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KIM LEARY

DANCE EDUCATOR, CHOREOGRAPHER AND PERFORMER

SHORT BIO

Leary is a world dance performer, choreographer and instructor who is well regarded for her teaching skills which focus on identifying learning styles of her students and incorporating her knowledge of anatomy, music and cultural context for an enriched and creative learning experience. She is Co-Artistic Director of Groove Merchant Drum & Dance Ensemble and Co-Director of her school, The Drum & Dance Learning Center. Kim has been involved in the multi-cultural music and dance genres since 1989. Kim holds a certification in Training & Development as well as certification in Multiple Intelligences and the Arts. She has studied intensively within the Salimpour School of Dance for 15+ years with both Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour. She has earned dance certifications in Sahra Saeeda's Journey Through Egypt Program. She also has earned her 200 RYT Yoga certification with specializations in Gentle and Restorative yoga.

SELECT PERFORMANCE HISTORY

Frenchtown Riverfest (NJ); Havre de Grace Opera House (MD); The Birchmere (Alexandria, VA); Connecticut College (CT); Dixon Place, NYC

Teatro Latea (NYC); Wilson Black Box Theatre (Princeton, NJ); The Black Box Theatre (Asbury Park, NJ); Hopewell Harvest Fair, Hopewell, (NJ);  Paramount Concerts on the Beach (Asbury Park, NJ) Jersey Gardens, (Elizabeth, NJ); Frist Theater (Princeton, NJ); The Kalmia Club, (Lambertville, NJ); Smithville Mansion, (Eastampton, NJ); The College Of NJ (Ewing, NJ), The Butterfly Festival (Hopewell, NJ); 
Pennington Day (NJ); NJ Renaissance Festival (Somerset, NJ); The Academy Theatre, (Bordentown, NJ); Rakkasah East Festival (Somerset, NJ); Suzanne Patterson Center (Princeton, NJ); Burlington County Cultural Festival (NJ); Monmouth University (Long Branch, NJ); Arden Club Guild Hall (Arden, DE); The Monroe Arts Center (Monroe, NJ); The Kennedy Center (Burlington, NJ); Two River Theatre (Red Bank, NJ
Casablanca (New Castle, DE); Lafayette Grill (NYC); Arts Youniversity Theatre (Hamilton, NJ); Children’s Day School (Ewing, NJ); Spring Caravan (Somerset, NJ); Mojo on Main (Newark, DE); Asian Heritage Festival (Washington, DC); Mercer County Cultural Festival (NJ)
Hinds Plaza (Princeton, NJ); West Windsor Arts Council (Princeton Junction, NJ); Marketfair, (Princeton, NJ)
Ohio Theatre, (NYC), Damrosch Park Lincoln Center (NY), DanceSpace (NYC)

DAVE MERRITT

MUSIC EDUCATOR, COMPOSER, ARRANGER AND PERFORMER

Dave Merritt is an accomplished drummer of many talents and interests who has been playing drums for over 35 years. He has performed with varied and diverse groups including: drum set with the Road Runners Blues Band, Catfish, and Paul Plumeri Blues Band; bodhrán, bones,and hammered dulcimer with traditional Celtic bands Kintail, Cwn Annwn and Browne Jenkyn; and snare drum for the First Highland Watch of Pennsylvania Bagpipe Band and Revolutionary War re-enactors First New Jersey Volunteers. In 2004 he, along with Kim Leary, formed Groove Merchant Drum & Dance Ensemble, which led them to open the Drum & Dance Learning Center (DDLC) in May 2005.

A teacher since 1980, Mr. Merritt teaches a variety of drum techniques at the Drum Dojo at DDLC: Drum Set, Rudimental Snare Drum, Bodhrán, traditional West African Djembe and Dunun, and Arabic Tabla (Dumbek). As a drum teacher, his casual approach allows students the relaxation and freedom necessary to learn at their own pace, and his enthusiasm and appreciation of the instrument is both contagious and motivational.

Dave has attended workshops with various drum artists including: Billy Cobham, Tommy Campbell, Rod Morgenstein, Ed Shaughnessy, Terry Bozzio, Greg Bissonette and Pat Patrillo (drum set); Sam Hall, J. Reid Maxwell, Jon Quigg and Gordon Bell (pipe band snare drum); Francisco "Fuyo" Gomez(conga); Victor Marshall, M'Bemba Bangoura and Mamady Keita (djembe); Mangue Sylla(dunun); Kim Leary, Souren Baronian, Issam Houshan, Amir Naoum, Karim Nagy, and Bill Koutsouros (Arabic tabla); and Phil Smiley of the Tannahill Weavers demonstrated bodhrán technique. Dave continues to refine and expand his own technique on these instruments, finding inspiration and new ideas everywhere he goes.

