Guest Artists and Faculty Presenter Bios
Festival Registration now open https://ohiodance.org/festival/registration/
2026 OhioDance Festival
May 1, 2, and 3
Location: The Ohio State University, Dance Department, Sullivant Hall, 1813 North High St., Columbus Ohio 43210
2026 OhioDance festival brochure
Guest Artist 2026
Cervilio Miguel Amador
Cervi is a multifaceted artist, entrepreneur, and transformative figure in the dance world. He received his education and training at the Vocational Ballet School in Camagüey, Cuba, and the National Ballet School of Cuba. Cervi began his professional career with the National Ballet of Cuba, starting as a Corps de Ballet dancer and later advancing to the role of Corifeo (demi-soloist). In 2004, he joined Cincinnati Ballet as a Soloist, and in 2006, he was promoted to Principal Dancer, becoming one of the youngest in the company’s history. Over his 16-year tenure as Principal Dancer, Cervi performed in numerous world premieres by acclaimed choreographers, including Victoria Morgan, Adam Hougland, Travis Wall, Val Caniparoli, Jessica Lang, and Luca Veggetti. Alongside his artistic achievements, Cervi represented Cincinnati Ballet dancers as a union delegate for over a decade.
Throughout his professional dancing career, Cervi performed as a guest artist in productions and galas worldwide and taught at various schools. He has also staged works for Victoria Morgan and Jennifer Archibald and served as a judge for several prestigious international ballet competitions, including the Universal Ballet Competition (UBC), Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), and Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC).
After retiring as a Principal Dancer during the 2019-2020 season, Cervi transitioned to the role of Rehearsal Director, where he focused on coaching and mentoring dancers both inside and outside the studio. He also played an active role in the Cincinnati Ballet’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Task Force, advocating for sustainable change for current and future dancers.
Cervi is deeply proud to be a part of Cincinnati’s vibrant arts community. He has collaborated with Cincinnati Opera, performed in the highly acclaimed Lumenocity events, and served as the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Moving Arts from 2018 to 2023. He was also featured in an Emmy award-winning PBS documentary that chronicled his journey of defecting from Cuba to pursue his passion for dance.
In September 2023, the Cincinnati Ballet Board of Trustees appointed Cervi as Interim Artistic Director. In this capacity, he actively planned the repertoire for upcoming seasons, curated and commissioned new works, and collaborated with the leadership team to shape his artistic vision for the company. Cervi has been instrumental in fostering community partnerships and broadening the reach of the art form both locally and internationally. He was a finalist for the 2024 CreativeOhio Champion Advocacy Award in the Artist Champion category. The Cincinnati Ballet Board of Trustees appointed Cervi as permanent Artistic Director in December 2024.
2026 Presenters Bios
Anthony Alterio is on the faculty at Ohio University. He works in the School of Dance and the School of Theater as an Assistant Professor of Instruction. His research explores representations of identities in the LGBTQIA+ community in pop culture as part of a larger interest in how dancers present themselves.
Vita Berezina-Blackburn is a creative technologist and 3d generalist working with motion and performance capture for
research, mediated performance, film, virtual reality applications and video installation. Berezina-Blackburn’s works
have been featured at MIT Museum, PBS, Dance Theatre Workshop Gallery, national and international film festivals. A
recipient of a collaborative creator Bessie award for Landing Place with the Bebe Miller Dance Company. Recently she
has had the privilege of collaborating on the development of NIH- and Ohio Medtapp-funded virtual reality training
simulations for first-response medicine and social work. In addition to creative research at ACCAD she teaches classes
with integration of motion capture and virtual production.
Aizel Cabungcal is a co-owner of Mahana Productions, LLC, a Polynesian dance group based in central Ohio. Their goal is to perpetuate the culture through music and dance. Aizel started her Polynesian dance journey in 2016 after several years as a belly dancer. She has attended many workshops from renown teachers in hula, Tahitian otea/aparima, Samoan siva/sasa and Maori instruction. Aizel collaborates with schools, companies and organizations to promote Polynesian culture and dance.
Khaila Carr (she/her) has been with The Greater Columbus Arts Council since 2023 and currently serves as the Grants and Community Engagement Coordinator. Khaila manages programs supporting both individual artists and nonprofit organizations; including Mural Assistance, Artist Projects, Cultural Festival Funding and Project Support: Events, Festivals, & Series. In addition to her work at GCAC, Khaila is a practicing visual artist working in illustration, animation, mural-making, and tattooing. To connect, feel free to reach out to kcarr@gcac.org or grants@gcac.org!
