Alana Michelle Howard

is a performing artist, artistic director, educator, and the founder of Alana Michelle Productions, a creative company specializing in dance-driven programs, performances, and movement-based experiences that uplift, inspire, and empower communities.

Originally from “down south”, living most of her life in Florida and Georgia, Alana’s work is rooted in the Black American experience and expands to African diasporic dance, music, and culture. Alana Michelle holds a BFA in Visual and Performing Arts from Savannah State University and currently serves as a dance educator at the University of Michigan, teaching entry level Jazz, Hip Hop, Jazz Funk, and Afro Fusion.

As an educator, her philosophy is rooted in concepts related to using the arts for healing. As a performer and artistic director, she creates emotionally-driven performance work that fuses dance, narrative composition, and theatrical staging. Her 2024 production HalleluYah speaks to these sentiments as it showcases various performing art forms for the purpose of inspiring its viewers to “Be the Light!”, a slogan Alana lives by.

Since transitioning to Southeast Michigan, Alana has positioned Alana Michelle Productions at the intersection of live performance, arts education, and community advocacy rather than purely commercial entertainment. With the help of local grant funding and connecting with brilliant local artists, educational institutions, and arts organizations, Alana Michelle Productions develops culturally rooted dance performances, interdisciplinary collaborations, and creative programming year round.

Mission:

Alana Michelle Productions L3C

The mission of Alana Michelle Productions is simple. AMP aims to expose communities to a variety of fine arts and cultures, providing them with tools and experiences that promote self-confidence, constructive self-expression, and instil a strong sense of identity. Rooted in Black American and African Diasporic heritage, we aim to honor, preserve, and elevate communities through the arts, while creating professional opportunities. AMP acknowledges the body as a living archive, the place where both trauma and liberation breathe. Through faith, community engagement, and the arts, AMP seeks to inspire and bless generations.