ASFA Magazine: Momentum

Alabama School of Fine Arts Spring 2022 Magazine

ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS

MOMENTUM

SPRING 2022

PRESIDENT’S

LETTER

Dr. Tim Mitchell

gives an update

on the current

state of the

school and what

is on the horizon.

3

STUDENT LIFE

ASFA Math-

Science

Department

senior James

Shi’s successful

results in the

community and

the classroom.

The Black Student

Union’s president

Joscelyn Peterson

and staff sponsor

Kim Strickland

walked us through

what the BSU is

doing on campus.

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

Sensations by Lo Harris, ‘14 loharris.com

11

TEACHER

FEATURES

ASFA teachers

Wes Chapman

and Bree Lord

Latner blend art

and science in

their classrooms.

Moving from

South Africa to

Birmingham has

been a journey

of passion for

new ASFA Music

Department Chair

Alex Fokkens.

28

ALL ABOUT ASFA

The intertwined

history of

ASFA with the

philanthropy that

made it possible.

We checked in

with each of the

departments

to see where

they are now

and where they

hope to be in

the future.

16

POETRY IN MOTION

The Busy and Inspiring Life of Alabama

Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones.

22

THE SHOW MUST GROW ON

The ASFA Theatre Arts Department and

the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater are

expanding their footprints.

SPRING 2022

HEY ARE THE most common questions I get: How is it going? Is ASFA

surviving the pandemic? Are you able to have school? The truth is that

ASFA is thriving! Our high vaccination rate, robust testing programs,

and safety protocols have kept us in full school since the 4th quarter

of last year. We’ve had no disruptions to concerts, exhibits, plays,

readings, recitals, or other events, and we regularly host full audiences.

Student achievements have been steady and impressive under

every specialty. I just printed out the list of achievements up

through the third quarter, and it’s six pages long! National Merit

Scholar finalists, YoungArts finalists, US Presidential Scholars

candidates, a NASA Stennis Space Center apprentice, an American

College of Cardiology Young Scholar, Poetry Out Loud National

finalists, 51 music awards across the state and region, and

even a Miss Jr. Teen USA are all on that achievement list.

It’s clear that passionate young people with a purpose find their

home at ASFA. They become very, very good at what they do. And,

just as the students have been moving forward and thriving during

these times, the school has been busy mapping out the future.

We are about halfway

through a creative and

self-reflective strategic

planning process. It all

began with hiring the

Libretto team to lead

us through messaging

and positioning

research. Over

120 students, parents, alumni, administrators, board members,

and even state legislators took part in this tremendous effort.

We are looking forward to the results this spring!

The Hopes and Dreams Project for ASFA’s future gathered over 150

students, faculty, and staff into dialogue and into sharing and listening

sessions with the goal of talking through what is the next level for every

aspect of ASFA? What are the obstacles we need to solve along the way?

What are our immediate needs, big and great ideas, and strategic issues

that will require our commitment and innovation to move forward as a school

into the future? Now we know what our community dreams of doing next.

This April, we will launch a further phase of the strategic planning process

to examine the strategic issues and to prioritize our needs and wants into

a vision statement with goals and defined actions ahead of us. We look

forward to all of the participants and board members who will take part in

the related task forces and to hearing their recommendations for ASFA.

What could follow that?! A new

campus master building plan and

improvements small and big to unlock our

great potential. For our strategic planning

if we need to see potential and creativity,

we need to look no further than our

students and our alumni for inspiration.

FROM PRESIDENT

DR. TIM MITCHELL

We’re on the move,

Dr. Tim Mitchell

ASFA’s been moving forward

this whole time!”—Tim Mitchell

MAGAZINE

VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 1

Editor

Katie Roach Dudley ‘97

Art Director

Kelsey Crafton

Associate Editor

Jaronda Little ‘88

Contributing Designers

Tania Maria Roulston,

Mary Margaret Morgan

Contributing Writer

Javacia Harris

Bowser ‘99

Contributing

Photographers

Kelsey Justice,

Amarr Croskey

Alabama School

of Fine Arts

1800 Rev. Abraham

Woods Jr., Blvd.

