KATIE GARCIA (Company Member), originally from Miami, Florida, graduated from The Juilliard School in 2017. She also trained at New World School of the Arts, Dance Town Studios Miami, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and Springboard Danse Montréal. After graduation from Juilliard, she was a member of Parsons Dance for two-and-a-half years and performed in her own collaborative works. Katie has taught master classes at such institutions as Yale University, New York University, Akron University, Florida State University, and Hunter College. In pursuing her passion for community outreach, she participated in GLUCK and TAP for Life, programs allowing her to perform in NYC and Miami hospitals and wellness centers. In 2016 she orchestrated a project in Botswana, where she taught dance and special education movement therapy classes for children. She has also presented her co-produced dance films with Joan Rodriguez at the Blacktinx Dance Festival, Solo Due Dance Festival, Dumbo Dance Festival, and at a NYC art gallery with mixed-media artist Anna Khachatryan. This is Katie's first season with BODYTRAFFIC.
PEDRO GARCIA (Company Member) began his studies at the National Conservatory of Lisbon, working with teachers including Mikahall Zavialova, Irina Zavialova, Catarina Moreira, and José Luís Vieira, among others. In 2014 he won the 3^rd^ Prize at Tanzolymp Competition in Berlin. He received his diploma in 2015 and continued on to earn a degree from School Superieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. Pedro joined the junior ballet Rosella Hightower DNSP3 for one year and then went on to join the Ballet Nacional de Marseille, where he worked with Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten until 2018. In 2019 he joined Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporaneo, under the direction of Vasco Wellenkamp. Most recently, Pedro has worked with choreographers Nelia Pinheiro and André Mesquita, and he joined Quórum Ballet for one season, where he worked with Daniel Cardoso and Lior Tavori.
ALANA JONES (Company Member) is a Houston native. She is a founding member of Vitacca Dance Project under the direction of Kelly Ann Vitacca and trained under Ballet Master Phillip Broomhead while attending the High School of Performing and Visual Arts. In 2014 Alana was accepted on scholarship and trained with American Ballet Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Thereafter, Alana was accepted on scholarship to SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, where she received her BFA. While at Purchase, she was invited into the ballet concentration where she performed and studied works by George Balanchine, Norbert De la Cruz, Michelle Ulerich, and Colby Damon. She has also trained with Ballet X, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance, and Arts Umbrella. Alana earned her BFA and began her professional career with Visceral Dance Chicago. She is thrilled to be dancing with BODYTRAFFIC for her first season.
TIARE KEENO (Company Member) received her BFA from The Juilliard School in 2016. While at Juilliard, she worked with choreographers Camille A. Brown, Kyle Abraham, Kate Weare, and Brian Brooks. She also performed repertoire by Jíri Kylián and Twyla Tharp, as well as lead roles in Martha Graham's Dark Meadow and José Limón's Missa Brevis. After graduation, Tiare was a company member of Nevada Ballet Theatre and worked in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. She attended Springboard Danse Montreal, where she performed works by Aszure Barton, Spenser Theberge, RUBBERBAND Dance Group, and Kidd Pivot. She has been a faculty member of FRESH Dance Intensive in Canada and is currently a member of Share the Movement, an organization aiming to increase diversity in the professional dance community through educational and financial support to young BIPOC artists. In 2017 Tiare moved to Macau, China, to appear in a cirque show with MGM's ScenoPlus Productions. Upon returning to the U.S., she performed in Al Blackstone's Freddie Falls in Love at The Joyce Theater. Tiare joined BODYTRAFFIC in 2019.
TY MORRISON (Company Member), from the greater Boston area, dedicated 13 years of his life to versatile dance training at The Gold School Dance Art under the direction of Rennie Gold. Ty received a BFA in contemporary dance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee on full scholarship. During his time at Boston Conservatory, he worked with and performed works by such acclaimed choreographers as Darrell Moultrie, Catherine Coury, Bradley Shelver, Adrianne Hawkins and Martha Nichols. Immediately after graduation, he was featured in on-site dance film productions with choreographers Roderick George, Ashley Lindsay, and Antonio Brown. He has had the honor of being a guest artist with the Limón Dance Company and an active artist with little house dance. Ty is delighted to be joining BODYTRAFFIC for his first season.
JOAN RODRIGUEZ (Company Member) was born in La Habana, Cuba, where he graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Arte with the Best Graduate of the Year Award. His professional career began with DanzAbierta, and he went on to join Malpaso Dance Company. He became a political refugee in 2017 and relocated to Arizona, where he focused on creating, teaching, and producing multimedia projects. He has also served as a guest artist-in-residence for universities and arts centers throughout the U.S. and has received awards in several dance competitions. In 2019 he joined Parsons Dance and choreographed an original work for the company as part of the 2019 GenerationNow fellowship program. Throughout 2020 and 2021 Joan has focused on freelancing in dance, teaching and videography. Joan has also showcased his own collaborative works at the Blacktinx Dance Festival, the Solo/Duo Dance Festival, and at NYC art galleries as part of mixed-media performances. He has taught guest classes at The Juilliard School, New York University, Gibney Dance, Yale University, Hunter College, Akron University, and RWU. He was recently commissioned as a choreographer by Connecticut Ballet for their Ballet Under the Stars 2021 summer program. Joan is thrilled to be joining BODYTRAFFIC for his first season.
JORDYN SANTIAGO (Company Member) is from North Carolina; she is a Los Angeles-based dancer and choreographer who studied at The Dance Theatre of Jacksonville before continuing to train throughout the U.S. and in Israel and Europe. She has danced for Ate9, Freemove Dance, tedted Performance Group and Mg+artists. In 2021 Jordyn performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in a production of the opera Prism, under the direction of Beth Morrison Projects. She has toured as a backup dancer with the Los Angeles band Half Alive in a piece choreographed by The JA Collective and has created new works with Bryan Arias for the Arias Company. Along with choreographers Dana Wilson, Ebony Williams, and Christopher Scott, she appeared in the recent film production of In The Heights. Jordyn has taught at highly respected institutions and collectives like Peridance Capezio Center, Brickhouse, and The University of the Arts. Most recently, she was a guest artist with Ate9 in its premiere of Joy at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. This is Jordyn's first season dancing for BODYTRAFFIC.
