts Center, where she supports the daily office management and accounting functions of Destiny. Originally from Iran, Nasim has been with Destiny since 2015. Nasim believes that given the proper tools, youth can transform into strong, fearless nurturing leaders dedicated to changing the world for the better. Before coming to Destiny, Nasim worked with the UCSF Athena Breast Health Network, a collaboration between all five U.C. medical centers to create quality breast health care for all women. In addition to her work at Destiny, Nasim enjoys salsa dancing, travelling and spending time with her best friend and husband, Josiah, and their dog, Paxton. Nasim holds a BS in Health Education from San Francisco State University.

Beatriz Escobar is a Program Associate at Destiny Arts Center, where she helps deliver our center-based programs, supporting youth, teaching artists, caregivers and staff. Originally from Brazil, Beatriz has been with Destiny since 2019. Beatriz believes that art can free our imaginations and offer inspiration for us to shape the world we want to live in.

In addition to her work at Destiny, Beatriz is an interdisciplinary artist working with performance, installation and participatory art projects. Beatriz has been a member of the Dia de los Muertos Committee at the Oakland Museum of California since 2017 and a photography mentor to youth with First Exposures since 2014. She is the co-founder of Emergent Landscapes, a platform for POC artists to present live work in natural landscapes. Beatriz has received the Impact Awards 2017 for her project Amazonas Riverine Program and an Alternative Exposure Grant from Southern Exposure for Emergent Landscapes. She was a 2017-2018 Creative Dissent Fellow at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and is currently an Affiliate Artist at Headlands Center for the Arts. She holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Social Practice from California College of the Arts.  

Aaron is a rhythmALLogist and teaching artist at Destiny Arts Center, where he teaches drumming and percussion at schools throughout the East Bay. He is originally from Los Angeles, CA and has been teaching with Destiny Arts since 2015. Aaron knows that rhythm is one of the most powerful, direct and universal ways of unifying a group of people, ushering in creativity, connection and personal transformation. In addition to his work at Destiny, Aaron teaches with several other leading Bay Area teaching arts organizations, such as LEAP, Attitudinal Healing Connection and East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. Aaron is founder of RhythmALLogy (www.rhythmallogy.com), an organization using interactive drumming and rhythm making for building community and human potential. He has presented workshops on several continents, working with youth and adults in schools, jails, corporate boardrooms and everything in between. He is also an integral member of the Bay Area music scene, playing with groups such as Jazz Mafia, Orchestra Gold, La Misa Negra and is internationally touring drummer with Rupa and the April Fishes, visiting 30 countries since 2005. Aaron studied jazz drumming performance at Sonoma State and San Francisco State University, pursuing a deeper study of rhythm in Cuba, Ghana, Morocco and Italy. He has taken a plethora of rhythm facilitation trainings all over the world with such teachers at Arthur Hull, Simon Faulkner, Musicians Without Borders, Christine Stevens and others. He holds a BA in Integral Studies from C.I.I.S in San Francisco and draws inspiration from coffee, laughter, found sounds, mistakes and the boundless creativity of the youth he teaches.

Aminah Hanif is a martial arts teaching assistant at Destiny Arts Center, where she teaches Kajukenpo and traditional Filipino karate, as well as assisting as a counselor and staff member at the Camp Destiny day camp in the summer. Originally from East Oakland, California. Aminah has been with Destiny since 2016.

Antwan Davis is a teaching artist at Destiny Arts Center, where he teaches stepping and body percussion in schools and dance studios throughout the the Bay Area. Originally from Las Vegas after having grown up in Albuquerque, NM. Antwan has been with Destiny since 2017. Antwan is a multi-percussionist who has been engaging audiences for 14 years with body percussion and stepping.  He co-founded and performs with the Las Vegas-based body percussion dance company Molodi.  He has also performed with the Las Vegas and North American production of Stomp, and has toured nationally with Step Afrika! He performs and teaches workshops and residencies in the U.S and internationally.  As a performer, he thrives on breaking down musical and genre barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects. As a teacher he is enthused by creating community through body music, giving people a different outlet of expression. Antwan has recently expanded his artistic crafts by becoming an improvisational actor and stand-up comedian. “My passion is people, I love connecting, inspiring, sharing and creating with people.” – Antwan Davis

