never be
afraid to
reinvent
yourself
a note from
Tyde Courtney-
Edwards
from one location to another in the
Florida sun to capture images that
would properly convey the very
highs and extreme lows that have
come to make Tyde who she is today.
In one of our most energetic shoots
to date, Tyde combined elements of
hip-hop dance and classic Ballet in
a stunning promo that highlighted
the elegance and complication we
mentioned earlier.
Th e name kind of roles off the tongue.
It’s complicated, but elegant. No
other two paired phrases can possibly
better describe who she is today.
Tyde Courtney-Edwards -
Complicated but Elegant.
When we originally invited Tyde
aka Th e Curvy Ballerina to sit down
with us, we had no idea of the
infusion of pure energy she would
project into our lives over the next
few days.
Th e Meeting
We invited Tyde and her partner
Nathan Coakley out to Ginger Bay
Cafe’s Mellow Dramatic Mondays,
a spoken word and live music night
hosted by Ingrid Bazin, founder
of On Th e BSideEntertainment. I
can recall it clearly. While enjoying
an incredible performance by
saxophonist extraordinaire Mike
Phillips. in walks, or should I say
glides this petite image of elegance
and focus. It was clear, she was on
a mission. Nathan aka Nate had
decided to stay in aft er a full day of
shooting on South Beach but the
Curvy Ballerina was here to feel us
out and decide whether we could be
trusted with her truth.
Th e Shoot and the Interview
Th e next morning saw us scrambling
During the interview with UPD’s co
founder Stacey Clarke we began to
peel back the layers of this elegant
Dynamo to reveal a very complicated
and dark truth. How does a Ballerina
go from the rigours and discipline of
classical dance to arrive at a very dark
and complicated version of herself?
Her Truth
For Tyde, dance began as a creative
outlet that allowed her to achieve her
best self. 28 years later, it’s fair to say
that dance has saved Tyde’s life. Let’s
go back to October 29, 2012 the day
a bright and elegant life of a talented
Ballerina became complicated and
dark. Tyde was excited, she had just
moved into her new apartment. She
was preparing to shoot a music video
and was excited about continuing to
pursue her Degree in pedagogy (the
method and practice of teaching,
especially as an academic subject or
theoretical concept).
At the peak of her journey
Tyde’s life went dark. She was