DEBUT

Elayna Waxse (she/they) is an acclaimed Minneapolis-based choreographer whose work bridges contemporary dance and mental health. They have created works for Minnesota Dance Theatre, Carleton College, the University of Minnesota Dance Department, Threads Dance Project, and St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, among others. Their choreography has been recognized nationally, including selection for the 2023 American College Dance Association National Festival Gala and a feature in The Minnesota Star Tribune’s Top Ten Dance Performances of 2022. (Photo Dahli Durley)

Julia Antinozzi, a rising New York City–based choreographer, was named one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch. Her dances work at the intersection between postmodern dance and ballet. In addition to receiving a Fresh Tracks residency from New York Live Arts and the inaugural Trisk Fellowship from Triskelion Arts, Julia has held residencies at The Floor, Little by little, New Dance Alliance, Motive Brooklyn and the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of the New York City Ballet. (Photo Spencer Weidie)

Mathew Janczewski (he/him), originally from Illinois, is a dancer, choreographer, director, and creative who has been residing in Minneapolis, MN since 1989. He was a company member, most notably with Shapiro & Smith Dance from 2007-2014 and JAZZDANCE! By Danny Buraczeski from 1992-97. As a dancer, Mathew has performed as a guest with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Bebe Miller, and Jacek Luminski of Bytom, Poland. Over the years, he has performed the works of Beth Corning, Sean Curran, HIJACK, Marge Maddux, Shawn McConneloug, Jane Shockley, Robin Stiehm, Morgan Thorson, Doug Varone, and Cathy Young.

Shortly after receiving his degree in dance from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and performing internationally, Mathew founded his own non-profit dance company, ARENA DANCES, in 1995. His practices are profoundly inspired by music, architecture, self-expression, and an ongoing collaboration with dancers’ opposition of distal extremes while pushing the edges of space within the body’s potential. ARENA serves as the vehicle for his body of work and provides young, aging, and underserved segments of the Twin Cities community with opportunities to experience the transformative power of dance. (Photo Galen Higgins)

Jordan Demetrius Lloyd is a Brooklyn-based dance artist originally from Albany, NY. He is a 2025 graduate of the DAS Choreography master’s program in Amsterdam, Netherlands. As a performer, he has had the pleasure of working with David Dorfman Dance, Jonathan Gonzalez, Beth Gill, Tere O’Connor, Netta Yerushalmy, Donna Uchizono, Monica Bill Barnes, Joanna Kotze, and more. His teaching practice has brought him to The American Dance Festival, Rutgers University, New York University, University of the Arts, Sarah Lawrence College, Gibney Dance Center, and Mark Morris Dance Center. His work has been produced by: Danspace Project, New York Live Arts, BRIC, ISSUE Project Room, LaMama, BAAD!, Movement Research at the Judson Church, and The Center for Performance Research. Lloyd received the 2021 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, two New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award nominations, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts dance research fellowship, and was listed on Dance Magazine’s 2023 “25 to Watch” list. For more, head to jordandlloyd.com. (Photo Whitney Browne)

Nieya Amezquita is a Minnesota-based artist currently working with Arena Dances, Rhythmically Speaking, and eMartin Dance. She has also performed with Threads Dance Project, Elayna Waxse Movement Projects, Corpus Dance Works, Concerto Dance, Off-Leash Area, and Doma Dance Theater. In 2019, Nieya earned a Bachelor’s in Dance and Psychology from the University of Georgia. During undergrad, she had the opportunity to perform nationally and internationally with the founding company CADE:NCE before studying in Portugal with the Addo Platform, where her passion for choreography was ignited. Now Nieya’s work has been presented in the Blackness Is Arts festival produced by the Guthrie Theater, the CandyBox festival produced by Arena Dances, commissioned by Threads Dance Project, Alternative Motion Project, and Ballet Co’Laboratory. In 2023, Nieya furthered her professional development by founding and leading Amez Dance, a project-based dance company created to push the boundaries of art and how it can develop our community. (Photo Studio Aura)

