About Zaquia
MFA Dance: Creative Practice
Yoga E-RYT®500
I am a dance artist, educator, and arts administrator originally from San Diego, and currently based in Boston. I believe in movement-art as an act of reclamation and resistance.
In 2018, I co-founded DISCO RIOT, a nonprofit movement-arts organization. DISCO RIOT works to support San Diego dance, provide creative possibilities for advancing the dance scene, and advocating for social justice, especially within the performing arts.
In 2024, I am enthusiastically assuming the role of Senior Director of Artist Programs and Residencies with Boston Center for the Arts, and am looking forward to getting to know the East Coast arts community.
I am a lifelong learner and hold a BA in Dance with Honors from UC Santa Barbara (2011), an MFA in Dance: Creative Practice with Honors from Saint Mary’s College of California (2017), a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of San Diego (2021), and a California Single Subject Teaching Credential for Dance (2022). I am also a 500 hour E-RYT certified yoga instructor.
DANCE
With movement as the central medium, my work is a mixture of dance, text, and video, in both live and digital platforms, connecting audiences to visceral, intimate, thoughtful, and introspective narratives. I believe that revolution is possible through a collective awakening of mindful, embodied art practice, and that dance is a critical tool for building a better world. My art practice is grounded in cultivating responsiveness to the present moment, community building, and the magic of collaboration
I have worked with many organizations in San Diego in various artistic, administrative, and teaching capacities. I have been a part of the dance faculty at San Diego City College, Coronado School of the Arts, and Canyon Crest Academy, and guest taught for programs throughout the state. I’ve presented work and participated in international festivals and residency programs, including PERFORMÁTICA in Puebla, Mexico, Making Dance Happen in Peru, and Diyar Theatre in Bethlehem, Palestine. In California, I’ve enjoyed sharing my dances through DISCO RIOT, ODC Theatre, the World Cultures Program at San Diego City College, San Diego Dance Theater's Young Choreographers Showcase and Prize, UC San Diego’s ArtPower!, White Box Live Arts Fest, San Diego International Fringe Festival, and San Diego Dance Theater’s Trolley Dances to name a few. My works include various evening-length pieces, several shorter works, as well as dance films.
Currently, I am a grant recipient of San Diego’s Far South/Border North initiative - a 12-month experience from June 2023 through May 2024 to develop artistic content that increases local awareness of public health, energy and water conservation, climate mitigation, civic engagement, and social justice within Imperial and San Diego counties. Check out my Town Hall page to learn more about my project!
YOGA
Seventeen years ago, I began my relationship with yoga and it has been a catalyst in my life as a dancer and human being ever since - cracking open deep places within me, and giving me permission to develop a sense of awareness and compassion for myself as a person unlike any other practice in my life.
My deep-rooted love of movement led me to develop a passion for the flow of power vinyasa. I completed my 200-hour teacher training through CorePower Yoga in 2012 and have taught ever since. I love learning and have continued to be a diligent student; so far I have expanded my knowledge base of yoga asana to include not only vinyasa forms, but also yin yoga and yoga wall practices, and I completed my 500 certification through Yoga One in 2019. While I am not currently teaching, I continue to practice in community with others.