SUPPORT OUR MISSION TO
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY & CREATE
PERFORMANCE AND TRAINING
FOCUSED ON THE EMPOWERMENT
OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
SUPPORT OUR MISSION TO
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY & CREATE
PERFORMANCE AND TRAINING
FOCUSED ON THE EMPOWERMENT
OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
Shaina Baira
Co-Artistic Director
Shaina was born and raised in Victoria, Texas and received her BFA in Dance at the University of Iowa. She completed her certification as a Movement Analyst at the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, and completed studies in religion and philosophy at the New York All Faiths Seminary International. She has performed and taught in Haiti, Israel, Italy the UK, Belgium, and through the USA. She is an ordained Interfaith Minister and member of The Feath3r Theory. Currently Shaina is teaching dance at Wayne State University, is a Detroit based Wedding Officiant and actively serves as a mentor for young dancers.
Originally from Carleton, MI. Bryan graduated from Wayne State University in 2011 with a B.F.A in dance. He has danced with Nicholas Leichter Dance, Brian Brooks Moving Company, David Dorfman Dance and ThirdRailProjects. He has performed and taught in places such as: Colombia, South Korea, Turkey, Tajikistan, and Armenia; as well as throughout the USA. Bryan is an active sound designer/musician, a member of The Feath3r Theory and is honored to have been selected as one of Dance Magazine's 'Top 25 to Watch' for 2013.
Bryan Baira
Co-Artistic Director
LINEAGE
Our work exists within and along the continuum of physical theatre/post-modern dance/movement-based research, spiritual investigation, mysticism, ritual practice, philosophical studies and bio humanities.
We find continuous intersectionality with Prem Sadasivananda, Ram Dass, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Rudolf Laban and Irmgard Bartinieff, Fighting Monkey Practice, Meisner Acting Method, Vedantic non-dualism, and Wing Chun Kung Fu.
HISTORY
Shaina and Bryan began working together in 2014 when their premiere collaboration, "Bench Duet", was selected as the DanceNOW at Joe's Pub "Audience Choice Award" Challenge Winner. From 2015-16 they were East Village Dance Project (NYC) Company in Residence and received the Laban Institute of Movement Studies - Atelier Award. From 2016-18 Shaina and Bryan were chosen to participate in Pentacle's 2-year research and artist capacity-building program, "Administrative Resource Team (A.R.T.). In 2017 they were awarded a creative space grant by The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York and were Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Program Recipients for the 2017-18 season. In Summer 2018, Shaina and Bryan were invited as the inaugural Dance Artists in Residence at The Wassaic Project as well as invited to Participate in The Watershed Laboratory 2018 at Mt. Tremper Arts. Shaina and Bryan relocated to Detroit in July 2018 and in collaboration with Wayne State University, have launched 'BAIRA Intensive Detroit' - Summer and Winter International Training Intensives for professional/pre-professional dancers. Since their relocation, BAIRA's choreographic work has been presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, The Bonstelle Theatre, Andy Arts Center, Light Box Theater and the Allesee Studio Theatre. BAIRA / MVMNT PHLOSPHY started collaborating with NYC's ensemble Pioneers Go East Collective in 2019/20 and were featured on PGEC's creative platform, including CROSSROADS and in the project Lucky Star presented at Judson Church (NYC). The company is a Community Partner with Lending in the D and as of March 2019, BAIRA has found a new home at Wayne State University as the Department's Resident Professional Company as well as Artist-In-Residence at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Detroit.