Torens L. Johnson (Smithfield, Virginia) completed the dance certificate program at The Ailey School and performed nationally and internationally with Ailey II. Mr. Johnson received his BFA from Towson University and served as a dance educator for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Paseo Academy High School, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School, and Friends School of Baltimore. He taught dance at AileyCamp for many years, and in 2021, he became the AileyCamp National Deputy Director. He has worked as a freelance educator and choreographer for Anne Arundel Community College, George Mason University, Morgan State University, and numerous educational institutions. His performing credits include ClancyWorks Dance Company, Stephanie Powell DansEnsemble, Edgeworks Dance Theater, Tony Powell Music & Movement, and Wylliams/Henry Dance Theater. In 2020, Mr. Johnson completed his MFA at Wilson College, and he currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Texas State University.

Paula Lang (Kansas City, Missouri) serves as the Dance Department Chair at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. A graduate of UMKC, she began dance training at an early age and studied extensively in Kansas City with Tatiana Dokoudovska and the Ailey School in New York City, being personally chosen for a scholarship by Alvin Ailey. Paula has performed with the Kansas City Ballet, Lyric Opera, Theater in the Park, Missouri Repertory Theater, American Heartland Theater, Coterie Theater, Starlight Theater, Ethos Dance Company, and in Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey’s Setting the Stage. Ms. Lang performed and choreographed for the Houston Opera, Radio Disney Entertainment, Zombie Prom, Babes in Arms, In the Heights, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago, High School Musical, Dream Girls, Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, Hairspray, Anything Goes, The Wiz, Shrek, and a production called The Sounds of Philadelphia. Paula is also an instructor at Mindy’s Dance Center. This is Paula’s 32nd year with AileyCamp.

JaRon Shelton (Kansas City, Missouri) received his high school diploma from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy where he was an active member of the band and First Chair district oboist. As an undergraduate, he studied Music education and performance at Northwest Missouri State University. He would later continue his education at Washburn University as a Communications major B.S. and French minor. Today JaRon resides in Kansas City as a freelance musician and community activist. It’s his third year returning AileyCamp Kansas administrator.

Yvette Norris (Kansas City, Missouri) has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She also holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas and currently works for the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools.

Markel Aiken (Long Island, New York) is an AileyCamp and AileyCamp The Group alumni. He has been a group leader at camp for many years. Markel is a mental health case manager in the greater Kansas City area for youth. This is Markel’s sixth year with AileyCamp.

Desmond “337” Jones (Kansas City, Missouri) is a part of the spoken word performance duo, with Theodore “Priest” Hughes called The Recipe. Desmond is a lifetime poet and 18-year veteran in The Recipe since 2005. “Recipe,” according to Webster’s Dictionary is a set of instructions from various ingredients to obtain success. The Recipe combined props, music, and theater with spoken word, incorporating multiple artistic mediums to heighten the socially conscious message that can be playful, serious, melancholy, or simple. They developed a style they call, “Dramatic Art n’ Rhythm.” They believe that by exemplifying excellence and teamwork as spoken word artists/activists, they can change lives. This is Desmond’s ninth year with AileyCamp.

Jason Jones (Topeka, Kansas) is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in musical theater at Washburn University; having served as a mainstage performer, choreographer, scene/costume assistant, and production stage manager. His involvement with local community arts institutions includes Topeka Performing Arts Center (Sheffel Theater Clinic), Topeka Civic Theater (Summer Youth Academy), Helen Hocker Performing Arts Center (actor/instructor for multiple projects), AKA Miss Fashionetta Ball, Topeka High School, Highland Park High School, and a host of churches. Most recently, Mr. Jones has enjoyed an appointment as a choreographer, talent coordinator, and technical assistant for the TFFJC Miss Juneteenth Kansas pageant and working with several Topeka after-school programs to develop choreography/curriculum for their students. This is Jason’s 12th year with AileyCamp.

