Our Story |
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Ava LaVonne Vinesett and Jessica Almy-Pagán form the core of the collective, Indigo Yard Gals. The collaborative work of Indigo Yard Gals is fundamentally unique from our gallery or proscenium-centered efforts. Our work percolates through daily life… incorporating sweet & savory ancestral wisdom, syncopation, dance, nature, choreography, archival research, cartography, ritual traces, visual poetry, sculpture, sound, taste, aromas, and touch to create a tradition of site-responsive events.
We think of our events as gatherings in our home—and we create these gatherings to give back to the folks who inspire our respective creative, intellectual, and artistic voice…our community. Our work integrates many traditions, and is especially rooted in practices amplifying energies of nature and the elevation of spirit. 
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Home as healing….
Home as nurturing…
Home as deliberately carving out space…
Home as a state of mind…
This is our spiritual recipe for bringing that blue brilliance into visibility.
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Our site-specific works acknowledge the intentionality of creating home and community and the IYG creative process is rooted in valuing presence over spectacle:
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Ava LaVonne Vinesett
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Jessica Almy Pagán
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As a multidisciplinary artist and scholar, I am drawn to gestures that mark live, fluid boundaries in both public and private realms… to individual and collective actions that sometimes offer space for liminality, sometimes delineate distinct directions or crossroads… to intergenerational ritual patterns asserted and repeated in time and space, along with their residual images, objects and sounds… to a conscious choice of sharing pivotal life moments, of making them visible, audible, lived with others. More than two decades ago I drew salt lines on my living room floor, and then extended them out onto the sidewalk and street in my mother’s home country of Puerto Rico. By following the core trajectory of this year-long installation project, and the rich bodies of performance work it sparked, I ended up traveling halfway across the globe, documenting several threshold-marking traditions of women in India and Brazil. For me, both art and research embody creative processes, intertwining personal experience and contemporary theoretical concerns, while acknowledging layered histories and shared memories of others. The ongoing collaborative work of Indigo Yard Gals continues to explore and present cross‐disciplinary approaches to research, scholarship and practice, reflecting the depth of knowledge and agency residing in the collective worlds of our own backyards.
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COLLABORATORS
Tria SmothersTria Smothers hails from Baltimore, MD and has been in the Triangle area for over 13 years. She currently works as a mental health counselor assisting people in walking in line with their values. She's had a passion for dance since her youth and had the opportunity to study the art under the tutelage of Ava L. Vinesett, Andrea Woods Valdes, and Barbara Dickinson, along with multiple guest artists. She continues to dance as a form of self-expression and healing.
Domingo VinesettDomingo Vinesett was born and raised in Durham, NC. Introduced by his parents at a young age to various rhythms and dances throughout the African diaspora, Domingo grew up accompanying Ava Vinesett’s technique classes at Duke University. As a percussionist, Domingo has studied and trained under Bira Santos in Salvador, Brasil and Orlando Alvarez in Matanzas, Cuba. As a lover of Salsa music and dance as well, Domingo trained as a member of Yamuleé Dance Company in the Bronx, NY. Domingo graduated from Columbia University with a joint degree in Mathematics-Statistics and a concentration in Political Science. Currently, Domingo has been laying low throughout the pandemic, but looks forward to resuming his passions when safe!
Medina JohnsonMedina Ann Johnson fell in love with dance at a very early age and has been enamored with her creative journey ever since. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and National University. With great commitment, Medina continues to develop her craft through artistic projects like Indigo Yard Gals, workshops, residencies and cultural safaris. A diligent performer and educator, she shares her artistic knowledge unselfishly. During her tenure with Chuck Davis’ African American Dance Ensemble, Medina was afforded the opportunity to tour extensively, including travels abroad to Hong Kong, the Caribbean, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Najla McClainNajla McClain, grew up in Durham, North Carolina and is a proud graduate of the Durham Public School system. Involved in the arts from a very young age. From dancing with Mama Sadiyah at the Durham Arts Council to a BA in Dance Studies at Meredith College and work with dance professionals since - if there’s an opportunity for meaningful, fulfilling contributions to narrative change and truth telling she’s all in. Being a part of Indigo Yard Girls fills her with smiles and after a few hours of practice usually lots of sweat. In addition to dance, Najla crafts spoken word stories for local events and enjoys time with good friends usually in very loud, fun and loving conversations. Always centering joy and sharing light.
