Natasha Abu-Fadel is a freelance movement artist and educator. She earned her BFA in Dance Performance from UCO in 2018 and has since built a multifaceted career as a performer, teacher, and creator. She deepened her practice through the American Dance Festival Summer Intensive and the inaugural Embodiology Immersion with Dr. Ama S. Wray, cultivating an improvisation-centered approach to performance. Her versatility has led her to perform with Painted Sky Opera, Perpetual Motion, Paige Fischer’s The Four Seasons: A Modern Ballet, and Ditty Bops: The Art of Listening. Her choreographic works have been seen in productions for UCO Theatre, Oklahoma Shakespeare, and local high schools. Her solo La Vie En Rose was featured at the Oklahoma International Dance Festival, and her first short dance film, X PAT BOND, screened at festivals in Beirut and Dallas. She also premiered her work « On The Edge Of Belonging » at Oklahoma Contemporary for Cure8’s program in 2024. Committed to continual evolution through her personal and shared practice, Natasha thrives on collaboration, research, and experimentation that expands the expressive possibilities of dance.

I joined Ditty Bops 2025 from the film world. My day job is chief lighting technician (Gaffer) on documentaries, commercials and over 100 feature films, including Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, The Core and Tulsa King.  www.fasterbybaxter.com 

FILMMAKER, PRODUCTION MANAGER

Zachary Burns is a creative bloke with curly hair and poor eyesight. More specifically, he is a photographer and filmmaker based in Oklahoma City. A graduate of Oklahoma City University, Burns makes films with his brother Jacob Leighton Burns and friend Vinnie Hogan under the banner Planet Thunder Productions. Together they have produced four feature films and dozens of shorts films that have screened across the US and internationally. He was even nominated for a Heartland Emmy one time (he lost). Previous films include Electric Nostalgia, Fleeting Light, Let the Bodies Hit the Floor, and Shifter. Burns made his feature film directing debut with the dark comedy Hell Hath No Fury in 2024. He also directed two short documentaries with SPARK! Creative Lab, The Cultivation of YIELD and Ditty Bops: The Art of Listening, which was screened at a convening of the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC, in February 2025.

VISUAL ART & TESTIMONIAL
U.S. AIR FORCE VETERAN

Marcia Ermey was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and proudly served six years in the U.S. Air Force as an Aircraft Analyst. Though she loved art as a child, it wasn’t until after her military service that she rediscovered her passion for creativity, now working primarily in canvas and paint. Ditty Bops 2025 is her first stage performance, and she is honored to stand alongside fellow Veterans and artists, sharing their voices and stories with the community.

DANCE

Paige Fischer is a choreographer, dance educator, and movement coach based in Oklahoma City. She earned her BFA in Dance Performance from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2016, where she performed with Kaleidoscope Dance Company and worked with artists including Will Johnston, Noa Shiloh, Masayo Yamaguchi, and Greg Russell. Following graduation, Paige danced two seasons with Perpetual Motion Dance, where highlights included artist residencies with Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. Paige served as the Community Director at Sweet Yield Studio from 2018-2023, and is currently an instructor there. When she is not teaching, she pursues freelance projects in choreography and dance-for-film. Her most ambitious independent project, The Four Seasons: A Modern Ballet, unfolded as a series of concerts culminating in her first full-length production. Paige is passionate about building community through movement, and the power of art to bridge lives and experiences.

PERCUSSION, GUITAR

Teslyn Hall is a multi-instrumentalist and emerging artist whose curiosity spans strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. A lifelong learner, Teslyn believes there is always more to discover, and channels this passion into expanding their musical vocabulary across diverse instruments. Their primary love is percussion, and they bring both technical skill and a deep sense of play to every collaboration. Alongside their musical pursuits, Teslyn is working toward a future in music education , inspired by their love for the arts  and firsthand appreciation for healing abilities the arts have to offer.. They have already supported friends and family through applied knowledge, finding joy in helping others find peace and tranquility. Through their work with SPARK! Creative Lab, Teslyn is cultivating stronger communication skills and exploring new artistic possibilities. They are especially drawn to the power of art to connect people without words, speaking through rhythm and expression to build community.

