After six seasons with World Arts West, the producers of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Tyese M. Wortham continues to work with local artists in the presentation, preservation, and innovation of their traditions to promote cultural understanding and raise visibility to the traditional and folk dance arts community. She has acquired over 20 years of dance experience from hip-hop to modern, from West African to Afro-Cuban. Currently a collaborating teacher and principal dancer with Emesè: Messengers of the African Diaspora, Tyese has had the pleasure and honor of working closely with her teachers and mentors: José Francisco Barroso, Carlos Carvajal, Teresita Dome-Pérez, and CK Ladzekpo. Tyese has served as a panelist, consultant, and committee member for various Bay Area arts organizations including Black Choreographers Festival, Arts Council Silicon Valley, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, and the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards. Tyese photo is courtesy of Van Nguyen-Stone