A Holistic Approach to Artistry
About Praize Productions
Praize Productions, Inc. (PPI) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization based on the South Side of Chicago. Founded in 2010 by CEO/founder, Enneréssa LaNette, PPI has three main platforms: the Performing Arts Academy; RIZE Pro-Elite professional dance company and RIZE Youth Company; and our award-winning productions and signature outreach programs. Because we aim to develop “the full artist,” our uniquely holistic and educational approaches to artistry are rooted in and infused with social consciousness.
PPI’s high-quality arts programs are accessible to Chicago’s under-resourced communities. PPI centers family and community, while amplifying the voices and narratives of Black artists and culture in its professional arts-based programming, events, and various performances. PPI has become known for thought-provoking, one-of-a-kind theatrical productions that have impacted sold-out audiences across Chicago. PPI has been awarded with both a Black Theater Alliance Award and 11 Black Excellence Awards from the Black Arts and Cultural Alliance of Chicago because of this work as well.
PPI’s award-winning professional dance company, RIZE Pro-Elite, is also composed primarily of women of color. Our “sisterhood” of artists creates a safe space for artistic growth, enlightenment, and personal evolution for its sister members. RIZE Pro-Elite is undoubtedly galvanizing the next generation of Black women leaders.
Additionally, PPI was awarded the 2023 inaugural residency at Millennium Park to showcase the remarkable talent from artists of color on one of Chicago’s most prestigious and renowned stages, during both the Chicago Gospel Music Festival and the Chicago Blues Festival. In May 2024, PPI made its grand return to the theater with its highly anticipated production, “Black Love Reigns Supreme,” which was sponsored by the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance.
Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Values
1. We believe accessibility to the arts is fundamental for building strong and well-rounded intergenerational communities.
2. We help artists of all ages pursue artistic excellence, cultivating authenticity and individual expression at all levels.
3. We believe in the transformative power of the arts to benefit people and communities.
4. We are dedicated to being a safe space for our participants.
5. We celebrate and uplift one another through our creative process.
Meet Our Founder
Enneréssa LaNette
Enneréssa LaNette is an award-winning, multi-hyphenated artist. She currently serves as the Creative Executive Director and founder of Praize Productions, Inc. (PPI), as well as the artistic director of PPI’s RIZE professional dance company. Since founding PPI in 2010, Enneréssa continues collaborating with its board and staff to help the organization achieve its mission – providing arts education and opportunities to youth and adults through a holistic approach that allows participants to excel in the arts and their everyday lives. Under LaNette’s direction, PPI brings professional arts-based programming and events that amplify the voices and narratives of Black artists and communities to classrooms and stages across Chicago and beyond.
Prior to founding PPI and running her own arts nonprofit full-time, LaNette studied at Indiana University Northwest, where she completed both her bachelor’s degree in secondary education as well as her master’s in educational leadership. She also taught secondary-level social studies for five years, performed as a first company member with Joel Hall Dancers & Center for nine years, and trained under dance legends Joel Hall, Kim Tyler, Larry Brewer, and Dr. Dionne Champion.
Meet our founder
Enneréssa Davis
Enneréssa LaNette is an award-winning, multi-hyphenated artist. She currently serves as the Creative Executive Director and founder of Praize Productions, Inc. (PPI), as well as the artistic director of PPI’s RIZE professional dance company. Since founding PPI in 2010, Enneréssa continues collaborating with its board and staff to help the organization achieve its mission – providing arts education and opportunities to youth and adults through a holistic approach that allows participants to excel in the arts and their everyday lives. Under LaNette’s direction, PPI brings professional arts-based programming and events that amplify the voices and narratives of Black artists and communities to classrooms and stages across Chicago and beyond.
Prior to founding PPI and running her own arts nonprofit full-time, LaNette studied at Indiana University Northwest, where she completed both her bachelor’s degree in secondary education as well as her master’s in educational leadership. She also taught secondary-level social studies for five years, performed as a first company member with Joel Hall Dancers & Center for nine years, and trained under dance legends Joel Hall, Kim Tyler, Larry Brewer, and Dr. Dionne Champion.
Our Leadership Team
Artistic Director of Academy
Tashielle Cieara Tamulewicz
Tashielle Cieara Tamulewicz (she, her) is a passionate dancer and dedicated educator from the South Side of Chicago, where her journey into the world of dance began at the Hyde Park School of Dance. Earning a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Performance from Illinois State University, Tashielle emerged as a versatile artist with interests in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, African, tap, flamenco, and hip hop. During her college years, Tashielle not only graced the stage in theater and dance productions but also assumed leadership as the president of Noir Dance Troupe.
