NOVOA, MEAGHAN

Kendall Alexander, collaborating performer

Kendall Alexander, originally from New York, graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2020 with dual degrees in dance and psychology. Before settling in Atlanta, she embarked on an international journey, teaching workshops and choreographing in India, Malaysia, and Thailand. Kendall’s choreographic works have been featured at prominent festivals such as the Koresh Dance Festival, ACDA Festival,Play, Risk, Research and Spectra Volume 2..

During her first two years in Atlanta, Kendall joined the Adkinra Dance Project, where she debuted her first local choreography, 888: The Bacchanal—a powerful exploration of embracing one’s sexual self without judgment, fear, or criticism. Alongside this work, she also choreographed and refined NOITAZILIVIC, a visceral piece that delves into the physical toll of life within a crumbling capitalist society.

AK Bayer, collaborating performer

AK Bayer (they/she) is a multidisciplinary artist, performer and choreographer from Atlanta working to share stories and somatic experiences through a variety of mediums. A lifelong mover and maker, AK draws on their personal experiences as a queer and disabled artist as a source of inspiration for their work. They are in their third season as a company member with Full Radius Dance and have had the honor of working with Bautanzt Here, Leo Briggs, Meaghan Novoa, Dani Terrel, Beacon Dance, as well as the 2024 cohort of Dance ATL’s AM Collab program, and is working with Paint Love’s 2025-2026 cohort. Recently expanding their creative practice to 3D visual art, AK has been working with found and repurposed objects to create sculptures and installations. No matter the medium, they create from a place of curiosity and play, and with the belief that art is a form of resistance.

Erin Burch, collaborating performer

Erin Burch is a native of Durham, North Carolina and began her dance career in Atlanta in 2013. Trained in Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Contemporary, Lyrical, Horton, West African, Salsa, Bachata, and Chacha, she has had the pleasure to be a part of companies such as Advocate Arts Contemporary, City Gate Dance Theater, Gotta Dance Contemporary, Komanse Dance Theater, and Fuego y Hielo. Erin has also danced commercially, appearing in the Netflix original Raising Dion, as well as the music videos of Vivian Green, Angelo Diaz, Tina P, Kamillion, Prisca, and other artists. Erin has also appeared in musical productions such as the Atlanta Opera’s Julius Caesar and Tiffany Robert’s Angels in Training.

After achieving her undergraduate degree in Psychology and minoring in Gender Studies, Erin is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to serve her community as a child play therapist.

After years spent recovering from a surgery that left her dance career hanging in the balance, Erin is eager to share her story on the stage in Meaghan Novoa’s newest work “Viscera”.

Julianna Feracota, collaborating performer

Julianna Feracota (she/her) is a professional dancer based in Atlanta. She has performed with several local companies including Full Radius Dance, Monica Hogan Danceworks, the Atlanta Opera, and staibdance. She pursues freelance work and has been lucky enough to work with local choreographers like Meaghan Novoa, Julio Medina, Nadya Zeitlin, and Patsy Collins, among others.

In 2024, Julianna was honored to have been featured as “One to Watch” in ArtsATL’s Fall Arts Preview.

Hailing from Chicago, Julianna began her training at the Academy of Movement and Music and graduated from the University of Iowa in 2018 with a BFA in Dance and a BBA in Accounting.

Julianna has trained extensively in ballet, contemporary, modern, and Graham. She furthered her studies at dance programs with Orsolina28, Hubbard Street Dance, and AXIS Dance Company Company, to name a few. She has been honored to perform works by renowned choreographers like Alice Sheppard, Monica Bill Barnes, Rennie Harris, Jose Limòn, and Martha Graham.

Julianna furthers her involvement in the dance community as the Board Treasurer with DanceATL, a non-profit organization that provides resources and programming for local dance artists.

Meg Gourely, collaborating performer

Meg Gourley is a graduate of the University of Georgia with her BFA in Dance and a minor in Anthropology with a K12 Certification for Dance, with which she completed her student teaching at North Gwinnett High School in 2017. She began her dance training at the age of three at Decatur School of Ballet. Meg has had the pleasure of studying at the Joffrey Ballet School, Staibdance, the Governor's Honors Program, and the American Dance Festival. While at UGA, she was chosen to perform work by notable guests such as Alexandre Munz, Luis Piedra, and Urban Bush Women. Furthermore, she had the opportunity to perform in Costa Rica with Danza Universitaria in San Jose, as well as travel and dance in Voronezh, Russia with the UGA Department of Dance. Meg continued her education with ImmerseATL, studying under George Staib, Sean Nguyen-Hilton, and Sarah Hilmer, having the opportunity to perform work by her peers, as well as with Staibdance in "Moat". As a professional dance artist, she has performed and worked with Jessica Bertram, Poetica, Atlanta Dance Collective, Dance Canvas, Bautanz Here, and Valleto Dance. In recent years, she has worked with independent artists Patsy Collins, Leo Briggs, and Monica Hogan Danceworks on evening length productions. Currently, Meg is also in her fifth season as a company member of Kit Modus, under the direction of Jillian Mitchell. During her time with Kit Modus, Meg has been privileged to premier new works by Mitchell, including "Figment"(2019), as well as guest work by Mark Caserta, Pulkit Sharma, Ruben Julliard, Alexander Espinosa, Maddie Hanson, and Yoshito Sakuraba. As a choreographer, Meg has collaborated with Catherine Messina to create three new works, being presented in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York. She was a member of DanceATL's AM Collaborative's 2022-2023 Cohort, creating a collaborative work with Andre Lumpkin and Jordan Young entitled "Tethered Together", which was performed at Underground Atlanta and in Fly On A Wall's Excuse The Art. Meg has been commissioned as a choreographer by Agnes Scott College, Dekalb Symphony Orchestra, Oconee Performing Arts Society, Peach State Opera, and Gwinnett County Public Schools. Meg is a dance educator in the Atlanta area and serves as guest faculty and on the audition tour for The Joffrey Ballet School. She has also served as a guest instructor at the University of Georgia and Agnes Scott College. Meg is currently in her first year as an MFA Candidate at University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, and her research explores the intersection of historical narratives and embodied experience through a feminist lens. Meg is so honored to be a part of Viscera this season!