Birmingham, AL 35203

Alumni: Please send

address changes and

updates to Beth Mulvey,

bmulvey@asfaschool.

org

ASFA ADMINISTRATION

2021-2022

President

Dr. Tim Mitchell

Director of Curriculum

and Instruction

Brad Hill

Chief Financial and

Operations Officer

Jamie Plott

Director of Student

Support Services

Kim Strickland ‘93

Director of

Development

Beth Mulvey

Director of Marketing

Katie Roach Dudley ‘97

Dorm Student Care

Coordinator

Jason Akins

Creative Writing Chair

TJ Beitelman

Dance Chair

Wes Chapman ‘83

Math/Science Chair

Hungsin Chin

Music Chair

Alex Fokkens

Theatre Arts Chair

John Manzelli

Visual Arts Chair

Darius Hill ‘85

ASFA FOUNDATION BOARD

OF DIRECTORS

2021-2022

President

Robert Raiford

President Elect

Dr. Tommy Bice

Secretary/Treasurer

Warren Whatley

Past President

Valerie Thompson

Development

Committee Chair

Daphne B. Powell ‘87

Chairman ASFA Board

of Trustees

Dr. Webb Robertson

Dr. Tim Mitchell, ASFA

President

Shahar Abrams ‘10

Uday Bhate

Dan Frederick

Gracie Goodrich

Lisa Paden Gaines ‘72

Alison Grizzle

CeCe Lacey Kennedy

Javan Patton ‘02

John Sellers

Jean Shanks

Pat Taylor

Hunter Williams

ASFA BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2021-2022

Chairman

Dr. Webb Robertson

Vice Chair

Dr. Ba-Shen Welch ‘93

Secretary

Mary Hubbard

Treasurer

Steve Nelson

Foundation Chair

Robert Raiford

Tracey Morant Adams

Kelly Allison

Dr. Vincent J. Brewton

Dr. Maria Calhoun

Charlton ‘84

Allison Dillon-Jauken

Dr. Erinn Fears

Floyd ‘87

Dr. Michael Han

Elias Hendricks Jr.

Lorelei Lein

Andy Meadows

Steele T. Marcoux

Dr. Sally P. Salter-

Blackwell

Billy Sanford

Nelvin Short ‘87

S T U D E N T L I F E

GROWING,

LEARNING,

AND SERVING

TOGETHER

ASFA students

have taken the

challenges of

the pandemic in

stride, and have

continued to do

outstanding work

both in school

and in the wider

community. Read

about ASFA’s first

Black Student

Union which was

founded last

year. Then ASFA

senior James Shi

talks about the

opportunities at

ASFA and all the

ways they have

helped him and

how he’s paying

it forward.

STUDENT

LIFE

ASFA MAGAZINE

STUDENT SHOUT OUT

ASFA students are regularly recognized regionally

and nationally for their outstanding merit and skills. See recent awards and

accomplishments of our talented students at asfaschool.org/student-accomplishments.

JAMES SHI IS A

5-YEAR SENIOR AT

ASFA WHO STRIVES

FOR EXCELLENCE

AND HELPS OTHERS

ALONG THE WAY.

SPRING 2022

PHOTOS BY TEKAY NAME HERE

SPRING 2022

N MIDDLE SCHOOL, James Shi longed to

be a part of passionate and collaborative

math-centric communities but couldn’t

find his place. The summer after his 7th-

grade year, Shi heard his family friend,

2016 ASFA alum Adam He, describe

ASFA’s Math-Science Department as an

“opportunity haven.” Shi knew he had to

take the leap and submit his application.

“It just feels so great to be a part of

ASFA’s collaborative environment, which

is unlike so many other schools. With

smaller class sizes you really feel like

your grade is your family. There is no drama

between students because we are all so close,

and we each really value being here,” says Shi.

