The Dragon Sisters 

Issa & Odessa Dragon are an award-winning multidisciplinary performance duo based in Brooklyn. Their collaboration began while studying at the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. Their careers in professional dance includes contracts with The Martha Graham Dance Company, Gallim Dance, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Punchdrunk Sleep No More and the Metropolitan Opera. They have presented work with Mana Contemporary, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and Gibney Dance. The Dragon Sisters are major forces in the NYC Nightlife scene, with weekly residencies at Industry Bar, Hush, and The Q. They won 2021 NYC Glam Awards for Best Duo/Group and Breakthrough Artists. Their debut EP, The Fine Print, was released in 2021; they have presented live music in collaboration with SummerStage Festival, Ladyfag’s LadyLand Festival, Bartschland, and SONY Hall. Their work as artists and culture leaders has been covered in media outlets including Billboard, Vogue, and TelfarTV.

VENMO:

@thedragonsisters

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

Cristina Rae

Tennessee native Cristina Rae wowed the judges with Gimme Shelter on America Got Talent Season 15. Her jaw-dropping performance received a standing ovation and a guaranteed placement in the competition. With high praises from all judges, Heidi Klum chose to use her only Golden Buzzer pick on Cristina. The soulful rock-inspired singer continued to captivate the judges and America leading her to become one to beat stated judge Howie Mandel. She ultimately placed 3rd in the season.

This mother of one is committed to being a role model for young women. She hopes that they will follow their dreams no matter the obstacle. Before becoming a contestant, Cristina experienced homelessness. But with persistence, Cristina found her way to the Big Apple and, before the pandemic, she entered into the Apollo Theater's amateur night. She took home 1st place. The news of her winning caught the attention of America Got Talent.

"You are a true talent, I know we will hear you on the radio, we will buy your music I am your biggest fan." -Heidi Klum

@cristinaraesings

Photo by Shad Stewart

Jon Joni

Jonathan (Jon Jõni) McDonald (High Point, NC) began his training in traditional African, Caribbean, and Modern dance with the Egwynn Dancers of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. After studying a summer with them at Enda Manly School of Arts in Kingston Jamaica, Jonathan sought out training in ballet, jazz and He has danced with companies such as the Jan Van Dyke Group ( Greensboro NC), Kearns Dance Project (Burlington, NC), and Terrenova Dance Theater (Burlington, NC); all the while teaching in Greensboro at Artistic Motion School of Arts, and Dance Project: School of City Arts. Since moving to NYC in 2015, Jonathan has danced with RuddR Dance, Segerra Dance Theater Project and Reaction Dance. All the while training in circus arts with a focus on dance trapeze and Lyra. He debuted his first solo trapeze act in the fall of 2017 with A&S Productions’ “Circus Muse: A Traditional Circus,” at The Muse Brooklyn. Since then he has been a resident Aerialist/Performer at House of Yes, traveled as company member of ABCirque, performed with Company XIV and at Secret Loft, in addition to freelancing national.

@jonjoniofficial

Photo by Kenny Rodriguez

Christine Shepard

Christine Shepard is an NYC artist who specializes in dance and writing. Originally from Columbus, OH she moved to New York in 2015 and graduated from Pace University's BFA dance program in 2019. Christine has experience on Broadway, in television commercials, music videos and concert performances. When creating work of her own, she hopes to bleed the ideas of the human experience and the artist's perspective. 

@chrisnshep

Photo by Jenna Maslechko

Cemiyon Barber

Cemiyon Barber, born in Jackson, Mississippi, began his formal dance training at The Academic and Performing Arts Complex (APAC), an afterschool program affiliated with Jackson’s Public Schools. Cemiyon was then given a scholarship to study at Idyllwild Arts Academy summer program in California and later received a scholarship to continue studying at the year-round boarding school. He also studied at Ballet Austin’s summer program in 2013. In 2014, he won the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Outstanding Dancer Award for modern. Cemiyon graduated with his High School Diploma, Arts Degree, and a full academic scholarship to the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase, where he later earned his BFA. While at SUNY Purchase, Cemiyon received the Adopt-A-Dancer Scholarship and performed works by Azure Barton, Jonathan Ridel, Brian Enos, Norbert De La Cruz, Nejla Yatkin, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, as well as George Balanchine’s 4 Temperaments and Concerto Barocco. While freelancing in NYC, Cemiyon has had the pleasure of working professionally with Bill T. Jones, Kyle Abraham, Christopher Williams, Austin McCormick, Liz Gerring, Megan Williams, Staycee Pearl, and Vladimir Varnava. Cemiyon also participated in Merce Cunningham’s night of 100 solos in California 2019, and has completed many workshops with the Merce Cunningham Trust. He has been featured in fashion editorials for Vogue Russia and Numero Berlin, while also making guest appearances on TV networks PBS Social and MTV. Cemiyon was mentioned in The New York Times twice in 2021, as well as The New Yorker in 2017 and 2021.

@cemiyon

Photo by Marc Safran

Chanel Stone

Chanel Stone is a performer, choreographer, creator and skater based in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, she moved to NYC in 2015 to pursue her dreams of professional dance. She graduated in 2019 from LIU Brooklyn with a BFA in Dance. She has performed works by choreographers such as Stephen Petronio, Dwight Rhoden, Donald Byrd, and Alenka Cizmesija to name a few. In fall of 2019, she performed with the Donna Uchizono Dance Company at The Joyce Theatre NY Quadrille. In January 2020, Chanel joined Company XIV in their production of Seven Deadly Sins. In April of 2021, she became a Resident Artist with Triskelion Arts where she has been able to dive into her own creative potential. Chanel’s first solo show, (inner)bloom premiered in September of 2021, which coupled live performance art and film. Nutcracker Rouge ‘21-‘22 was Chanel’s first full run of a Company XIV production, playing the role of Marie-Claire. She is now performing as Eve in XIV’s production of Seven Sins. Many creative mediums intrigue Chanel such as watercolor painting and skating which have become apart of her story and narrative as an artist. She creates dance visuals and films that transcend and provide the most authentic emotion. Her experience with creative direction, acting and modeling are all reflected in her work and personal style. Chanel strives to create work that expresses her deepest feelings in the purest form. All of her work comes from authentic feelings of happiness, loneliness, confusion, emptiness, hopefulness, optimism and gratitude. She is humbled to be able to create & perform and strives to inspire young black women of the future.

@moonchildbinch

Photo by Ugo Ray

We respectfully acknowledge that the work of Triskelion Arts is situated on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of Lenapehoking, the homeland of the Lenape peoples. We pay our respects to their land, water, and ancestors, past, present, and future. This acknowledgment demonstrates a commitment to the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and to learning to be better stewards of this land.