SOUND ENGINEER

Brett Havens is the Audio Engineer for this production. He is 23 years old from Plano, Texas. He is currently a junior Design and Production student at Oklahoma City University. His studies emphasize live audio engineering and technical direction. Some of his recent roles include The Government Inspector (Technical Director), Anything Goes (Sound Designer, Assistant Technical Director), and RENT (Sound Board Operator) at Oklahoma City University. He is looking to pursue a career as a touring audio systems engineer. In his free time, he enjoys building wood furniture, playing guitar, drawing, or sewing.

SONGWRITER, MUSICIAN & HIMSELF U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

From Marine to Morse Code mentor, national nonprofit leader to musical storyteller, Kevin Jamison brings a legacy of service, innovation, and heart to his new role at SPARK!, where he serves as a singer/songwriter, Morse Code instructor and facilitator for our free Veterans creative workshops, and as the organization’s Engagement Strategist & Outreach Lead. A retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 with two decades in the United States Marine Corps, Kevin’s military career included deployments to Haiti, Albania, and Iraq, and he served as both a Morse Code Intercept Operator and an instructor. After retiring in 2010, Kevin turned his focus to community impact, co-founding the nationally acclaimed Veterans Community Project in Kansas City, developing social service programs, outreach centers, and tiny house villages for unhoused Veterans. He later served as Deputy Director of the VFW Foundation, where he helped launch Project ATLAS, a groundbreaking telehealth partnership with the VA and Philips Healthcare to connect rural Veterans to care. Most recently, he led the launch of the Tinker Federal Credit Union Foundation, designing grant programs to support rural Veterans across Oklahoma. Kevin’s work has been featured by CNN, France 24, KCUR, and the VA’s "This Week at VA" podcast. A self-taught guitarist and songwriter, he’s currently developing a musical titled FADE, exploring the emotional legacy of war through music and narrative.

SINGER, SONGWRITER, MUSICIAN, VISUAL ARTIST, POSTER DESIGN

Ryan Johnson is a multidisciplinary creator with a background in software engineering, photography, music, design, and illustration. After earning a BFA in Design from Oklahoma State University, he built a career that blends technical innovation with artistic expression. He has developed over 45 enterprise-level software applications and projects, led weekly advertising campaigns for major retailers like Hobby Lobby, and directed the design and production of an internationally published magazine, as well as educational textbooks and other print and digital materials. As a professional illustrator and graphic designer, Ryan has created album covers, logos, poster art, and branding for a range of clients in music, publishing, and business. A co-owner of Kaser Guitars, he also designs custom electric guitars and basses, and is an accomplished, published recording artist—dedicated to crafting meaningful, high-quality work in every medium he touches, whether it's code, visuals, or sound.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jamee Kalisik is a photographer in Oklahoma City whose work attempts to explore the stories that live in the spaces between memory and emotion. Her art is an act of listening; to light, to silence, to the human spirit, tracing the fragile connections that make us who we are. Revealing beauty in vulnerability and meaning in the everyday. Beyond her photography, Jamee works in the nonprofit field and is pursuing a degree in nonprofit leadership with a minor in social justice, weaving her commitment to empathy and community into every creative pursuit.  

Audio Engineer

GRAFFITI + FREESTYLE + ANGEL THINGS
U.S. Navy Veteran

Hip hop Historian, Full Stack Programmer, Artist, Youth Advocate, and a Motivational Leader, Angel Little is a multidisciplinary creative and cultural strategist whose work sits at the intersection of art, engineering, and empowerment. Angel’s passion for public art began in Lawton, OK at just 14 years old with Art in the Park, a celebration of visual art and interactive learning engagement. That experience sparked a lifelong mission: open doors, shift narratives, and radically empower the creativity of the next generation. He leads the Men’s Association Foundation of OKC, a network of men who give back through mentorship and community connection. As a Founding Board Member of the Oklahoma Appleseed, he further advocates for justice and policy reform through community-rooted solutions. He also serves as a Board Member at Oklahoma Contemporary, where he’s inspired young artists for over a decade and co-curated the record-breaking exhibition Not For Sale. At SPARK!, Angel is a core collaborator and Creative Engineer, using his lived experience and deep creative fluency to advance cultural growth through the arts. 

