Janell Hall is new to Ixion and happy to be a part of Lansing Community Theater. A 23 year veteran teacher and Mom, Janell’s favorite quote by Nelson Mandela: “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” And if that’s not the case many things can be solved with coffee or chocolate.

Candace Nicole Potts, Singer, songwriter, arranger and teacher, is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and a proud graduate of Morgan State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, with a concentration in vocal performance. Her gift has surely made room for her; taking her to national as well as international stages. Candace has performed in notable concert halls/venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and numerous other platforms within the United States. Over the years, she has also traveled abroad with various groups to perform in China, Russia, South America, Brazil, Italy, Jamaica, Prague, Czech Republic, and counting! Currently, she resides in Lansing, Michigan where she is the newly appointed choir director of J. W. Sexton High School and Executive Director of Vocal studies for Transcendence Performing Arts Center, Gold Company. This is her inaugural role as Assistant Director of Live Theater. She wants to open the minds of future leaders; moreover, encouraging them to become all that they want to be and to dream BIG. In her own words, “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you look like, or the color of your skin – you are amazing and no one can put a limit to your greatness. If you just believe: the world is your oyster!” She will continue to use her voice as an instrument and mentor youth who desire to pursue a career in vocal performance. Vita Brevis Ars Longa!

Dr. LeConté Dill was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, California. She is a poet, playwright, educator, and scholar in and out of classroom and community spaces. She holds degrees from Spelman College, UCLA, and UC Berkeley, was a Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop Fellow and a Hurston/Wright Writers Workshop Fellow and has participated in VONA Voices and Cave Canem writing workshops. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American and African Studies at Michigan State University. She is also a Certified Mindfulness Instructor. In Dr. Dill's art, research, and activism, she listens to and shows up for urban Black girls and gender-expansive youth, in particular, and works to rigorously document their experiences and strategies of safety, resilience, resistance, and wellness. Her work has been published in a diverse array of spaces, such as Poetry Magazine, Mom Egg Review, Journal of Poetry Therapy, the Du Bois Review, and The Feminist Wire.

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