Meet
Enneréssa LaNette Davis
Enneréssa LaNette Davis is a multi-hyphenated artist and currently serves as the Executive Director for Praize Productions, Inc. (PPI) and the artistic director of PPI’s Performing Arts Academy and RIZE professional dance company. Already an accomplished athlete, Ms. Davis answered her calling to the arts at the age of thirteen, studying under dance legends like Joel Hall, Kim Tyler, Larry Brewer, and Dr. Dionne Champion. She was a member of the Joel Hall Dancers for over three seasons.
Prior to founding PPI, Davis received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Indiana University Northwest. Ms. Davis then taught secondary-level social studies for five years before leaving to pursue her dream of starting her own arts nonprofit.
Her professional career spans more than a decade. As an accomplished director and artist, Ms. Davis has written, produced, and choreographed nine full-length productions and one motion picture. Five of the productions and the recent motion picture received the coveted Black Excellence Award from the African-American Arts Alliance of Chicago. Her production, “Smells Like Freedom” also received the Black Theater Alliance Award for Outstanding Choreography in 2019. Ms. Davis expands the reach of her artistry by setting work for other companies and studios throughout the United States. In 2019, she choreographed for Folks Operetta’s American premiere of the critically acclaimed production, “The Flower of Hawaii.”
Photo By: Seed Lynn
Ms. Davis has also made a name for herself as a change agent in the arts communities and received the CMS Merit Award in that honor. In 2019, she received the America’s Big Sisters Award for her work with young girls and women in the arts. That same year, she was named to the Young Women’s Professional League’s “40 Under 40.” Ms. Davis was also selected to attend the danceGATHERING, a performance festival and convention with artists from across the world in 2020 in Lagos, Nigeria. She was chosen by arts education nonprofit Ingenuity to sit on its Public Affairs Collective Impact Panel to improve arts education for Chicago’s youth. In 2021, she was selected to co-chair the Economic Development Pillar for Chicago’s citywide initiative, WeWill Chicago, where she spearheaded community engagement via the arts to help assist underserved communities on Chicago’s West Side. She also led her team to make it as a top finalist for the Chicago’s Art on the Mart commission.
In 2022, Ms. Davis traveled to Accra, Ghana for an artist retreat with artists from around the world to engage in professional development and cultural experiences. Ms. Davis received the 2023 Lab Artist individual artist grant award from Chicago Dancemakers and co-produced an artistic workshop for the Elevate Dance Festival in the Fall of 2022 for the same organization.
Today, Enneréssa Davis continues to use her gifts in the arts to inspire and enrich the lives of others, while positively impacting underserved communities. She uses her vast background in education and the arts to curate unique artistic experiences that amplify the voices of people and communities of color. She also provides platforms and resources for young Black artists. As a community activist, she works diligently to ensure high-quality, arts-based programming and resources are made accessible to underserved communities while providing tangible examples of Black Excellence for the world to experience.
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