Anthony Alterio holds a BA in dance and psychology from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MFA in dance from the University of Michigan. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia. His research explores how representations of identities in the LGBTQIA+ community in pop culture reflect in academic settings as part of a larger interest in how dancers present themselves. In 2016 he won the Maggie Allesee Choreography award. He is a company member of Interweave Dance Theatre, as well as Co-Director of an LGBTQIA+ organization called Excessive Realness.

Charles E. Scheland graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in the Ailey/Fordham
BFA in Dance program with departmental honors in both Dance and Economics. An alumnus of
Jacob’s Pillow’s Contemporary Program, he has danced for RIOULT Dance NY, Michael Mao
Dance, and many other freelance companies.

Connor Dealy is a multidisciplinary performing artist. He received his BFA in Performance and Theater from Auburn University, where he also attained a minor in dance and began an education in aerial fabric. After graduating college, he relocated to New York City where he continued his aerial and circus education at Circus Warehouse. You can find him currently dancing in his first season with Alison Chase Performance, an active member/artist in residence with Änver Entertainment, and working with Pilobolus on their summer performance “BLOOM.” His Performance Credits include working with companies such asOn the Fly Production, An Nuo Spiritual Art and Dance, Incanto Productions, Pilobolus Creative Services, Mosaic Theatre Company, the Melbourne Fringe Festival’s “Macabaret”, and for the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Kennyth Montes De Oca is a Dominican Republic native and a Rutgers University alum holding a BFA in Dance. Montes de Oca is a former Ballet Hispanico’s BHdos dancer, and currently is a company member with DzulDance. Montes de Oca enjoys movement research and uses it as the driving force that informs his teaching. He strongly believes in the healing power of movement in all forms. He started a project-based dance company (Oca Dance) that focuses on sharing Latinx stories and serves as a canvas for movement innovation. Kennyth has choreographed for various high schools and thrives on introducing the students to new rhythms and styles integrating contemporary dance and information from his cultural background and experiences. Besides dance, he is a certified Pilates Instructor taking pride in decolonizing fitness by bringing representation to the elitist methodology and making it accessible for others.

Nadia Khayrallah (she/they) is a dance artist, writer, and discontent creator rooted equally in history and fantasy, form and groove, esoterica and common sense. A graduate of Columbia University, they currently work with Jonah Bokaer Choreography, Gotham Dance Theater, Avoir Motion, and EBDance. Nadia has co-directed music videos for the artists Zahed Sultan and Alethea as well as creating her own work for stage and screen. Nadia is currently an Artist in Residence at Chez Bushwick and a staff writer for ThinkingDance.

Chanette Manso is a visual artist specializing in light painting for 30 years. Internationally recognized by her community of light painters, she co-founded the French Light Painting League in 2015. Previously a professional belly dancer, Manso created and ran her own Belly Dance school with over 50 students in the South of France. Now based in NYC, Manso combines dance, light, body paint, costumes, hand made props and tools, along with video to create magical worlds in hopes of sparking people’s imagination.

Sara Pizzi is an Italian conceptual dancer/choreographer based in NYC that creates art as a non-activist documentary of this world to explain what it should be changed, to give some possibilities of change and create space of reflection. My mission is to normalize art and empower minorities.

Aika Takeshima is a versatile dancer, writer, lgbtqa+ activist, founder of LIVABALL in Japan-an organization in support of lgbtqa+ community. My mission is to help people find more freedom and possibilities in themselves using my movements, words and passion.

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