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Chibueze* Crouch is a theater teaching artist at Destiny Arts Center, where she teaches acting and vocal work to youth throughout the East Bay. Originally from Danbury, CT (Eansketambawg Quinnipiac land), she currently lives in Oakland, CA (Chochenyo Ohlone land) and spends her free time performing in local theater productions, singing, and creating performance art. Chibueze has been with Destiny Arts since 2017. *(pronounced: chee-bway-zay)

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Gabriel Christian (they/them; he/him; etc) is a performance teaching artist at Destiny Arts Center, where they teach theater, storytelling, and performance in programs at schools throughout the East Bay. Born and raised in New York City, they have been with Destiny since early 2016. They began collaborating with Destiny as part of the flagship QEAR (Queer Emerging Artists’ Residency) program and were then invited to join the teaching staff that fall. Gabriel knows, through their personal experience, that performance is a vigorous space to exercise vulnerability and communication skills that enable one to enter into the wider world with fluidity, empathy, and freedom. As a young person who made their way to performance through spoken word, Gabriel sees the stage as a testing ground and a safe haven for the marginalized voice. Gabriel has performed in various regional productions in New York, New Haven, and San Francisco, in theatrical capacities ranging from bit ensemble player to dramaturg to lead, namely supporting productions by WePlayers, Theatre Rhinoceros, and Robert Woodruff at the Yale Rep. As a performance artist, they have shared countless devised pieces everywhere from the historic Stud Bar to Stanford, and have secured residencies at This Will Take Time, CounterPulse, CIIS, and Finnish Brotherhood Hall. In addition to their work at Destiny and their performance practice, Gabriel is an adamant yogi, even if time isn’t always quite on his side. Gabriel has studied with Jairo Cuesta and Jim Slowiak, the original collaborators of Polish theatre maker Jerzy Grotowski and renowned international theatre director Robert Woodruff. They interned with playwright Young Jean Lee, and held so many odd theatre jobs he’d need to grow new hands to count them. Gabriel holds a BA in Theater Studies from Yale University.

Julia Tsitsi Chigamba, grew up in the cultural traditions of Shona music and dance, guided by her parents who are both from a long line of musicians and storytellers. Julia is the first master Zimbabwean dancer to make her home outside of Zimbabwe. Her father, Tute Chigamba, is a master mbira player and her mother was a master dancer. Julia’s brothers, sisters and cousins were members of the Zimbabwean National Dance Company and later founded their own mbira and dance ensemble, Mhembero. The Chigamba family lived in poverty during colonial times, when ceremonies were banned, but they held onto their traditions. The family thrived following Zimbabwe’s independence in 1981, when traditional music was in demand. However, Julia was forced to re-locate to the U.S. in 1999, when Zimbabwe’s economic downturn began. She left three children, ages 4, 7 and 9 years, in the care of her parents, until she was finally able to bring them to live here in the U.S. in 2010. Two years after moving to the U.S., she established the music and dance company the Chinyakare Ensemble in Oakland, California, to share the beauty and wisdom of her culture. Julia and the Chinyakare Ensemble have continued to perform throughout the Bay Area and across the U.S. In 20**, Julia founded the non-profit the Kumusha Foundation in order to continue to preserve and promote traditional Zimbabwean music and dance. In addition, in 2014 she started her own clothing line of African inspired designs, the Tsuro Collection. Julia Chigamba’s professional experiences include tours of Africa, China, Europe, Canada and the South Pacific with Mhembero. She has performed at such prestigious venues as the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; Davies Symphony Hall and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Julia has performed at social consciousness raising events at the University of California Berkeley and the East Bay AIDS Walk in Oakland. She and the group that she founded, the Chinyakare Ensemble are recognized for their authentic presentation of Zimbabwean music and dance and are regular invitees to the annual Zimbabwe Music Festival that takes place in the northwest; Camp Tumbuku in New Mexico; and the Collages des Cultures Africaines in Oakland. Julia and Chinyakare have performed in the Bay Area for Princess Nandi Zulu and Archbishop Ndungane from South Africa and have opened for Zimbabwean musicians Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo. She is featured on recordings including Zviri Kufamba Zvishoma (Boka Marimba – 2000); Kushinga Mhavambo, (Kusinga Mhavambo – 1998); and Pasi Mupindu (Mhembero Mbira Ensemble – 1998). In 2015, Julia served as the cultural consultant on the play, The Convert, written by Danai Gurira. Julia has also taught Zimbabwean dance in schools throughout the greater Bay Area since 1999, and currently teaches dance at Destiny Arts in Oakland.

