The Paris Performance Experience

It is Giving Tuesday and I am calling on all of my friends, colleagues, arts administrators, supporters of the arts to consider donating to The Study Abroad for the Performing Arts Fund. The fund will offset the costs of my students attending The Paris Performance Experience . Thank you! Donation link in bio!

The Paris Performance Experience Student Feature Series This is my student Carson Mooring, who I taught at Western Carolina University. She is a fierce human! After losing her brother to a fatal car accident, she continues to live life on her own terms. Admirable!! Carson is a music educator with a degree in music education, emphasis in voice. She is in a rock band, Level X, where she gets to demonstrate her passion for performance. She will be attending The Paris Performance Experience this summer where the party will not end. Come on thru, Carson!! You got this!

Self love is key to loving someone else. It’s a practice that I’m perfecting one day at a time.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: ARIYAN JOHNSON Dance • Acting • Hip Hop Culture @ariyanjohnson is the definition of iconic, interdisciplinary artistry—a powerhouse whose career lives at the intersection of dance, film, television, and hip hop. A native New Yorker raised in a deeply artistic household, Ariyan trained from an early age and went on to attend the legendary LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, followed by elite training at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Center, and beyond. She later earned a B.A. in Speech Pathology & Audiology and an M.A. in Applied Theatre, bringing a rare fusion of performance, communication, and storytelling into her work. Ariyan burst onto the national stage starring in the groundbreaking Sundance-winning film Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead—a defining moment for Black female representation in film. Her dynamic screen presence continued across television and film with credits including The Steve Harvey Show (series regular), Law & Order, JAG, ER, Bulworth, and The General’s Daughter. But Ariyan’s influence doesn’t stop at Hollywood—she is a true architect of hip hop culture on screen. A pioneering force in the rise of hip hop dance in film and music videos, Ariyan has performed, choreographed, and toured globally with legendary artists including Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Salt-N-Pepa, SWV, and Mariah Carey. From iconic music videos to global stages, her work helped shape how the hip hop movement lives in visual media today. Ariyan is also an award-winning filmmaker and creative visionary, with projects like Triggered and Spiritual Cyphers: Hip Hop and the Church, exploring the intersections of culture, spirituality, and movement through a bold, contemporary lens. Today, she brings that same innovation to academia as an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of California, Irvine, where she teaches hip hop and jazz through the lens of the African diaspora, storytelling, and community-building. Her work as an educator is deeply rooted in empowerment—guiding the next generation. @theparisperformanceexp

WHAT? SCHOLARSHIP SHOWCASE FUNDRAISER WHY? SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS @_hamptonu ATTENDING @theparisperformanceexp WHEN? APRIL 11, 7PM WHERE? HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, OGDEN HALL HOW MUCH? $10 STUDENTS, $20 GENERAL, DONATIONS WELCOME SCAN THE QR CODE OR LINK IN BIO

✨ Faculty Spotlight: Mr. Benjamin Garner Collaborative Pianist – The Paris Performance Experience It is a tremendous honor to welcome Mr. Benjamin F. Garner to the faculty of The Paris Performance Experience as our official collaborative pianist. Mr. Garner is truly a musical savant—a musician whose depth of knowledge and instinctive musicality allow him to move seamlessly across classical, jazz, CCM, choral, and contemporary styles. His remarkable versatility makes him an ideal collaborator for a program that celebrates artistry across disciplines. Mr. Garner currently serves as University Organist and Instructor of Piano and Organ at Hampton University, where he works closely with the university choirs and teaches piano and organ. A native of Newport News, Virginia, he began studying piano at the age of five and later pursued formal training in music performance at Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and has performed in distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center’s Clark Theater, and internationally in Australia and Scotland. Beyond his work as a pianist and organist, Benjamin is also known throughout the Hampton Roads region as a composer, arranger, piano technician, recording engineer, and instrument specialist. For The Paris Performance Experience, Mr. Garner will not only serve as our collaborative pianist for singers and instrumentalists, but will also contribute his expertise as a sound and recording support, helping document and shape the musical work created throughout the program. Simply put, Benjamin Garner is a consummate artist whose generosity, brilliance, and musical intuition elevate young artists. We are absolutely thrilled that he will be joining us in France to help bring the music of our artists to life. Bienvenue, Benjamin! 🇫🇷🎶

The @theparisperformanceexp is beyond excited to collaborate with arguably the world’s most proficient vocal artist @averywilson . The Paris Performance Experience is a two week performing arts program in France, where Avery will be in residence this summer. As program director @necessarydiva of The Paris Performance Experience, I am an admirer of Avery’s artistry. His voice, presence, and heart align magically. Thank you, Avery! You will inspire many lives this summer!

