After 30 years of visionary leadership under founder and choreographer Mathew Janczewski, ARENA DANCES boldly enters a new era. This fall marks the official DEBUT of the company’s transformation into a contemporary repertory dance company, dedicated to uplifting a new generation of dance voices while honoring the artistry that shaped its foundation.
This inaugural repertory concert will feature world premieres by three bold choreographic voices:
Elayna Waxse (MN; 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.
Julia Antinozzi (NY) is a rising New York City–based choreographer, 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.
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
Meet the Dancers
The ARENA DANCES Repertory Company is a powerhouse ensemble of Minnesota-based talent:
Nieya Amezquita — choreographer, performer, and founder of Amez Dance, exploring the connection between movement and psychology. Nieya Amezquita is a Minnesota-based artist currently working with Arena Dances, Rhythmically Speaking, eMartin Dance, and Corpus Dance Works. She has also performed with Threads Dance Project, Elayna Waxse Movement Projects, Concerto Dance, Off-Leash Area, and Alexandra Bodnarchuk Dance Projects. 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 founding company CADE: NCE before studying in Portugal with the Addo Platform where her passion for choreography was ignited. She discovered the perfect merge of her two fields of interest: using dance as an artistic medium to explore, understand, and discuss human psychological concepts. 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, and 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.
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 aswell 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 knownas 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. Mostr ecently he has focused his career in collaboration with other companies such as Meridians movement company and Black Label Movement where he has got the opportunity to further develop his craft and continue his love for creationand performance. Currently, Alex works as a Freelance Artist, Teacher, and Company Member.
Non Edwards — Sage Award nominee and McKnight Dancer Fellow performing nationally in modern, postmodern, and performance art spaces. Non Edwards is a dancer, choreographer, and GYROKINESIS® Method trainer, located in the Twin Cities since 2009. Working across a range of style and genre, 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. 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.
Sarah McCullough — Sarah McCullough is a Minneapolis-based dance artist, educator in contemporary forms, and Company Manager of Shannon Hummel/CoraDance. She is a highly collaborative artist who is passionate about aliveness in performance, and seeks to perform works that center humanity, vulnerability, and play. An educator dedicated to mindful movement and emotionally resonant work. 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, Helen Hatch, MathewJanczewski, Taja Will, and more. She has toured with Minneapolis dance companies Black Label Movement and ARENA DANCES to the greater Minnesota area, Florida, and New York. Sarah currently teaches contemporary classes at Hothouse Studios and Minnesota Dance Theater. Sarah has offered classes at the Limón 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.
Jake Nehrbass — versatile performer and educator with deep roots in the Twin Cities dance community. 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.
Collaborators;
Laura Selle Virtucio- Rehearsal Director
Jon Montgomery - Costume Design/Build
Mark Ruark - Lighting