Kanukai Chigamba is the Assistant Teaching Artist for the Zimbabwean Dance Class at Destiny Arts Center, where she assists Ms. Julia by drumming and also dancing during classes at the arts center and in schools across Oakland. Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, Kanukai has been with Destiny since 2018. Kanukai believes that many Zimbabwean traditional dances are deeply rooted in their everyday life. She also knows that when working with young people, it is easier when they can connect with the culture they are being introduced to. She feels creating this connection between her own personal and the students’ experiences based on what we do every day and connecting it back to the choreography is such a beautiful process to witness. Kanukai has performed across the United States with the Chinyakare Ensemble, Afro-Urban Society, and Cheza Nami foundation. She has performed at events such as the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Zimfest, Monterey Bay Reggaefest, and the Africa Day Celebration in Washington DC. In addition to her work at Destiny Arts, she teaches dance workshops and performs in the Bay Area. She enjoys taking photos, hiking, and sleeping. Kanukai Chigamba holds a BA in Political Science and African Studies from California State University, Sacramento. She hopes to further her education and land a job at the United Nations one day. Kanukai draws inspirations from many African women dancers who are constantly evolving to better themselves and their art.

Paula Dewart is a Hip-Hop Teaching Artist who teaches dance to youth all across the Bay Area. Born, raised, and trained in both Oakland and San Francisco, Paula uses her background in ballet, modern, and hip-hop to create dynamic experiences for her students. Paula has been with Destiny since 2004. Paula believes in the transformative power of the arts, and in particular, movement and dance as a form of self-expression. Paula started out in the Bay Area dance community at a young age and performed in many companies such as City Shock, No Label, and SoulForce before she found her dance home with Allan Frias’ Mind Over Matter. She has performed with artists including LL Cool J, Amerie, and E40. She has also danced, worked with, and choreographed for many up and coming Bay Area artists. Outside of teaching, Paula loves to cook, spend time with her family, and travel. Paula is a proud alumna of Ruth Asawa’s San Francisco School of the Arts.

Raquel Nicole Jetè is a Teaching Artist at Destiny Arts Center where she teaches Theater and Hip Hop Dance. Originally from Oakland, CA, she is going into her third year at Destiny Arts and couldn’t be happier! Raquel believes that is imperative for our youth to be exposed to as much culture and diversity as possible for the enrichment of their lives. That is why she incorporates music and dance from all over the world into her curriculum to diversify the perspectives of students who may not be exposed to much outside of their local communities. Raquel has an extensive Musical Theater repertoire including: AIDA (Aida), RAGTIME (Sarah), SISTER ACT (Deloris Van Cartier) and much more.  She has also performed all over the world including Greece, Spain, Italy, France, Russia and the Caribbean as a singing entertainer. She has graced the stages of APOLLO Theater in Harlem as well as The Metropolitan Room – New York, where she headlined her own concert. Her debut EP is scheduled to be released Summer of 2019! Raquel is a graduate of AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theater. She has trained in New York and Los Angeles and has been teaching at-risk youth Performing Arts classes since 2008.

Bio coming soon!

Samara Atkins is a teaching artist at Destiny Arts Center, where she teaches hip hop dance and movement in our programs at schools and community centers throughout the East Bay. Originally from Oakland, CA, Samara has been with Destiny since 2011. Samara knows that movement and dance are powerful tools for everyone to share their story, process, cope, and heal from the things we experience in our society. Movement brings communities together and connects people to people. Samara believes that through movement, youth are able to access and channel their emotions, communicate their experiences more clearly, connect with others, and empower, as well as express themselves in ways that allow them to thrive. Samara has danced for CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers at the 2015 FOLD Festival, representing Destiny Arts Center. She has been a featured dancer for Adobe Max product launch and their 2017 Adobe Design Achievement Awards ceremony. Samara has been featured in music videos, news articles, and was a dance journalist for Dance Studio Life magazine. She has co-founded Mix'd Ingrdnts, an all female-identified performance company est. in 2010, that exists to empower womxn, youth, and the community to express themselves through performance and dance education. As co-artistic director, choreographer, and dancer of the company, Samara has received notable dance awards, notoriety in the community and internationally, and appeared on the Harry (Connick Jr.) Show. She also was choreographer and director of Howard University's Vizion Performance Company while attending. Samara has been a dance company member and received training from two of Oakland's premiere studios/companies Newstyle Motherlode and Dance-A-Vision. In addition to her work with Destiny Arts Center, she has co-started and co-lead Power of Hope Bolinas since 2015, and been a lead-facilitator for Partners of Youth Empowerment Global's Creative Faciliation Training. Samara is a core member of the grammy-nominated Alphabet Rockers as choreographer, dancer, singer, and songwriter. Through Alphabet Rockers, Mix'd Ingrdnts, Destiny Arts Center, and her own mantra in life, Samara engages in, creates, and produces content that positively impacts social change and creates spaces for people to be seen & heard. She also really loves to travel and share her love of dance and storytelling.  Through Mix'd Ingrdnts, Samara has received Bay Area's Best Dancer award. She's also represented the US on a dance tour in China and workshopped with Debbie Allen at her studio with the St. Mary's Dance Ensemble, under Naa Dodua - Diane Green. Samara will always spread her joy and love of dance to people around the world.

