A native New Yorker, Joya Powell received her M.A. in Dance Education from New York University, and her B.A. in Latin American Studies and Creative Writing from Columbia University. Throughout her career she has danced with choreographers such as Neta Pulvermacher, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Katiti King, Donlin Foreman, Megan Minturn and Paco Gomes. Her choreography has appeared at venues such as Meet the Artist Saturday's at Lincoln Center, SummerStage, York College in Toronto, Casita Maria (AIR 2014-2015), The Southern Vermont Dance Festival, FLICfest 2016, The Performance Project @ University Settlement (AIR 2012-2013), Dance on the Greenway (commission), chashama (Resident Artist at Anita's Way), The FLEA, The Outlet Dance Project in NJ, Riverside Theatre, Dance New Amsterdam, Casa del Prado Theatre in San Diego, Montgomery College Theater in Maryland, The Hammerstein Ballroom, Dixon Place, and BAAD!. She has taught and studied dance in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. She has also been a Guest Artist at Penn State, Hobart William Smith Colleges, Columbia University's Teacher's College, Queens College, Brooklyn College, Kean University, and is a substitute Lecturer of Dance at NYU and Barnard College. Ms. Powell is currently an Adjunct Lecturer of Dance at SUNY Old Westbury. Her company Movement of the People is dedicated to unearthing historic and present sociocultural issues and addressing them through the healing elements of dance. Primarily a Dance Theater company, their choreography blends dynamic Contemporary Dance with traditional world folk dances, and develops a sensitive balance of pedestrian gestural phrases with grounded visceral movements that use breath and musicality at its core. In April 2015, MOPDC was featured in Dance Magazine for their choreographic journey in their company repertory piece Her Veiled Reflections. MOPDC holds their annual Winter Intensive: Dance, Choreograph, Envision for professionals and their annual Free Day of Dance for the community in NYC each year. As Artistic Director/Choreographer of MOPDC Ms. Powell is dedicated to connecting cultures, creating socially conscious choreography and finding ways for underserved communities to use dance as a means for self empowerment.