Hiroko Kelly, collaborating performer 

Hiroko Kelly (she/her) is a second generation Japanese American emerging choreographer, moving artist, and researcher, whose work reflects the intangible truth of intergenerational connectivity rooted in Eastern philosophy.

In 2017 she received her BA in Dance from Kennesaw State University and in 2023 she received her MA in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of San Francisco. She was a 2024 Dance USA Institute for Leadership Training Mentee and an awarded choreographer for the 2024 Dance Canvas-Atlanta Contemporary Summer Choreographic Residency. She is the Development Coordinator + Community Engagement for DanceATL, facilitating funding and developing programming initiatives. 

She continuously commits herself to decolonizing movement practices, believing that art is our greatest catalyst for social change.

Darya Fard, visual artist collaborator

Darya Fard is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in Printmaking and Painting. Her work explores spiritual inquiry through mathematically structured forms, investigating universal intelligence. She is particularly interested in the intersection of visual art and time-based media, drawing inspiration from Persian literature and poetry, mythology, psychology, scientific studies, Mathematical design, and natural phenomena. 

Darya holds an MFA in Printmaking from Georgia State University in Atlanta, as well as a BFA and a first MFA in Painting from Tehran, Iran. Following her graduation, she continued teaching at GSU as a Visiting Lecturer. She has actively exhibited her work in solo, invitational, juried, and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Her work has been featured in magazines like Atiba9 magazine, ArtsATL, Voyage Magazine, Bold Journey, and CanvasRebel and other magazines. Her work is also featured on the cover of Technocreep & the Politics of Things Not Seen. 

Darya has received multiple awards for artistic excellence, including the Edge Award (Forward foundation) and MFA Emerging Artist of Georgia Award. She has also been selected for prestigious residency programs such as the Atlanta Midtown Alliance Art Residency Program and the Hambidge Art Residency Program. Additionally, she has collaborated with Dashboard Organization’s Shine Project as a featured artist. 

In her studio practice and recent installations, she employs a diverse range of printmaking, painting, and mixed-media techniques, including lithography, intaglio, silkscreen, woodcut/linocut, monoprint, and alternative photographic processes. She integrates these traditional methods with time-based media such as video, sound, and dance, creating immersive and interdisciplinary works. 

Photo courtesy of Darya Fard

Sean Dahlman, composer and visual artist collaborator 

Sean Dahlman is a composer and video artist from Boise, Idaho, USA. Sean started his artist career by composing for silent movies and performing in local indie bands. This eventually led him to explore his own video art; utilizing slow-motion cameras, he creates unique visualizers without the need for special effects. This created a passion for finding extreme aesthetics in brief moments. Years of surveying for the Forest Service inspired him to use native and local flora as inspiration for his videography. The videos for this performance were filmed in Blanca, Spain, at the AADK Artist Residency, and in the mountains of Idaho.  

Photo courtesy of Sean Dahlman 

Meaghan Novoa, Director and Choreographer 

Meaghan Novoa (They/She) is a Choreographer from Atlanta, GA. They received their early dance training in Newnan, GA and began their performance career with Metro Atlanta companies such as Southern Arc Dance Theatre, City Gate Dance Theater, and Room To Move Dance Company. In 2018 they relocated to the PNW for four years, where they performed with Automal Dance Company (Portland, OR) and Idaho Dance Theatre (Boise, ID). Meaghan has presented their choreography across the country, including at The Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Fertile Ground Festival, Treefort Music Festival and Fall For Fall Dance Festival. They have received multiple grants and Artist Residencies for their choreography including through Boise City Department Of Arts & History, LED Boise, Atlanta Contemporary, Dance Canvas, Art On The Beltline, Arts & Entertainment Atlanta, City Of Atlanta’s Mayor’s Office Of Cultural Affairs and South Arts. Most recently they presented their evening length work “In This House” at Balzer Theater and were awarded the 2024-2025 Emerging Artist Award from the Mayor’s Office Of Cultural Affairs. Meaghan‘s work is influenced by their Jewish and Colombian heritage and centers queer and neurodivergent stories. For more information on Meaghan, visit www.novoadances.com or follow them on Instagram @novoadances