Executive Board

CAROLYN LILLY, MBA (Founder) has been a dance aficionado and advocate for artists for more than 20 years.  She founded Feel the Rhythm Productions in 2007 to amplify African voices in the performance and educational milieu in the United Kingdom. While currently living in London, Lilly considers herself a global citizen, having lived in the United States, the Ivory Coast, and France where she developed a network of artists making dances in African-informed genres at levels of excellence that were inaccessible in the United Kingdom.  With ADX, Lilly has brought several exemplary artists to London to share their expertise including but limited to Papson Sylla, George Momboye, Merlin Nyakam, Dr. C. Kemal Nance, and Lolita Banindamana. For over 10 years, ADX has brought amazing performances and workshops to London and has done so with the support of Arts Council England since 2016.  She produces high-quality work that reaches the community.  In 2021, Lilly received the Dance programming Award from One Dance UK and the Best Dance Production Award from the Black British Theatre Awards.  

DAVID BLAKE, MA is an accomplished international performer, choreographer, and creative director. He previously served as the Director of Professional Dance and Musical Theatre at Urdang, City St George’s University of London. Before this role, Blake had an extensive performance career, appearing in theatre, television, film, and print. He performed principal roles in Disney’s The Lion King for over 17 years on the West End and was a principal dancer with the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica. As the founder of Blake Arts UK, he has showcased his artistic work across the United States, Caribbean, Canada, and Europe. His latest dance film, "Melanin Migration: Brothers in Arms," received a nomination from the One Dance UK Awards and was featured at the Miami ScreenDance Festival and the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and Festival in Toronto. 

Blake is a recipient of the Best Teacher for Performing Arts Award from the Black British Theatre Awards. 

C. KEMAL NANCE, PHD is the Associate Head of the Department of Dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where is an Associate Professor of African American Studies and a Dean’s Fellow in the College of Fine & Applied Arts.  He is the Senior Master Teacher of the Umfundalai contemporary African Dance technique and he directs an all-male dance initiative, A Nance Dance Collective (www.blackmendance.com). Dr. Nance serves as the Chairperson of the Executive Board for the Collegium of African Diaspora Dance and the Chief Consultant for the National Association of American African Dance Teachers (NAAADT), a non-profit organization that offers training opportunities for certification in African dance teaching.