Jessica Cavender, MFA, is an intermedia artist, dance preservation specialist, and arts advocate with expertise in dance, media, and interactive technologies. She focuses on mediated performance, legacy storytelling, and documenting live performance, collaborating with institutions, ensembles, and artists to preserve and share creative legacies.
Padma Chebrolu holds MBA and MED degrees. Recipient of Ohio Governor’s Award for Arts Education and Ohio Arts Council’s Heritage Arts Fellow. She is the director, producer and writer of the dance movie, Passage of the River which amplifies the arts activism message for environmentalism for clean water and air. Won about 30 awards at international film festivals from 10 countries.
Alexander Cornejo began in Salvadoran Folk Dance and later trained in modern, popular, contemporary, and ballet styles. He has performed with ballet companies across Latin America and served as Artistic Director at Hot Feet Dance Studio in El Salvador. Since moving to the U.S. in 2016, he has danced with Oyo Dance Company, joining in 2019.
Vivian Corey is an apprentice with Inlet Dance Theatre with her BFA in dance and BSEd in exercise science from The Ohio State University. She is also a personal trainer, Pilates instructor, dance teacher, and fitness instructor. Vivian weaves physical practice and science as the foundation of her work to guide others to their love of movement through community-based practice.
Elizabeth Cozad-Howard, MFA, serves as Associate Professor and Director of Dance at Ohio Northern University. She teaches Ballet and Modern and holds certifications in Functional Awareness and Progressing Ballet Technique.
Trezon Dancy from Hartford, Connecticut is a Choreographer, Performing Artist, and Educator. Dancy has worked with various artists throughout the east coast and Midwest. Dancy received his BFA in Dance: Performance and Choreography from Ohio University. Upon Graduation Dancy accept- ed a First Company position with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Dancy is the Artistic Director of InPulse Dance Company and Operations/Program Manager for OhioDance.
Dymond Davis is a dance artist and educator whose work bridges performance, advocacy, and community engagement. A New Orleans native, her artistry reflects resilience and identity shaped by displacement after Hurricane Katrina. Currently pursuing an M.A. in Arts Administration and Policy at The Ohio State University, Dymond creates work that uplifts Black, Indigenous, and minority dancers through movement, equity, and storytelling.
Ambre Emory-Maier MA, MFA, ERYT-500, is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Kent State University and the former Associate Director of BalletMet 2. She uses Labanotation to re-stage dances and examines questions around ownership, memory, and transference. She has a deep background in sharing movement practices that support people with eating disorders and mental health challenges.
J. Shannon Filmore is the President of Tru Kingdom Mega Crew Inc., an all-styles dance crew he co-founded in 2017. TKMC received “2021 Best Dance Crew in Ohio” and the “2022 Grace Dance Award for Excellence in Hip Hop”. Shannon’s accolades include: “2021 Buckeye Choreographer and Dancer of the Year”. Shannon has received individual artist grants from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and graduated.
Angie Gallis is an accomplished dance teacher as well as a 500-hour CYT with a focus on accessible yoga. Currently, you will find Angie sharing her passion for dance, yoga, and wellness through teaching classes and workshops, speaking on the benefits of yoga through her nonprofit Paisley Yoga Project, and serving as an adjudicator for the Celebration Talent Competition.
Ashley Goos is a dancer, choreographer, creative leader, educator, and somatics practitioner. She holds an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from The Florida State University. She has presented her research on somatic integration and dance techniques across the nation. Ashley is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Director of Dance at Miami University (OH).
Melissa Gould received her B. A in Dance at San Jose State University and enjoyed a professional dance career which included contracts in Japan, Las Vegas, and Korea. Melissa has been teaching for over 35 years. Melissa is the Artistic Director of New Vision Dance Co., Founder of the New Albany Dance Festival, and Director of the New Albany Middle School Theatre Dept.
Jon Lawson is a dancer and educator in Cincinnati, Ohio. He holds a BFA in Dance from Ohio U where he discovered his passion for teaching which he continued through various Ohio nonprofits. In 2021, Jon relocated to NYC, teaching dance at Brooklyn Laboratory before joining Relay Graduate School of Education and tackling his biggest challenge yet…teaching math.
Sara Lawrence-Sucato is Director of Education for Dancing Wheels Company & School in Cleveland, OH, and Meghan Brewster is a student in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at The Ohio State University (2026). They both work in adaptive and physically integrated dance using methods that invite individuals with and without disabilities to train, learn, and perform.
