DIANE BUCKNER ~Lady Di
COSTUME DESIGNER~DANCER
Diane Buckner has built Chi~Caribena Designs and Dance out of the simple love to dance and share the Caribbean/ West Indian culture. Although Di's mother was financially unable to provide her daughter with formal dance training, Di's growing curiosity to learn waged on wherever there was dance work available. Not finding her calling in ballet, modern, salsa, or flamenco, it was in Brazilian dance that Di found her new home. In 2001, under the direction of artistic director Edilson Lima, she became a principle dancer for Samba1 Dance Group. She received disciplined training in Brazilian dance that prepared her to compete and win the Chicago Queen of Samba Dance Competition in 2004.
Later, Di followed the call of the drum and it took her into the realms of Chicago house music with Peven Everett and Séance Devine. She performed and travelled regularly with the band as their solist dancer. She excelled in fusing Peven’s infectious sound with Brazilian and Caribbean dance and costume. She performed with Peven under the Puma label at Miami’s Shore Club and later on NBC's television late night show, "Last Call with Carson Daly".
Di eventually went back to her Caribbean roots and began studying Afro-Caribbean dance and started her costume design small business, Chi~Caribena Designs. Under the mentoring of Anthony Pacheco and dancer, Halcyone Hoagland, she learned and promoted the culture by working with the Chicago Caribbean Carnival Association (Chicago Carifete) at cultural events, schools and benefits with her costumes and performances and sharing her knowledge with other dancers by educating them about the variety of Caribbean dances and music that comes from the islands.
She was recently recognized by Latino Social Magazine as an entrepreneur who has contributed to the Latino community and made a difference in 2010. She also had three of her designs showcased at the National Museum for Women in the Arts as part of an online exhibit showcasing Latina artists. Diane has contributed her time, energy, and design skills for performances for Yelp’s Carnival for Haiti Fundraiser for the victims of the Haiti earthquake and for raising awareness about the Gulf Oil Spill in New York.
Currently, Di performs and designs costumes under Chi~Caribena Designs and Dance and performs throughout the Midwest while in pursuit of a BA in Professional Studies. Diane is also a certified Basic 2 Zumba instructor and teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music and Waters School and offers private instruction as well as group instruction and workshops.