Stage Manager

Audrey Mantia is a stage manager local to Oklahoma City. She has worked across Oklahoma at a variety of theatre and arts companies such as Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma Philharmonic, OKCREP, as well as standing as the acting Resident Stage Manager for Painted Sky Opera. In addition to working professionally, she has had the pleasure of helping form and train the stage management program at Edmond Memorial High School for the last 5 years. Thank you to SPARK! for welcoming her to this wonderfully creative group!

COMPOSER, PERCUSSION

An accomplished musician, audio engineer and educator, James has premiered numerous new works with Music Box Theater, Alley Theatre, Lone Star Theater, and Houston Grand Opera, including Jekyll & Hyde, Svengali, American Vaudeville, Monky Business and Salsipuedes. He has performed on sessions for GTE, Shell, Harvie S, Tianna Hall, the Testostertones, The Champion Sisters, Stratus and Deer Mountain Music.  Working with a diverse group of artists such as Ed Calle’, Paul English, David Liebman, Josie De Guzman, Richard Brown Orchestra, Linda Eder, Jerry Lightfoot, Houstons First and Joel Olsten Ministries, requires James to excel in both acoustic and electronic percussion. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, been published in Percussive Notes and Modern Drummer, and has a released a collection of Afro-Cuban Conga drumming transcriptions. James performs regularly with Lyric Theater and Beatmakers, and recently founded JMR Abstract, an improv percussion trio with guest artists.

VISUAL ARTIST, HIMSELF
U.S. Navy Veteran

Zackary Milner, a retired U.S. Navy Veteran based in Oklahoma, is a multidisciplinary artist working across leathercraft, woodworking, digital design, and other mediums. His creative practice blends craftsmanship with storytelling while supporting fellow Veterans through community, creativity, and hands-on learning opportunities. He also works with horses and equine programs, integrating them into both personal growth and Veteran support initiatives.

SOUND DESIGN | PERCUSSION

Pedro is a passionate young engineer originally from Ecuador, now based in Oklahoma City.  He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Central Oklahoma where he holds three degrees in Contemporary Music Production, Applied Technology, and Spanish. Pedro now co-owns Pietronix™ a local company he founded in 2018. Here, he specializes in the production of custom, handmade audio cables for professional musicians and fellow engineers. You may find his products in stock at six major music stores across the state and the region. Currently, Pedro is an adjunct faculty at Oklahoma City University, teaching Sound Design for the OCU Film Department. He deeply enjoys learning. From random facts and new languages, to improved skills and getting to know other cultures. Pedro speaks Spanish, English, a little bit of French, and is not afraid of saying phrases in Japanese and Portuguese just to make you smile. When he does have time off, he treasures spending time with his family and eating good food in large quantities. Pedro is currently the drummer and percussionist for the Latin-pop band Late Night Messages. He frequents venues throughout Oklahoma City both on-stage and as a member of the audience. His sound technician portfolio also includes Norman Music Festival, Acts2 United Methodist Church, Backwoods Music Festival, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Academy of Contemporary Music, Mosteller Music Productions, Civic Center Music Hall, and more…!  pietronix.com

