beat tree dancers

Battle, Venise

Venise Battle began dancing at the University of Pennsylvania, where she participated in African Rhythms Drum and Dance Troupe. She continues her study of West African forms by taking classes at the Dance Complex. Africa permeates her professional life as well. Venise teaches the Africa Central Subject at Shady Hill School.

Bowden, Harolyn

Coomber, Baindu

Baindu Coomber enjoys using the world as her dance floor and is forever grateful to Beat Tree for sharing their world with her. Over the years she has taught in the Boston Public School System, choreographed and collaborated with performance artists, and performed with various dance companies and programs such as NESA, Bryce Dance and Infinity Dance. Besides African-based dances, her training includes Modern, Calypso and Hip Hop; she's also experienced in Salsa, Bacchata and East Coast Swing/Lindy Hop. Baindu currently teaches Hip Hop and Afro-Fusion at Boston Collegiate Charter School.

Ehizuelen, Sophia

Harkless, Marianne, Artistic Director

Marianne Harkless danced with the Art of Black Dance & Music, Ballet Theatre of Boston, Danny Sloan Dance Company, Dance Collective, Brasiliero, Inc., Grupo Bandança Afro-Brazilian Dancers & Drummers, Under the Sun Dance & Drum, the Spirit of Africa, Impulse Dance Company and others. She has taught dance at Radcliffe College, Boston University, Dean College School of Dance, Wellesley College, and at public schools, private schools and dance studios in the greater Boston area. She has guest taught and performed in Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New York, Oregon and in France, Switzerland and Jamaica.
Marianne was a 1996 recipient of the Dance Belt Award and is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Boston Dance Alliance. She currently teaches at Wellesley College, the Cambridge School of Weston, Shady Hill School, Ballet Arts Centre of Winchester, Spontaneous Celebrations, and the Dance Complex and choreographs and performs with Beat Tree Dance Company in Cambridge.

Marusa, Darya

A native of Somerville, MA, Darya Marusa Pinton has studied and performed West African, Caribbean and Brazilian dance since 1993. She received her undergraduate degree from Hampshire College in 2003, majoring in dance anthropology with a minor in comparative religion. She has traveled to Cuba twice to study dance with the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional in Havana (1997) and AfroCuba de Matanzas in Matanzaz City (2002). Since 2003, Darya has worked with local and visiting artists who aspire to infuse traditional African Diaspora dance with modern dance technique and choreographic sensibilities. She has presented her own work at Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center (2004 w/ Shari Schwendener), the Dance Complex (2006 Shared Choreographers' Concert), and most recently at MainStage Theater (2008 w/ Pape N'Diaye). When she is not dancing, Darya works as the Director of Programs at the Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA.

Remy, Widmine, Founder and Director

Widmine Remy is a new choreographer but has danced with various companies in the area for years. Her love of dance began at a young age in her Haitian home, where dance and music were as big a part of everyday life as eating and sleeping. Widmine recalls laughing hysterically as her uncles burst into dance in her living room, with or without music; or competing for quarters with her brother and cousins in impromptu dance contests judged by their uncles. This lighthearted attitude and love for dance is evident in her choreography, which deal with various subject matters but revolve around using dance as a source of comfort and an expression of joy.

Walters, Dayenne C. Byron

Dayenne Walters has danced with Frederick Hayes, Fatou N'Diaye, and Lamine Toure. She was recently a featured actor in "Lonely Ignorance / Gods, Monsters and the Other" at the Midway Studio Theatre, “...for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf”, at the Strand Theater and has appeared for several years in the National Center for Afro-American Artists’ production of “Black Nativity”.

Weaver, Terra

Terra Weaver studies Ballet, African, and Modern dance. With Beat Tree she has found a perfect opportunity to apply ideas and technique from all these traditions. She is grateful to have worked with inspiring and energizing teachers such as Jean Appolon, Marianne Harkless, Pape N'Daye, Anna Myer, Joh Camara, and Wilmayer Marcelin. She looks forward to continuing collaborations with Beat Tree as well as other innovative choreographers in the vibrant Boston dance community, including Carey McKinley Foster and Heather Bryce (of Bryce Dance) and Rachel b. and Company. Terra holds a B.A. in Anthropology from UMass Boston, and currently works as a liaison for the National Park Service coordinating consultations with local Native American Tribes.

Weiss, Lori

Lori Weiss grew up in upstate NY where she first discovered her passion for dance. She began studying tap, jazz, and ballet at the age of two, and more recently has embraced modern, Indian folk, and West African dance styles. Lori has performed locally with The Reagle Players Theater Company, OTHILA Dance Company, Synergy Dance Company, among others. She is thrilled to have recently joined Beat Tree, as she had admired their thought-provoking and beautiful choreography from the audience for some time. Outside of her dance life, Lori is an elementary math teacher at the Nashoba Brooks School.