Yidi Lin is an associate professor of dance at Case Western Reserve University. She started her career as a hip-hop dancer in 2006 and remained active since then. She is often invited to teach, perform and/or present her works at various events, such as American College Dance Association and Beijing International Dance festival in China.
Rachel Nace, Director of Dance at Inspiration to Movement, is a seasoned dancer, Pilates instructor, massage therapist, ballroom champion, and doula. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she blends classical ballet, Pilates, and therapeutic bodywork. Rachel holds numerous certifications and continues to study movement and healing, passionately guiding students of all ages toward growth, wellness, and excellence.
Chaz O’Neil, Artist Programs/Percent for Art coordinator, Ohio Arts Council Chaz O’Neil joined the Ohio Arts Council staff in 2021. Chaz received a BA from Otterbein University, 2006 and MFA from Bowling Green State University, 2013. He is a visual artist. Recent exhibitions include Greater Columbus 2020 at the Columbus Museum of Art, Terraform at ROYGBIV Gallery in 2021 and 934 Gallery in October 2022. O’Neil was the Museum & Gallery Assistant/ Collection Registrar and taught foundations drawing courses at Otterbein University. O’Neil was Assistant Director at the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. He taught at Shanghai Publishing Printing College in China. His residencies include El Bruc, Spain and Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Residency Exchange Program in Dresden, Germany.
Brandon Ragland is the Artistic Director of Dayton Ballet and has over a decade of professional experience as a dancer, choreographer, and educator. He spent 13 years as a leading artist with the Louisville Ballet and served as the Pre-Professional Program Manager for the Louisville Ballet School as well as the Resident Choreographer for the Louisville Ballet Youth Ensemble (LBYE). He has taught for Louisville Ballet School, Louisville Ballet Studio Company, Alabama Ballet, Alabama Ballet School, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Next Generation Ballet, Samford University, AROVA Contemporary Ballet, and Ballet Arkansas
Sarah Ramey dances and makes dances with people of all ages and backgrounds. She is co-director of Perennial Movement Group, a program of dance classes and performance opportunities for adults over 50, and an Assistant Professor of Dance at Ohio University. She lives in Athens, Ohio, with her husband and two children.
Trinity Stevens has an Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts; they have attended teacher trainings with Boston Ballet, the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, Dark Room Ballet, and the Kennedy Center’s Destination Arts Integration Conference. Stevens has danced for Seiche Dance Collective, Lowell House Opera, Morgan Walker & Dancers, and Dancing Wheels. They aim to use dance to encourage well-being, self-expression, and community-building.
Renie Viola is a movement educator and artist that empowers people to prevent pain and restore their joy in movement. She has a BFA in dance from Ohio State and YBR® certification, NYC. Yamuna Zake selected her to become a Yamuna Teacher Trainer, launching the Yamuna Foundations Training worldwide. She is a dance and Pilates instructor, teaching movement for over 15 years.
Bill Wade, Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Inlet Dance Theatre, is an internationally sought-after choreographer and educator whose work tours nationally. He participated in the Ohio Arts Council’s International Artist Exchange with artists from Easter Island and has received the Coming Up Taller Award at the White House, the Cleveland Arts Prize, and OhioDance’s Outstanding Contributions to Dance
Lorii A. Wallace is a multifaceted artist and Executive Director of Evolve Production Company. A choreographer, writer, and designer, she blends dance, theater, and visual art to create transformative experiences. As Artistic Director of Tapestry Performing Arts Company, her innovative leadership spans set design, fashion, and education, shaping vibrant communities through collaborations and community productions.
Aysia Welch is a Columbus Native. She completed training at J.A.Z Dance & more, Barnett Rec, and BalletMet Columbus. She has performed in productions and enjoys dancing and teaching in the community. Aysia is a graduate of The Ohio State University. She has danced in California part of the Debbie Reynolds Scholarship Program. Aysia is the owner of Embody Dance & Creative Arts Studio & founder of Buckeye Nation Collaborative.
Jessica Werfel is a movement artist from Virginia. She graduated from Elon University with a B.F.A. in Dance and B.A. in Arts Administration. Jessica is a company dancer with Gin Dance and the Little Dancer Program Coordinator and teacher at the Dance Academy of Virginia. She also directs her own project, Movement Unscripted, that researches movement improvisation.
Jenna Zavrel is an Associate Professor of Dance at the University at Buffalo, with an MFA in dance from Florida State University. She trained and performed with Jawole Zollar/Urban Bush Women, Tim Glenn (Nikolais), Taye Diggs, Dan Wagoner (Graham/Cunningham), and more. Jenna’s work has been featured in Argentina, Turkey, Japan, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Paris, and the United States.