AIM: references, founders, & history

AIM: an Overview

In 2008, A.I.M. Productions was formed to expose the hidden talent of Barry University's dancers. Now in our semester of residence at Barry University, we are a collective of artists with different styles and different genres, and we perform continuously through out the semester both on and off campus at special interest events, including concerts, festivals, churches and community services, etc.

The ultimate goal of AIM at Barry University is to strengthen the network of dancers not only on campus but in Miami, FL. This student based organization and production team seeks to improve the dance theater program along with the dance minor here at Barry University, becoming better dancers with higher recognition. We are also affiliated with the dance department, the dance theater programs, and the Student Organization Council at Barry University.

A.I.M's highlights includes one major production every year, showcasing a fulcrum of various styles of dance and are featured in the dance production(s) the Fine Arts Department hosts each year.

In the meantime, we enjoy ourselves and enjoy each other, developing our craft as well as our network of dance and our relationship to art and culture. Our styles of dance include but not limited to Pop/hip-hop, folk, contemporary, modern, jazz, liturgical, and Caribbean.

Our Advisor

Yvonne Goodridge

Assistant Professor of dance,

Barry University

Yvonne Jones Goodridge, an Assistant Professor of Dance at Barry University, is a scholar, educator, and performing artist who has been teaching and working in the field for over 20 years. Mrs. Goodridge holds a BFA degree in Dance from New York University, Tish School of the Arts, and an MA in Dance Education from Columbia University, Teachers College.

Mrs. Goodridge has danced with both the prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC). She has performed for the Florida Brazil Festival the Festival de France, the Caribbean Dance Celebration and the Gullah Festival.

In her work at Barry University, She has directed eight dance concerts and has supervised all of AIM's dance concerts and special events. She also has choreographed for numerous musicals, including; Once Upon a Mattress, Hello Dolly, and Pippin.

As the Advisor for AIM, Mrs. Goodridge offers a unsubstantial amount of guidance and support through technical training, creative development, company finance and organizational support. She also promotes dance and performance education, oversees performances, and offers critical thinking and great feedback. She provides her dancers witth performance and audition opportunities throughout the semester.

Our Founders

Joel Brummant
Founding President, 2008-2009

A passion for dance that never ceases along with artistic representation of the body in motion allowed Joel's idea to develop from discussions held over homework session into a unique dance family.

Joel’s experiences and studies with dance started at Barry University. Originally from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Joel bought his talents to Miami Shores, Florida as an International Studies major. His interest in dance introduced him to Barry University’s Repertory Dance Ensemble (BURDE) as well as the Caribbean Dance group, all while taking a few dance classes. Joel Brumant notes how an idea for a collaborative dance group went from “joking about it over homework one night to turning in a New Student Organization Form the next morning”, bringing about Art In Motion Productions (AIM) in the spring of 2008.

Joel notes that “Starting off [AIM] was hard and stressful but was worth every bit of it the minute we saw the crowd in the theater at our first show”, the first show being AIM’s Emotions Anonymous. As the president and founding member, Joel choreographed several pieces in Modern, African Dance, and Hip Hop styles. Joel credits His fellow member and classmate, Frederick Day for seeing “way more potential in the dancers at Barry [University]” and being able to harness such talent together by starting AIM.As an alumnus, Joel Brumant’s influence has been a steady factor to newcomers and choreographers. He has been featured in Barry University’s Fall 2010 dance production Winter’s Light, and still periodically attends production rehearsals and meetings for AIM. He currently resides in Miami, FL and still continues to expand his knowledge and experiences in dance as well as other performance mediums. Mr. Brumant is now a children’s gymnastics instructor at Gym Kidz. He is also a performer for Cirque dream Productions and a member of Rainbow Circus of The South Florida Circus Art School.

For those of AIM's past, present & future, Joel Brumant encourages you all to

“Dance like No one's watching”

Frederick Charles Day II
President & Artistic Director, 2008 -2009

Embittered by a lack of artistic representation at Barry University, Fredrick Day created AIM in the spring of 2008 alongside Joel Brumant to give the dancers a creative outlet that otherwise would not exist

A Pioneer by right and a Barry University alumnus, Fred was an active member of both Opulent Image Models and the Caribbean dance team at a time where these were the only two performance organizations that resided on campus at Barry University. He noted “All of these groups were fun, but I still felt the dance community was not being heard. . . . we had no other events to show our skill and educate our community on other various dance styles other than Hip-Hop and Caribbean”. That is when he sought to create AIM, a collective dance company organized by students. His idea sparked a movement and cultivated an organization that could create its own productions and shows, ultimately improving the presence, knowledge, and utilization of dance and performance art.

As AIM’s first artistic director and Hip Hop Choreographer, Fred choreographed a variety of routines and choreographed multiple dance performance pieces for AIM's spring and fall productions, as well as a performance for Midnight Madness. He directed AIM’s first production Emotions Anonymous ( 2008) at Barry University in the Broad Auditorium. His highlights include sinful potion, a dance about a girl who compromises herself just to be with a guy; as well as a lyrical hip-hop piece set to the music of Janet Jackson’s “ Velvet Rope” with a masquerade theme. He also choreographed one African piece called Zoo After dark and a fun eclectic hip-hop club piece in AIM’s second production, Urban Memoirs (2009) .

A native of Atlanta, GA, Mr. Day returned home after earning a Bachelors degree in Political Science and a minor in dance From Barry University. He is currently working at an Entertainment Talent Agency as a Bookings Administrative Assistant. He hopes to continue a career in the performance industry producing shows and events and that he can also add dance related events back into the mix.

Fred would like to leave this note to his fellow future and past AIM dancers:

“Never stop believing in your dreams no matter how impossible. AIM was created out of a need for something more in our lives. But what it turned into was family and a leader in our community. AIM taught me a lot about myself, including how to appreciate and see the beauty in others. So always remember keep fighting and to AIM High!”

Art In Motion Productions | AIM