Private Project

Pa'Lante

In a world of endless victories on the track, PA'LANTE tells the story of Afro-Latina twin siblings who dominate every race except the most elusive one: navigating the complexities of being human.

  • Karisma Jay
    Director
    CROWN
  • Karisma Jay
    Writer
    CROWN
  • Karisma Jay
    Producer
    CROWN
  • Massiel Mordan
    Producer
  • Madison Brown
    Key Cast
  • Ka'Mani Brown
    Key Cast
  • Haydee Rosario
    Key Cast
  • Jenelle Valle
    Key Cast
  • Jeremy Batchelor
    Crew
  • Lake Escobosa
    Crew
  • Alex Cabrera
    Crew
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    18,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony XAVC-I 23.98fps
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Karisma Jay

True to her name, Brooklyn-native, Karisma Jay is the epitome of Multi-Hyphenate. Dancer, Actress, Singer, Director, Playwright, Choreographer, Wellness Coach, Teacher, Entrepreneur and Host, she has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies and has been featured in programs aired on Netflix, Lifetime, BET, MTV, NBC, and VH1.
She is a City College Mathematics Education Master’s certificate Student. Teaching dance since the tender age of 11, she has honed her skills of working with children and adults to develop the confidence and charisma of even the shyest, youngest and/or oldest of students. She has performed/toured with prestigious dance companies such as Brooklyn Ballet, Deeply Rooted, Maimouna Keita, Creative Outlet, Asase Yaa, and Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence.
In 2013, Karisma joined STOMP. In 2016, Family Circle magazine coined her a “Local Hero” and Lifetime TV featured her as a Female Entrepreneur to Watch. Most recently, she won the “Power Women in Business” for her work as the Executive Artistic Director and Founder of AbunDance Academy of the Arts.
Annually, she writes, directs, produces and co-stars in musicals that AbunDance Academy presents. She just recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with her MFA in Dance at Hunter College while also teaching Dance and Culture at Hunter as an Undergraduate Faculty Member.
Currently, she is teaching West African Dance at The Juilliard School and Ballet Tech as well as Afro-Ballet and Diasporic Forms at Broadway Dance Center and LaGuardia HS. She worked on Broadway as a choreographic apprentice with the Broadway show, David Byrne’s American Utopia and she is a Dance Teacher Magazine’s 2021 Dance Teacher Award Recipient and a recipient of Assembly member Brian Cunningham’s 2023 Woman of Distinction Award. In May 2023, she premiered CROWN, a short film she co-directed and co-wrote. In May 2025, she will release her second film, Pa'Lante, a love letter to her native home, Panama. With a mission to lead by example, she helps everyone who crosses paths with her to flourish AbunDantly.

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Director Statement

With my experiences as a dancer, teacher and choreographer, storytelling and creative curation goes hand in hand. For decades, I have dedicated my multi-disciplinary work to a high standard of excellence. Growing up as an Afro-Latina in a single parent household, I learned very early on the importance of legacy, resourcefulness and hard work. As a budding Director and Writer, I have witnessed firsthand the need for more of our diverse stories to be told and featured. For decades, I have worked hard to bring our stories to life on Stage in a quality way. To that end, I am very interested in committing wholeheartedly to getting our valuable stories and experiences their long (over)due. When I started my Non-Profit AbunDance over eleven years ago, I wanted (and still actively work) to create a safe space where my community thrives and feels a deep sense of belonging. What I have worked to be able to provide for my AbunDance family is something I want to help people all over the world to feel; Oh to Be Seen and Heard.

Pa'Lante is my love letter to my legacy and lineage. In memory of my great-grandmother, Pa'Lante redefines what it means to be Afro-Latina. Inspired by dynamics between mothers, their daughters and their granddaughters, including my own interactions with my mother, grandmother and grandmother in our Panamanian household, Pa'Lante aims to showcase the multidimensionality of the Afro-Latina and Female Athlete experience.