MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When it comes to the arts, Memphis is top tier. That is why we honor our artists and their contributions.
Saturday, the Memphis Black Arts Alliance will host a legacy ball to honor notable artists from Memphis.
We spoke with one of those honorees, Elise Neal, who is a proud Memphian. She is a dancer, executive producer, fitness fanatic, and an actress.
You may remember her from the movie that was filmed in Memphis called Hustle and Flow, or even from hit tv shows like The Hugley’s and All of Us.
Neal credits Memphis as well as the creative and performing arts program at Overton High School for nurturing her artistry and giving her a start.
“My experience, especially at Overton, really shaped me for my future,” Neal expressed. “But, Overton and Memphis as a whole is always part of me.”
Neal added that she appreciates where she comes from.
“Memphis as a whole has a lot. It has culture, it has a music, it has a pulse that no other city has. And I’m just excited to bring even more to the masses so that they know what it’s all about,” Neal said.
She started dancing at the age of six, and after graduating from Overton, she eventually moved to New York to continue on that path. She later discovered an interest in acting after enrolling in a commercial class that did not come as natural to her as dancing did.
“I thought I was horrible on camera. I just walk like um-um. But the girl in me who likes to conquer things was like, ‘I need to conquer this.’ So then I went back again, and I just started to fall in love with it.”
Neal then moved to L.A. where she studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, which lead to her appearing in films like Rosewood, Money Talks, and Scream 2 and hit tv shows like The Black Hamptons, and her most recent movie Logan.
“Nothing is out of anyone’s reach, except your own mind and your own mindset,” Neal said.
She will be honored on Saturday at the Memphis Black Arts Alliance Legacy Ball.
MBAA, which is a public charity that focuses on improving the quality of life and economic well-being of Greater Memphis through the African-American arts, literature, and culture, was founded four decades ago .
A special tribute will be paid to Founder Bennie Nelson West, who created MBAA in 1982, which was the city's first Black arts incubator and network during that time.
The organization started with 19 black arts organizations and more than 100 Black artists, providing space for them to learn and hone their crafts for performance and exhibition.
Nelson West's career as an Arts Administrator has spanned more than 50 years.
“The heart of great people that leave here and want to do great things and want to sow back into the community, and sow back into the youth…that is what it’s all about. That’s what keeps us going and keeps us global. Memphis is known throughout the world for the arts,” Lar Juanette Williams, Memphis Black Arts Alliance Executive Director said.
Additional honorees include: Acclaimed Rapper, Al Kapone; World-renowned Musician, Jimmy Kinard; Esteemed Drummer, Charles Streeter; Hit TV Series "P-Valley" Actor, Bertram Williams; American Idol Finalist, Lil Rounds; Grammy Producer and Musician, Kurt Clayton; Best-Selling Author, Angela Austin; and Broadway Actress, Alexis Tidwell-Bailey.
The event will be at the Halloran Centre for performing arts, starting at 6 p.m., which is monumental for the organization as it will also celebrate 40 years of service to the community.
MBAA is one of the few African-American non-profit arts organizations in the area that has lasted for so long. For more details click here. For information about the organization's history, click here.