Alex Arce, an Ecuadorian American artist born and raised in Minnesota, has been dancing since the age of 5, culturally and socially as well as technically. He focuses his practice within the street dance and Latin diaspora dance forms as well as contemporary/Modern Dance. He is a graduate of Larkin Dance Studio and Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. Upon his high school training, he has also been a part of a pre-professional dance program known as the Cli Conservatory in Massachusetts, where he got to learn from different choreographers all around the world and further pursue his career as a movement artist, choreographer, and educator. After graduating from this program, Alex was accepted as a member of the Cli Company, working as both a choreographer and instructor with Cli Studios. Most recently, he has focused his career in collaboration with other companies such as Meridians Movement Company and Black Label Movement, where he has had the opportunity to further develop his craft and continue his love for creation and performance. Currently, Alex works as a Freelance Artist, Teacher, and Company Member. (Photo Studio Aura)

Non Edwards is a dancer, choreographer, and GYROKINESIS® Method trainer, located in the Twin Cities since 2009. Working across a range of styles and genres, Non performs modern, postmodern, improvisation, and performance art in galleries, theaters, videos, and DIY and public spaces, including the Seattle Art Fair, Walker Art Center, Nelson-Atkins Museum, Jacob’s Pillow, and Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Non is an Outstanding Performer Sage Award nominee and a McKnight Dancer Fellow. 

This is Non’s 8th season with ARENA. Additional credits include Katie Brennan, Doma Dance Theater, Jess Forest, Jennifer Glaws, Hatch Dance and Honeyworks, HIJACK, Ellen Mueller, Valerie Oliveiro, Kerry Parker, April Sellers, Anna Marie Shogren, D Jinza Thayer, Morgan Thorson, and Laurie Van Wieren. (Photo Studio Aura)

Sarah McCullough (she/her) is a Minneapolis-based dance artist and educator in contemporary forms. She is a highly collaborative artist who is passionate about aliveness in performance and seeks to perform works that center humanity, vulnerability, and play.

Originally from Virginia, Sarah attended James Madison University as a Madison Achievement Scholar and earned her BA in Dance and Mathematics. Since joining Minneapolis’ dance community in 2018, she has had the pleasure of performing works choreographed by Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Berit Ahlgren, Carl Flink, Elayna Waxse, Helen Hatch, Mathew Janczewski, Taja Will, and more. With roots having been established in Minnesota, Sarah began working with VA/NYC-based company Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance in company management and as a collaborating dance artist in 2024. She is currently a member of ARENA DANCES, a new repertory company led by Mathew Janczewski.

Sarah has recently led contemporary classes at The Arena, Hothouse Studios, Zenon Dance School, and Minnesota Dance Theater. Sarah has offered workshops at the Limón/Black Label Twin Cities Intensive, ARENA DANCES’ Instinct Intensive, The University of Winchester (UK), North Carolina State University, and several high school dance programs throughout the Twin Cities. She is also a 200-hour accredited yoga teacher and offers a holistic approach to mindful movement as a personal and artistic practice. (Photo Studio Aura)

Jake Nehrbass grew up in Minneapolis and started his dance journey when he was three years old. Over the years, he has had the privilege of studying and performing various styles, including tap, modern, jazz, hip hop, international styles, and ballroom. Jake earned his BFA in Dance and Kinesiology from St. Olaf College, which has allowed him to explore the physical and anatomical aspects of movement.

His work as a performing artist, choreographer, and teacher in the Twin Cities is deeply rooted in a love for the art form and a desire to share it with others. Currently, Jake dances with ARENA Dances, Black Label Movement, Ruby Josephine Dance Theatre, and Rhythmically Speaking and has had or continues to collaborate with several wonderful local companies, including Contempo Physical Dance, Concerto Dance, Mixtape, Threads Dance Project, Flying Foot Forum, Hatch Dance/Honey Works, Katha Dance Theatre, Cheng “Technica” Xiong, Buckets and Taps, Eau Claire Dance, STRONGmovement, and in Stephan Koplowitz’s Northfield Experience. He is grateful for each of these experiences, which have allowed him to grow as an artist and connect with talented individuals in the community. In addition to performing and choreographing, Jake enjoys teaching at Prairie School of Dance and Ballare Teatro Performing Arts Center. (Photo Studio Aura)