Alia Montijo is a distinguished performer and creator with international acclaim, based in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a BFA in Dance and Arts Administration from The Ohio State University and an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University.

 

Alia has danced professionally with Dance Avondale Collective, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Inaside Chicago Dance, The Joel Hall Dancers, and Thodos Dance Chicago as a guest artist. She served as the Artistic Director of Noumenon Dance Ensemble from 2014-2018, earning local and national recognition for her choreography. Alia has also performed independently with visual artist Nick Cave in his renowned production "Here/Hear" and has appeared in various dance films and productions. Visit Alia's IMDb page for more information.

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Her awards and accomplishments include a partnership with The Logan Foundation in 2024, an Individual Artist Program grant from Chicago’s DCASE for her work "The Third Culture" in 2023, Honorable Mention from Toronto Contact International Dance Festival, Audience Choice from Dance/Media Japan for the dance film "The Blood Harvest" in 2021, Finalist for the Young Alumni Achievement Award from The Ohio State University in 2020, Phi Kappa Phi inductee for Academic Excellence and Research at Jacksonville University in 2019, Best in Live Performance from the Venice International Art Festival in 2019, Career Advancement Scholar from The American Association of University Women in 2018, and 3rd place in the Denman Research Forum for her research in dance for community enrichment and scholastic mobility in 2007.

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Alia is the founder and lead teacher of Dance Avondale (www.danceavondale.org), which she considers her greatest professional achievement. She is currently on faculty at Loyola University Chicago and has previously taught at North Central College, Roosevelt University, Columbia College Chicago, and has been a guest faculty at The Ohio State University, Jacksonville University, and the National Dance Education Organization. For more information about Alia, please visit her professional portfolio page.