Beyond her talents on the stage, Tashielle recently completed her masters degree in Early Childhood Education at Governor State University, specializing in ESL endorsements. Her passion for teaching ignited while working in Chicago Public Schools, where she initially taught dance through an outreach program and later served as a special education assistant. This experience revealed her innate ability to connect with children and sparked a new calling in education. While assisting in various grade levels, she found her true calling in early childhood education, relishing young learners’ honest enthusiasm and eagerness.
Committed to enriching the lives of children through education, she aspires to incorporate her extensive dance background into the classroom. Beyond the academic realm, she serves as the newly appointed artistic director of Praize Productions, Inc. Performing Arts Academy. Before her new appointment, Tashielle was a senior member of the professional dance company RIZE Pro-Elite, performing with them for seven seasons. Her dedication to both dance and education exemplifies her commitment to shaping the next generation of artists and learners. She is excited to serve as the ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop/majorette instructor.
Director of Donor Development
Dominique Hamilton
Dominique Hamilton (she/her), is a trailblazing force in the performing arts industry that started her journey at Jeraldyne's School of Dance in Dayton, OH. Honing her craft at the prestigious Stivers School for the Performing Arts, Hamilton’s dance journey led her to Howard University; where she co-founded I.Am.We, the campus's first contemporary dance company and earned a Magna Cum Laude B.A. in Political Science/Pre-Law.
Venturing onto global stages, Dominique has performed alongside icons like Mary Mary, J.Cole, Wale, Raheem Devaughn, Natalie Cole, Shirley Caesar, and Dionne Warwick. Also working with household names like Under Armour and MTV, Dominique has also been featured on TV, film, and spotlit in several publications. She spent a significant chapter of her performing career touring as a principal dancer with the renowned Deeply Rooted Dance Theater.
A multifaceted artist, Dominique’s award-winning choreography has been showcased at the Youth America Grand Prix (1st place), the Universoul Circus, the Miss Intercontinental Pageant, and world-class stages including the Kennedy Center and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. She’s been privileged to teach at prestigious universities including Georgetown University, Howard University, University of Chicago, Loyola University, and Southern Illinois University. Recognized for her exceptional contributions to the dance community, she also received an invitation to the Celebration of Black Women in Dance hosted by former First Lady Michelle Obama. Following this honor, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities commissioned her premiere work, “Hey Black Child.” She was recently appointed to the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Advisory Committee, reflecting her continued impact and commitment to the arts.
Transitioning from full-time performer, Dominique moved into arts management, lending her expertise in production management, fundraising, marketing, and strategic planning for small to large-size arts organizations across Chicago and beyond. Presently, as the Founder and CEO of Dance Connect Worldwide, Dominique spearheads a premier production house and staffing agency. Through her leadership, the organization has facilitated over 80 jobs/opportunities in the marketplace for artists, invested thousands in creative projects, and impacted over 30,000 audience members.
Dominique attributes her success to her unwavering faith in the Most High. Her greatest motivation is her husband Elijah Hamilton and daughters Genesis and Eden Hamilton.
Director of Operations
Catherine “Cat” Painter
Catherine "Cat" Painter (She/Her) joined PPI as a Development Consultant in 2016 and has since grown into the company's first Director of Operations. She is also the Managing Director of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and a member of the faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Certificate in Non-Profit Management Program. Cat serves on the Board of the National New Play Network and has reviewed grant applications for the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Previously, she consulted with the American Indian Association, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and independent artists, and worked with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Victory Gardens Theater, Merit School of Music, Northlight Theatre, and Latin School of Chicago
Administrative Lead
Camille Brittnum
Camille Brittnum (she/her) is the owner of Protect Your Peace Wellness Studio, where she offers yoga sessions, guided meditation, clinical massage therapy, and birth doula services. She firmly believes that inner peace is the key to unlocking the limitations we place on ourselves, and that through natural bodywork we can achieve a level of holistic wellness that is deep and lasting.
Camille’s foundation in movement began with training at Joel Hall Dance Center, Hubbard Street, and Deeply Rooted, and she has shared her expertise as a teacher at Hyde Park School of Dance. For over 10 years, she has remained connected to the dance community through her work with PPI, seamlessly blending her passion for dance with her commitment to holistic care.
Get to Know Our Instructors
Shanna Cruzat
Shanna Cruzat (she/her) resides in Chicago and began training at The School of Homer Bryant Ballet starting at an early age. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor of fine arts in dance. Shanna received additional training at ACDFA and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) second company. Shanna has also performed with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Praize Productions Rize Pro-Elite, Noumenon Dance Company, and Banks Performance Project. In addition to performing, Shanna has been an instructor/coach for Universal Dance Association, Chicago Multicultural Dance Center (CMDC), Premier One, and Chicago Contemporary Dance Theater. She is excited to serve as the jazz and modern instructor for the Academy, as well as return for her third season at Praize Productions and experience the stage with her sisters.
