Kenna Morris Garcia was named National Dance Institute’s Marc Solomon Teaching Artist Fellow for 2022-2023. The Fellowship is a professional development experience for emerging dancer-choreographers of color who are seeking leadership opportunities in dance and arts education. As a Teaching Artist Fellow, Kenna takes on a full-time teaching position at NDI.

Kenna has had a performing and teaching career that has taken her all over the world. After graduating from the Youth Performing Arts School (Louisville, KY), she attended the University of Oklahoma where she studied modern dance and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy. She continued her dance training in New York after being accepted to the Certificate Program of The Ailey School. Her diverse training in modern, jazz, musical theater, ballet, tap, and hip hop has allowed her to have a long and diverse performing career. She has performed with recording artists such as Missy Elliott, Pharrell, Diddy, and Ludacris.

Her film and television credits include Saturday Night Live, MTV Video Music Awards, America’s Got Talent, and feature films Idlewild, Bolden, and Sisters. Kenna has also performed in various Broadway national tours, Off-Broadway, and regional theater productions including the 1st national tour of Memphis (Dance Captain/Swing), The Wiz (City Center Encores), and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a Radio City Rockette. She was the assistant choreographer for the national tour of Memphis, choreographed regional musical theater productions, and worked with such choreographers as Sergio Trujillo, Andy Blankenbuehler, and Hinton Battle. Most recently, she works with the Verdon Fosse Legacy, LLC reconstructing and preserving the works of Bob Fosse. As an instructor, Kenna has taught various forms of dance for over 20 years in studios across the world. She has also held numerous residencies in New York public schools and community programs, and serves as a coach and mentor to aspiring young dancers.

As a professional, Eliana has trained and performed across the U.S. working with a variety of artists and companies, including Mariah Maloney (Mariah Maloney Dance), Marissa Aucoin (mla|Format.Dance), and most recently with Bianca Johnson and Dancers. She rejoined NDI as a Teaching Artist in 2017 and has served thousands of students across NYC through the life changing gift of arts education.

Eliana is excited to be named this year’s Teaching Artist Fellow. She adds, “NDI opened a world of creativity, artistry, and confidence that I didn’t know I had. I’m excited to now teach where I was first introduced to NDI and thrilled to teach in person again in the new school year.”

Kay Gayner, NDI’s Artistic Director remembers Eliana’s electric performance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the first End of Year show Kay directed for NDI in 2006. “Her energy and love for dance, her quiet leadership and magnetism as a performer make her a natural for teaching in the NDI Method. Alumni who experienced the magic of NDI as children and return to teach with us as adults offer a special kind of connection to the children. It’s meaningful to have Eliana teaching students at PS 290 where she started!”

National Dance Institute extends special thanks to its new Board Chair, Marc Solomon, for his extraordinary support of the Marc Solomon Teaching Artist Fellowship.

Sixteen years later, after reconnecting with Ellen Weinstein, Jessi rejoined NDI as a Teaching Artist. She currently teaches in three partner schools as well as co-leading Teacher Training workshops through the NDI Collaborative for Teaching and Learning. Jessi aims to help students harvest principles of practicing excellence and carry this to all facets of their lives.