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Oesa VinesettAfter ten years of practicing capoeira with Capoeira Brasil, Oesa Savionne Vinesett transitioned her love of movement to dance. She has spent her time performing salsa and bachata with Sabor: Columbia University’s First Latino Dance Troupe, studying Afro-Cuban Orisha dance and rumba under her phenomenal mentor, Rebecca Bliss, and performing as a member of the Duke African Repertory Ensemble and Indigo Yard Gals.
Beverly BotsfordBeverly Botsford is a cross-cultural percussionist and educator deeply committed to building bridges with music, movement and word. Embracing drumming traditions of Africa, Cuba, Brazil and her native North Carolina, she celebrates more than 30 years of professional experience, teaching and performing in major venues around the world.
Her music for dance experience includes work with the African American Dance Ensemble, (founding member, 1983-present) ADF faculty (1985-98), and projects with Donald McKayle, Cleo Parker Robinson, Ron Brown and Urban Bush Women. Professional highlights also include decades of touring with Grammy nominated, jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon in venues such as the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl, as well as many performances in Europe, Africa, Brazil, Asia and in the USA. A deeply committed educator, Beverly continues to share her passion for rhythm and culture in schools and communities, reaching more than 40,000 students and teachers over 3 decades. Beverly has worked with Ava and Richard Vinesett since the early days of the African American Dance Ensemble and has participated in multiple IYG projects and performances. She currently accompanies African Dance classes at Duke and her passions include gourds and gardening. Photo credit: Diane Harrel 
Richard VinesettRichard Vinesett was born in Norfolk, Va, and raised in both San Diego, CA. His initial percussion teacher and mentor is Khalid Saleem (djembe). Other teachers include Bira Santos (atabaque/rum) and David Font (batá). Richard is the musical director of IYG and provides musical accompaniment for Ava Vinesett’s dance classes at Duke University.
Amoké OceanSince preschool age Amoké Ocean has been developing her passion for movement by studying various forms of dance. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She now resides in Cary, North Carolina. She has had the privilege of learning and teaching various dance styles such as Modern, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, African Diaspora, Hip Hop and Capoeria. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga, life coach and esthetician. Over the years she has performed with various groups such as Duke African Repertory Ensemble, Capoeira Brasil and Indigo Yard Gals.
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Chanelle C.C. CroxtonChanelle ‘C.C.’ Croxton was born and raised in D.C. and has spent the last 14 years in Durham, NC. C.C. is a full time labor organizer fighting to improve working conditions for Black workers in the South, and dedicates much of her time working towards a more liberatory future for all Black people. Her main resilience practice over the years has been dance which has profoundly shaped her life. She has studied an array of dance techniques including forms of the African Diaspora and Modern Dance under the direction of Ava L. Vinesett, and has had the opportunity to perform numerous productions with both Ava and Andrea E. Woods.
Bonita JoyceBonita Joyce resides in the culturally-rich community of Durham, NC where she has had the opportunity to learn from teachers deeply rooted in African dance, arts and history. She has performed with the Duke African Repertory Ensemble with Professor Ava L. Vinesett and SUAH African Dance Theater with Wesley Williams. There will always be heart-space for her teachers at the Hayti Community Center and the CAARE Healing Center who invested energy into her growth as a dancer… before performance was even thought of.
She sends continuous love and appreciation for the dancers and drummers who continue to strengthen her understanding of the rhythms and connection to the movement- physically and spiritually. IYG has created space for personal and collective healing whether one is organizing, performing or applauding. It is a beautiful experience. 
photo by Alec Himwich
Khalid SaleemMusician -- more to come!
Cici StevensCici's sculptural installations have sprouted up in galleries, storefront windows, and outbuildings across North Carolina, and she has presented ‘active installations’ in rivers and other unlikely locations from the Big Horns to the Green Mountains. Cici collaborates with choreographers to create otherworldly stage sets. She worked with students to create a fantasy entryway for Raleigh's Contemporary Art Museum, and with clients & staff to transform the meeting rooms at The Durham Center for Mental Health. Cici was selected as a NC Visiting Artist 1986-90, and received grants from the Durham Arts Council, Alternate Roots, and the NC Arts Council. She has been awarded artist residencies in North Carolina, Wyoming and Vermont.