Alongside his ASFA math and science coursework,

Shi enrolled in Introduction to Creative Writing

and Introduction to Film. “I really enjoyed writing

and thinking in that way. It helped me consider

things from new angles,” he says. “Watching

the art students at ASFA perform and show

their work is a great part of being here.”

His passion for learning led him to advance

quickly and skip two grade levels of required math

classes and one grade level of science classes.

These efforts have also allowed Shi to dual enroll

at the University of Alabama in Birmingham

to complete both coursework and research.

Shi’s senior research project, an integral

component of ASFA Math-Science Department’s

curriculum, centers on long-term treatment for

low-grade gliomas, a type of brain tumor. “There

isn’t a model currently in place to test treatments

SUM OF

SUCCESS

Alabama School of Fine Arts senior James Shi

found his place at ASFA and has worked to

help other students find their place, too.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT JAMES SHI

James Shi has been a part of several winning ASFA teams at the Regional

Science Bowl. “It was a really close match in the 2020 finals. We were neck

and neck the whole game and pulled off one question at the very end,” says Shi

SPRING 2022

JAMES SHI IS A

5-YEAR SENIOR AT

ASFA WHO STRIVES

FOR EXCELLENCE

AND HELPS OTHERS

ALONG THE WAY.

STUDENT LIFE

STUDENT LIFE

on low-grade gliomas, so I am working to help

advance this,” he says. He will present his research

at the annual Senior Research Symposium on April

14, 2022, in the DJD Theater on ASFA’s campus.

As he excelled, the meaningful bonds he formed

with classmates and teachers led him to become

a compassionate mentor and tutor. Recalling

how he felt before coming to ASFA, Shi knew

there were many middle school students eager

to compete and to grow who were lacking an

academic community. Shi established a mentorship

program with 6th-8th graders at Booker T.

Washington K-8 School in the summer of 2021.

Shi travels to the school every Friday afternoon

to lead their math teams and prepare them for

the upcoming MATHCOUNTS competitions.

Shi also founded and serves as president of

the Birmingham Branch of The Alliance of Youth

Leaders in the U.S. He is on the national board

and oversees 100+ branches as national co-vice

president and STEM committee chair. His branch

has completed over 800 hours of community

service. Shi has volunteered an additional 100+

hours at local hospitals and organizations like

Jimmie Hale Mission and the Firehouse Shelter.

As he wraps up his senior year, Shi continues

to stay busy. He is acting president of Mu

Alpha Theta, and is responsible for planning all

events, fundraisers, and outreach. He is an ASFA

Ambassador and helps to promote the school

and give prospective students tours. After school

hours, Shi works at Chick-fil-A, Birmingham Math

Academy, and at several independent tutoring jobs.

His academic, mentorship and volunteer efforts

have been recognized nationally. Shi is a three-time

gold medal recipient of the Presidential Volunteer

Service Award, won the Bronze Distinguished

Finalist Award in the Alabama Prudential Spirit of

Community Awards Program, is a National Merit

Finalist, and U.S. Presidential Scholar candidate.

Both his mother and father currently work in

medicine and have inspired him to consider the

ways that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Mathematics) can help apply

solutions to the world’s problems.

He speaks about his plans for

the future with confidence, “I

want to study biochemistry

or the biomedical sciences to

become a neuro-oncologist and

researcher, and I’m especially

interested in robotic surgery

technology. My career goals are

to stay curious intellectually,

impact others in a positive way,

and apply what I’ve learned in

textbooks into the real world.”

Of all the things Shi has

accomplished, when asked

what his favorite part of ASFA

is, he answers, “The math-

science ice cream social! I love

the ice cream social because

the family environment at

ASFA is really important to

me. It meant so much to be

somewhere I could share passions

with self-motivated people,

and I hope to find the same

environment in college.”

ASFA GIVES

STUDENTS

OPPORTUNITIES

TO COMPETE

TOGETHER

REGIONALLY AND

NATIONALLY IN

COMPETITIONS

LIKE THE ALABAMA

SCIENCE &

ENGINEERING FAIR,

NATIONAL SCIENCE

BOWL, SCIENCE

OLYMPIAD, AND

MATHCOUNTS.

