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The Mobile Dance Film Festival operates in Lenapehoking on land currently known as New York City, USA.
We acknowledge the land of the Lenape people past, present, and future.
From Lenape Talking Dictionary of the Delaware Tribe of Indians - Prayer by Nora Dean:òk wèmi weltëk kèku ènta milian, wanìshi
(and for all good things you have given me, thank you.)
Land Acknowledgement Resources HERE -
The Mobile Dance Film Festival acknowledges the forced labor of enslaved peoples who built and developed the land we now call New York City.
We acknowledge and honor the labor of the enslaved, their lives, and the lives of their descendants past, present, and future.
We especially acknowledge the placement of our most recent screenings on and near the African Burial Ground National Monument of Manhattan. -
While we are committed to being as accessible as possible, the Mobile Dance Film Festival acknowledges our deficiencies with offering fully accessible programming.
Developing our accessibility practices is ongoing and we appreciate any feedback toward this goal of being fully accessible. -
Our most actionable practice for the future of our acknowledgements, is a financial contribution to organizations working in and with the communities we are acknowledging.
For 2026, those organizations are:
Éenda-Lŭnaapeewáhkiing (Land of the Lunaapeew) Collective
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York
2026 Mobile Dance Film Festival
Screening Program
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Melitta Dsouza
Melitta is a contemporary movement artist with over 20 years of experience across musical and physical theatre, contemporary dance, choreography, and movement education. Trained in Modern Dance at Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts, she has performed in productions including Gandhi The Musical, Disney’s Aladdin, Civilization to Nation, and Mumbai Star, and collaborated on contemporary works including Weft, C Tactile, FauxPas, and Unforgiven. Her works Araajakta and Ripple Effect have been presented at contemporary dance platforms. She recently directed Until It Ran Into Me, a short dance film that has screened at film festivals. Her practice explores embodied enquiry, subtle physical responses, and the interconnectedness of bodies, space, and environment.
Director & Choreographer: Melitta Dsouza @melachi20
Director of photography: Dixit Jhetva @_dixit_
Choreographer: Abhishek Choksi @abhishek.choksi
DOP & Editor: Ankit Kundra @ankt95ninefive
Editor: Prashant Thakur @thakur_wtf Sound Designer: Sahishnu T @sahishnutongaonkar
Sound Design: Aidan Philip @aidan_philip_06
Movement artists:
Ayush Chandrakar
Mukesh Uike
Mugdha Jaiswal
Navin Kelamane
Nikita Shukla
Nishashmitha
Rohit Rajput
Rohit Kumar
Saachi
Jimit Thaker
Melitta Dsouza
Abhishek Choksi
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Steven Omodiagbe-Nelson
Omodiagbe-Nelson Steven, professionally known as Shazam, is a Nigerian contemporary African dancer, choreographer, dance educator, and creative artist with over 14 years of experience in dance. His practice explores human experiences, emotions, identity, relationships, and the stories embedded within everyday life. As a choreographer, he creates works that merge contemporary movement with African influences, using the body as a powerful medium for storytelling and expression. Steven has performed, taught, choreographed, and collaborated across diverse creative spaces, continually seeking new ways to challenge movement and engage audiences. Through his work with By The SON Productions, he is committed to developing meaningful, thought-provoking performance experiences.
Choreographer & Dancer: Omodiagbe-Nelson Steven (Shazam) Production: By The SON ProductionsLinks to socials:
@otaobayomioluwanioje
@Ibk.oluwa
@_tcg247
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Anna Stribrny
Anna Stribrny is originally from West Chester, PA and grew up training at The Rock School West. She graduated from Skidmore College in 2024 with a BS in Dance and a double major in Art History. Anna has trained in a multitude of styles including, contemporary, modern, ballet, partnering, jazz, and hip-hop. As a performer, she loves the exhilaration of performing live and embodying a character. She is currently a company member of Zehnder Dance and former member of Tabula Rasa Dance Theater. Anna has also performed works by Miguel Miranda, Thea Bautista, Madison Hicks, Matthew Neenan, Monica Bill Barnes, and Larry Keigwin.
