Afrikan Connections Danse Company

Darnel Richardson is a 12^th grade senior at Imhotep Institute Charter High School.   Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Darnell continues to motivate his friends and peers to think critically about life’s choices.  Determined, strong willed, and ambitious are three words that come to mind to describe his character.   He enjoys learning about his culture, traveling, and introducing new concepts to peers eager to learn. While attending Imhotep Institute Charter High School Darnell was able to maintain the highest grade point average in his entire grade group since his freshmen year. Many consider Darnell really lucky because he has traveled and meet many different people in just the beginning of his life. Travels included Bermuda (2005), Greensboro North Carolina (2007) and many more places. He has also had the opportunity to meet celebrities such as g Kurt Carr, Martha Munuzi, Hill Harper and Bill Cosby. In 2008 Darnell created the Afrikan Connections Danse Company. The Afrikan Connections Danse Company is a dance company that was created to show the importance of arts in urban communities but also to demonstrate how African dance is connected to other dance forms such as ballet, jazz and hip hop.  Darnell has performed up and down the east coast with organizations such as the Imhotep Charter Performing Arts Department, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, Youth Arts Forum of Cultural Expressions Creative Arts Ensemble and with his own company Afrikan Connections Danse Company. Currently Darnell works for Aikan Entertainment Solutions where he enjoys putting smiles on the faces of peoples at events throughout the tri state area. Darnell credits his early success to God, his mother, and grandmother for continually believing in him and allowing his childhood dreams to become a reality early in his life. After graduating from Imhotep Charter, Darnell plans to attend University of the Arts in fall 2010 where he will study Mass Communications.