They Met Through a TDF Arts Education Program. Now They’re Collaborating
Aubrey Lynch II and Nasir Campbell. Photo courtesy of Lynch.
How the Wendy Wasserstein Project brought celebrated dancer-choreographer Aubrey Lynch II and up-and-comer Nasir Campbell together
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Campbell was a dance major at the Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts in Brooklyn when he participated in the Wendy Project his senior year with writer-director James Lapine as his mentor. Meanwhile, Lynch was serving as a Wendy Project mentor at Manhattan’s Talent Unlimited High School. Because of their shared interest in dance, a TDF staffer decided to connect them at the year-end gathering. “We took a picture together and we’ve been in touch ever since,” says Lynch. He may not have served as Campbell’s Wendy Project mentor, but because of the program, Lynch became his life adviser.
When Campbell met Lynch, he was about to start his BFA in dance at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. They kept in contact throughout his college years, with Lynch offering support and feedback on opportunities. Once Campbell returned to New York City, Lynch’s guidance inspired the grad to found his own company, … but he didn’t tell his mentor about it right away.
“I wasn’t ready,” Campbell admits with a laugh. “But Aubrey was the one who encouraged me to use my imagination and go beyond my limits. That’s why I decided to start my company.”
“I just didn’t know about it for three years!” Lynch says with mock annoyance. “Then one day he sent me this flyer about one of their performances with a note saying, ‘You don’t have to come.’ I was like, ‘Of course I’m gonna come!’ I would have loved to have been a part of that project from the beginning. But I was proud that he did it on his own. That’s the best part of mentorship, when you give someone permission to go and be their authentic self without holding their hand. You point the way and get out of the way. And I was very impressed. He’s got poetry and video and committed dancers with interesting movement.”
Although Lynch and Campbell have never danced together (something they still hope to do one day), they are collaborating in a different way. Last month, Campbell earned his Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from New York University, and Lynch has hired him to be the Executive Director of The Harlemettes. “It’s a group I started when I was at the Harlem School of the Arts and I want to turn it into a professional dance company,” Lynch explains. “I’ve been talking about this for years, but I’m doing so many other things, I can’t do it on my own. I kept saying to Nasir, I need someone to come in and run it for me—hint, hint. It took a while, but he came back with a great proposal and even got a grant that will pay for his salary. I inspired his dance company in some sense, and now he’s fueling mine. It’s a beautiful circle.”
And it’s all thanks to TDF’s Wendy Project, a program that Lynch says “sows the seeds of creativity and offers a foundation for the rest of your life. I’ve been a mentor for almost 15 years and that’s why I keep coming back. It’s a real privilege and a real responsibility. And Nasir is an example of what can happen if we let the creative arts lead the way.”
Learn more about TDF’s Wendy Wasserstein Project, or donate to support all our education initiatives.
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