THE Dancer

Qianna McDonald is a New Jersey based artist. She graduated from the University of the Arts where she received a bachelors in dance and minored in business. She began dancing in church as a child and went on to study performing arts to further explore her passion for dance. Throughout McDonald’s years of dancing, she has had the opportunity to study abroad. She has worked with various artists, including Camille Brown, Kim Bears- Bailey, Sidra Bell Dance New York, Boris Charmatz, and Cleo Parker Robinson to name a few. While McDonald is presently active in the professional dance community, she teaches dance classes within the Tri- state area. Additionally, McDonald is currently pursuing her certification in pilates with a Pilates Academy International (PAI) training program. As she continues to grow and hone her skills, McDonald hopes to continue exploring new discoveries within her journey as a movement artist and educator. 

This is Qianna first season with Maliek Dance Theater.

C. Woods was born on the unceded land of the Susquehannock people, now called Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she began her dance training at the age of three. Woods graduated in 2020 from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, receiving the Rose Vernick BFA Choreography Award. She has worked with esteemed artists such as Sidra Bell, Kun-Yang Lin, Merian Soto, Wen-Chung Lin, and MICHIYAYA Dance. As a multi-hyphenate, Cierra is also a movement facilitator, arts administrator, and marketing strategist that focuses on strengthening sustainable systems that foster the opportunity for progressive environments and possibilities within artistic and diasporic communities to flourish. This is Cierra first season with Maliek Dance Theater.