It just feels so great to be a part of

ASFA’s collaborative environment.

With smaller class sizes you really feel like

your grade is your family.”—James Shi

ASFA MAGAZINE

ASFA MAGAZINE

experience for me from the start. Coming together

with other like-minded students who truly care

about making ASFA a more inclusive environment

has been the highlight of my high school career!”

The club has helped both its members and the ASFA

community grow by offering schoolwide programming

that has included provoking and honest roundtable

discussions, poetry slams featuring works by African/

African-American/Black populations, guest speakers,

a school-wide movie night, and a virtual performance

by ASFA’s African/African-American/Black alumni.

“My favorite experiences with the BSU have

actually been during the planning stages of

our various Black History Month programs/

events. It’s during these moments that I get to

see the entire union working together and using

their creativity to create programs celebrating

Black history. To me, these moments are the

embodiment of Black excellence,” says Peterson.

Many of the BSU’s events have incorporated or

are centered around the arts. Students made short

films, hosted roundtables on representation in the

media, and alums were invited to showcase their

talents. Every student at ASFA has had a chance to

participate in at least one program each year and

many students have attended as many as they can.

“In February 2022, we planned a wonderful

offering of activities for ASFA students in honor

of Black History Month. We’ll be celebrating

Cultural Diversity Month in April as we partner

with I-URGGE, a consortium for Inclusion of

Underrepresented Groups in Gifted Education, for

ASFA community conversations,” says Strickland.

Creating so much programming for ASFA students,

faculty and staff hasn’t been easy and neither is

running the BSU, but Peterson says it has been

worthwhile. “I think that the Black Student Union

has created a stronger sense of community

for the Black students at ASFA. By giving us a

space to share our experiences and educate the

rest of the ASFA community, we’ve been able to

become one step closer to breaking down cultural

barriers that have limited us in the past!”

Coming together with other

like-minded students who

truly care about making ASFA a

more inclusive environment has

been the highlight of my high

school career!”—Joscelyn Peterson

MEMBERS OF

ASFA’S BLACK

STUDENT UNION

AFTER A FIELD TRIP

TO THE SIDEWALK

BLACK LENS FILM

FESTIVAL.

LONG WITH MANY SCHOOLS around the

country, ASFA administration received a

letter during the summer of 2020 from a

group of students calling for the school to

take actions around curriculum and culture.

The summer of 2020 was also when the

nation was swept into a racial reckoning. One

of the requests from the students was for

them to get an okay from the administration

to start a Black Student Union.

ASFA Director of Student Support Services

Kim Strickland immediately reached out

to the students and offered to be their

sponsor and help them get it started when school

resumed in the fall. The group quickly formed

and got to work creating a mission statement.

During their first year as an organization,

they elected officers and gained members and

also created a broad slate of programming

for both Black History Month and Cultural

Diversity Month for all students at ASFA.

BSU Advisor Kim Stricklands says, “It’s been

an honor to work and serve with the BSU and to

help them craft a powerful mission statement

and goals for ASFA to become a more informed

and culturally sensitive community. “

The current BSU president Joscelyn Peterson says,

“My experience with the BSU has been extremely

inspirational. Working with Ms. Strickland, Ms. Jamie

Plott, and other BSU members has been a positive

BETTER

TOGETHER

The Black Student Union’s president Joscelyn

Peterson and staff sponsor Kim Strickland walked

us through what the BSU is doing on campus.

CLUB CALLOUT BLACK STUDENT UNION

SPRING 2022

ALL ABOUT ASFA

THE MISSION OF THE BSU

The BSU serves as a diverse, inclusive organization that fosters student growth through

leadership development, community involvement, arts appreciation, and social/informational programming. It is a safe space

for students to gain knowledge and information about African/African-American/Black populations in an effort to bring down

the cultural barriers and stereotypes that have plagued our country for centuries. As a complement to the ASFA Mission

Statement, the ASFA BSU shall further continue to ‘nurture impassioned students’ by guiding them towards becoming more

culturally sensitive so they may embrace diversity in our community.”