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Guests of IYG
Jaki Shelton GreenJaki Shelton Green, ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina appointed in 2018, is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate and reappointed in 2021 for a second term by Governor Roy Cooper. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, 2014 NC Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Jaki Shelton Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC Chapel Hill. Additionally, she received the George School Outstanding Alumni Award in 2021. Her publications include: Dead on Arrival, Masks, Dead on Arrival and New Poems, Conjure Blues, singing a tree into dance, breath of the song, published by Blair Publishers. Feeding the Light, i want to undie you published by Jacar Press, i want to undie you English /Italian bilingual edition published by Lebeg Publishers. 2020, she released her first poetry album, The River Speaks of Thirst and a CD, i want to undie you. Additionally, Jaki Shelton Green serves as the 2022-2024 Poet Laureate in Residence at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She is listed on the Forbes distinguished 2022 list of Fifty Over Fifty Women.
E'Vonne ColemanE’Vonne Coleman is a cultural warrior, advocating for strategic thought, inclusion, and support for the arts and cultural sector in Durham. Recently retired from Discover Durham as Chief Operating Officer, E’Vonne has over 30 years of experience in the arts and 20 years of experience in tourism. She has held positions with arts councils in multiple cities and worked at the National Endowment for the Arts and Duke University Continuing Studies Office. E’Vonne was the first African American to direct an arts council in the state of North Carolina. She was an arts lobbyist in Philadelphia and was on the faculty at Goucher College Arts Administration Graduate Program. She is a 2019 Duke University Samuel DuBois Cook Award among many other. E’Vonne has served on numerous boards including Grantmakers In the Arts, UNC-Public Television, NCCU Hospitality Advisory Board, Durham Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Durham Inc., Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, North Carolina Black Arts Coalition, and many others. She is currently on the boards of Manbites Dog Theater, Durham County Stadium Authority and Durham Cultural Advisory Board. She holds a BA (Dramatic Arts) from NC Central University and MA from The American University Arts Administration Program. Her personal motto is: May I live long enough to be of service.
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Lee EdwardsLee (they/them) is an interdisciplinary movement artist and embodied storyteller, working in dance, sound, video, and ethnography. Their layered corporeality shapes the lens through which they investigate, create, and express their experiences. Lee’s creative practice takes shape through the use of performance, installation, improvisational and somatic techniques, and writing. Their work allows them to make sense of the present by examining it alongside the past in the hopes of creating otherwise possibilities in our nearest future. Lee began showcasing their desire to dance at family gatherings, social functions, and their home church Mother A.M.E Zion. Their formal dance training started at The Dance Theatre of Harlem School, after which they went on to receive their BFA in Dance from The University of the Arts, Philadelphia (c/o 2015). Lee recently received their MFA in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis and Master's Certificate in African and African American Studies from Duke University (2022). They recently received the 2021-2022 Kenan Institute of Ethics Graduate Arts Fellowship in Social Choreography and Performance. Lee is currently based in Durham, NC.
Janice Clark
Janice Clark moved to North Carolina in 2000 to pursue her dental education. Now working as a dentist with the intention of providing a compassionate and caring environment for patients she has found dance, particularly African Diasporic dance, as a way to connect to her community and culture. With yoga she has discovered the perfect balance between movement, stillness, and the body’s ability to heal. A passionate vegan, she currently is in the process of starting a non profit animal rescue.
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Khadija McNairKhadija McNair is the Assistant Site Manager at Stagville State Historic Site. She is a Durham, NC native. Before coming to Stagville, Khadija was an historic interpreter at Duke Homestead State Historic Site and interpreted for a short time at Charlotte Hawkins Brown State Historic Site. Khadija has worked on multiple public history projects including the Orange County NC Slave Deed database and the Tobacco and African American History Panel Series at Duke Homestead State Historic Site. She obtained her BA (2017) and MA (2020) in History from North Carolina Central University. Her MA thesis, Reinterpreting The Foundation Of Lincoln Hospital: Race, Power, Philanthropy, And Public History In Durham, North Carolina, focuses on the philanthropy of the Duke family in Durham’s Black communities, particularly the establishment of Lincoln Hospital. Her thesis research also included studying the life of Caroline Barnes, who was enslaved by the Duke family and later became a servant in their mansion after emancipation. Her continued research centers public memory and Durham’s African American history. Khadija is passionate about sharing the stories of those often overlooked who contributed immensely to her hometown.
Ife Michelle PresswoodIfe Michelle Presswood is a Choreographer, Dancer, Black Culture Educator, and Artistic Spacemaker whose artistic work strives to reclaim the identity and demonstrate the multiplicity of Black Women/Black Womanhood through movement in response to the reality of misogynoir. Ife engages in interdisciplinary work in the arts as a creative director for local multidisciplinary artists, offering and is an Adjunct Professor (Duke University/Fayetteville State/North Carolina State University) where she teaches Black/Queer Cultural dance styles through history and practicum.
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