Aryanna Allen
Aryanna Allen (she/they) is a Brooklyn-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and arts administrator. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Aryanna began their dancing at the age of 3 at Miss Donna’s School of Dance. They went on to study modern, ballet, and jazz at Northwest School of the Arts and Central Academy of Technology and Arts, before earning a BA in Dance and Movement Studies from Emory University.
At Emory, Aryanna had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers like Kendra Portier, Dafi Altabeb, George Staib, and Gregory Catellier. They also received the Friends of Dance Summer Scholarship, which allowed them to attend American Dance Festival and B12 in Berlin.
During their time in college, Aryanna deepened their dance practice by attending workshops and festivals, including Countertechnique Winter Workshop, Gallim Repertory Extension, Hofesh Shechter Intensive, Marcat Dance, and GagaLab.
After graduating, Aryanna spent three years in Atlanta as a freelance dancer and teacher. They performed at festivals like the Alabama Dance Festival, Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, and Fall for Fall. She danced with local companies, Monica Hogan DanceWorks and Kit Modus, while collaborating with other Atlanta freelancers like Patsy Collins, Leo Briggs, and Jacqui Hinkson. During their time with Kit Modus, Aryanna had the chance to perform works by Mark Caserta, Marco Palomino, Yoshito Sakuraba, and Christian Denice.
Alongside their performance career, Aryanna taught at several dance schools, including Dance Foundry, Druid Hills Dance Center, and Lyrric Jackson Dance Company, where they also serve as Administrative Director. Their love for teaching and mentoring young dancers led to their role as a Young Dancers Intensive Mentor at Bates Dance Festival in 2024. She continues to guest teach and choreograph at studios across the east coast.
Now based in Brooklyn, Aryanna dances with Kinesis Project, RogueWave, and KTCO. Their choreography has been presented at venues including Arts on Site, The Tank, Green Space, and Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. They serve as the Administrative Manager for MBDance and Research Assistant for T. Lang Dance.