Lael Marie Williams (Saez) Bio (2020 update) My name is Lael Marie Saez, artist name Royael and I am a Hartford native. I started my dance career first under the teachings of my mother Ann Marie Williams and her educational arts program "K La Rue". From there as a child I studied ballet at Albinos for 3 years. I received more early training through the artist collective from middle school through high school, partaking in modern/jazz, ballet, hip-hop, tap and African dance under the direction of the honorary ACO Lee Thompson of New York and Kresha Hudgens of Hartford CT/ New York. While with the Artist Collective I performed at the Hartford Stage in the play "Oedipus" and performed a solo piece with a few other classmates at the Bushnell for the late Maya Angelou, who later that night personally told me ��ｿｿ�to never stop dancing". During high school I attended the classical magnet program and Hartford Public High school (where I did my academics) as well as the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts where I was trained in modern dance (Graham technique base), ballet, repertoire, improvisational, dance history, tap and numerous other dance and art classes. I graduated from all three schools in 2004 and started full time teaching at FootLights Performing Arts Center of Hartford, CT. In 2005 for the winter/spring semester I proceeded to Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y. where I continued my dance training under Donna Hash (Alvin Ailey��ｿｿ�s former principal dancer) and 4 other credible instructors. In the fall of 2005 I returned home and decided to continue teaching dance under the direction of FootLights and took classes in mortuary science at Briarwood college. In 2009 I joined the cultural dance troupe of the West Indies dance company with Stephen Hankey as head choreographer and stayed with them for 4 years. In 2010 I became a company member of the Judy Dworin project for 3 months working on the project "In this house��ｿｿ�; and was also recognized as dance instructor of the year at FootLights. In 2010 FootLights dissolved and transitioned in a new direction and entity called FootLights Performing Arts & Education Program under the late Debra Mauldin, which became a program offered at the Downtown YMCA where I have been currently active for the past 10 years and as of 2018 have become the sole owner of FootLights Performing Arts and Education Program after 19 years of service between FootLights Performing Arts Center and FootLights Performing Arts & Education Program LLC. In 2012 I had the privilege along with 5 other great dancers to create and be the first members of "Island Reflections Dance Theater Company" under the direction of Stephen Hankey, I am currently active with the company. In 2013 I was asked to be featured on the OPP workforce ��ｿｿ�Wall of Success��ｿｿ�. In addition to being the head Dance instructor I completed my time at the Downtown YMCA starting from assistant program coordinator to Program Director for the Downtown YMCA FootLights Program. I currently still own the FootLights Program and was recognized for 10 years of service in June 2015 ( 5 years with the YMCA) and 2020 was 10 years of service with the Downtown YMCA. As of March 2020 I became one of the teaching artists for the Bushnell Theater of Performing Arts. Outside of my dance career I am number 7 in the top 10 international Body Paint models with my Visual artist Joy Monroe for ��ｿｿ�Living Art America��ｿｿ� Body paint competition 2017, as well as #14 for International ��ｿｿ�Beyond The Canvas��ｿｿ� top 20 international body paint competition of 2018. In 2020 I was appointed as an Artist of Color Unite advisory board member for the Hartford Foundation For Public Giving and became one of the first fellows of the Artist of Color Accelerate lead by Shelley Best of the 224 Ecospace. In the the Fall of 2021, through an unanimous vote, I became Hartford CT��ｿｿ�s first artist representative as ��ｿｿ�Flow Artist��ｿｿ� through the Commission of Cultural Affairs, an honor that I hold deeply. As of 2022 I have been in collaboration with The Gambia West Africa��ｿｿ�s Arts and Culture sector as a Cultural Ambassador between Hartford, CT and The Gambia. I always stay active and committed to the community that has raised me, I am for us and by us, " I am Hartford, CT". Lael Marie Saez First City representative Flow Artist, CEO, Master Performing Teaching Artist,AA Royael Toujours Mignon LLC FootLights Performing Arts & Education Program LLC Batelles of The Diaspora LLC Hartford,CT 06114 860-913-4928 (work cell) https://www.facebook.com/FootLightsPerformingArtsED LaelMarieSaez.com Royaeltm IG