JOSCELYN PETERSON,

‘23, MATH-SCIENCE

STUDENT LIFE

ASFA MAGAZINE

The Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) has been selected to host the

annual Arts Schools Network (ASN) conference in 2023. The largest

group of school art leaders from across the country, ASN’s annual

conference will draw more than 300 participants to Birmingham and

Alabama. Attendees typically represent five countries, 40 states, and

more than 200 institutions.

The conference is planned for October 2023 with a tentative theme of

“Returning to Our Roots: Teaching Antiracism & Equity Through the

Arts.” The conference will be a collaboration between ASFA, ASN, and local

Birmingham arts and cultural organizations.

Be on the lookout for registration

information in the coming year!

Arts Schools Network

Conference at

ASFA in 2023!

ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS ALUMNI SHAPING THE FUTURE

SAVE THE DATE

for the 2022 Alabama School of Fine Arts Reunion

We hope to

see you there!

Please let us know

if you can make it.

June 3-5 in Birmingham, AL for all ASFA Classes!

Friday, June 3, 2022

Gather at a local Birmingham watering

hole for a relaxing and fun evening

with old and new faculty and friends

from all specialties and classes!

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Visit ASFA campus for a tour and a

Q&A with ASFA faculty and students

Reception at the Birmingham

Museum of Art.

Sunday, June 5, 2022

BYO brunch for a Railroad

Park family picnic with music

by ASFA alums!

ALL ABOUT ASFA

S L U G N A M E H E R E

TEACHER

FEATURES

ASFA MAGAZINE

TEACHERS AT ASFA CONTINUOUSLY

GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR

STUDENTS IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE

CLASSROOM TO SUPPORT EVERY

ASPECT OF THEIR GROWTH.

PHOTOS BY TEKAY NAME HERE

TANDING IN FRONT of the class stretching

and squeezing some clay, science teacher

Bree Lord Latner might be confused for an art

teacher. She has beautiful forearm tattoos

including one of mitosis and is wrist deep

in various colors of clay while entranced

students look at their clay lumps. Lord Latner

has been called the “Play-Doh teacher.”

She teaches science to ASFA’s arts

students including Human Anatomy and

Physiology, Biology, and Life Science. Lord

Latner started her career in microbial

genetics and graduated with a BS in

Biology. She first began working with kids at

University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for

Community Outreach Development. “I loved it so

much I decided to leave the outreach sector and

move into the classroom, so I went to graduate

school and became a teacher!” says Lord Latner.

What strikes you most about Lord Latner is her

curiosity and her drive to constantly learn. “I am a

constant observer. I can’t help it. Every second of my

life is observation and problem solving. It’s just how my

brain works. This was verified for me scientifically when

I took a psychological test (administered by ASFA)

that said I was the most rare type…. The quadrimodal

brain. Which means I can literally see things from all

sides and work through scenarios, learn from them,

without actually having to experience them to learn.”

In 2015, fellow ASFA teacher PJ Godwin took

Lord Latner to her first national science conference

where she took a class called Anatomy in Clay.

For the next several years Lord Latner continued

to attend conferences and take more Anatomy

in Clay classes. Over those years she was

taught by master teacher Jon Zahourek whose

teaching philosophy merges art and science.

“I began to bring that philosophy to my science

classes and immediately started with small activities

and the Play-doh I could grab from Wal-Mart.”

Lord Latner wanted to bring the full experience of

Anatomy in Clay to her students, but the cost of

the specialized models required felt prohibitive.

THE ART

OF SCIENCE

Bringing her innate curiosity and creativity into

the science classroom, Bree Lord Latner explores

beyond the textbook.

BREE LORD LATNER

IS IN HER 9TH

YEAR OF TEACHING

AT ASFA.

10

SPRING 2022

SPOTLIGHT BREE LORD LATNER

“A few years ago the dream became

a hope when we were asked by the

ASFA Foundation for wishlist items. I

had always had great support from

the Foundation in helping me purchase

items for the three science courses I

teach, but this wish was a big, pricey

ask. This year, I was given the go ahead

to purchase. My Anatomy classes began

working with the system yesterday and

it has been transformative already.”

