LEADERSHIP
HDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEECKEL BEECHER
Meeckel (ME-kel) Beecher (he, him, his) is a social impact, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and communications leader with more than 12 years of experience helping corporations achieve their purpose.
He is currently the Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Shutterstock.
Meeckel has a record of providing strategic communications leadership support to board members and executives across museums, sports, infrastructure, education, and telecommunications industries. He currently operates a communications consultancy firm that provides communications support for organizations focused on equity and justice work in developing countries.
Meeckel is a former dance member, dancing with companies such as Laud Dance Company in Jamaica, and has a history of supporting and participating in community dance programs.
JOHN CLAYTON DOYLE, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
John Clayton Doyle is a multi-disciplinary artist at the crossroads of dance and film. He is known for his use movement, casting that blends professional and non professional talent, experimental storytelling and overall authenticity.
John’s movement work has been presented at Parque Lage (Brazil), Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, The Brooklyn Museum, Alvin Ailey Citibank Theater, Joe’s Pub, Clemente Soto Velez, and informally shown at many nightclubs around the world.
John is an award-winning filmmaker whose debut feature “I’m An Electric Lampshade" has won dozens of awards at festivals and critical accolades including "One of the more jaw-dropping debuts you'll ever see." by San Francisco's KQED. The music-centric film was shot in the United States, Mexico and the Philippines with an international cast and crew.
SHANIQUA “NIKI” LASSITER
Niki Lassiter, a dancer, choreographer and educator is a native of Harlem, New York. She began her dance training at Harlem School of the Arts. She also trained at the Dance Theater of Harlem and The Darrel Daniels Dance Company, where she was the principle dancer. She is currently a founding member of the Harlem Dance Club and has choreographed for the HDC’s annual festival Mothership THREE. A dedicated, motivated, and highly respected teacher, Niki is committed to working with youth from urban settings, exposing them to new styles of dance. She was the choreographer for Harlem’s first Charter School, Sisulu Walker’s 10th Year Anniversary and has taught dance classes to youth in a variety of Community Based Organizations and Schools throughout New York City for the past 15 years. Niki is currently a Dean at the Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts. She is also cultivating LIVFree Matz, a yoga mat company dedicated to providing inspiration and flair that unites the mind, body and soul.
SHAVON MARSHALL, TREASURER
Shavon Marshall is a founding member of Harlem Dance Club. She has a BA in Theater Dance from Queens College and over 20+ years experience as a choreographer, director, and dance performer. Praise Dance is her foundation and first love. It is a blend of the different styles of dance she studied and it has offered her the opportunity to travel and interact with different communities from a young age. Shavon is the Founder and Director at BENSWIC Movement, a safe space where strangers communicate through dance and thought and become family. Shavon is inquisitive, goal oriented, and determined to be the best version of herself. Through dance she can connect and relate to people to design unforgettable experiences through movement. When not dancing, Shavon puts her facility with financial and numerical data to good use supporting the Mount Sinai Health System.
TESSIE TOPOL, CHAIR
Tessie Topol is the Chair and Co-Founder of Harlem Dance Club. She has deep experience advising foundations, corporations and non-profits on strategy, positioning, thought leadership, and cross-sector partnership development. She brings a wealth of hands on experience and insights, drawn from leadership roles in both the private and non-profit sectors, including serving as Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Time Warner Cable where she was the driving force behind its signature philanthropic initiative, Connect a Million Minds – a $100M commitment to connect young people with STEM learning opportunities. Launched at the White House as a lead partner of President Obama’s Educate to Innovate campaign, the award-winning program was inducted into PR News’ CSR Hall of Fame. Tessie has also served as Director of Strategic Partnerships & Public Affairs at MTV and Director of Development at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). She is currently a Corporate Affairs Lead on YouTube’s Government Affairs and Public Policy team.
Tessie started taking ballet and jazz multiple times a week at age 6, a requirement of her training as a competitive gymnast. She left the sport at age 14 but never stopped dancing.
ESTHER GRANT WALKER
Esther Grant has been studying dance for the past 50 years. Her initial seven years of dance training is in traditional dance school genres: ballet, tap, and modern dance. Her first exposure to “ethnic” dance was learning the Quadrille, a Caribbean-style square dance, from her mother. Ms. Grant became exposed to West African Dance and instantly loved the power of the drum and movement. This sparked a connection to African dance and folklore that has spanned over three decades. She has studied and danced with the late Papa Ladji Camara, Wilhemina Taylor, Abdel Salaam, Marie Basse, Fatou Sam, Amaniye Payne, Jewel Love, Ndaye Gueye, Youssouf Koumbassa and a host of talented teachers and choreographers in the NYC tri-state area. She has performed with NYC-based companies: Forces of Nature, Sabar Ak Ru Afriq, and Papa Ladji Camara’s African-American Dance Ensemble. Ms. Grant has danced at major venues and events i.e. B.A.M. Dance Africa, Radio City Music Hall, the Apollo Theatre, Newark Symphony Hall, Central Park Summer Stage, the Odunde Festival, Dance Mobile, and the Rhythms of the World Festival to name a few. Ms. Grant remains active in the dance community, with a focus training youth and young adults. She currently serves as the Rehearsal Director for Batoto Yetu Dance Company, Program Manager and Teaching Artist for the Opus Dance Theatre Arts-In-Education Program, and Assistant to the Dance Department Director at Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center. She strongly believes in the power of community dance to bring people together, preserve intergenerational respect and honor traditions that have produced greatness in people of color.
HDC LEADERS
Formed in 2019, HDC Leaders is a core group of volunteers who have demonstrated strong dedication to Harlem Dance Club's mission. Each Leader's unique experience and ideas make the organization and everything we do better. The objective of this group is to cultivate leaders within the wider HDC community and give each greater visibility and responsibility.