TEACHING ARTISTS

 
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Melissa Moore

Guyanese Brooklyn raised, Miss Moore, is full of light, exuberance, and ambition as art and artistry exemplifies her natural being connecting with people around the globe. Her passion for performance was cultivated by the underground urban dance scene as a freestyle and street dancer; her influences are now spanning the world of dance and the performing arts. Moore continued her passion for dance at Peridance Certification Program, pushing the envelope in training multiple dance styles, acting and singing, all while studying accounting and marketing at the City University, York College. Moore works as a professional dancer, choreographer, instructor, and creative director, and is currently a company member of Kristin Sudeikis Dance and Liberation Dance Theater where she was the assistant choreographer at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for NDCL program. Represented by MSA Talent Agency, Miss Moore’s professional credits include Beyoncé, Kelly Roland, Kanye West, Will Smith, Britney Spears, Iggy Izaela Travie McCoy, Bea Miller, Ayo Jay, Wiz Kid, Runtown, Aluna George, Marianas Trench, Red Foo, Ru Paul, Big Freedia, Hayden James, Ester Dean, and More.

Kenneth Herrera

Kennerth Herrera was born and raised in Brooklyn and moved to the Bronx at age 10. He pursued acting for three years at Bronx Academy of Letters but feel in love with dance when he was introduced to break dancing in Honduras. After High school Kenneth received the Posse scholarship and attended Lawrence university where he graduated from with a bachelors degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish. After college, Kenneth devoted years of training at Broadway dance Center. Kenneth has danced with many dance crews such as heart break crew, vintage quality, hip-hop theory, Lakai dance company, WRT, DPA, and Cora. Kenneth has toured with famous Bollywood and Tollywood artists such as DSP and Shaan. Kenneth specializes in Hip Hop and street Jazz and Kiya Alexis. Kenneth has danced in television and video for Amara la Negra, Conel, Sidung and J Balvin, Ninel conde, B2k and Eva Sita, among others. Kenneth intends to continue training but has found great passion in teaching all ages throughout New York.

Manon Bal

Manon Bal is a versatile professional dancer from Marseille, France. She has trained at the IFPRO Rick Odums and the prestigious Ailey School. She toured all around the United States as a principal dancer with Ephrat Asherie Dance. She performed at the Joyce theater, New York City Center, Jacob's Pillow, Guggenheim Works & Process, etc. She is also the co-founder of Mozaik Dance in collaboration with Sun Kim and Janine J9 Micheletti. The company presented their work at Jacob's Pillow, San Francisco Hip Hop Dance Fest and New Victory Theater.

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Sara Pizzi

Sara Pizzi, from Italy, began her dance studies with Urban Dances performing in concerts,music videos & TV shows. In 2017, Sara moved to NYC with a scholarship from Steps on Broadway; later joining the Certificate Program, Contemporary/Ballet Track at Peridance Center, graduating in 2020. Sara is company member of The Next Stage Project, VALLETO, Open Dance Ensemble, Light Painting NY, sarAika movement collective co-founded with Aika Takeshima. She was guest artist at CreateArt, Dixon Place, IKADA, JCAL, BAAD!, Movement Research, Salvatore LaRussa, HERE, The Brick ;in 2022 she premiered her first commission for "Et Alia''. She has been working with VG/DE since 2020.

Lawson Pinder

Lawson Pinder is from the Bahamas and graduated from The Edna Manley Collage of the Visual and Performing Arts in Jamaica in 2004. There he studied the Martha Graham Dance Technique and La Técnica Cubana "Cuban Modern Dance Technique." He worked with L’Acadco - A United Caribbean Dance Force based in Jamaica where he obtained certification in the L'Antech Dance Technique. Lawson is no stranger to the stage. Passing on all the information that he’s learned during his studies and travels is also the greatest feeling that one can achieve. Lawson has been a teaching artist with Dance Entropy since 2020 and began dancing with the company in '22.

Sophia Diehl

Sophia Diehl holds a degree in Dance and Religion from St. Olaf College and a certificate in Contemporary Dance from Gibney Dance Center's Professional Training Program. She has performed with companies spanning from Minneapolis to New York City (Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, ARENA Dances; Vashti Dance Theater, Chris Ferris & Dancers and ClyMove). Sophia first encountered VG/DE as a selected choreographer for the DIG program in 2023. After performing as a guest artist in Green’s site-specific work, Clepsydra, she joined VG/DE in 2024. She also teaches yoga and is a Dance Teaching Artist with Heidi Latsky Dance and Dance Entropy.

Jiali Wang

Jiali Wang is an award-winning and multidisciplinary dance artist based in New York, New York. Working for New York Chinese Cultural Center as a cultural dance and teaching artist, she is also the project director and company coordinator at NYCCC. In the contemporary dance field, Jiali has found her dance project, 7Midnights Physical Research, as a founder, artistic director, producer and choreographer in partnership with Arts On Site since 2019. By producing creative dance performances for the main program, 7MPR Themed Dance Theater-Midnights Performance Series, she is building this experimental dance theater project focusing on the research and practice of the relationship between dance and social problems. Wang received her BFA from Beijing Dance Academy in 2010 and went on to earn her MFA at SUNY The College at Brockport 2014-2017.

Melanie Aguirre

Melanie Aguirre is a native New Yorker and a young community leader. Melanie has provided the NYC Arts community with dance competitions, award events, community discussions, charity fundraisers, workshops, theatrical performances and job placement services. She teaches multiple dance styles within the tri-state area, nationally, and internationally. As well as a world renowned solo artist, commercial actress and storytelling educator for museum tours. She was selected in 2017 for a cultural exchange program in Paris, France, at La Place Hip Hop cultural center. In 2018 she was chosen as Hip Hop Ambassador through Next Level USA, traveling to Ankara, Turkey teaching a Hip Hop Cultural exchange program. With her years of experience teaching globally, coordinating events and leading healing circles she's evolved her expertise now into her passion of energetic alignments. With these different avenues of outreach and experience, she has been able to inspire healing through creativity as well as a living example through her own work.