Based in the Bay Area, Natalya Janay Shoaf is a renowned dance educator, choreographer, and performing artist with a dynamic career spanning both education and performance. Natalya received her formidable dance training at Burbank Dance Biz, Patsy Metzger Dancers, Media City Ballet, Los Angeles Country School for the Arts, and holds a BFA in Dance from the Alonzo King LINES BFA program at Dominican University.

Natalya is an acclaimed solo performer known for her expressive, time-suspending choreography and captivating stage presence. She has performed with Robert Moses Kin, OYSTERKNIFE, Flyaway Productions, dawsondance | SF, and dazaun.dance. Her original work was showcased in Alex Ketley’s recent show and received a glowing review from the SF Chronicle that reads,“ In one of the most moving section, dance Natalya Shoaf performs a solo she choreographed to Clark’s original poem “Handprints”, set to music by Dubois A’keen. She spins with urges supplication among strewn pages, approaching an audience member with gullies vulnerability to offer her hand.”

Natalya’s choreography has been commissioned by Alonzo King LINES Summer and BFA Program, Oakland Ballet Company, CHOPshop dance (Seattle), and Black Choreographers Festival where she has been a recurring artist since 2018.

As an educator she has been invited as guest lecturer to speak on dance praxis and offer movement at Cal Berkeley and Dominican University. Natalya has been fortunate to hold an artist in resident position at Cal State University East Bay for one year and at The Athenian School for 1.5 years. While holding these residencies she was on faculty at Oakland School for the Arts teaching contemporary, pointe, ballet, floor work, and improvisation.

Natalya’s original costume design has been commissioned by Axis Dance Company, dazaun.dance, and Oakland School for the Arts.