Photo: Yi-Chun Wu
NVD Project is
is a movement-based organization led by artistic director Nicole Vaughan-Diaz, based in Asheville, North Carolina. Through contemporary dance and film, the project creates poignant, visually striking explorations of the human condition. NVD Project tells the stories of us—our shared memories and emotional landscapes made manifest through movement.
Grounded in the belief that kinesthetic intelligence is to be honored and refined, the project celebrates the power of movement to open new pathways for empathy, meaningful dialogue, and personal reflection.
Nicole Vaughan-Diaz
is a choreographer, performer, and filmmaker based in Asheville, North Carolina. Originally from Miami, Florida, she holds a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of South Florida, where she received the BRAVO and Hope Rietschlin scholarships for exceptional artistry. Her work has been recognized for its rigor, emotional intensity, and precision, marked by a fearless physicality and a poetic attention to detail.
As a performer, Vaughan-Diaz has been a core member of the critically acclaimed Kate Weare Company (NYC) since 2013. She has also performed works by Doug Varone, Rosie Herrera, Sasha Waltz, Michael Foley, Kate Hilliard, Luke Murphy, and ODC/Dance, contributing a refined physical intelligence and depth to a wide range of choreographic voices.
In 2019, Vaughan-Diaz founded NVD Project, presenting work at venues including Judson Memorial Church, The Public Theater, and Arts on Site in New York City. Her choreography has been hand-selected for The Future Dance Festival (NYC) and the North Carolina Dance Festival, and she received the Challenge Winner Award at the 24th Annual DanceNOW Festival of New York City. Her work has been noted for its compositional mastery and clarity of vision.
In 2023, Vaughan-Diaz was commissioned by the American Dance Festival to create a new work for the Made in NC series, which she is currently adapting for film. In 2024, she was named an Artist in Residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City and is now preparing for the premiere of her newest work, commissioned by Charlotte Ballet, to be performed in February 2026.
Kendall Teague
Raised in the mountains of western North Carolina, Teague attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. He began his professional career in 2008 as a corps de ballet member of San Francisco Ballet in the Bay Area. He has since performed with North Carolina Dance Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden, Ballet San Jose, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, ODC/Dance, Kate Weare Company, and Stewart/Owen Dance.
Beyond performance, Teague is affiliated with The Patriot Project as a healing movement practitioner, supporting veterans in addressing physical and emotional challenges resulting from their service. He has been a core member of NVD Project since 2022.
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
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