The Director

Alia Montijo (She/They) is an accomplished performer and creator with international recognition 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.

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​Alia has danced professionally with the Dance Avondale Collective, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Inaside Chicago Dance, The Joel Hall Dancers, and Thodos Dance Chicago as a guest artist, and was the Artistic Director of Noumenon Dance Ensemble from 2014 - 2018 where she earned local and national recognition for her choreography.

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Alia's awards and accomplishments include the Individual Artist Program grant from Chicago’s DCASE for her work The Third Culture in 2023, Honorable Mention from Toronto Contact International Dance Festival, and Audience Choice from Dance/Media Japan for the dance film The Blood Harvest in 2021/2020, 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, 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. Additionally, Alia's choreography has been featured in local, regional, and national dance festivals receiving much acclaim.

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Alia is the founder and lead teacher of Dance Avondale, her greatest professional achievement. She is currently on faculty at Loyola University Chicago and has taught at North Central College, Roosevelt University, and Columbia College Chicago. Alia has been guest faculty at The Ohio State University, Jacksonville University, and the National Dance Educator Organization. To learn more about Alia, please visit www.aliamontijo.com. 

 

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