First Wave performers hail from and head to New York

Here is a list of First Wave students performing as part of the New York Knicks Poetry Slam Finals:

Ashlyn Akins
Northern California native Ashlyn Akins is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has been writing poetry since the age of seven and slammed in back-to-back Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam competitions in 2008 and 2009 with the Inland Empire and Chino Youth Slam Teams. Ashlyn is a member of the Fourth Cohort of First Wave.

Shameaca Moore
Shameaca Moore is a “poet’s poet,” a young talent with a voice that exceeds her physical years. Shameaca is a freshman at the UW–Madison and is proud to pursue her education on a poetry scholarship. She has been competing in poetry slam competitions with adults since the age of 16. In 2009, Shameaca won the Elks National Oratorical Competition. She is originally from Columbus, Ohio, and is in the Fourth Cohort of First Wave.

Kelsey Van Ert
Kelsey Van Ert (Pyro) is a senior sociology major at the UW–Madison originally from St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her artistic expertise lies in spoken word, theater, visual art, dance (especially breaking, or “break dance”) and music, including piano, guitar, cello and voice. In 2010, Kelsey was commissioned to perform in B-Girl Be, an annual festival of women in hip hop in the Twin Cities. Kelsey is in the First Cohort of First Wave. With First Wave she has been able to travel and perform throughout the United States, as well as in Mexico, Panama, and, most recently, the United Kingdom. Kelsey has conducted spoken word workshops in Madison, Wis.-area high schools, middle schools and community centers. Through her teaching, she has not only been able to pass on knowledge, but grow even more from what she has learned from her students.

Ittai Wong
Ittai Wong is a freshman at the UW–Madison and a native of Hawaii. As Ittai explains the origins of his name, it’s easy to see its connection to his life: “Ittai is a Biblical name from Hebrew origin. One of King David’s army captains; he was going to war.” Ittai is no stranger to battle as a two-time Brave New Voices champion and two-time Youth Speaks Hawaii grand champion. He is a member of the Fourth Cohort of First Wave.

Heer is a list of First Wave students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from New York:

Marne Bruckner
Marne Bruckner is a sophomore at the UW–Madison majoring in Community and Non-Profit Leadership. The New York City native first performed her one-woman show, “The Insides Ain’t Pink Enough,” at age 16 and most recently represented North America along with other members of the First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble at the 2010 Contacting the World Youth Theater Festival in Manchester, United Kingdom. Bruckner is a member of the Third Cohort of First Wave.

Elton Ferdinand III
Elton Ferdinand III is both artist and scholar. Ferdinand is majoring in Biology. After completing his undergraduate degree at UW–Madison, he plans to go to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As an artist in the medical field, Ferdinand plans to focus on bridging the gap between the arts and sciences through clinical research on how art affects the brain. With a focus on people with different forms of dementia, Ferdinand already has started conducting some of his research with the Alzheimer’s Poetry Project. Through summer 2010, the project had conducted research in several nursing homes in New York, Madison, Wisconsin, and Germany. As a poet, Ferdinand has graced stages such as Harlem’s world-famous Apollo Theater, Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theater and the Manhattan Center. He is a member of the Third Cohort of First Wave.

“Urban Word NYC later introduced me to the First Wave program at UW–Madison, which appealed to me because it’s a well-known program nationally and I used to write poetry. Although I rarely performed, it was an outlet for me to express myself. When it comes to expression and spoken word, I like to write about anything that is pressing at a particular moment and anything I feel should be written about. I’ve heard that the culture of poetry as a performance stems from the idea of being a Griot, an African storyteller who preserves history. I perform because there are things that need to be shared, remembered and documented.”

Jasmine Mans
A native of Newark, N.J., UW–Madison sophomore Jasmine Mans is becoming an undeniable artist. In 2007, Jasmine won the New York Knicks Poetry Slam, and by 2008, she had showcased her biggest piece of work to date with her self-written one-woman stage play, “Loops.” She has performed in two Brave New Voices poetry festivals, at the Sundance Film Festival, at the Kennedy Center, at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theater and at the 2010 CUPSI College Poetry National Festival, where the UW–Madison team won the grand prize. Mans is a member of the Third Cohort of First Wave.

“Urban Word NYC, the number one non-profit youth literacy organization in New York City, educated me on the program. I wanted to practice art and receive a great education for free. I applied, got accepted and realized it was everything I ever wanted. It’s the first hip hop scholarship program in the country, and only accepts 15 students per year. They saw me as an asset to their team.”

“First Wave has made my art more versatile and professional. My art is no longer a hobby. I give it time as if it’s a job, I nourish it as if it’s my baby, I celebrate it as if it’s my dream, and I share it as if it’s my God-given talent.”

Thiahera Nurse
Thiahera Nurse is a UW–Madison freshman and poet originally from Hollis, Queens. She has been a finalist for the Urban Word Slam, Knicks Poetry Slam and the first statewide NYC Poet Laureate Slam. She presented an excerpt of her one-woman show, “Daddy Dress Up,” at the 2009 Hip Hop Theater Festival in New York City. Thiahera is a member of the Fourth Cohort.