Hartford to New Haven. New Haven to New York. New York to Boston. Boston to New Haven. New Haven to Hartford. What looks like a typical split-flap display in a train station is the actual working schedule of actress, comedienne, and dancer Carolyn Paine—whose oeuvre is a perfect storm of zany creativity, razor-sharp wit, and boundless energy.

What sets Paine apart is not that she has trained around the world with the likes of the Boston Ballet and the Academie de Danse Classique in Monaco. Nor is it that she is always on her toes, performing in huge productions like ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. It’s not even that she has appeared on TV, on the pages of Vogue and Glamour, and in numerous showcases in Boston, Chicago, and New York City. What makes Paine unique is her love for Hartford and the fact she keeps the city as her home base, pouring her blood, sweat, and tears into the local tapestry of arts and culture.

A Boston native and graduate of the University of Hartford, Paine lives on the second floor of a charming turn-of-the-century Queen Anne in Hartford’s historic West End—a neighborhood that is equal parts quaint, bohemian, and gritty. Her apartment is a glorious hodge-podge of stunning flea market flips, cherished family heirlooms, and beloved relics from her career as a performer. The home serves as a stopover for Paine as she travels coast to coast, and all around New England and the tri-state area for stand-up gigs, filming and commercial shoots, and performances—including those with her dance company, CONNetic Dance.

Carolyn Paine, Photo by Bill Morgan

“Hartford’s Ballet Hipsters,” as CONNetic has been called, is an interesting medley of dancers who are classically-trained, street-trained, and self-taught. The company’s repertoire is unique, pairing traditional technique with athletic choreography. Paine and her troupe are involved in myriad projects, and even partner with Hartford’s public schools to offer enrichment programs to students. But this time of year Paine can be found producing and directing CONNetic’s signature (and biggest) production: The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy.

Carolyn Paine, Nutcracker Suite & Spicy. Photo by Bill Morgan.

Now in its eighth year, Suite & Spicy has struck a chord with the community. The diverse cast—many of whom have been with the production since its early days—truly represents the urban culture of Hartford. Says Paine, “I am proud to have created a show that not only reflects the amazing complexity of the city around me, it affords my neighbors the opportunity to see a dynamic, professional dance production in their own backyard rather than having to travel far from home, especially during the holidays.”

Carolyn Paine, Photo by Bill Morgan

Though Paine’s typical week involves no fewer than three trips out of Hartford, she does relish her chosen home, and there are some quiet moments. The market up the street has “the best falafel and gummy bears in the state.” The nearest coffee joint also serves as a favorite Happy Hour spot. And the vine-covered backyard patio Carolyn and her roommate and fellow dancer/model Alex Zarlengo have cultivated over the past few years is now a coveted spot for after-hours conversations and even outdoor film screenings for their friends.

I once asked Paine why she lived in Hartford, with all of the engagements she has in other cities. She looked at me as though I had three heads. “It’s home.”

Carolyn Paine–Actress, comedienne, dancer, founder of CONNecticdance
Hartford, Connecticut
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Top image: Carolyn Paine. Photo by Bill Morgan

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On January 11, 1991, Jean Appolon’s father was brutally murdered in Haiti. After spending months in hiding, he and his two younger brothers immigrated to Boston with their mother. Appolon has worked to be a voice for positive change for Haiti ever since, using dance as his medium to spread hope to those around him.

As the co-founder and artistic director of Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE), Appolon seeks to preserve Haitian folkloric culture, while striving to remain vital for Haitian youth, educational for both his students and audience, and inspiring for all. “Dance is something very important to me, because that is how I healed myself,” says Appolon.

On November 2nd, Appolon will premier a new performance commissioned by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum during the “Migrations: Dance Performance.” His piece, Vwayaj meditates on the “lakou” and its loss in the Haitian imagination. Appolon worked with MacArthur Genius Fellow and award-winning Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat to collaborate on and create the narrative that will drive the production.

Through his choreography, Appolon ponders various questions: “Where can we find meaning?” and “Where is home?” A crucial point of the performance’s plot is Appolon’s own immigration story, and the stories of other Haitian immigrants living in Boston.

“To me growing up in Haiti, seeing the disturbing ways that they use poverty to keep us Haitians under control, is the worst thing you could do to a country and its people,” Appolon says. This is why in 2006, Appolon created a free annual Summer Dance Institute, Dance Haiti!, in Port-au-Prince for young, aspiring Haitian dancers who don’t have access to dance education.

Dance Haiti! is an intensive, daily after-school program, which also offers academic tutoring and health education. Expanding this summer program into a year-round one is a goal for Appolon, but unfortunately right now the financial support isn’t there.

In addition to his work with JAE, Appolon is lead teacher for the Citydance Program at the Boston Ballet, associate professor of modern dance at UMass Boston, and Afro Haitian dance teacher at the Dance Complex. “The most important lesson that I try to impress upon all of my students,” says Appolon, “is to always be fair, be true, and never give up.”

Jean Appolon–co-founder and artistic director of Jean Appolon Expressions
Boston, Massachusetts
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Top image: Jean Appolon Expressions. All photos courtesy of Jean Appolon

The post #TakeAction: Jean Appolon Uses Dance to Help Haiti appeared first on Take Magazine.