Janiya Douglas
Janiya Douglas (she/her) is a native of Woodbridge, VA, where she grew up in the church and found her love for dance. She started her formal training at a larger neighborhood studio, Dance Etc. School for the Arts, where she trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, contemporary, pointe, and hip hop. Janiya attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA) in Washington D.C., training with many amazing teachers including Charles Augins, Neil Whitehead, Sandra Fortune-Green, Katherine Smith, Nikki Sutton, and Treanna Alexander in ballet, horton, and West African. She has also worked with Christopher Huggins and Richard A. Freeman for guest works at DESA.
Janiya recently graduated from Alabama State University (ASU) in Montgomery, AL, receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts. She had opportunities to work with Crystal Perkins, Jamal Story, Obediah Wright, and more. In the summer of 2022 she participated in the World Games in Birmingham, AL with ASU, performing with Bootsy Collins, Yolanda Adams, and Sheila E. She was also a guest artist in South Carolina Ballet’s “Off the Wall,” performing in Columbia, South Carolina and Richmond, Virginia.
Janiya has also trained in summer programs likeUniversity of the Arts Pre-College Program and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater Summer Dance Intensive. She now lives in Chicago, Illinois where she is beginning her first season with Rize-Pro Elite at Praize Productions, Inc. She is excited to serve as the ballet instructor for the Academy.
Tecora “Ms. Coco” Duerson
Tecora “Ms. Coco” Duerson (she/her) is a Chicago native. Her dance career began at age three at NASHWA (Malcolm X College) where she studied traditional African dance. From 6-18 years old, she trained extensively at Studio One Dance Theatre (SODT), and it was at SODT where she fell in love with dancing! Ms. Coco studied ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, pointe and African. In college, she danced for NOIR dance troupe and she worked her way up to vice president of the group. Upon returning home after college, she continued pursuing her love of dance through a different lens.
Ms. Coco worked backstage at her prior dance studio and under her professional teachers until being behind the scenes was not enough for her, and she found her way back to the dance studio as an instructor! Now, Ms. Coco teaches ballet/tap combo classes to kindergarten-second graders at Beasley Magnet Academic Center and a Jazz/Afro-fusion adult class at Sammy Dyer School of the Theatre. She is also excited to serve as the Combination 1/Tiny Tots instructor for the Academy.
Allison (Allie) Harsh
Allison (Allie) Harsh (she/her) is from Omaha, Nebraska where she began her dance training. She earned her BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Dance, as well as training with the Kansas City Ballet and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater. In 2017 Allie began dancing and teaching with the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey until she joined the Hiplet Ballerinas in 2019. She currently dances with Hiplet Ballerinas and Redd’s Angelz Entertainment as well as teaches at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center and Forward Momentum Chicago. Allie is grateful to join Praize Productions this year as a RIZE Pro-Elite Company member. She is also excited to serve as a substitute instructor for the Academy.
Julie Matolo
Julie Matolo, (she/her), is an accomplished dancer, acrobat, aerialist, stunt performer, actor, choreographer and teaching artist. She is based out of California and Chicago. Her artistic goals have led her to travel, tour, and perform in the majority of our fifty states, in addition to Canada, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and throughout Europe. Julie toured with the largest touring stunt show, “MARVEL Universe Live”, where she played Agent Maria Hill and Black Cat, in addition to multiple other tracks in the show. This world traveler has also performed on Royal Caribbean Cruises as a dancer and featured aerialist. She considers The Joel Hall Dancers her longtime home dance company. Favorite Joel pieces Julie has performed in include “El Gato Negro” and “Y2 Day”.
Additional concert dance companies Julie has performed with are Andrea Kelly Dance Theater, Aerial Dance Chicago, The Willingham Project, Corpo Dance, The Kirby Reed Project, Duwane Pendarvis and Company, Dereque Whiturs, and Innervation Dance Cooperative. She has also worked with Dhar Mann Studios, FELD Entertainment, On the Fly Productions, Jockey, Sutter Health, 20th Century Fox, The Black Dance Legacy Project, and more. Julie can be seen performing in film, television, music videos, large arenas, theaters, stages, corporate venues, festivals and beyond! Julie looks to continue to grow everyday as an artist and as a performer, and she is excited to serve as the tumbling instructor for Academy.
Kaylah King
Kaylah King (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist based in Chicago, IL. She received her BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University in May 2022. She began training in Houston, TX under the direction of Sherese Campbell. King has showcased original choreography in the SHSU undergraduate showcase “Dances @ 8” as well as presented her film “ARE YOU OKAY” in DanceWorks Chicago’s DanceChance. Furthermore, her piece “Les Funérailles Du Jazz” was featured at the Barnstorm Dance Festival in May 2022. She has had the honor to learn and work with a variety of acclaimed dance artists and notable choreographers including Joshua Manculich, Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Shonna Hickman-Matlock, Kevin Ward, and Alexis Diggs. She has been a member of Red Clay Dance Company and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Second Company. King is currently a dance artist with Noumenon Dance Ensemble and Meher Dance Company. She is excited for her first season with PPI Rize Pro Elite!
