NU-World Contemporary Danse Theatre Artists
Taylor Collier
Taylor Collier is a native of Washington, DC where she trained with Dance Institute of Washington, KTM Extremes, and the Washington School of Ballet, under the direction of Rebecca Wright. In 2014, she graduated summa cum laude from the Dominican University of California/Alonzo King Lines Ballet BFA Program. She had the privilege to perform in Showboat at the San Francisco Opera, Black Nativity at the Penumbra Theater, Come Through with Bon Iver, and Guys and Dolls at the Guthrie Theater. In 2014, Taylor joined TU Dance Company and had the opportunity to perform works by Alvin Ailey, Ron K. Brown, Dwight Rhoden, Francesca Harper, Stephanie Batten Bland, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Marcus Willis, and Gioconda Barbuto. Taylor is a certified Pilates and Barre instructor, and a freelance artist in New York City.
Dennzyl Green
Dennzyl Green was born and raised in Long Beach, California where he was a performing artist for over a decade. His college career began at California State University, Sacramento and the following summer, Dennzyl had the honor to attend the American Dance Festival at Duke University in North Carolina. From there, he attended Long Beach City College. He also performed various choreographies including Ebony Suite by guest artist Bernard Gaddis, both at American College Dance Association and Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside/Out Summer Series 2017. The same summer, he attended Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive and performed Curious Dream by the former Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre (UK) Darshan Bhuller. Finally, he graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts, Dance, Cum Laude 2020. During his college career, he performed various repertories by the faculty and guest artists such as Recent Arrival by former Artistic Director of Limón Dance Company, Colin Connors, and an excerpt of Doug Varone’s In the Shelter of the Fold- MASS. Dennzyl began his professional career by joining Nannette Brodie Dance Theater from 2017-2021 where he toured throughout Southern California and neighboring states. As of June 2020, Dennzyl joined Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble as a member of the Second Company- Cleo II. During his time he performed repertoire of Cleo Parker Robinson, Milton Meyers, Nejla Y. Yatkin, and guest artist Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez. As of 2022, he relocated to New York City and became a company artist with Emerge125 and Axelrod Contemporary Ballet based in Holmdel, New Jersey. This is Dennzyl’s first season with NU-World Contemporary Dans Theatre and he is full of excitement to be a part of an expansive company.
Tristian Griffin
Tristian Griffin, a native of Kansas City, MO, graduated from Texas Christian University, in 2014, receiving his BFA in Ballet with an English minor. Following graduation, he joined and danced for Garth Fagan Dance Company for 3 years. More recently, he was given the opportunity to perform with the Metropolitan Opera House, Company E, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and Malashock Dance Company. He was selected for tenure for the Charlotte Street Foundation’s 2018-2020 Artist-in-Residency program. As a choreographer, Tristian has been commissioned to set work for the University of Kansas, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Co., InterUrban ArtHouse, ArtsKC, Charlotte Street Foundation, and Malashock Dance Company. Tristian has a dance company TGDC (Tristian Griffin Dance Company) which has made guest appearances at KC Streetcar, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Lawrence Arts Center, KC Fringe Festival, and International Dance Festival.
JAson Herbert
Jason Herbert is the founder and CEO of the JR Media Group, a New York-based consulting firm. Jason has a uniquely creative and business edge with more than 20 years of experience as a professional dancer, singer, and actor, and a decade in music entertainment. Jason began his formal training at the Harlem School of the Arts and the Martha Graham School in New York City. His primary training includes scholarships to The Alvin Ailey School and The Boston Conservatory. He began to decorate his career goals with extensive television, film, and theatrical credits including works like Invisible Thread, with director Diane Paulus and Sergio Trujillo, and Tony Award-winning Broadway show FELA!, Directed by Bill T. Jones. TV and Film include NBC Saturday Night Live with Chance The Rapper, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC Upfronts, MTV's Daddy’s Girls, and feature films Bolden, Freedom, and Hal King. Companies include Philadanco! Ballet Noir, Kymera Dance, and Forces of Nature Dance Theater.
rayan lecurieux-durival
Rayan Lecurieux-Durival (French Guiana, France) trained in The EPCC Les 3 Fleuves, the Conservatory of Larivot and Association De Danse Artistique Classique Et Modern'Jazz (ADACLAM). He moved to Paris and joined the Institut de Formation Rick Odums and upon completion, Rayan was accepted in the Ailey School on scholarship for three years.
