Mission

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide a platform for artists, incubate innovation, and collaboration by using the power of the arts as a means of liberation, healing and advocacy. We provide services in arts education, performance, consultation, choreography, composition and artist development.

History

On January 23, 2010, Brinae Ali's career as a performing and teaching artist came to an abrupt halt. At 6 months old her daughter Malaika suffered a severe traumatic brain injury as a result of a near fatal fall down a flight of steps. This was a life changing moment where she felt the universe challenged her to use the tools of music , dance, and artistic expression as a means of healing.

Most importantly her responsibility as a mother deepened. Ali saturated her daughter’s hospital room at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with music, rhythm, family, and unconditional love. This not only helped Malaika's healing process, it gave Ali the confidence to share her testimony of their survival and the transformative power of music and movement.

From this experience Ali wrote a one woman show called "Steps" which received an award for Best Short Play in the Downtown Urban Theater Festival in April 2011. While touring and performing with the company of STOMP, she recorded a music project called "Destination Forever: Vol.1" produced by Jason Mills in 2013. Ali took a break from her company to focus on her music, family and community. She led her own band, performed original music and choreography advocating for single mother artists and survivors of severe traumatic brain injury. Through this movement she was able to encourage people in her hometown Flint, MI to participate in a Flash Mob. Brinae created choreography and a song called "Rockin 2 Da Beat" for people of all backgrounds and ages as a form of healing and community engagement through partnerships with Flint Southwestern and Northern High Schools, Boys and Girls Club, Flint Local 432, The Buckham Alley Fest, Raise It Up! Youth Arts and Awareness and the Flint Farmers Market.

In 2014, Ali created a program called "Beyond Words". This program was designed to bring in world renowned poets, writers, and performing artists such as Jessica Care Moore, The Last Poets, Black Ice, Reg E. Gaines, Wendel Patrick, and others. They collaborated with Flint local artists, students, and educators as a way to empower at risk youth through literacy and creativity. That same year she was commissioned by Harlem Stage's E-Moves to choreograph work inspired by James Baldwin. This prompted her next body of work called "Destination Forever: Black Matter Vol.2" in response to the murder of Mike Brown,Trayvon Martin, and the Flint Water Crisis. After the closing of this show, Ali established her company Destination Forever LLC in April of 2015.

In 2016, Ali moved to New York City to join the cast of "Shuffle Along" on Broadway. Upon moving to New York, the world learned about the Flint Water Crisis. She felt like she had to do something to help her community at home. Simultaneously she learned that Destination Forever: Vol.1 EP received the Independent Music Awards: Vox Populi (Voice of the People) Award. Although she was proud to have been acknowledged, she could not celebrate knowing that the work was not done. So she used her organizational skill set of bringing people together and partnered with the National Black Theater of Harlem, Harlem Stage, Revive Music, Tapology and artists from the New York community raising $10,000 for families who had been compromised due to the water crisis for an event called "Harlem 4 Flint". The goal was to use those funds to support social emotional challenges and healing through art.

From these initiatives and experiences, Ali has been able to mentor young artists, train dancers, build strong relationships with organizations, institutions, and create with some of the greatest artists on the planet.