My work evolves from a feeling place into a thinking place and endeavors to touch the heart and the spirit in ways that are common to us all…a common ground place, which transcends the divisions and separations we create in our minds that influence our everyday actions, our community and society as a whole. In 1993, I founded Chanticleer Productions, an arts and educational consulting business and recently I began setting up a blog and a new website. My arts, educational and training career spans 41 years and includes work as an actress, writer, singer/songwriter, modern dancer, director, producer, choreographer, storyteller, public and community television producer and show host, public school teacher, university professor, teaching artist-in-education, creative consultant, educational consultant, community advocate, administrator and entrepreneur.  After a long, satisfying and physically demanding career, two auto accidents in 1999 and 2002, curtailed my ability to perform as an artist. Diagnosed as permanently disabled was heartbreaking...to never dance again! Depressed and unable to walk at first, I was thoroughly discouraged until a female writer/editor friend encouraged me to pursue a new career as a writer.
"You have been writing for years, Almeta... just make it your primary creative outlet." she suggested. Once I recovered my ability to walk again, at her encouragement, I began writing in 2006. Today, I have found that writing fulfills me more than performing ever did. A couple of my pieces have been published and many more have been read aloud and e-mailed to appreciative audiences. Writing allows me to reach more people than I could ever do in person, while lessening the physical stress on my body. Although I am now considered a person living with a disability, I was born an artist and I am an artist still!. My love for writing can be described in a short story from Blood Child and Other Stories written by my favorite author who later became a dear friend, the late Octavia Butler..."Furore Scribandi!" or a "rage for writing"!
Octavia was multiple award winner in Science Fiction, who once told me to "get my stories out of my head and onto the paper." Although I am delighted that I did as she suggested, she had passed away before I finished my first novel.
In 1976, I earned an honors degree in Development Planning Economics from SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY and in 1996 received their “Distinguished Scholar Public Service Award”.
Other Awards:
1999-2000: “Most Skilled & Experienced Community Artist-Artists & Communities: America Creates for the Millennium” National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation
1997: Artist of the Year-National Chapter of Young Audiences
1997: Invited Delegate to The First International Storytelling and Education Conference, People’s Republic of China: People to People International and the National Storytelling Association
1997: Artist of the Year-National Chapter of Young Audiences
1995: Outstanding Volunteer Service Award-Butler Correctional Facility, NYS Department of Corrections
1993: Decade of the Child Award-NYS Governor Mario Cuomo for “her valuable sensitive work with the children and families of New York State.”
Other work:
2010: Opened and closed the TEDxRochester Event in Rochester, NY.
2000: “Stories” - A Diversity Training Workshop for the Association of American University Women National President’s and Executive Board Conference, Washington, DC
1999: “Images of Change” and “A Vision of Joy” Education and Staff Training Workshops ArtsPartners & Young Audiences of Greater Dallas, TX
1998: “Storied Cultures” - Workshops sponsored by the Eastern Cherokee Nation for the statewide Culturally Responsive Caregivers Conference, Greensboro, NC
1997: “Change Stories” Annual Women & Spirituality Conference: DePaul University Chicago, Ill.

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Yes, Word Crafters which is a senior writing group that has been meeting every Friday for 29 years and Colorful Women, a diverse group which has been meeting for the past year, both in Rochester, NY