Juneteenth Celebration 2026

Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet is a non-profit professional dance company founded by Jamel Gaines in 1994, and has been a transformative force in cultural arts and dance in Downtown Brooklyn ever since. Throughout our history, our mission has been touse the artistic expression of dance and other integrated art forms to uplift underserved communities through education, performance, and cultural programming. JGCO recognizes that inequality and injustice, especially racial and gender disparities, exist throughout the United States and the world and it is our organization’s top priority to create opportunities for those of all backgrounds to thrive and meet their full potential, while upholding a space for artistic freedom and overall well-being. JGCO vows to create diverse, inclusive works that promote justice and elevate their lives and stories through inspiring performance pieces. 

Jamel Gaines is the Executive Artistic Director of Creative Outlet, a visionary choreographer and educator who has dedicated more than two decades to inspiring artists and audiences through the power of dance. His work has been seen on national television, at Spike Lee’s Annual Tribute Concert to Michael Jackson, and on stages around the world. He has collaborated with legendary artists including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Savion Glover, while also nurturing and training the next generation of dancers. Known for creating soul-stirring performances that celebrate culture and community, Jamel’s award-winning productions, including the Obie Award–winning Black Nativity, continue to uplift and connect audiences everywhere. 

Theara J. Ward began her professional career at thirteen with Dance Theatre of Harlem and has performed internationally across Hong Kong, Australia, South Africa, the former U.S.S.R., and South America. A versatile artist, her work spans dance, theatre, choreography, and arts education. 

She made her musical theatre debut in CATS in Paris and her Broadway debut in the Tony Award–winning Black and Blue. A role in Madison Square Garden’s A Christmas Carol was created especially for her. Her choreographic credits include Promises of Gold and The Mecca Tales (Movement Consultant), both Off-Broadway. Deeply committed to arts education, Theara has worked with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, NJPAC, and launched the first dance program on Virgin Gorda for the Alvin Ailey Foundation, introducing Liturgical Dance. She has led workshops and residencies at Duke University, Dartmouth College, Belhaven University, UNC Wilmington, and others. She is the author of From the Heart of a Sistah, later adapted into a choreopoem presented at Crossroads Theatre and Off-Broadway, and a contributor to Reclaiming Ballet (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Theara currently teaches and coaches with Creative Outlet in Brooklyn and holds an MA in Diasporic Dance Styles from IRIE! dance theatre / Goldsmiths, University of London.