Les Ballet Afrik Artist Biographies

ABOUT LES BALLET AFRIK ARTISTS KYA AZEEN, born and raised in Bronx, NY, began her dance training at Harlem School of the Arts at the age of eight. With a strong focus, Kya continued her studies attending schools such as Dance Theatre of Harlem and Joffrey Ballet School. Furthering her training, she has attended the COMPLEXIONS Summer Intensive and became an active student of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Fellowship Program. During her studies, she trained in Graham technique, Horton, Limón, and West African. Becoming an alumni of the Professional Performing Arts High School, she began competing in the New York Underground Ballroom Scene, where she learned the technique of Vogue Theory and achieved multiple grand prizes and recognition at mainstream events, such as the Annual Heritage Ball (2017.) Her participation within the Underground Ballroom Scene lead to many opportunities. Kya has had the opportunity to dance/model in an Adidas Campaign for Women History Month as well as a Coach Campaign titled “Fifty Years Proud.” She’s also performed on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert as a background dancer and has performed in a dance ensemble for the 2021 MET Gala.

Aside from dance, Kya enjoy’s modeling as well as acting. Kya’s favorite quote is “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

ALGIN (DJ ALIGN) FORD is a DJ, dancer, producer, and curator from San Francisco.

Algin has trained, performed, and traveled within various styles / companies and artists on both the east and West Eoast and has a heavy focus on community based projects.

EVA MOORE. EVABUSTAMOVE, (aka EvaB Oricci). is a Guatemalan NYC-based creative artist. Since meeting Omari Wiles, she has had the opportunity to continue to build her performance experience and to become a part of Omari's voguing house The Royal House of Nina Oricci. For the past year, she has joined Abrons Art's Center as a Teaching Artists helping to build the first dance program at Orchard Collegiate Academy. When she's not in rehearsals or practicing her craft, you can find her being a project manager helping people celebrate important moments in their lives. Enjoy the show!!

TYGIÉR MORGAN (name in Ballroom scene) goes by Legendary Tigger NiNa Oricci.

He is 32 years old and originally from Athens, GA but found his way of life and love for ballroom in the Big Apple at the age of 15. He is the NY/NJ Overseer of the International House of NiNa Oricci. He has been in ballroom for 17 years and was deemed "Legendary" by the International Iconic Council on November 11, 2018 at The House of Comme de Garçon House Ball for for Schoolboy Realness and Realness with a Twist (in other words, voguing). Although being deemed for those categories, he has walked many others, such as "Sex Siren" in the earlier years of his ballroom career, but it was commentating that he grew a passion for. His style of commentating is based off of his mentors and parents, Legendary Gregg Evisu Xclusive Lanvin and Icon Selvin “MC Debra” Mizrahi, who helped groomed him and make his own style with Gregg “rap-like” flow and Selvin’s wittiness to creative stories and chants based on the events currently happening at the ball spot on. These two, he owe some much thanks to the success of his career.

ABOUT LES BALLET AFRIK MILERKA RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Mile” (ME-leh), is an ART-repreneur from New York. Music, movement, and writing are her expression tools of choice; tools she uses to find balance living as a Dominican-American woman in a complex world. She is on an ongoing spiritual, self-healing, and decolonization journey that informs her work and views on life. Dance has always been a passion for Milerka. Although she was unable to take lessons growing up, she taught herself from online videos and created her own choreographed pieces with friends and classmates. Before long, she began taking classes in New York City and soon joined New Beginnings Dance Company led by Kyra Johnson in 2009. There, she continued her training in ballet, modern, African, and AfroCaribbean dance. Milerka is also a member of Les Ballet Afrik led by the legendary Omari Wiles. With this experience, she's performed domestically and internationally, and has taught dance to all ages in schools and for companies such as Pizarts, ABT, BDC, Peridance, and Ballet Hispánico. As a choreographer, she produces original works with positive messages and a purpose-driven agenda. Milerka strives to Move the spirit, Inspire change, spread messages of Love, Enlighten minds, and show the world that it’s never too late!

MONTELL RUSSELL (Karma Banks) is a 27-year-old ballroom commentator from Brooklyn, NY. Karma has performed at Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, and the Guggenheim NY, and traveled throughout the states to compete in commentator competitions. He is one of the few undefeated ballroom commentators in the states.

“Commentating is something that saved my life and he states to be his ultimate joy and happiness. I encourage everyone to follow there dreams and focus on what they love and strive for it.” - Karma Banks NICHOLAS SEGAR is a 26-year-old Cincinnati, OH native now living in New York City.

At a late start at the age of 14, Nicholas started training at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, OH. He has performed in ballets such as Giselle, Dracula, The Nutcracker, and more. He has also done musicals such as 101 Dalmatians, Brigadoon, Peter Pan, and more. Nicholas has won awards and accolades, one of them being the prestigious Corbett-Mayerson Awards. In 2015, Nicholas attended The Young Americans College of Performing Arts. While in the group, he has traveled and toured to over 16 countries including Japan, Netherlands, Spain, and South Korea, teaching dance, vocal music, and confidence-building through the arts. Nicholas has also performed in an international dinner theater in Kassel, Germany. In 2020, Nicholas was a top producer choice for the final season of So You Think You Can Dance but due to COVID, the final season was canceled. However, through his travels and studies, he realized that his biggest passion is creating, teaching, and inspiring. He now works as a freelance instructor and voguer in New York City. One day, he hopes to own his own dance studio to give back and to plant just a tiny seed of hope that music will one day change the world.

ABOUT LES BALLET AFRIK YUKI SUKEZANE is a dancer based in NYC. Yuki started training dance at the age of 11 in Kyoto, Japan. She performed and competed on 106 & Park on BET at the age of 17.

She moved to NYC in 2013 to study various dance cultures and styles. Yuki also has been a demonstrator for Horton Modern technique class under Jolea Maffei since 2015 to 2020. Yuki was recruited as a member of Les Ballet Afrik Company and has performed numerous theaters, such as New Victory Theater, Guggenheim, Jacob’s Pillow, and more.

Yuki has appeared in music videos with artists such as Halsey, Big Freedia, and Rina Sawayama, among others. Yuki has been featured in worldwide commercial campaigns such as Shiseido, PoseFX, Agent Provocateur, Nike, Reebok, and more. Yuki's journey of creation through arts continues! IG: @yukisukezane YUHEE YANG is a professional dancer originally from Jeju Island in South Korea. She competed in various dance competitions around the nation, winning many titles starting at the age of ten. Yuhee made a decision to move to Seoul City on her own after winning a scholarship to study at the prestigious Hanlim Art High school, where she majored in Dance. Yuhee’s love for Street Dance prompted her to move to NYC in 2016, where she studied the art of Voguing and various dance genres. Her credits include Apple, Agent Provocateur, Jennifer Lopez, Aldo, Bobbi Brown, Reebok, Ralph Lauren, FILA, Gap, Golden Goose, and more. She is a principal dancer of Les Ballet Afrik dance company, directed by Omari Wiles. She continues to build her career as a professional dancer, choreographer, and model in the United States.