Canyon Grace Carballosa

Canyon Carballosa is an autistic queer trans nonbinary professional dancer, movement maker, and outspoken advocate. They currently work as a professional dancer, national award-winning choreographer, competitive judge, and DEEA educated teacher. They received their training in New York City, where they attended the Broadway Dance Center Professional Program with a focus in contemporary and hip hop. Canyon’s professional career has always had a focus on accessibility and community. As a budding artist, they founded and directed Ocala Dance Alliance, an organization designed to make masterclasses financially accessible for their hometown dance community. Through their work with ODA, they focused on bridging the gap between competitive studios and reorienting towards a community centered on a shared love of movement. 

 

Canyon has gone on to also have an incredibly fulfilling commercial career working with several productions and artists. Some of their credits include Dua Lipa, Facebook Meta, Sylvan Esso, Fitz and The Tantrums, Stella Artois, Angel Olsen, Disney Jr star Genevieve Goings, Showtime, and Starz TV. They’ve choreographed for a number of productions including viral artist’s JORDY’s “Till It Hurts” music video, Jenny Kwon’s “Hollywood” music video, and Facebook’s “Fit Out” campaign. Most recently, their choreography can be seen in the release of the new Monster High doll, Twyla, and the rest of the Monster High characters.  

 

Canyon believes dance is the ultimate way to connect mind, body, and spirit. They have spent years collecting tools for healing traumas, breaking through personal walls, and rediscovering a genuine love for one’s most authentic self.  With that knowledge, they released a 30-day online program, More Than Moves. The program was designed to offer guidance and exploration through journal prompts, guided meditations, affirmations, daily improvisational dance tasks, and a number of other tools to connect to curiosity and self. 

 

Canyon’s movement classes take a radical approach to the typical hierarchical structure of education. Their class offers a safe space to explore in new ways, ask questions without judgement, and choose to commit to yourself. They believe that through conversation, trust, and vulnerability, dancers are able to bring their real-life experiences on to the dance floor. Honesty is magic and art in its purest form. All people are innately born with the capacity to experience that magic and no systems of oppression should prevent that. Canyon knows dance is meant for all people to enjoy, and strives to make their dance spaces safer, equitable, and more inclusive for all.