Jordan Pamon (Chicago, IL) was introduced to dance through Eta Creative Arts Foundation. Jordan began her formal training when she was 12 years old at Wirt Emerson Visual and Performing Arts School, where she was trained by Joshua Ishmon and Sheryl Barnes. She is a graduate of Chicago High School for the Performing Arts and has recently graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a degree in dance. Jordan has also trained with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Homer Bryant. Ms. Pamon has performed works by Gary Abbott, DeAnna Hiett, Micheal Blake, Brandon Discriso, Sarah Ford Thompson, Tristian Griffin, and Nicole Clark-Springer. This is Jordan’s first year with AileyCamp.

C. Jaisson Taylor (Roeland Park, Kansas) is an accomplished artist and teacher having traveled the world as a percussionist and vocalist, working with some of the best pop, soul, R&B, and blues bands in the United States. In January 2020, his album, Hudspeth & Taylor’s Folie a Deux was nominated Best Emerging Artist Album for the 41st Annual Blues Music Awards. In April of 2019, Jaisson was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame as a founding member of Scatband, a popular original music group, touring and recording from 1980-1986. In February of 2020, Jaisson earned a National Young Audience Teaching Artist Credential and participated in the National Young Audience Teaching Artist Conference. This is Jaisson’s 22nd year with AileyCamp.

Rodni Williams (Miami, Florida) has danced with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Wylliams/Henry Danse Theater, The MAFATA Dance Co, NY, Rod Rogers Dance Co., Garth Fagan Dance, The Clive Thompson Dance Company, The Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted Productions, and Dance Miami. His theatrical productions include the Jay Leno Show, Love in Four Acts for PBS Chicago, a tour of FAME, the PBS’s Martin, Bible Stories, Mephistopheles, God’s Trombones and Abyssinia with director, Mike Malone, and the Philadelphia Opera Company. Rodni holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona, Tucson, a BFA in dance from Adelphi University, and has studied at the Dance Theater of Harlem and Ailey School. He has taught at The University of Arizona-Tucson, the Ailey School, MOVE ON Dance Center and the Co-Founder/Associate Artistic Director of Black Dance Festival, Vienna, Austria. This is Rodni’s 20th year at AileyCamp.

Jillian Collier (Kansas City, Missouri) began her dance career formally training for years at Starstruck Performing Arts Center in Lenexa, Kansas under the direction of Erin Novak-Lustig. She continued her dance training after high school and began to dance professionally with various companies and at events in Kansas City. As a guest artist, she has apprenticed with Tristian Griffin Dance Company. Jillian has gotten her start in the career of dance education at Ms. Lyndz’s Dance and Acrobatics for the past two years. With the dream of making an impact on this world, Jillian will be attending the illustrious Spelman College this fall with a major in political science and minoring in dance. Jillian is also very excited about being a collegiate dancer on Morehouse College’s Mahogany-N-Motion dance team. This is Jillian’s first year with AileyCamp.

Noah Lang (Kansas City, Missouri) is a student at Ottawa University on a track and field and football scholarship. He likes to code and hopes to be an engineer one day. Noah attended AileyCamp and participated in debate and choir in high school. Currently, he is at Jackson State, majoring in psychology. This is Noah’s third year with AileyCamp. 

Ruby Lynn Jones (Topeka, Kansas) is honored to be a graduate of Topeka High School, with a four-year GPA of 3.2. For her senior year, she was a part of Ultramotion Studio’s first year of classes as an advanced senior member. She was also commissioned to choreograph and present a senior duet performance entitled Lasting Colors. Upon graduation, she completed a summer/fall internship at Studio 7 Hair and Style in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. As a member of the New Beginning Baptist Church, she works to better herself and others as a technical sound assistant and participant in other leadership areas of the ministry. Upon finishing her internship with Studio 7, she began serving for Topeka Public School as a substitute teacher for multiple locations as needed. This is Ruby’s third year of AileyCamp.