Zoe Azille

Originally from West Orange, New Jersey, Zoe has been dancing for nearly 14 years, mastering various styles like Tap, Ballet, Contemporary Modern, Horton, and more.

As a former member of the NJ Tap Dance Ensemble under Deborah Mitchell, Zoe’s passion for dance knows no bounds. Currently a sophomore psychology major with a concentration in mental health and a dance minor on the pedagogy track at Spelman College, Zoe is deeply involved in the arts community. They’re a proud member of Spriggs-Burroughs Drama and Dance Ensemble and are engaged in a movement lab in partnership with Princeton University.

Zoe’s vision for the future is inspiring – aiming to become a dance teacher and school psychologist, using movement to heal and empower others through trauma.

Deborah Chambers was born in New Haven, CT and raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her early training at the Academy of Ballet Arts and the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. Deborah’s professional training began at The Ailey School in New York City under the tutelage of various instructors, including the late Denise Jefferson. She went on to attend New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida as a dance major under the direction of Daniel Lewis.

Deborah has performed as a freelance dance artist with various choreographers and companies in Atlanta & New York City, including Meredith Moore, Daryl Foster, Juel Lane, Tracy Vogt, Lonnie Davis, Zoetic Dance Ensemble, Shift Dance, JP Dance Group, Ya’el Tap, Leigh Ann Kabatra and a host of others.

Her past teaching experience includes the National Black Arts Festival, Drew Charter School, Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School, Project S.L.I.D.E. Studios, Southwest Arts Center, Gotta Dance Atlanta, Harlem School of the Arts, Greenhouse Arts Center, and Dancewave.

She made her feature film debut as a principal dancer in “Bolden” and has had the opportunity to transition into the acting industry through the mediums of tv and film. Deborah directed, wrote, choreographed and danced in her documentary “Tales of a Twenty-Something”.

Deborah is currently a teaching artist, dance fitness instructor, and personal trainer in Decatur, GA. She is currently studying psychology at Georgia State University as she embarks on a journey towards dance/movement therapy and sports psychology.

Tambra “Omiyale” Harris is the Artistic Director of Giwayen Mata, the all-sistah dance, percussion, and vocal ensemble. With 26 years of company experience as a choreographer, teacher, and performer who is trained in anti-racist methodology, Tambra leads the company in performance works and classes that highlight the African Diaspora and the hidden treasures of black womanhood. She successfully developed the K-12 dance program at Charles R. Drew Charter School by employing her own curriculum specializing in African and Black American dance styles, STEAM, and the core values of Project Based Learning. Currently directing a dance program at Price Middle School in Atlanta in partnership with her company Giwayen Mata, she works as the school’s dance educator using cultural and creative movement to focus on identity, cultural relevance, and social emotional learning. At Moving in the Spirit, Tambra teaches the art of West African dance to our GLOW in Motion and Apprentice Corporation performance companies.

Versaille began their training at Gwinnett Ballet Theater under Wade Wathall, and at Terminus Ballet under John Welker. They have studied at companies such as Sarasota Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, The Marais School of Dance, Post Ballet, and Kim Robards Dance. Versaille has worked under choreographers such as Sidra Bell, Dennis Geter, Joanna Kotze, Fana Fraser, Kathyrn Vickers and Albert Quesada. Versaille has also done professional work for The Fidget Space under Megan Bridge and for Judson Church’s Movement Research. They are a recent graduate from University of the Arts, under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield with an artistic scholarship, as well as the Associate Director of the UArts Ballet Ensemble. Versaille is very excited to be working for Moving in the Spirit and Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance.

Graham Shelor (He/Him) is an Atlanta based movement artist, improviser, and dance educator. Originally from Tampa, Florida, his dance training has formally developed through contemporary, vogue femme, modern, ballet, jazz, and hip-hop forms/techniques. Graham holds a B.A in dance from Middlebury College where he had the privilege of training under Christal Brown, Laurel Jenkins, Lida Winfield, Kari Borni, Meshi Chavez, and Michael Abbatiello. Graham has choreographed works which been shown at Fall for Fall Dance Festival (GA), Middlebury College, the New England Conference of American College Dance Association (VT), and NewGrounds Dance Festival (FL).

His work is mindful of transcending community boundaries and fostering radical interpersonal dialogue through active collaboration with diverse movement experiences. He was a recipient of the Alexander Twilight 1823 Diversity and Community Leadership Award and the Mahalingaiah Family Dance Prize, both awarded by Middlebury College, for his research and performance work on movement repression and liberatory dance pedagogy. He has been featured as a dancer in works created by Tori Lawrence, Maia Sauer, Dahyun Kim, Atarius Armstrong, Yoshito Sakuraba, and Courtney McClendon.

Currently, Graham is a company member of ALA Dance and Monica Hogan Danceworks. He is also a member of the Kiki House of Bodega, competing at underground kiki balls in Atlanta and beyond in the beginners performance (vogue femme) category. Graham has shared his love for dance through teaching a wide variety of ages and abilities in studios and schools in Tampa, Middlebury, and Atlanta. 

Janan Mirza is a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a B.A. in dance from Brenau University with a concentration in pre-physical therapy. Janan is a proud alumna of Moving in the Spirit, which became the root to her creative and pre-professional journey. Her dance training integrated the importance of diversity, equity, and proper youth development. At Brenau, Janan danced in works created by esteemed artists such as Du’Bois A’Keen, Carl Flink, and Madia Cooper-Ashirifi. She is currently a teaching artist around Atlanta focusing on early childhood levels in modern, ballet, and jazz. Her wish for her students is to gain the joy dance has always brought her. She believes being a teacher means holding great communication skills and being continuously kind in order to make all students feel welcomed and seen.