Photo: Yi-Chun Wu
NVD Project is
a movement based organization led by artistic director Nicole Vaughan-Diaz, in Asheville, North Carolina. In collaboration with an open community of multimedia artists, the project's focus is to create stunningly poignant images of the human condition, through the lens of contemporary dance, theater, and film. NVD Project tells the stories of 'us' ; our memories and our sentiments manifested. Believing that kinesthetic intelligence is one to be honored and honed, the project celebrates the art of movement and its ability to open new channels for healthy conversation, empathy, and personal reflection.
Nicole Vaughan-Diaz
is a choreographer, filmmaker, and performer based in Asheville, NC. Originally from Miami, FL, Vaughan-Diaz earned a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of South FL (2013), where she was granted the BRAVO and Hope Rietschlin scholarship awards for exceptional artistry. Additionally, Vaughan-Diaz has studied at Springboard Danse Montreal (Canada) and b12 Berlin Festival (Germany).
As a performer, Vaughan-Diaz has been a core member of Kate Weare Company (NYC) since 2013 and was nominated for the prestigious Princess Grace Award for Performance. Additionally, she has had the pleasure of performing works by Doug Varone, Rosie Herrera, Sasha Waltz, Michael Foley, Kate Hilliard, Luke Murphy, and ODC/Dance.
In 2019, Vaughan-Diaz founded NVD Project which has since presented work at notable venues including Judson Memorial Church, The Public Theater, and Arts on Site in New York City. Vaughan-Diaz’s choreographic work has been selected for presentation by The Future Dance Festival (NYC), the North Carolina Dance Festival (Greensboro, NC), and was honored with the Challenge Winner Award at the 24th Annual DanceNOW Festival (NYC) in 2019. Most recently, NVD Project was commissioned by the American Dance Festival in 2023 as part of the Made in North Carolina series, where she premiered a new work. In 2024, Vaughan-Diaz was awarded the Trillium Arts Choreographic Fellowship in the Blue Ridge Mountains and named a 2024 Artist in Residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City. Currently, Vaughan-Diaz is in production on the film adaptation of the piece originally commissioned by the American Dance Festival in 2023.
Ryan Rouland-Smith
hails from Colorado where he graduated from the Denver School of the Arts. A recipient of the Carpenter Scholarship, Smith graduated cum laude from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Dance and Choreography. A scholarship recipient at the American Dance Festival, Smith worked with John Jasperse and Reggie Wilson as well as performing in the first reconstruction of Bill T. Jones’ Love Redefined. He is a current member of Kate Weare Company and Company SBB , as well as a guest performer with ODC Theatre in San Francisco. Smith, has been a integral member of NVD Project since its early stages of experimental, risky studio work. He is honored to be a part of this new and exciting process.
Photo by Yi-Chun Wu
Kendall Teague
was raised in the mountains of western North Carolina and attended the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. Teague began his career in the Bay Area in 2008 as a corps de ballet member of San Francisco Ballet. He has since worked with North Carolina Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden, Ballet San Jose, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, ODC/Dance, and Kate Weare Company.
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