Culture, excellence and dreams continue to prevail as special pop-ups occur in Harlem. Another one will happen this weekend at Harlem Haberdashery in support of Sadie Billy’s Paris Send-Off & Fundraiser. This upcoming pop-up highlights nine-year-old youth dancer Sadie Billy and her parents, Sade Williams and Akheem Billy, as they prepare for Sadie’s trip to Paris.
Community staple Harlem Haberdashery is holding the special retail fundraising pop-up in support of Sadie and her family’s trip to Paris through the Crea8ivity Dance exchange program. At the send-off, to be held on Saturday, April 25, the community will have the chance to engage in a meet and greet with Sadie, buy exclusive retail items made by her and other young artists, and, of course, support her journey to Paris as a young, professional dancer.
Cre8ivity in Motion, the dance studio where Sadie trains, offers acting classes as well as ballet, hip-hop and tap. The studio plans on launching their first international dance exchange called “Cre8ivity in Paris” in the spring of 2027. In June, the studio plans on launching their first international dance exchange called “Cre8ivity in Paris.”
Alan Robert, a dancer, choreographer and faculty member at the Tenafly, NJ dance studio described “Cre8ivity in Paris” as a one week “immersive program where our dancers will travel to Paris to train, create, and perform alongside French dancers.” Robert continued: “This experience is about more than travel, it’s about learning what it truly means to be an artist in a global community.” Cre8ivity in Motion’s Paris program intends to host professional workshops in hip-hop, breaking, street jazz, tap and contemporary dancing with both American and French educators.
Sadie Billy, nine-year-old dancer and model with parents, Sade Williams and Akheem Billy, as they prepare for Sadie’s Paris Send-Off & Fundraiser Pop-Up. (Brenika Banks photos) 
Nine-year-old youth dancer Sadie Billy with her new pair of Harlem’s Dreamerz x Timberland boots at Harlem Haberdashery. (Brenika Banks photos) 
Sharene Wood, President of the Harlem Haberdashery and Board President of #TakeCareOfHarlem. (Brenika Banks photos)
Harlem Haberdashery sincerely values their local youth. Sadie’s Paris fundraising pop-up via nonprofit #TakeCareOfHarlem is one of the projects HH is highlighting. “At Harlem Haberdashery, we always support each other,” said Sharene “Shay” Wood, President of Harlem Haberdashery and Board President of #TakeCareOfHarlem. “Family is everybody — it’s community, it’s your blood family.” Wood is the cousin of Sadie and her mother, Sade Williams.
Williams expressed being very thankful for her cousin, Wood, using her platform and position as President of Harlem Haberdashery to assist her daughter. “I’m so excited to help Sadie reach her dreams — roots in Harlem, raised in New Jersey and headed to Paris, that’s a huge deal,” said Wood. “Anything that I can do to help my family move to the next level, I’m there.”
“We’re very excited that we get to showcase [the bracelets and other merchandise] for the fundraiser,” said Sadie’s father, Akheem Billy. “It’s all to support Sadie and getting her to Paris thanks to Shay and Harlem Haberdashery.” Sadie and her mother make bracelets as part of her dance brand. According to Williams, Sadie started dancing at age four, after she enrolled Sadie into dance classes.
“What inspired me to become a dancer is when I would be seeing music videos and [watching] all those background dancers,” said Sadie. “I would always be like, ‘wow, they’re really good.’”
Robert further explained that during “Cre8ivity in Paris, ”The youth dancers will experience different teaching styles along with new ways of approaching movement and performance. Collaboration is their targeted goal for the dance studio trip as students are expected to create original choreography together, learning how to communicate effectively and resonate with one another across cultures.
“I want her to have a good experience and the opportunities that she has are wonderful for her age. I didn’t have this growing up,” said Williams. “I’m living through her. She inspires me even though she’s my daughter and I want to see where the journey takes her.” Wood’s dream has always incorporated elevating her family, not only herself.
“If the dream is just for you, it’s too small — I have to think bigger, to make my family’s life better,” said Wood. Robert shared that the students and families in “Cre8ivity in Paris” will have guided tours to facilitate understanding the history and artistry of the city and France. Another exciting aspect is documenting and capturing the growth, in addition to the challenges of one American dancer and one French dancer during this journey.
AmNews journalist Brenika Banks interviewed Sadie Billy, nine-year-old youth dancer and model, along with her parents Sade Williams and Akheem Billy. Sadie was selected to participate in Cre8itive Dance Exchange in Paris. This celebration of a milestone will feature Sadie’s family raising funds for travel via a special retail fundraising pop-up. The event will be held at Harlem Haberdashery, hosted by Sharene “Shay” Wood, president of HH and board president of #TakeCareOfHarlem. (Brenika Banks video)
“I really like dancing and I think it’s important to me because I just know when I get older, I’ll become better,” said Sadie. She continued, “… and not even when I’m older, probably still at this age I can get better at what I’m doing, and I can learn more and more.” Robert said “Cre8ivity in Paris” will be more than a trip: he described it as an investment in a dancer’s future as an artist and a person.
The dance studio, as well as Harlem Haberdashery, are both aligned in Sadie having a great fundraising event before her trip abroad. Wood expressed looking forward to the community being present in support on the 25th. “The dance and documentary opportunity is huge,” said Wood. “It’s a community event, so I’m looking forward to supporting my family and my community.”
“I’m expecting her to do great things, I’m excited for her and I hope her dreams come true,” said Billy, Sadie’s father.
Sadie voiced her advice to kids her age who are also dreamers: “I would say believe in yourself don’t let nobody else say what you can’t do.”
For more information, visit Sadie’s GoFundMe at gofund.me/5412ef3e9, and follow on IG at instagram.com/sadiebilly.