Imani Miller competes in dance championship in Panama

TALENTED youth Imani Miller and her teammates will compete in the All Dance America (ADA) dance championships in Panama from September 18-25.

Imani, who left for Panama on September 16, is also hoping to participate in the Change the World Model United Nations (CWMUN) New York Conference in March 2025.

However, to get to Panama and New York, Imani's mother, Liza Miller, has launched a fundraising campaign #SupportManisMission.

Pursuing her dreams has not been an easy road for 15-year-old Imani, but she is determined to beat the challenges.

In 2017, Imani began experiencing severe health challenges resulting from underlying autoimmune conditions, a media release said.

Despite her debilitating health situation, which has compromised her day-to-day life for significant periods, Imani remains resilient, resourceful and her persevering nature has fuelled her ability to rise above her circumstances to achieve notable academic and extracurricular accomplishments, the release said.

In July, Miller was awarded a merit-based grant to attend the CWMUN Programme at the Change the World Academy. As a delegate member of the international academy, the aspiring youth leader will benefit from tutorship and mentorship in geopolitics, social and political sciences, and international and economic relations, the release said.

The programme which began on August 7 will end with a four-day conference at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from March 20-23, 2025. At the conference, each delegate member will represent an assigned country, present a position paper and engage in debates as they vie for the title of Best Delegate, the release said.

Also in July, Imani was selected to join the competitive hip-hop and Afrobeat dance crews of the urban dance company, Xtreme Dance Academy (XDA).

Her aim is to use dance, music, drama, visual and digital art, animation, spoken word and writing to inspire love, empathy, compassion, positivity, and as a vehicle for social commentary and to effect change, the release said.

Having undergone training from since she was two years old, Imani has over 12 years' performance experience in ballet, modern contemporary, tap, hip-hop and Afrobeat. Her musical instruments include pan, piano, recorder, guitar, drum kit and African drums, the release said.

Over the years, her tutors and mentors have included Noble Douglas, Heather Henderson-Gordon, Dr Patricia Dardaine-Ragguet, Everald "Redman" Watson, Kern Devonish, Mikhail Salcedo, Charlene Harris, Karen Darricades, Irénée Shaw, Shannon Alonzo, Arielle John, Veronique Francois and Hamid Rahman, the release said.

On July 2, she placed second in the Ministry of National Security's Counter Trafficking Unit's national spoken word competition, Voices Against Human Trafficking, with the performance of the original piece, Modern-Day Slavery.

She made her spoken-word debut at Girl Be Heard Trinidad and Tobago (GBHTT) poetry showcase on April 14 with Meditations on Light. This was followed by a performance at GBHTT’s July production, Activated for Change.

Liza said as a single parent of two, managing the chronic autoimmune conditions of Imani, she has found it necessary to fundraise as she strives to help her daughter engage in international experiences.

To learn more about Imani’s story or donate in either US, Euro, Canadian or TT dollars, join Imani’s Facebook (FB) event page and follow her fundraising journey at http://bit.ly/SupportManisMission or visit http://bit.ly/SupportManisMissionHowToDonate or e-mail iimaniism@estuaryPR.com or liza@estuaryPR.com or call/WhatsApp +1 (868) 367-5295.

To connect with the artist on Instagram (IG), FB, TikTok and YouTube, follow @iimaniism.