Our Team
Lakai Worrell
Vision Leader
Lakai is an award-winning choreographer, director and early career filmmaker. He is a New York native who began his dance career as a hip-hop artist, before studying more contemporary dance forms. He is the recipient of The Torch Bearer Award for the Advancement of Black Theater, Teacher recognition Award from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), and the Black Men of Distinction Award.
His choreographic work has been experienced at the Classical theater of Harlem’s Summer Stage productions of Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Peridance Center Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) Conference, The Brooklyn Academy of music, Yale, Hofstra, Oberlin Universities, The Kings Theater in Brooklyn, the Campion School in Athens Greece, the Orchestra Sinfonica juvenile de EL Salvadore, , and The Maafa Suite: A Healing Journey.
As a performer he can be seen in the music video 100% Pure Love with Crystal Waters, has worked with Jazz great Ornette Coleman, Savion Glover, Avery Brookes, Phylicia Rashaad, Michael K. Williams, and performed with The Shakespeare Theater under the leadership of Michael Kahn, and Tony Award winning Broadway Choreographer Marlies Yearby.
He was chosen as a participant in the 2022 BRIC Documentary Intensive, where he would develop his first short documentary; “A Place Called Home”. This film would go on to become the winner of the “Best Culture Award” from the LA documentary Film Festival(2023), and semi-finalist in the Dumbo Film Festival (2023).
Lakaiw@artsinblue.org
Shani M. Worrell
Operations Manager
Shani M Worrell holds a BFA in Fine Arts from Towson University, and is a former student of Duke Ellington School of The Arts. Mrs. Worrell has been a professional performing artist for over two decades working with Choreographers such as Stephanie Powell, Eva Anderson, James “Buster” Grant, Kwame A. Ross, Nathan Trice, Mickey D and Friends and more. Mrs. Worrell worked closely with Obediah Wright, Founder of Balance Dance Theatre, for approximately six years. Gradually becoming Mr. Wright’s assistant and rehearsal director. Mrs. Worrell’s foundation is Concert Dance, but has been fortunate to work in the Commercial arena also.
Some of her television credits include: MTV’s Video Music Awards, Saturday Night Live and The 2006 Billboard Awards. She can be seen on television in “Bridging the Gap” by Nas, “Pon de River, Pon de Bank” by Elephant Man and on the VH1 Soul Count down as #2! As a singer and actress, Mrs. Worrell has sung with Melee at Nuyorican Poets Cafe and various clubs in the NY area, produced her own showcase" Another Part of Me", and was an actress in a “Night of
Sonia Sanchez”. Mrs. Worrell is an original member of The Color Purple’s 1st National Tour, she was the female dancer/singer swing and a cover for the role of “Nettie”. Mrs. Worrell thanks The Creator for her gifts, her community and her family. Live in each moment!
Shaniw@artsinblue.org