Choreography: Anna Stribrny & Jacque Forman
Filmed by: Anna Stribrny & Jacque Forman
Link to wesbite:
www.annastrib.com
Links to socials:
@astrib.dance
@jacqueforman
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Mari Sprague
Mari Sprague (she/her), is a recent graduate of Slippery Rock University where she earned her BFA in Dance with concentrations in Performance and Choreography and Dance Entrepreneurship. Mari began her dance film career at SRU under Irishia Hubbard Romaine and Jennifer Keller. This past Winter, she had the opportunity to intern for Dance on Camera in New York City. Currently living in the Detroit area, Mari is continuing to create dance films, presenting her choreography, and developing skills within Arts Administration. This is Mari’s first time presenting at a film festival and she is so excited to share her work along so many talented artists!
Photo credit: Mari Sprague
Director: Mari Sprague
Choreography: Mari Sprague and Dancers
Spoken word written by: Mari Sprague and Herrmann
Spoken word spoken by: Maddi Davidson and Herrmann
Dancers: NyaMarie Acevedo-Garcia, Maddi Davidson, Valentina Duić, Eleanor Fish
Editor: Mari Sprague
Sound: "outside noises" by Mari Sprague, "Mystery Man (4 148)" by Michael Wall
Links to socials:
@mari.sprague
@marispraguedance
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Emily Muro
Emily Muro is a Latin American multi-disciplinary artist from Southern Oregon. A student of advertising and dance at the University of Oregon, her work explores the integration of movement across diverse art forms, connecting with audiences through audio-visual media and live performance. Emily is trained in hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, and ballet. Most recently, she choreographed for World of Dance Bay Area 2026 as a member of Duck Street Dance Crew. Driven by vulnerability and intentionality, her creative process aims to challenge perspectives, deliver powerful messages, and spark meaningful impact through artistry.
Lighting and headshot: Ella Moriarty
Dancer: Caleb Correa
Link to website:
https://readymag.website/u1345706897/6276916/
Links to socials:
@emilyymuro
@caaaleb___
@etmoriarty
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Darion Adams
Darion Adams is a multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, performer, educator and cultural producer from Manenberg, Cape Town. Their practice spans dance, screen dance, live art and multidisciplinary performance, exploring identity, memory, heritage, place and the lived realities of the Cape Flats. Their screen-dance works include Perspective: Triptych, winner of the Creativity Award at the 1-Minute Film Festival, and Reclamation: Home, alongside collaborative work such as When You’re Gone. In 2025, Darion was awarded the Pina Bausch Fellowship, and in 2026 undertook an international internship with ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival. They are also Founder and Director of The AIM Society, a community-rooted arts initiative based in Manenberg.
Performers: Darion Adams and Tamsyn Pretorius
Assistant: Idriez Rinquest
Headshot: Jeremeo Le Cordeur
Link to website:
darion-adams.mozellosite.com
Links to socials:
@dthorne_
@theaimsociety_
@tamsynlucy
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Sienna Kresge
Sienna Kresge is an Idaho-born, LA-based multidisciplinary artist and renaissance woman. Her work shapeshifts between music, dance, literature, film, textile, and collage. Her artistic research explores themes of identity, perception, spirituality, somatics, science, metaphysics, and intergenerational trauma. Sienna choreographs and performs with experimental pop artist Gelli Haha, and choreographed and composed music for award-winning play Little Chaos at Hollywood Fringe. Sienna records music under the project name Domestic Pleasures, and has deejayed for dublab, KCHUNG Radio, Houseparty Rave, and Spiritual Systems. Her writing has appeared in Merry-Go-Round Magazine, Cusper Magazine, and Currant Jam Magazine. Sienna is a dance and philosophy graduate of Chapman University, and a trained Pilates professional under movement wellness pioneer Erika Bloom.