If Lord Latner is the “Play-Doh teacher”

to students, she’s the “Google Help Desk”

to ASFA’s faculty and staff. She was the

first ASFA teacher to adopt the now

ubiquitous Google classroom, and is a

Google Certified Educator. Her knowledge

and experience were essential to fellow

teachers when ASFA pivoted to online

learning during the beginning of COVID.

Her love of learning spills into her

personal life, “I love to read science

nonfiction, EO Wilson, Richard Dawkins,

etc. And I’ve been fortunate to have

met and gone to lectures by inspiring

scientists like Bill Nye (who told me

my tattoos were awesome) and Neil

DeGrasse Tyson. I love animals, I’m

a hiker, and a diver, and my favorite

thing to do is explore nature. In my

off time, you’ll find me either in the

woods looking at biodiversity or in

the water looking at biodiversity.”

When asked what she hopes students

learn from her, she says, “To be kind,

to get mad when they see injustice,

to have empathy, to be able to

distinguish fact from fiction, to question

everything, and to use the wealth of

human knowledge to progress.”

LORD LATNER

SHARES HER

CLASSROOM WITH

SKELETON CAPTAIN

JACK SPARROW

AND SANDY THE

LEOPARD GECKO.

I am a constant

observer. I can’t help

it. Every second of my

life is observation and

problem solving.” —Bree Lord Latner

CLUB QUEEN

In addition to teaching her classes and

helping her colleagues, Lord Latner serves as the sponsor of ASFA’s

Gender & Sexuality Alliance and of ASFA’s Agriscience Union.

11

ASFA MAGAZINE

ALL ABOUT ASFA

TEACHER FEATURE

ETURNING TO LIVE in the United

States for the first time in almost

twenty years is an adjustment

for working conductor, artistic

director and new ASFA Music

Department Chair Alex Fokkens,

but it’s a welcome change.

“It’s been a huge adjustment,

but it’s a positive change. You

do leave behind a familiarity,

and moving in the middle of a

pandemic makes it more difficult.

But one of the things I’ve truly

loved about the U.S. is the openness of the educators

to share ideas and work together and their focus is

completely on what is good for the young people.”

Fokkens and his family come to Birmingham

from Cape Town, South Africa where they have

lived since 2005. He is a native South African who

first came to the U.S. to study at Texas Christian

University, where he obtained his Masters in

Double Bass performance and completed three

years of studies in Theory and Conducting.

After returning to South Africa, he served as the

artistic director and CEO of the Free State Symphony

Orchestra, was the conductor of the Free State Youth

Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Symphony

A

JOURNEY

OF 8,241

MILES

Moving from South Africa to Birmingham has

been a journey of passion for new ASFA Music

Department Chair Alex Fokkens.

SPOTLIGHT ALEX FOKKENS

ALEX FOKKENS

WAS ONE OF

THE MOST

SOUGHT AFTER

CONDUCTORS IN HIS

NATIVE COUNTRY,

SOUTH AFRICA

12

SPRING 2022

We have to be part of the bigger

picture. We can’t stand alone.

The pandemic has really shown the role

artists can play in helping people think,

helping people survive, helping people

express themselves. We’ve shown that it’s

essential that we are a part of the broader

community.”—Alex Fokkens

Choir of Cape Town, music director

and conductor of the University

of Cape Town String Ensemble

and Symphonic Band and resident

conductor of the University of

Cape Town Symphony Orchestra.

He has conducted on many

different podiums across the globe

including his native South Africa;

La Turbie, France; Ravenna, Italy;

the Millennium Centre in Cardiff,

Wales; The Royal Festival Hall,

Southbank, London, UK; and The

Hippodrome, Birmingham, UK. His

experience conducting professional

orchestras and youth string

ensembles informs the way he

conducts ASFA’s orchestra today.

