Ari Mayzick
Founder/Artistic Director/Choreographer/Principal
IG: @valomusicofficial
Ari Mayzick - A Finnish/American Citizen born in NY, began his professional dance training at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance at age of 11 on a 3 year full scholarship (Van Lier) and became the face of the Coca Cola Scholarship when it was taken over by Coca Cola . At the age 12, he was awarded scholarships to attend the Joffrey Ballet School and SAB. Turning 14, he was invited to dance with the Pearl Lang Dance Theater and shortly afterwards, the Martha Graham Dance Ensemble where he danced for 4 years and 5 with PLDT. Years later at 21, he joined the Martha Graham Dance Company where he danced for 2 years, before leaving to explore other companies. He returned to dance with the Graham Company at the age of 30 as a Soloist dancing principle roles for 5 years. Ari has also danced with Rioult, Scapino Ballet (Holland), Dance Works (Holland), Washington Opera (Soloist Guest Artist), Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Les Ballets Grandiva (Principal), Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Buglisi Dance Theater (Principal), American Dance Theater of Long Island (Guest Principal), and DanceIquail where is he also Rehearsal Director, Axelrod Ballet, and Arch Ballet, just to name a few. Mr. Mayzick is a recipient of the Princess Grace Award of Excellence in Dance. He was on faculty teaching at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (7 years all Divisions), has taught masterclasses and residencies at NYU, SU, VCU, UNLV, BYU, and Raritan Valley Community College. Ari was also an adjunct at Marymount Manhattan College and has also taught abroad in Europe, taught Ballet and Graham at AOTDC as well as company class for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Mr. Mayzick is now a Regisseur of the Martha Graham works. His work has be restaged for Universities such as UNLV and BYU, on students at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and has choreographed Senior Solos for students of AAADT and UNLV. Ari thanks his mom for all of her sacrifices, love and support throughout his career.
Sarita (Astria) Apel
Founding Member/Rehearsal Director/Principal
IG: @astriaapeltango / IG: @prancing_sasi
Sarita Apel was born in Wiesbaden, Germany. She received her Bachelor of Dance in 2011 at Codarts, Rotterdam Dance Academy. In 2009 she was invited by Dansgroep Amsterdam to perform an Itzik Galili choreography at the New Island Festival in New York. She returned to NYC a year later as receipient of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds scholarship and of the Genootschap Noorthey to continue her studies at the Ailey School. In 2014 she successfully completed three years of training as a scholarship student at The Ailey School in New York City. Subsequently, she was a member of Graham 2 during the 2014/15 season performing works by Martha Graham and others.In New York she also danced for Norbert De La Cruz III, Teresa Fellion Dance (Bodystories), Buglisi Dance Theatre, Creative Time/Nick Cave, Omar Roman de Jesus, Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company. Currently, Sarita is also dancing for the Caterina Rago Dance Company, Dardo Galletto Dance and Tango for All Dance Company , while performing and teaching Argentine Tango.