The history of the instruments that he plays is also important to Mr. Merritt. He continues to study their origins, cultural and social signifigance, historical impact and evolution. One of his hobbies is the restoration of vintage drums and drum sets. He has even designed and built a few snare drums and various folk instruments. Dave combines his love of drums, history and education in his school and library presentation of "A Day in the Life of an 18th Century Soldier", the Revolutionary War as seen through the eyes of a Drummer.

GROOVE MERCHANT DRUM & DANCE ENSEMBLE

LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE, CHOREOGRAPHY, MUSICAL COMPOSITION

The earthy roots music of Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble has been described as infectious.  The New Jersey based group’s repertoire includes original compositions that dig deeply into ethnic roots music as well as offering a tasteful blend of traditional music.  Groove Merchant’s nomadic inspirations are from the Near East, West Africa, New Orleans and beyond with two things in common; the funky bottom and respect for roots of the music and cultural traditions.

Groove Merchant is much more than drummers who play while dancers dance.  A large portion of the group’s repertoire integrates musical arrangements played by dancers and drummers alike.  There are blurred lines between dance corps and musicians.  “We all cross train musically”, says Dave Merritt, Groove Merchant’s co-director.  “In addition to making the music visual, the dancers play integral arrangements on finger cymbals and various instruments that complete the compositions.  We have some straight up percussion pieces but honestly the energy is highest and feels best when were all on stage together.” 

2024 marks the group’s 20-year anniversary, a performance showcase and various events are in the works the celebrate the creative work of directors Kim Leary & Dave Merritt and all the members of Groove Merchant over the past two decades.

 

Groove Merchant Drum & Dance Ensemble has a very diverse fan base and has been featured at venues such as The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, Princeton University’s Frist Theatre, Paramount Concerts on the Beach as well as national dance festivals, local community events and many others.  (Full venue list available upon request.) Co-Director’s Kim Leary and Dave Merritt are dedicated to teaching dance and music and facilitating the creative process at The Drum and Dance Learning Center.

About: About Me

THE DRUM & DANCE LEARNING CENTER ENSEMBLE

MULTI-CULTURAL DANCE PERFORMANCES

THE DRUM AND DANCE LEARNING CENTER STUDENT ENSEMBLE FROM PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY, DIRECTED BY KIM LEARY IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF WOMEN WHO SHARE A COMMON LOVE OF DANCE, MUSIC, CREATIVITY AND CAMARADERIE.  THE GROUP EMBRACES THE MANY STYLES THAT ARE THE EVER EVOLVING ART OF BELLY DANCE WITH REVERENCE AND RESPECT TO THE ROOTS OF BOTH MOVEMENT AND MUSIC.

PRESS & PROMO MATERIALS

CONTACT: KIM LEARY
EMAIL: DDLCNJ@GMAIL.COM

GROOVE MERCHANT DRUM & DANCE ENSEMBLE

Caption: Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble's debut CD "Dansa", released November 2014.

Photo credit: Brian Lin

Artwork Credit: Jeff Tryon

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WORLD DRUM & DANCE SHOWCASE POSTER

CAPTION:  World Drum and Dance Showcase featuring Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble at Open Arts PAC Bordentown, NJ, Saturday, November 18 at 7pm.


Pictured:  (right to left) Donna Sullivan, Flemington, NJ; Ed Ashton, Rosemont, NJ; Dave Merrit, Fieldsboro, NJ.

Photo Credit: Alan Rigaletto

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GROOVE MERCHANT DRUM & DANCE ENSEMBLE PERFORMERS

CAPTION:  Members of Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble.

Pictured: (top to bottom) Donna Manalo, Ewing, NJ; Kim Leary, Fieldsboro, NJ; Donna Sullivan, Flemington, NJ and Naylon Larane, Roosevelt, NJ.

Photo credit: PixieVision

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GROOVE MERCHANT DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE PERFORMERS

CAPTION: Members of Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble.

Pictured: (left to right) Chris Engleman, Freehold, NJ; Dave Merritt, Fieldsboro, NJ; Aliya Khan, Lawrenceville, NJ; Ed Ashton, Rosemont, NJ; Jeff Tryon,Ewing, NJ.

Photo credit: PixieVision

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GROOVE MERCHANT DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE

Director, Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble, Kim Leary, Filedsboro, NJ.

Photo credit: PixieVision

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GROOVE MERCHANT DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE

Director, Groove Merchant Drum and Dance Ensemble, Dave Merritt, Fieldsboro, NJ.

Photo Credit: PixeVision

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THE DRUM & DANCE LEARNING CENTER ENSEMBLE

CAPTION: The Drum and Dance Learning Center Ensemble members, Princeton, NJ.

Pictured:  (left to right) Liz Carroll, South Amboy, NJ; Alma Castillo, Robbinsville, NJ; Jen Lichtmann, Cream Ridge, NJ; Krista Goss, Hamilton, NJ.

Photo credit: PixieVision

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