Janelle J. M. Williams Stuart-Young

Janelle J. M. Williams Stuart-Young is a lifelong dancer, mother choreographer, and creative leader based in Antigua & Barbuda. With over two decades of experience, she is deeply committed to dance education, youth development, and cultural enrichment of dancers in her country, and believes that talent can thrive anywhere, in anyone, if given opportunity and challenge. Janelle is the founder and current Director of Island Creatives (Dance Theatre), where she trains and mentors students in classical ballet, Dunham Technique, jazz and hip hop, choreographing innovative works that bridge tradition and contemporary expression.

Her career spans roles as instructor, choreographer, and arts administrator at multiple institutions, including DanceCentre Antigua, and DanceTheatre Antigua. She has choreographed and coordinated full-scale productions of beloved stories like Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and Maleficent, and in more recent years, has focused on making ballet more accessible and relatable in the Caribbean context.

By forging relationships with local pannists and musicians, she seeks to continue supporting and expanding the Island Creatives. annual Ginger Tea Nutcracker, blending classical and pan orchestral music, as well as presenting regional and local themes in the story and characters previously presented in an exclusively European context.

Janelle was certified at PrePrimary- Level 3 in the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) National Training Curriculum in 2017, and has trained through workshops under renowned figures such as Patricia Ruanne and Frederick Jahn. Her performance background includes appearances as a member of the University of Miami DanceTeam, as well as pageants such as the Miss World and Miss World Talent Competition in South Africa, Ms Hal Jackson Talented Teen International, and various other national productions and competitions.

Beyond the studio, she has served as a workshop facilitator for the Ministry of Education, choreographer for the Inspire Choir of the Antigua Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra, and is a long-time contributor to talent showcases, school recitals, choirs, and cultural festivals.

A passionate advocate for arts access and excellence, Janelle continues to nurture young dancers, elevate community performance standards, and celebrate the power of movement as a means of personal and cultural expression in Antigua and beyond.

When not at dance class, Mrs Stuart-Young is also a business mathematics lecturer in the Department of Business at the Antigua & Barbuda College of Arts and Sciences (formerly Antigua State College).