Nicholas Ryan Gant, affectionately known as the Ghetto Falsetto, is a New York based artist and educator, from Phoenix, Arizona. NRG studied classical vocal performance at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and holds a master’s of art in Music Education from Hunter College, as a participant in The Lincoln Center Scholars program. NRG has been a worship leader at his local church in Brooklyn for more than 12 years. There at his church NRG discovered a gift for connecting with youth. This passion for youth development has led him to build a career as a music educator with the New York City public school system for the past 7 years. NRG is a recipient of the 2020 Paul Simon Music Fellowship. In addition to the classroom NRG is also an accomplished vocal coach for several artists and record labels, as well as a sought -after workshop and masterclass facilitator. NRG is the Vice President of the board of directors for Decolonizing the Music Room. As a vocal composer NRG has collaborated with choreographers Maleek Washington, Francine E. Ott and Kyle Abraham. He’s been a featured vocalist on several recordings internationally and has recorded 8 independent projects of his own. His House music debut, a remake of the cult classic “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” was the number one soulful house song of 2020. His upcoming “Restore” is a collaboration with 3 time Album of the Year Grammy Award winner, Mikey Freedom Hart. NRG has also had the opportunity to sing support vocals for artists such as Michael McDonald, Mariah Carey, Ariana DeBose, Jon Batiste, Miri Ben-Ari, Killer Mike & Run the Jewels, and Childish Gambino.

2020 Guggenheim Fellow Shamel Pitts is a performance artist, choreographer, conceptual artist, dancer, spoken word artist, and teacher. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Shamel began his dance training at LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and the Performing Arts and, simultaneously, at The Ailey School. He is 2003 YoungArts Finalist and a first prize (level 1) winner of the YoungArts competition. Shamel then went on to receive his BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School and was awarded the Martha Hill Award for excellence in dance. He began his dance career in Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Hell’s Kitchen Dance and BJM_Danse Montreal. Shamel danced with Batsheva Dance Company for 7 years, under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin and is a certified teacher of Gaga movement language. He is an adjunct professor at The Juilliard School, a guest faculty member at Princeton University, New York University, Wesleyan University and has been an artist in residence at Harvard University. He is the recipient of a 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography, a 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Award winner in Choreography, a 2020 Jacob’s Pillow artist in residence and a 2021 New York Dance Award winner (The Bessies). Shamel is the Founding Artistic Director of TRIBE, a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary arts collective.
TRIBE is a 92Y Harkness Dance Center’s Artist In Residence for the 2020-2021 season. Shamel Pitts | TRIBE is also a New York Live Arts Live Feed artist in residence. For more information, visit www.shamelpitts.com or www.itsatribe.org.