Rayan has performed in the Black Iris Project movie "Wild," an Emmy-nominated Dance Film series by choreographer Jeremy McQueen. He has also performed with Bill T. Jones at the Park Avenue Armory for the world premiere of "Deep Blue Sea." Rayan has performed with Le Jeune Ballet Jazz de Rick Odums, Le Jeunes Ballet Moderne de Rick Odums in Paris, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Axelrod Contemporary Dance Theater, Christopher Rudd Dance, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Parsons Dance, Collage Dance Collective and Buglisi Dance Theatre.
Marlayna locklear
Marlayna Locklear hails from Milwaukee,WI. She began her training at City Ballet Theatre and went on to graduate from Milwaukee High School of the Arts and University of the Arts In Philadelphia, PA with a BFA in Ballet and Jazz. Marlayna was one of the founding members of The Milwaukee Dance Connection and has gone on to dance with several companies including Dallas Black Dance Theatre II , Deeply Rooted Dance theatre and Dayton Contemporary Dance company where she served as the company jazz and contemporary instructor as well as resident choreographer for DCDC II. Marlayna is a freelance artist and teaches and choreographs at Universities and studios around the nation.
Shaina Mcgregor
Shaina McGregor is a multi-passionate and multifaceted creative born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She attended LaGuardia High School for Music Art and the Performing Arts and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ailey/ Fordham with a BFA in Dance and a minor in New Media and Digital Design. Since graduation, Shaina has performed as a freelance artist with companies such as The Francesca Harper Project, A Thomas Project, HopeBoykinDance, McKoy Dance Project, and Owen/Cox Dance. Professionally, Shaina has had the opportunity to work with influential choreographers such as Bryan Arias, Hope Boykin, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and others. She performed in Nick Cave’s “The Let Go,” which received a Bessie Award as an Outstanding Production. She has spent her summers dancing at intensives such as Hofesh Shechter, Hubbard Street, Abraham. In. Motion, Ballet Hispánico, and most recently Springboard Danse Montréal where she performed an excerpt from Ballets Jazz Montréal’s “VANISHING MELODIES.” Shaina enjoys sharing her love of movement, eduction, and creating wholeness with the world.
Nyna moore
Nyna was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at University of the Arts under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield in Philadelphia, PA. She began her training at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy, in Denver, CO where she was a part of the CPRD youth ensemble studying ballet, modern, jazz, and West African. In Colorado, Nyna had the opportunity to perform with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in their productions of Romeo & Juliet and Porgy and Bess, as well as the contemporary modern companies Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theater & Edgar L. Page, Feel the Movement. At UArts, Nyna has worked with many noted artists including Tommie-Waheed Evans, Kim Bears-Bailey, Michael Sheridan, Symone Holliday, and Sidra Bell.
Christian Warner
Christian A. Warner is a NYC-based multidisciplinary performing artist, choreographer, and director whose career spans concert and commercial dance, musical theatre, and film. His company credits include Boca Tuya, Sidra Bell Dance New York, TU Dance, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, and Pony Box Dance Theatre. He has performed repertoire from creators such as Bryan Arias, Alan Lucien, Alvin Ailey, Aszure Barton, Darius Barnes, and Stefanie Batten-Bland. He was a founding dancer and collaborator for Come Through, a collaboration between TU Dance and the grammy award winning band Bon Iver in addition to providing backup vocals for "Naeem" for their latest album "i,i." Musical theatre credits include Disney’s The Lion King (Broadway; Nat. Tours), Oliver! The Musical (Nat. Tour), and Hairspray (Regional). His choreography and direction has been commissioned by Owen/Cox, McKoy Dance Project, and New York Times Best-Selling Author Michael Levin.
Photo Credit: Nir Arieli
Roxanne young
Roxanne Young, a native of Denver, CO, trained at her mother's studio, Expressions of Dance and Arts Academy and at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance School. She attended the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, TX from 2003-2006 where she was a member of the Repertory Dance Company I. In 2006, Ms. Young was a Finalist for the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts in Modern Dance, now YoungArts, which is held in Miami, FL. After high school she continued her studies at the University of Utah, joining the Department of Modern Dance from 2006-2010. In 2010 she joined the Dallas Black Dance Theatre II and in 2011 Ms. Young joined the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble as a member of the second company and was promoted to the first company after one season and continue dancing for the company for 3 seasons. After being an apprentice for a year, Ms. Young had danced with Elisa Monte Dance, under the direction of Tiffany Rea-Fisher in 2016 for one season. Taking on the path of freelancing, Roxanne had worked with variety of artists including nathan trice/RITUALS, Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Heidi Latsky Dance, Yara Travieso, Gabri Christa, Gesel Mason Performance Projects, AThomasProject, Clymove, Emerge 125, Marcia Brooks/Various Works and NU-World Contemporary Danse Theater.