bios
CHEZALE RODRIGUEZ, Co-Founder of ChezSpirit, is a multidisciplinary teaching/performing artist, and arts & cultural worker who utilizes music, dance, storytelling and dialogue to inspire healing, liberation and inclusivity. She is native to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Tucson, Arizona being her home for most of her life.
Musically rooted in Hip-Hop, R&B and Soul, Chezale has recorded and released two full-length studio albums with several collaborative projects in between, both nationally and internationally. She has starred in multiple musicals and stage productions. Chezale is also professionally represented as an actress and voice talent. She has served as a dance educator and mentor for youth, as well as a practical dance instructor with the University of Arizona’s Africana Studies and Hip-Hop Minor, since 2016. Chezale has also facilitated and presented in multiple wellness and educational spaces. She has hosted/MC'd, served as judge and panelist for several events within the arts community and selected as a keynote speaker. Chezale is currently completing her graduate degree in Dance Education, and has served Arizona’s West Valley as an arts and cultural administrator.
In the wake of her recovery and healing journey as the result of a life-altering event in 2023, Chezale went on to create Diverse Dance Arts…”Dance expression for diverse beings that promotes confidence, liberation, well-being, community & visibility.” As a recipient of the 2025 ARPA Artists Grant, the launch consisted of a transformative four-part workshop series in early 2025; in partnership with Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) & Catalyst Creative Collective in Tucson, Arizona.
Chezale's dedication to the arts and to her new life has moved her to commit to providing authentic, mindful, inspirational, educational, inclusive and accessible components to her work that positively impact the communities she works with.
WADE ANTONIO COLWELL, Co-Founder of ChezSpirit, has been blessed to sustain a professional path of a “lifelong learner” as an author, circle keeper, cultural advocate, education consultant, facilitator, MC/lyricist, media creator, DJ/music curator, performer, restorative practitioner, soccer player & coach, singer, speaker and classroom teacher.
Since graduating from Stanford University in Health & Developmental Psychology, Wade has stayed rooted in working for community well-being. Some of his social impact includes co-founding the ground-breaking academic hip hop program Funkamentals, co-creating the intergenerational arts-centered experience of Youth Equity Stewardship (YES), co-leading the Restorative Practices PD training for Counseling in Schools / New York City, serving as Education Director for the mentorship-based Community for Youth / Seattle, WA, and co-designing K-12 curriculum for the Mexican-American/Raza Studies Department in Tucson Unified School District.
Over the years experiencing “creativity” as a powerful catalyst for collective and institutional uplift, Wade strives to artfully integrate professional disciplines such as musical expression, restorative practices, humor, environmental advocacy, hip-hop culture, multilingual communication, healing arts, visual and video aesthetics, cultural ceremony, improvisation, mass media analysis, movement/dance, technology, ethnic studies, and soundscape design into his work.
With a long arc of heart-aligned work throughout his life, Wade’s most soul-centered life work is undoubtedly in the co-creation of ChezSpirit with his partner Chezale Rodriguez. The opportunity to set into motion their passions, backgrounds, and aspirations is a gift that he deeply cherishes each and every day. He looks forward to continuing being present in their purpose and enjoying the powerful will to live they share.
