MEET THE

CHOCOLATE BALLERINAS

The dancers of Chocolate Ballerina Company comprise of all shades of brown. Many of the members receive dance training through the company and perform several community events through the City of Philadelphia. Dance artists commit to an extensive training program that consists of classes, rehearsals, and workshops/ Whether performing the masterworks of Graham or new works from some of today’s top choreographers, these versatile dancers are exemplars of contemporary dance. Under the artistic direction of Chanel Holland since 2017, the Company is made up of 10+ extraordinarily athletic, expressive dancers of unmatched virtuosity.

ALIYAH ANDERSON // PRIMA BALLERINAPhiladelphia native, Aliya Anderson began dancing at the age of seven at Soliloquy in Motion, located in Germantown. Aliya attended Temple University, where she majored in dance and studied under many professors suc… — **ALIYAH ANDERSON // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Philadelphia native, Aliya Anderson began dancing at the age of seven at Soliloquy in Motion, located in Germantown. Aliya attended Temple University, where she majored in dance and studied under many professors such as Dr. Kariamu Welsh, Laura Katz, Nora Gibson, Marie Brown, Dara Meredith, and many more. In 2018, Aliya graduated with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Currently, Aliya resides in Philadelphia, where she is a member of Chocolate Ballerina Company and Ujima Dance Theatre. In addition to performing, she choreographs routines and teaches dance classes.

DARIA NICOLE ROSS // PRIMA BALLERINADaria Nicole Ross, born in west Philadelphia began her training at the age of 3 at Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center. She studied ballet, modern, Graham, Horton, character, pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop and musical theatre.… — **DARIA NICOLE ROSS // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Daria Nicole Ross, born in west Philadelphia began her training at the age of 3 at Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center. She studied ballet, modern, Graham, Horton, character, pointe, tap, jazz, hip-hop and musical theatre. She is currently a senior in dance and working towards her BFA in Fine Arts at Temple University. Being able to attend school for dance has given her many opportunities to teach and even be a part of companies, performances and being taught by some great teachers. She will also continue her career and go for her masters in social work which will help her later to open her own dance school and mentoring program.

KEVIN HARRIS // PRIMA BALLERINABorn and raised in the uptown part of Philadelphia, Kevin D. Harris II began his dance journey. Starting from the streets with breaking, Kevin deepened his seven-year training with contemporary and house, becoming his … — **KEVIN HARRIS // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Born and raised in the uptown part of Philadelphia, Kevin D. Harris II began his dance journey. Starting from the streets with breaking, Kevin deepened his seven-year training with contemporary and house, becoming his most expressive and dominant style of dance. Currently, Kevin is attending Ursinus College pursuing a Bachelor’s in dance. When he isn’t in the classroom, you can find him on stage as Azari, meaning powerful and complete. When asked, what’s your life goal, Kevin expressed he’d teach future generations how to embrace the idea of demonstrating freedom of expression through movement.

SJAEDAH ANYE LONDON // PRIMA BALLERINABorn and raised in Newark, NJ, Sjaedah Anyé London began her training at the age of 3 at Premiere Dance Theatre in Montclair, NJ, where she studied Horton, Graham, ballet, hip-hop, tap, jazz, and performance. Cu… — **SJAEDAH ANYE LONDON // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Sjaedah Anyé London began her training at the age of 3 at Premiere Dance Theatre in Montclair, NJ, where she studied Horton, Graham, ballet, hip-hop, tap, jazz, and performance. Currently, she's a senior at Temple University, working towards her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. Dance has afforded Sjaedah many opportunities, such as performing at the well-renown Apollo Theatre and working with artists such as Kun-Yang Lin, Dara J. Meredith, Tommie-Waheed Evans, and Kyle Clark. One of her most significant achievements was creating and presenting her work at Conwell Dance Theatre. As far as Sjaedah's future plans, she's hoping to choreograph, travel, and open a dance school.

CARA REESE // PRIMA BALLERINAHailing from Washington, DC, Cara Reese has trained in many places. Her love for dance started her at Duke Ellington School of the Arts from 2006-2008, where she trained in classical ballet, Horton technique, and African… — **CARA REESE // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Hailing from Washington, DC, Cara Reese has trained in many places. Her love for dance started her at Duke Ellington School of the Arts from 2006-2008, where she trained in classical ballet, Horton technique, and African. From there, Cara continued her training at the Robert Ivey Ballet Academy in Charleston, South Carolina, 2010-2018, where she continued to train in classical ballet and pointe. Cara is a 2014 graduate of Lincoln University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Currently, Cara dances with Dance4Life and is in her first year as a company member of Chocolate Ballerina Company.

NYA CUNNINGHAM // PRIMA BALLERINAThird-year Chocolate Ballerina Company member, Nya is an up and coming dancer from Washington, DC, and has been dancing since the age of three and plans to be a professional contemporary ballet dancer when she finish… — **NYA CUNNINGHAM // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Third-year Chocolate Ballerina Company member, Nya is an up and coming dancer from Washington, DC, and has been dancing since the age of three and plans to be a professional contemporary ballet dancer when she finishes school. At a very young age, Nya had the honor of performing in Debbie Allen’s Brothers of the Knight production and since then has danced with the Washington Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Collage Dance Collective, and most recently the Atlanta Ballet. Currently, she is training at The Baltimore School for the Arts and is a representative of major dance brand Bloch. Nya is an alumnus of the Dance Institute of Washington, where she had the opportunity to train with and be mentored by the late Fabian Barnes, former Soloist from Dance Theater of Harlem.

TIFFANY HOYLE // PRIMA BALLERINATiffany gained a passion for dance after taking a sample class at The Freedom Theatre. There, she began to learn how to mold her passion for talent. She became a member of Freedom Theatre's Repertory Ensemble, perform… — **TIFFANY HOYLE // PRIMA BALLERINA**
Tiffany gained a passion for dance after taking a sample class at The Freedom Theatre. There, she began to learn how to mold her passion for talent. She became a member of Freedom Theatre's Repertory Ensemble, performing many plays, musicals, dance concerts, community events, and seasonal performances. Tiffany is returning for her second year as a Chocolate Ballerina Company member and is excited about what the future holds for the team.