TAG Team
Nia Lancelin-Brantly
Nia Lancelin-Brantly is an artist, teacher, and mental health professional. As an artist Nia’s credits include AIDA - Atlanta Opera, I Dream the Musical, CROWNS as Jeanette, Black Nativity as Mary, Drumline Live International Tour, UniverSOUL Circus National Tour, Once on This Island Broadway Revival, Coca-Cola, Kia, Georgia Lottery, Nike, and Amazon. Her “claim to fame” is her resident choreographer position for NBC’s award-winning show, This is Us. As a teacher, Nia has taught an array of artistic modalities for 24 years now. She has worked as a teaching artist for True Colors Theatre in Atlanta, an instructor and school administrator at Brooklyn Ballet in New York, and was a private dance coach for a number of notable actors in Los Angeles to name a few. She currently serves as a lecturer in the Dance Department at Spelman College. In 2020 Nia made the transition into mental health by becoming a Peer Support Specialist in Los Angeles. During her time as a peer Nia worked on a nationwide warm line, as a Training Specialist for peers, and offered trainings/webinars for Mental Health America, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health, and NAMI. She is currently a graduate student in Howard University's Master’s in Social Work program.
Nia’s artistic career merged with mental health when she started sharing her own struggles with mental illness and found a dire need for healing in her community. She is currently building her Arts + Mental health programming and has offered sessions for the Black Girls in Social Work Conference, Arkansas NASW Conference, Arts in College Park workshops, Gwinnett School of the Arts, and Spelman College. Nia’s motto is to "focus on changing lives in order for lives to change!”
Learn more about Nia at niatheartist.com
Morgan Hawkins
Morgan Hawkins (Hawkins) is a choreographer, dance educator, and arts administrator in Atlanta, GA, creating new and innovative ways to express movement through dance. She has performed for regional, national, and international companies such as UniverSoul Circus, Walt Disney and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, T Lang Dance, Moving Our Stories, Armada Dance, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and Independent Artist Playhouse. Hawkins has choreographed for The National Black Theater Festival, North Carolina Black Rep, Spelman Dance Theatre, and The Alliance Theatre, and has served as a judge for the Turn It Up Dance competition. Hawkins earned an MFA in Dance from Montclair State University where her thesis research focused on preserving the Ring Shout through contemporary dance practice and film. Hawkins previously served as Co-Director of Spelman Dance Theatre and currently teaches courses in contemporary modern dance, improvisation, and the choreographic process at Spelman College.
Join the TAG team
Are you a certified peer specialist or mental health professional who is an artist? If so, we're looking for you! Join the TAG team by offering support groups and one-on-one peer support.
If you'd like to donate funds, time, resources, or your expertise for one of our classes we'd love to develop something with you!
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