THEATER; HERSELF
SPARK! Founder & Executive Director

NICOLE POOLE (Performer & Producer | SPARK! Founder & Executive Director) is an interdisciplinary artist, producer, and cultural leader whose work bridges creativity, advocacy, and community well-being. After two decades shaping artistic culture in New York and Europe, she returned to Oklahoma to be with her mother in her last years - and chose to stay, building space for voices and forms often left outside the mainstream. After a pandemic stint as a resident sidewalk-chalk phenom, she founded SPARK!, championing artists as essential for community well-being. A leading practitioner of Soundpainting, the universal sign language for live composition, Nicole performs internationally and contributes to global Think Tanks with artists from 30+ countries. She is a core member of the Walter Thompson Orchestra (NYC, Madrid, Milan, Paris), toured with the Royal Shakespeare Company under the late Sir Peter Hall and Sir John Barton, and has appeared with the Tony Award–winning New Group, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Soho Rep, and the NYC Fringe Festival. She has led workshops at the Paris Philharmonic and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, presented alongside World Health Organization Global Ambassador for Arts & Health Renée Fleming, and collaborated with jazz legends Anthony Braxton and François Jeanneau. Nicole has narrated over 200 audiobooks, curates the O. Gail Poole Collection, and was honored with the Paseo Arts Association’s 2020 “Inspirational Influencer” award and the 2025 Paseo FEAST. A member of Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA, the Creative Change Coalition, the International Teaching Artists Association and the Union des Musiciens de Jazz (Paris), she continues to design residencies in improvisation, ensemble-building, and creative leadership. Through SPARK!, she weaves artists and Veterans into projects that embody her vision of creativity as a vital force for collective care.

Choreographer & Creative Architect | Founding Company Member

Hui Cha Poos is an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, and producer whose work spans stage, screen, and classroom, and bridges Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, and Music Theatre. Her choreographic works have been presented regionally, on both U.S. coasts, and abroad in Korea, Germany, and Switzerland. Beginning her career with OKC’s Lyric Theatre, Hui has since performed and choreographed extensively for Lyric as well as The Pollard, Southern Plains, and OKC Rep. She is the founder of RACE Dance Collective, where she created original works including the Hip Hop Nutcracker and Racey Shows. A founding member of SPARK!, Hui choreographed Ditty Bops 2023, which received national visibility and NEA funding. Her work has earned the Governor’s Arts Award for Arts Education, Women Who Inspire Award (UCO), the Founders Day Award (Oklahoma Contemporary), Artist of the Year (Paseo Arts Association), recognition from American Theatre as one of “6 Theatre Workers You Should Know,” and multiple Broadway World Regional Awards. She continues to shape Oklahoma’s cultural landscape, creating spaces such as Race the Space Studios, the Calderón Dance Festival, Meca Mvmt, OK-OGs and Cure-8 Choreography Experience. She currently serves as an advisor for the national Choreography Guild. Hui is on faculty at the University of Central Oklahoma, where she also leads the Dance Education Department, and is an adjunct instructor at the University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre. 

DJ + FREESTYLE + VOCALS + PERCUSSION

Born and raised on the westside of Oklahoma City, Tony has been involved in the Oklahoma music scene for 20 years and watched it slowly develop into its current state. He started his hip hop career as a young b-boy/emcee touring the country through practically every Native reservation in the country, mentoring and performing. Since then he has had the honor of working with almost every mainstream artist to come through Oklahoma City. As the current "King Of The City," he still competes from time to time but finds much more joy working with youth of all backgrounds to help influence every artistic aspect of their lives. His goal in teaching is to provide young DJs with a personalized music arsenal to book any gig and the skillset to execute with funky percussion. Tony is also the voice of OKC, and can be heard nationwide through Visit OKC’s tourism campaign. 

ASL Interpreter

Morgan is an American Sign Language Interpreter and Oklahoma City native. She has had the pleasure of interpreting for SPARK! Creative Lab projects for three years, including for YIELD: We Belong to the Land. In addition to interpreting for creatives in the community, she also interprets in K-12, where she works to ensure that students have equal access to understanding, and being understood.

DANCE

Nathaniel Tylor is a Graduate Dance Performance major from the University of Central Oklahoma. He is trained in classical ballet, jazz, and modern dance. He has also been trained in African dance, Bharatanatyum, and even aerial dance. Mr. Tylor has had the esteemed opportunity to present his own choreographic work at two collegiate conferences. He is also one of the few students who has been selected for two years to present their own choreographic research at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research. He currently teaches across the Oklahoma City and Edmond area in Hip-Hop, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, and Ballet. “As an artist I think it is important to represent the community that you come from. To be another face and voice amongst the people. Art in Oklahoma is making moves one step at a time and I want to be a part of the innovation.”