Mission / About / Founders

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Purelements uses the performing arts to educate its artists and audiences on social issues, and to enhance their artistic development and performance experiences.

Purelements goals are to empower people to live healthy, creative and balanced lifestyles; to increase self-awareness and cultural appreciation; and to break down barriers of social ignorance by bridging gaps between diverse communities through arts education and programming.

Kevin Joseph

A native of Brooklyn, NY with ancestry in Trinidad & Tobago, Kevin began dancing at the age of 10 on the streets of East New York, Brooklyn as part of Hip Hop’s first generation. As a student at ABCCollege, Kevin began his formal dance training with Dyane Harvey and trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and Dance New Amsterdam (formerly called Dance Space, Inc.). This marked the beginning of Kevin’s evolution as a professional dancer, choreographer, and artistic director.

As a dancer, Kevin’s performance credits include: The Essence Awards, VH1 Divas Live, PBS’s “Black Dance in The 20th Century,” St. Paul Community Baptist Church’s The Commemoration of the MAAFA, The Oedipus Plays performed at the Herode Atticus amphitheatre at the Acropolis in Greece with Avery Brooks and Earl Hyman, and a guest artist at the Campion School in Greece. 

As a choreographer, his movement derives from Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop and African dance techniques. His unique blend of movement can be traced back to his adolescent days as a Brooklyn break dancer, which still greatly influences his contemporary dance vocabulary and style today. His choreographic credits include: The American Black Film Festival, The Best of Seven @ 651 Arts: Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, Lincoln Center Outdoors, Celebrate Brooklyn the American, Heritage Dance Convention and Jacob’s Pillow.

Kevin has worked with and pays homage to artists, choreographers and directors such as Kevin “Iega” Jeff of Jubilation Dance Company, Abdel Salaam of Forces of Nature Dance Theater Company, Michael Khan of the Shakespeare Theater Company, Obediah Wright, Marlies Yearby, George Faison, Otis Salid, Avery Brooks, Lauryn Hill and Anthony Hamilton. 

As a co-founder of Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, Kevin served as the managing director of the organization, a principal dancer, modern dance instructor for its Performing Arts Program, and later, the education director and helped develop Creative Outlet’s multifaceted Arts-in-Education program for New York City’s Department of Education. During Kevin’s tenure with Creative Outlet, he and the cofounders were presented with the Black Men of Distinction Award by Marty Markowitz. 

Kevin’s professional career has evolved into using dance as an empowerment tool for students and professionals. With this goal in mind, Kevin, along with childhood friend and fellow break dancer, Lakai Worrell co founded Purelements An Evolution in Dance. Both serving as co-executive artistic directors, Kevin and Lakai have developed an organization where dance is experienced and expressed in three ways: through a professional dance company, a performing arts school, and an educational outreach program.

Kevin envisions that Purelements will steadily push the barriers of art through dance and will simultaneously allowing urban youth to step into their personal awareness and purpose through artistic excellence.

Lakai Worrell

A New York native from the borough of Brooklyn, with heritage in Barbados, Lakai began his dance career as a hip-hop artist and break dancer, straight from the streets of East New York, where he mastered this dance style performing in clubs, local competitions and events. Fourteen years later, he has evolved into an international professional dancer, choreographer, instructor, model and co-founder of two arts organizations.

Lakai’s distinct style of dance is a reflection of his technical expertise in Modern, Jazz, African, and Ballet, and his innate aptitude for movement. He has trained and been honored to perform with artists such as Kevin “Iega” Jeff, Obediah Wright and Esther Grant, Phyllicia Rashaad, Max Roach, Crystal Waters, Lauryn Hill, Olatunje Babatunje, Cassandra Wilson, Avery Brooks, Harold Scott, Michael Kahn and The Shakespeare Theatre, Marlies Yearby, Wendell Pierce, Ornette Coleman, Ossie Davis, James Stovall, Souleyman and Suquan diop, Yousouf Koumbasa, Justin Emeka and Jesse Wooden Jr. of St. Paul Community Baptist Church.

His choreographic credits include: Skiddles, an independent film; 30 Years of Magic: A Celebration for Michael Jackson;” St. Paul Community Baptist Church’s The Commemoration of the MAAFA; Dance This: The Seattle Theatre Group; Sankofa Theatre: A Maafa Experience; The Daddy Conference: Malik Yoba Productions; The Best of Seven 651 Arts: Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn; DanceAfrica BAM; and Kwanzaa at The American Museum of Natural History.

As a model, Lakai professional credits include: Gear Magazine, Pelle Pelle Fashion Week, Diesel Jeans Milan, Italy Fashion Show and Hot 97-FM’s New York City Print Advertising Campaign.

As a co-founder of Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn and director of its Performing Arts Program (P.A.P), Lakai helped established its Young Men’s Rites of Passage Program and expanded its Arts-in-Education Program that grew to serve the Departments of Education in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Lakai also served as a principal dancer, dance instructor and artistic director of the organization.

Now, as cofounder and co-executive artistic director of Purelements, with childhood friend and fellow break dancer Kevin Joseph, Lakai vows to use his talents to improve himself, his family and the lives of those he touches. “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of GOD that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto GOD, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of GOD.” Romans 12 1:2