We are beyond honored to welcome Sarah Weber Gallo to the Dance Faculty of @theparisperformanceexp at Le Château de Chaumont-sur-Yonne, July 17–31, 2026 🇫🇷✨ Director of Hoboken Dance Academy and current Executive Director of Dance New Jersey, Sarah Weber Gallo brings extraordinary leadership, artistry, and vision to The Paris Performance Experience. With a distinguished 25-year career as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and as a former Radio City Rockette, she embodies a level of professional excellence, precision, and performance mastery that inspires young artists. She also serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Theatre and Dance, Dean’s Office, College of the Arts at Montclair State University, shaping the next generation of artists through "the dual perspectives of functional anatomy and maximal expressivity." A versatile master teaching artist specializing in ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, and composition, Sarah is a passionate advocate for dance education and performer wellness. This summer in France, she will integrate principles of the Alexander Technique into our daily work—guiding participants in body awareness, alignment, breath, and efficiency of movement before each intensive day begins. Her work empowers artists to connect deeply with their physical instrument, prevent injury, enhance performance quality, and cultivate longevity in their careers. At the Paris Performance Experience, where artists gather from multiple disciplines to train, collaborate, and perform on an international stage, Sarah’s presence elevates our commitment to render excellence, distinction, and artistry to young artists. 💫 @sarahwebergallo

@gravesmontgomery is an extraordinary opera singer whose humanitarian efforts have transcended the art form. La Divina Assoluta is taking a final bow at @metopera today in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Such a gift!! Thank you Denyse Graves! Your next chapter is already in progress! @thedenycegravesfoundation

I am Dr. Tiffany Renée Jackson, Program Director of The Paris Performance Experience, a two week intensive performance arts program in France. ✨ Study. Perform. Transform. ✨ 🎶🇫🇷 The Paris Performance Experience Spend two unforgettable weeks in France immersed in world-class artistic training at the breathtaking Château de Chaumont-sur-Yonne, just one hour outside of Paris. 🎭 What Awaits You: ✔ Classical, Jazz, Gospel, CCM, Musical Theatre & Instrumental Studies ✔ Masterclasses & applied lessons with distinguished international faculty & guest artists ✔ Cultural exchange through music, collaboration, and performance ✔ A historic château residence surrounded by French countryside ✔ A final gala concert at The American Church in Paris 🌍 This is more than a program—it’s a global artistic residency where your craft, confidence, and cultural fluency expand. 📅 Dates: July 17–31, 2026 🎼 Ages: 14+ 📍 Location: Château de Chaumont-sur-Yonne, France 🎟️ How to Join: Apply now and take the next step in your artistic journey. Link in biio. ✨ Perform. Collaborate. Immerse. ✨ #ParisPerformanceExperience #StudyAbroadArts #PerformInFrance #GlobalArtist #MusicAbroad #ArtsInParis #TPPE

Three Things: * Support a gifted and worthy student (link in the bio) * Recommend a gifted and worthy study (link in the bio) * Become a sponsor for the program (Iink in the bio) @necessarydiva @yxie_manoirdesarts

✨Faculty Spotlight: Adrienne Danrich @adriennedanrichsoprano Danrich, Soprano It is with great joy that I introduce Adrienne Danrich, Soprano as a member of our distinguished faculty @theparisperformanceexp Adrienne Danrich is a force of artistry, intellect, and grace. Most recently, she made her @metopera , adding yet another milestone to a career that spans opera, concert, composition, poetry, theater, and multimedia performance. She is a true multidisciplinary artist whose work thrives at the intersection of excellence, purpose, and humanity. As a singer, composer, poet, and creator, Adrienne’s voice reaches far beyond the stage. She is the founder of the nonprofit Music as the Message, an initiative dedicated to using music as a catalyst for education, social justice, and healing. This Little Light of Mine, an inventive one- woman musical tribute honoring the ground-breaking careers of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price earned her an EMMY® Award. This accomplishment demonstrates her rare ability to weave narrative, history, and sound into deeply moving artistic experiences. Beyond her extraordinary résumé, Adrienne is warm, gracious, generous, and deeply human. Her presence in the room elevates everyone around her. She embodies what it means to be an artist with both beauty and soul—as authentic in spirit as she is in sound. As Program Director, I am absolutely thrilled that Adrienne has agreed to join us as Contemporary & Commercial Music Faculty for The Paris Performance Experience. Our students will not only learn from her artistry—they will be inspired by her example. Welcome, Adrienne. We are honored to create with you in France. 🇫🇷 See website link in bio!