Genesis Medious
Genesis Medious (she/her) is a vibrant 22-year-old professional dancer, choreographer, and educator who fuses an eclectic range of styles into her craft. A recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts in dance and a minor in business, Genesis has honed her artistry through diverse movement vocabularies, including Umfundalai, house, hip hop, heels, contemporary, Cunningham, Graham, and Fosse, among many others. Known for her innovative interpretations and fluid adaptability, she engages students of all ages and skill levels — from young ballet and hip hop beginners to advanced commercial dance enthusiasts—with her dynamic teaching approach. Genesis’s choreography is celebrated for its bold, evocative storytelling and her ability to blend technique with personal expression, making her a compelling creative force on stage and in the studio.
Terri K Woodall
Terri K Woodall (she/her), Terri Berri if you like, is a South Side Chicago native, multi-faceted artist, and Dancerpreneur who has trained in the discipline art of dance for over 25 years. As a professional artist, Terri Berri creates space for authentic transformation through all facets of her artistic work. Experienced in the techniques of ballet/pointe, modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, and musical theater, her roots stem from Chicago’s own Studio One Dance Theater, where she learned the foundations of storytelling through movement. That foundational training equipped Terri to travel to New York and Los Angeles where she earned her B.F.A in Dance Theater from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). She is currently a first company member with Praize Productions, Inc., and Hiplet Ballerinas.
Terri Berri strongly believes that every single human being has a story to tell, and deserves to feel what they need to feel in order to heal. It is through this spirit of art rooted in the R.E.A.L (Respect, Encouragement, Abundance, and Love) that Terri curates experiences for authentic holistic personal development. She is also excited to serve as a tap and hip hop instructor for the Academy.
Erica Wade
Erica Wade (she/her) is a Chicago native. At the tender age of three, Erica found her love of dance at Studio One Dance Theater on Chicago’s South Side. Since then, she’s trained in a multitude of techniques including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and West African.). She continued studying dance when she was accepted to Stephens College, furthering her her dance knowledge with professors like Deborah Carr and Elizabeth Hartwell. After graduating, Erica returned to Chicago to pursue her love for all styles of dance and dance entertainment. She became a company member with Redd’s Angelz Entertainment (2022-23). In 2022, she was invited to join Praize Productions, Inc. RIZE Pro- Elite dance company. After three seasons, RIZE has become her dance home
Erica has been blessed to serve in other dance capacities as well;from creative directing, choreographing, and serving as an assistant choreographer for the award winning musical, Ain’t Misbehavin’d to performing, giving back, and teaching across the Chicagoland area.. She is also the Competitive Coach for Jones College Prep dance team. Dance continues to be the center of her world and the love of her life.
Cassie Nordgren
Cassie Nordgren (she/her) is a director, choreographer, and teaching artist who specializes in musical theatre, physical storytelling, and dance. Cassie holds a B.S. in Theatre for Social Change from CUNY/BA and in August of 2023, Cassie graduated with an M.F.A. in Directing from Baylor University. She is a two-time finalist for the Capezio A.C.E. Awards for Choreographic Excellence and was the SDCF Observer for Tony-nominated and Emmy-winning choreographer Josh Bergasse for the 2014 Broadway Revival of ON THE TOWN. Her choreography can be seen in two feature films: WAITING IN THE WINGS, THE MUSICAL (featuring Shirley Jones) and its sequel, STILL WAITING (featuring Seth Rudetsky, & Chita Rivera).
As a lifelong advocate for arts accessibility with a true passion for theatrical movement, Cassie started ThruLines, a dance theatre initiative dedicated to exploring physical storytelling and dance as a unifying tool for diverse and isolated audiences. Under the ThruLines banner head, Cassie has created two original works: ALEXA, a new immersive dance experience created with Roddy Kennedy and Ali Marconi at the Inwood Art Works Pop-Up Culture Hub in NYC; and THE LAST BITE, which Cassie conceived, choreographed, and directed at the 3,400-seat United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights. Cassie also served as the artistic director of the Danza Highbridge Festival, an annual dance concert staged in a drained, Olympic-size wading pool that is offered in-kind to the Washington Heights community. Each year, Cassie has worked with theaters across the country. Favorite credits include New York New Works Festival on Theatre Row, The Neighborhood Playhouse, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Cabrillo Stage, and Center REPertory Theatre, where she earned a Theatre Bay Area Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography for David Ives’ play THE LIAR.