Fokkens and ASFA music faculty

are expanding and broadening the

ASFA music curriculum as early

as the 2022-2023 school year

with songwriting, composition

and arranging, and music

technology. The department is

working to ensure each student

has an opportunity to explore

their options in music and to

discover who they are as artists.

“Each artist creates differently,

and each young artist is looking

for their voice. Their voice as

an artist could be education, it

could be music technology, it

could be songwriting, it could

be composition, it could be

performance, or it could be

music theory,” says Fokkens.

“The focus point is for a young

person to be the creative artist

they want to be and spend their

time at ASFA doing that. While

they’re here, we find ways for

them to aim towards the highest

possibility they can. We do that

by introducing different types of

performances, bringing in high

level master classes, and giving

students opportunities they

wouldn’t necessarily be able to

have at a typical high school.

It is all here for them. One of

the big things we’re doing right

now is expanding students’

experience with composers,

artists, and performers of

underrepresented groups. It’s an

essential part of their training.”

Along with curriculum development,

creating ties and opportunities for

partnerships between ASFA and the

Birmingham music community is one of the

first projects Fokkens plans on pursuing.

“We have to be part of the bigger picture.

We can’t stand alone. The pandemic has

really shown the role artists can play

in helping people think, helping people

survive, helping people express themselves.

We’ve shown that it’s essential that we

are a part of the broader community.”

ALEX ISN’T THE

ONLY FOKKENS

NEW AT ASFA—HIS

SON JACK FOKKENS

IS CURRENTLY A

9TH GRADER IN THE

ASFA THEATRE ARTS

DEPARTMENT

13

ASFA MAGAZINE

TEACHER FEATURE

WES CHAPMAN

HAS ELEVATED THE

REPUTATION AND

EXCELLENCE OF

THE ASFA DANCE

DEPARTMENT IN

HIS SIX YEARS AS

CHAIRMAN. THREE

OF HIS FORMER

ASFA STUDENTS

ARE CURRENTLY

ATTENDING THE

JUILLIARD SCHOOL.

14

SPRING 2022

17

ASFA MAGAZINE

ALL ABOUT ASFA

ES CHAPMAN, dance

department chair at Alabama

School of Fine Arts, is a

giant in the dance world.

You feel you are in the

presence of greatness when

you gaze upon his principal

dancer oil portrait in his

school office and take in

the images of him leaping

across magazine covers.

Chapman went from

being a student in the

halls of ASFA to being recruited as principal

dancer by Mikhail Baryshnikov (considered

one of the best ballet dancers in history) in

the blink of an eye. Dance students at ASFA

are being led by a chair who has had a full

career as a dancer, instructor, and producer.

Chapman graduated from the dance department

at ASFA in 1983 and went on to dance with Alabama

Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City

Ballet, Bavarian National Ballet, and has made

appearances with dance companies across the

globe. He has performed on stages in major cities

throughout the U.S. and at the Paris Opera House,

the Royal Danish Opera House, and countless more.

Chapman brings his expertise and experiences

outside of ASFA’s studios to his students, and

helps prepare them for the immense and evolving

world of dance. He says, “The dance world is a

changing and evolving place, the opportunities

I have outside of ASFA help me to remain

current and to continue to bring new styles of

dance and choreographers to ASFA dancers.”

In addition to leading ASFA Dance, Chapman

oversees the ABT Summer Intensive at the

University of Texas in Austin, serves as Chairman

of the Jury for Universal Ballet Competition,

stages his own production of the Nutcracker

in Costa Rica, and is a guest teacher for Royal

Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet in the UK.

When he founded the Alabama Ballet School

in 1998, he implemented Revolutionary Principles

of Movement (RPM) training. RPM training blends

the art and science of dance into tangible and

useful cues, and draws from anatomy, kinesiology,

and physics. At its core, RPM aims to reduce

injury, incorporate age-appropriate physical

training, improve dance technique, and places an

emphasis on dancer health and wellbeing. The

training proved to be a success as he witnessed

Alabama Ballet students continuing to dance

for companies around the globe. He has brought

the same training to the students at ASFA.

