Tyler Choquette

 

TYLER CHOQUETTE (they/them) is a queer artist and educator based in New York City.

Originally from California, they began their dance training at the Orange County School of the

Arts in the Classical and Contemporary Department under the direction of Steven Hyde while

performing with San Diego Unity Dance Ensemble under the direction of Tarua Hall and

Tessandra Chavez. Tyler has performed in Mr. Ailey’s “Memoria” alongside Alvin Ailey

American Dance Theatre at New York City Center, the Table of Silence 9/11 Ritual in Lincoln

Center directed by Jaclyn Buglisi, and in new works by choreographers such as Ashley Green,

Chris Ralph, Amy Hall Garner, Gregory Dolbashian, Nijawwon Matthews, Lisi Estaras, and

Emily Aslin. They have premiered Isaac Iskra’s works, “Tilted Glass” and “Nefeliba”,

commissioned by Mare Nostrum Elements. Since graduating from the Ailey/Fordham BFA

Program, Tyler has been a company member with Nimbus Dance Works founded by Samuel

Pott, Alma Collective co-founded by Kat Bark and Bianca Dam and Kristen Klein’s Inclined

Dance Project. Currently, Tyler is a company member with Carolyn Dorfman Dance, a rehearsal

assistant and dancer with McKoy Dance Project, and a company member of Smashworks Dance

since 2020.

Laurie Déziel

​

Laurie Déziel (she/her) was raised in a small village in Québec, Canada. Her parents were two martial artists that quickly taught her discipline and the importance of embracing movement as a life practice. She trained in a variety of dance styles at her small town studio, then deepened her training in contemporary and modern dance at L’école de danse contemporaine de Montréal, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and graduated from The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. That summer she got hired to work with different companies including Smashworks Dance under the artistic direction of Ashley McQueen and has been a proud member ever since. After five years of performing in the hustling city, she moved to Los Angeles curious of her life’s transition from the on-stage to the on-camera tv & film world.

Laurie consistently questions the physicality and expressivity of her body by exploring the limit of her instrument’s fullest potential. With the beginnings of her dance and her martial arts movement background, Laurie has built a toolbox of skills that have broadened her range as a performer landing her work as an actor, creature, stunt double and contortionist. She is currently challenging her craft with aerial apparatuses in the goal of creating expansion for her future as a performer and sharing new ways to tell a story to her audience. Laurie finds rooted peace and inner soul grounding in her daily yoga and teaching practice. “The union of the mind-body spiritual and emotional connection is a lifelong discovery I am fascinated by. Yoga has organically influenced my dance movement nuances.”

Manon Hallay

​

Manon Hallay (she/her) was born in France. She started dancing in the Conservatoire of Tarbes and went to Bordeaux at 13 to study in a pre-professional course with Christian Conte and Martine Chaumet. Two years later, she was accepted to the Royal Ballet School of Antwerpen and worked with choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Micheal Shannon, and Charles Jude. She moved to New York at 18 to integrate the Alvin Ailey School as a scholarship student for three years. After graduating, Manon worked as a teaching artist, freelanced, and danced for choreographers like Jeffrey Page. She has been part of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater since 2015 and Smashworks Dance for the past five seasons. In addition, Manon is the founder of Move Better LLC. Her mission is to support dancers in creating sustainable training and nutrition systems to promote durable and healthy careers. She is a NASM-certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, nutrition coach, and Pilates instructor. She now teaches Barre, Pilates, and conditioning classes at Equinox all over NYC and shares her passion for movement with many people.

Misaki hayama

 

Misaki Hayama (she/her) was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan.

She graduated from Saitama Prefecture's High School of Arts and attended Japan University College of Art Dancing Course. During her school career, she won 9th place at the Kanagawa Prefecture Dance Arts Festival and she also got First place in Hip Hop of Citigym Anniversary Competition in Philippines Cebu. She had worked as a dance ensemble in The Lion King and A Chorus Line in Japan for four years.

 

In 2015, She moved to New York and started training at Alvin Ailey School as a fellowship student. She performed at Apollo Theater in 2016 and she worked with Oberdiah Wright, Joyce King, Leslie Dockery, Lamont Joseph, Luis Salgado, Brinda Guha, Amit Shah and George William Faison. She also worked as a company dancer for Vashti Dance Theater, Body Stories and Alpha Omega Dance Theater. In 2025, she works with Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater, Matthew Westerby Dance Company.