The Director
Meet Ms.Alia BFA & MFA
Alia Montijo is a distinguished performer, creator, and arts leader based in Chicago, Illinois, with international recognition for her contributions to the fields of dance, choreography, and screendance. She holds a BFA in Dance and Arts Administration from The Ohio State University and an MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University. In July, 2026, Alia will continue her education with the one-year Alvin Ailey Teacher Certification Program.
Throughout her career, Alia has performed professionally with esteemed companies including The Joel Hall Dancers, Thodos Dance Chicago as a guest artist, Inaside Chicago Dance, and Eisenhower Dance Detroit/ From 2014–2018, she served as Artistic Director of Noumenon Dance Ensemble, earning both local and national acclaim for her bold and evocative choreographic work. She has also collaborated independently with celebrated visual artist Nick Cave in his acclaimed production Here/Hear, and her performance work spans stage, screen, and experimental film.
Alia’s creative work and leadership have been recognized with numerous honors, including: 2026 Illinois Arts Council, General Operating Support Grant, 2026 Young Leaders Fund/Chicago Community Trust, 2025 induction to the Civic Actor Studio at the University of Chicago, 2024 (ongoing) residency with The Logan Foundation at Movement on Montrose, 2023 Individual Artist Program grant from Chicago’s DCASE for the choreographic presentation of The Third Culture,
2021 Honorable Mention from the Toronto Contact International Dance Festival and Audience Choice Award from Dance/Media Japan for the screendance The Blood Harvest, 2020 finalist for Young Alumni Achievement Award from The Ohio State University, 2019 Phi Kappa Phi inductee for Academic Excellence & Research, and 2018 Career Advancement Scholar recipient from the American Association of University Women.
Alia is the Founder and Artistic Director of Dance Avondale, a neighborhood dance academy dedicated to fostering access, equity, and excellence in dance, fitness, and aerial arts education, a role she considers her most meaningful professional achievement. She is also the producer of the Montrose International ScreenDance Festival (MISDF), a growing platform celebrating the intersection of dance and film on an international scale in Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to her work at Dance Avondale, Alia is currently on faculty at Loyola University Chicago and has previously taught at North Central College, Roosevelt University, Columbia College Chicago, and as guest faculty at The Ohio State University, Jacksonville University, and the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO).