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