Chapman says, “This system is truly the

evolution of how ballet is taught. Releasing

certain old ideas was the most difficult for

me, but the results are the proof that RPM

works. RPM brings back the body’s innate

ability to move, not only for the talented

body, but for the average body as well.”

Chapman’s talents as a teacher and director

and connections in the dance world have helped

him to bring together a dance faculty that

is unparalleled in high school dance training.

His expertise provides ASFA students with a

dance education that involves holistic training,

cutting edge styles and choreography, and

connections as they go beyond ASFA’s studios.

EVOLVING

DANCE

ASFA’s Dance Department Chair Wes

Chapman continues leaping forward from the

department’s cutting edge curriculum to his

production of The Nutcracker in Costa Rica.

SPOTLIGHT WES CHAPMAN

ALL ABOUT ASFA

This system is truly the

evolution of how ballet is

taught. Releasing certain old ideas

was the most difficult for me, but

the results are the proof that RPM

works. RPM brings back the body’s

innate ability to move, not only for

the talented body, but for the average

body as well.” —Wes Chapman

15

ASFA MAGAZINE

TEACHER FEATURE

PHOTOS BY TEKAY NAME HERE

16

SPRING 2022

I

te

M.

Written By:

PHOTOS By:

Javacia

Harris

Bowser

Amarr

Croskey

18

SPRING 2022

n August of 2021 Ashley M.

Jones was selected as Alabama’s new

Poet Laureate, making her the first

Black person to hold the position

and the youngest. Shortly after she

was tapped, Jones released her third

poetry collection, REPARATIONS NOW!

through Hub City Press. The media frenzy that

has since followed was immediate and intense.

Soon she was being featured in the New York

Times and interviewed by the BBC. Her book

– which was on the longlist for the 2022 PEN/

Voelcker Award for Poetry — was reviewed in

Italy’s most read newspaper. Jones was even

flown to New York for a segment on Good

Morning America that highlighted her

book and her accomplishments.

“There is so much going on,”

Jones says. “I don’t know that

I can put into actual words

how much on a swivel I

feel like I am right now.”

Jones, 31, knew she’d have to

balance her new role with her post

as an instructor in the Creative

Writing Department at the Alabama

School of Fine Arts. And she

knew she’d have to juggle

her responsibilities as the

state’s ambassador of poetry

with her part-time teaching

gig at Converse University,

with the work she does

serving on numerous boards,

and with her own writing.

Despite the hustle and

bustle, Jones is grateful for

each opportunity, and she

sees all this media exposure

as a chance to shine a

positive light on Alabama.

“I think any attention that’s

good is very helpful for Alabama

because a lot of times we’re not portrayed as a

dynamic and multi-faceted state,” Jones says.

“Often the stories that are told about us are

simplified. For me, being able to show up at all of

these different venues, all these different media

outlets, as an Alabamian who’s not scared of

being an Alabamian is important. It’s important

for me to always very clearly say I’m proud to

be Black. I’m proud to be from Alabama and

this is where I chose to stay. I think it’s really

important for people to see that people can

thrive here and can achieve their goals here.”

It’s a Thursday morning and after this interview

Jones is heading to ASFA to teach her first class of

the day. She hopes to squeeze in time to eat before

she takes a Zoom meeting with producers from PBS

to discuss a TV show she’ll be collaborating on.

After she finishes her day at ASFA, she’ll

head home. This is rare. Usually, she has

readings or other events after school. But no

matter the day, there are always emails upon

emails to be answered. Every day she gets

requests to speak at schools or to organizations

or to do more interviews like this one.

But Jones also keeps her priorities in check.

“My first priority – after myself – is making

sure my ASFA students are taken care of,”

she says. “Regardless of whatever else is

happening in the day, I have to make sure

I’m giving my best to my ASFA students.”

When Jones’ students first learned that

she had been chosen as the new Alabama

Poet Laureate they responded to the news

with a hearty round of applause.

“It’s really nice to know that I’m

representing them well and making them

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