Bio coming soon!

Zakiya is a Hip Hop Dance Instructor at Destiny Arts Center, where she teaches commercial and lyrical Hip Hop dance and elements from the jazz dance genre at several OUSD schools in the Bay. Originally from Oakland, CA, Zakiya has been teaching with Destiny since 2019.

Anna joined the Destiny Arts Center board in 2019. As a former grantmaker, she was inspired by its impactful, social change-focused arts & movement programming, and eventually spent many Saturday mornings at the Center when her oldest child enrolled in martial arts classes. Her son felt immediately at home in Destiny’s inclusive, multiracial, and intergenerational community — something she hopes for every youth. Currently, Anna serves as Director of Communications at Metta Fund, a private foundation working to advance the health and wellness of San Francisco’s aging population, particularly those furthest from access and opportunity. She brings over 15 years’ experience in the philanthropy and nonprofit sector. Anna holds Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees in Global & International Studies as well as German Literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She also holds a Master in Public Administration (M.P.A.) from San Francisco State University. Having grown up in three different countries, Anna brings an immigrant’s perspective and deeply respects and values cultural relativity and difference. She spent many years traveling the globe and her passion for access, justice, and equity keeps her work as close to community as possible. When she is not shuttling one of her kids to school, or writing a press release, she can be found enjoying Friday nights at the Oakland Museum of California, reading the Sunday New York Times, or dragging the family on a hike by the water.

Castle Sinicrope has been a Destiny Arts Center board member since 2018. She learned about Destiny through her evaluation work for the City of Oakland and saw the power of its programming and social change mission firsthand when Sarah invited her to attend an end-of-summer camp performance in 2015. Castle is an independent evaluator who helps local, state-wide, and international organizations understand and improve programs that promote social and economic opportunity. She currently serves as the external evaluator for the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC)’s Healthy Neighborhoods Collaboratives and supports their place-based collaborative approach to neighborhood revitalization in East and West Oakland. She holds a BA in German from Georgetown University and an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Originally from Amherst, Massachusetts, Castle has been in the Bay Area since 2008. After years of competing at the highest levels of ultimate frisbee nationally and internationally, she now chases after toddlers and can sometimes be found in the ceramics studio.

David has been a Destiny Arts Center board member since 2012. He came to Destiny after seeing the Destiny instructors inspire his children with their thoughtful, nurturing approach. Years later his son still proudly remember his yellow belt promotion in martial arts. David is a Director or Competitive Marketing at New Relic, where he researches software markets and advises sales professionals on how to build successful client relationships. Prior to Joining New Relic, David worked for several leading companies including Oracle, Salesforce, Polaroid, A.T. Kearney and Booz-Allen & Hamilton. He holds a BS in engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Originally from New Jersey, David has been in the Bay Area since 1997. David is passionate about youth activities and spending time with friends and family. He can be found at a family BBQ or watching his children play, dance or act when he’s not at work or here at Destiny.

Jesse’s growing up. David is on the faculty at Berkeley Haas Business school where he teaches innovation and storytelling. He also founded two companies – Box Out Industries to work with entrepreneurs – and Spiral Staircase to work with artists. With Box Out, David works with entrepreneurs to focus their product strategy and tell their story. With Spiral Staircase, David is currently developing two original musicals. Previously, he ran an advertising agency and led marketing teams at multiple tech companies, including Yahoo!. David is also Vice Chair of the Board at ACT. David grew up in Massachusetts, but has lived in the Bay Area since 1989. When he’s not telling stories, David can be found on a bike, in his garden, rooting for the Warriors or spending time with his family.

