Tatiana Desardouin

Of Haitian lineage, Tatiana Desardouin was born and raised in Switzerland and is based in New York. She is a professional dancer, choreographer, instructor, consultant, organizer, and curator, with a master’s degree in adult education and a bachelor’s degree in psychology (University of Geneva).

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  • Tatiana Desardouin has had the opportunity to judge competitions, compete, and teach around the world. She is the director and choreographer of Passion Fruit Dance Company, a street dance theater and educational company she founded in 2016. The company has performed in venues such as the Guggenheim, Lincoln Center, Apollo Theater, SummerStage, Jacob’s Pillow, New Victory Theater, BAAD!, Ladies of Hip-Hop Festival, Joe’s Pub, 92Y, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, MASS MoCA, and abroad in Canada and Switzerland. She was selected as one of Dance Magazine’s 2020 “25 to Watch,” was featured in The New Yorker and Harper’s Bazaar magazines, and recently was awarded the Vilcek Foundation’s Prize for Creative Promise in Dance. Deeply involved in the growth of the Swiss hip-hop scene, Tatiana has been teaching, mentoring, and organizing events and workshops there since 2005. She established her own dance school, Le Centre Hip-Hop, and in 2012 was one of the four founders of Continuum—the first hip-hop dance company in Geneva. Desardouin developed her own teaching method, “Technique Within Your Groove,” taught at EXPG NYC and the Broadway Dance Center. As a guest artist and adjunct professor, she has taught at colleges and universities including Dartmouth, American University, Connecticut College, Springfield College, and Mount Holyoke, and is currently a member of 92Y’s faculty. Since 2016, Desardouin has been one of the core dancers of the pioneering street dance theater company Rennie Harris Puremovement. She is also part of the Nefer Global Movement collective, a core member of LayeRhythm Experiment ensemble, and part of the Black Dancing Bodies project.

Nubian Néné

Nubian Néné, born in Montréal, is known in her community for her waacking and house dance styles and as a well-versed dancer and unique and powerful choreographer—with an ability to wear many hats, including host, judge, performer, and director.

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  • In the last few years, Nubian has had the opportunity to teach, judge, and perform nationally and internationally. Since 2014, Nubian has hosted the Ladies of Hip Hop festival’s dance competition and is well anchored in the festival, both presenting choreographic work and teaching. In 2014, she performed Music Creates Opportunity, an evening-length piece with the well-known Bboyizm Dance Company at Vancouver’s Cultch Theater, and since then she’s performed with the company in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Peterborough, Ontario. In 2015 she co-created the House dance duo Tout’seulensemble with Dominique Sophie which was presented in Montreal at La 5e Salle (Place des Arts) as part of the Canadian Festival 100lux. Stages she has graced include the Fringe Festival, New Victory Theater, Gramercy Theater, and Lincoln Center. Néné’s goal is to constantly inspire through actions, words, and dance. Her mantra: “Let the music inspire you, let the inspiration come from the music. Let your dance inspire and be inspired by your dance.”