Assistant Director: McKayla Sheldrake
Headshot: Daniela Shella-Stevens
Music: From The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi Live, Unedited performance Wiedemann Recital Hall, Wichita State University John Harrison – Violin | Robert Turizziani – Conductor The Wichita State University Chamber Players https://johnharrison.cc
Link to website:
www.siennakresge.com
Links to socials:
@siekres
@domestic.pleasures
@mckaylasheldrake
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Osvaldo Ponce
Born in 1963 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Cinema teacher (University of Buenos Aires). Cameraman, Director of Photography (ADF), and Film Director. Awards for Short Films as Director: “Screendance Essay Series” (Serie Ensayos de Videodanza): Winner of First Prize, Video Babel Festival, PERU, 2011 “Being” (Ser): “Best International Experimental Video” - II Inefable VideoFest, COLOMBIA, 2024 “Fly towards the Origin“ (Volar hacia el origen): Curatorial Award “Amazonas International Video Dance Festival” Fiva Manaus, BRAZIL, 2025. Awards for Feature Film as Director: “KOAN” Independent Fiction Feature Film Winner of two First Prizes: Transterritorial Underground Film Festival, ARGENTINA, 2014. MIAX (International Festival of Art and Independent Cinema), MEXICO, 2014 Cameraman and Director of Photography for 14 feature films released in Argentina and selected at several festivals. Jury member for several film festivals in Argentina and U.S.A.
Cast: Amalia Martini - Elian Marco Original music: Ruben Ponce - Martin Couto
Camera and direction of photography: Osvaldo Ponce (ADF)
Set decorator: Thomas Ponce Direction assistance: Matías Payer Editing: Karina Kracoff
Color grading: Dario Caamaño
Script, direction and production: Osvaldo Ponce
Link to website:
Vimeo
Link to socials:
@osvaldoraulponce
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Abraham Onazi
Abraham Onazi is a dancer, puppeteer, and filmmaker. Teaching, directing, and working with Mud Art Company. He has performed in all four of its productions and toured extensively with Walk Production, appearing at the Venice Biennale, Manchester International Festival (MIF), Olavsfest International Festival in Trondheim, Norway, and on stages across Africa. His movements and work are inspired by the constant evolving of our cities, people and everything in-between. His practice focuses on how memory, identity and survival manifests in movement and the body.
Sound composer: Wisdom Patrick - @ofuwisdom
Producer: Laura Celli - @laura.celliLink to website:
https://abrahamonazi.lovable.app
Link to socials:
@abraham_onazii
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Rihanna Taveras
Rihanna Taveras (she/her) is a 19-year-old dancer and choreographer based in New York City and Orlando, Florida. She has trained for 14 years and taught for 3 years. She is currently pursuing her BFA in Dance at Adelphi University, where she has performed works by Earl Mosley, Larry Keigwin, Daniel Padierna, Orion Duckstein, and Maleek Washington. Outside of Adelphi, Rihanna continues to expand her artistry through training and performance opportunities. She has also explored choreography and film, including “God Gave Me Feet For Dancing” and “Green Eyes.” As a teacher, she encourages freedom, expression, and dancing from the heart.
Director/Choreographer: Rihanna Taveras
Song Credits: Space Song - Beach House
Dancers: Biviana Orta and Alicia Steeple
Links to Socials:
@rihanna._.taveras
@orta.dance
@alicia.stp
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Ella Tatum Moriarty
Ella Tatum Moriarty is a multidisciplinary artist from Dundee, Oregon. She specializes in filmmaking, photography, and dance. She graduated in June of 2026 from the University of Oregon with a Cinema Studies B.A. and a minor in dance. Her first dance film, Andromeda, premiered at the 2025 Mobile Dance Film Festival in New York City.
Link to website:
https://www.sachwheel.com/
Link to socials:
@etmoriarty
* Denotes student dance film selection