David has been a Destiny Arts Center board member since 2015. He came to Destiny, because of its deep roots in the community and its work with young people. David is a Director of Customer Experience at PG&E, where he leads a team of 50 employees who work to make it easier for customers to do business with the company. He holds a BBA from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and a MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from Germany, David has been in the Bay Area since 2008.  He enjoys spending as much time as possible outside – whether it be running, skiing or backpacking.

Jill has been a Destiny Arts Center board member since 2017. She came to Destiny because of the incredible mission and visible impact she observed through attending multiple performances and events, since being introduced to the organization by long-time board member David Riemer back in 2014. Jill is a product manager at Airbnb, where she works to bring authentic dining experiences to travelers as PM for their Restaurants business. Most recently a product manager at Uber for the last 2 years, Jill brings experience in product management, entrepreneurship, and sales/business development. Jill worked for Cisco in sales and business development on the Microsoft account for several years, then earned her MBA at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. After business school, she moved into product management, and pursued her own startup in the hiring and recruiting space. Jill previously served as a board member for Net Impact Seattle. She holds a BA in Government and Legal Studies from Bowdoin College. Originally from Connecticut, Jill has been in the Bay Area since 2011. Jill is also passionate about food, running, and cycling, and she and her husband aim to visit all the US National Parks.

John Stormer has been a Destiny Arts Center board member since 2010. He came to Destiny to make sure all kids have access to expressive arts and the powerful Destiny community. John is the Chief Operating Officer, Product at Salesforce. John has taken products and business ideas from the whiteboard to reality for over 20 years at venture-backed start-ups and multi-billion dollar corporations. He holds a BA in History and Economics from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University. Originally from Kansas City, John has been in the Bay Area since 1997. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing the guitar, reading and fly fishing.

Bio coming soon!

Marcus has been a Destiny Arts board member since 2019 and has served on the Marketing and Development committee since 2014. Marcus was introduced to Destiny through the initial F R E E documentary screenings at Grand Lake Theater and was immediately hooked to the organization after a Q&A session with a group of DAYPC kids after the screening. He said, “all you have to do is listen to the kids speak for 5 minutes about their community, values and aspirations and you quickly understand that Destiny’s method works”. Marcus is a Program Director at Beyond, a design agency in San Francisco. He was born in Fremont, graduated from Santa Clara University and has lived in the Bay Area for the last 8 years. Marcus got started in non profit work by starting a group called Project FUN which organized, designed and facilitated social events to raise money for local youth organizations in the Bay Area. Marcus is deeply passionate about youth development, design’s role in diversity, equity & inclusion and has most recently been leading an award winning design team that has been combatting the tobacco industry.

Maureen Recker has been a Destiny Arts Center board member since January, 2018. She came to Destiny through a friend’s invite to attend Destiny’s gala and is drawn to Destiny’s mission to ignite social change through dance and martial arts. She is inspired by numerous stories of Destiny impacting children’s lives. She too was inspired to dance as a child, which allowed her to gain confidence. She decided to become more involved as a board member and ensure children continue to experience the magic of Destiny. Maureen is a financial advisor with MassMutual, where she helps her clients achieve their financial goals. Maureen has previously worked in corporate finance with General Electric and investment roles with IBJ and Bank of America. She holds a M.B.A. degree from Duke University and a B.S. degree from Indiana University. Originally from Hong Kong, she had lived in Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, New York City & Michigan. She has been in the Bay Area since 2007 and is passionate about Flamenco dancing, alpine skiing and camping outdoors. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and her Portuguese Water Dog.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Tana Johnson joined Destiny Arts Center in 2016 after witnessing Destiny’s ability to create strong youth leaders and community advocates through its social justice oriented curriculum in movement arts. Tana is a screenwriter with over twenty years of experience as an arts educator, video producer, and teacher trainer in non-profits, museums, colleges and county offices of education. Tana ran the Integrated Learning Specialist Program at Alameda County Office of Education where she led a training program for educators to deepen their practice through Teaching for Understanding and Studio Thinking Framework. Tana has received awards for her own films as well as digital films and products she produced at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. She holds a master’s of arts in Creativity and Arts Education from San Francisco State University. Originally from Idaho, Tana has been an active member of the Bay Area arts community since 1992. Tana loves traveling with her husband and two daughters, hiking the hills of Oakland with her two dogs, and attending the inspiring Destiny Arts performances.