Dance Tempe: Residencies & Performance

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Currently in its 4th year, Dance Tempe is an annual program that brings together professional dance artists and high school student dancers. Three local dance professionals are chosen through a panel selection process to fulfill residencies in all six Tempe Union High School District schools every Fall. The choreographic works created in the residencies premiere in the culminating Dance Tempe Showcase at Tempe Center for the Arts. The showcase also features an additional piece by each high school and performances by the resident artists’ professional companies.

While supporting young dancers as they enter potential careers in the performing arts, Dance Tempe also fosters the development of local dance educators and professional dance artists by providing a platform to share knowledge, create and present work.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
Dance Tempe Showcase
Feb. 3, 2026 at 7pm
Tempe Center for the Arts

2025-26 Resident Artists:

Dance Tempe Resident Artist
Adrian Lobo

Dance Tempe Resident Artist
Allison Liedman

Megan Neese

Meet the 2025-26 Resident Artists

Dance Tempe Resident Artist
@adrianlobo333 | adrianlobo333.weebly.com
Marcos de Niza and Mountain Pointe

Adrian Lobo is a movement artist specializing in the dynamic street dance styles of Pop Lock and Body Illusion. With roots deeply embedded in the underground street dance culture of Los Angeles, Adrian honed his skills under the guidance of renowned urban dance originators and pioneers. His journey has taken him to countless stages and events worldwide, where he has not only showcased his talents but emerged victorious in numerous competitions across the United States and Europe.

Adrian's performance artistry extends to a myriad of platforms, including music festivals, theaters, conventions, and music videos, both domestically and abroad. His passion for street dance led him to establish the Dance Jedi Academy, an institution dedicated to imparting the art of street dance through the transformative lenses of Eastern philosophy, holistic health, and mysticism.

Beyond his contributions to the dance world, Adrian is a dedicated practitioner and teacher of various wellness practices such as meditation, yoga, qigong, and mindfulness. His holistic approach to teaching goes beyond the physicality of dance, aiming to inspire and uplift humanity through the movement arts. His commitment to fusing art, philosophy, and wellness reflects a dedication to not only elevating the dance experience but also empowering individuals to harness the extraordinary capabilities within themselves.

Dance Tempe Resident Artist
@allisonliedman
Corona del Sol and McClintock

Allison Liedman is a passionate dance educator who blends her love of movement with youth development to inspire the next generation of artists. She began dancing at age two, training at highly competitive studios in Minnesota. After graduation, she joined Crash Dance Productions, a professional contemporary company in Minneapolis, where she performed and choreographed for six years while mentoring in their pre-professional program. In addition to full-length productions with Crash, her notable performances include the 2018 Super Bowl Halftime Show with Justin Timberlake and Bon Iver’s Eaux Claires Festival.

For over a decade, Allison has taught jazz, acro, contemporary, yoga and musical theater to students across the globe. She is certified in Acrobatic Arts and holds a yoga teacher certification obtained in Rishikesh, India. In 2021, she earned a master’s degree in Elementary Education and taught in public schools in the U.S. and Thailand before transitioning to dance education full-time. She now serves as lead dance recruiter for Ensemble Performing Arts, hiring educators for studios nationwide.

In 2024, Allison relocated to Tempe, Arizona, where she remains active in the studio dance scene, yoga community, and performs with Bodies Contemporary Company. She brings a nurturing, individualized approach to every class- helping young dancers grow not only as artists, but as confident, thoughtful individuals.

Dance Tempe Resident Artist
@meganneese | meganneese.wixste.com
Tempe High and Desert Vista

Megan Neese is a professional dancer and choreographer whose credits include Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show (chor. Parris Goebel), corporate events with Karmagraphy (Kavita Rao, Frank Soares) and E Plus Entertainment Productions (chor. Marcel Wilson), West Side Story as Velma (chor. Joseph Corella), industrials for Arbonne and Isagenix (Strong Productions), and performances with House Dance Complex LA (Emma Wages). She has trained with Zion Dance Project on full scholarship and completed the IAF Mentorship program with Chehon Wespi-Tschopp.

Megan began her dance training at Gotta Dance Company in contemporary, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, ballroom, and modern. She earned her B.F.A. in Dance Education from Grand Canyon University, where her choreography won multiple awards and she performed at the American College Dance Association Gala. She continues to teach, choreograph, and train with Bodies Contemporary Dance Company and Anthro Arts. Megan is signed with Go 2 Talent Agency.

Previous Resident Artists

Evadney Saelens	Spencer Dennis	Trinity Gracia
Carley Conder	Shayla Eshelman	Weezy
Zakiya Johnson	Jemel Marquez	Zarina Mendoza

History

Desert Vista High School performance

The first seeds of today’s program were planted way back in 2008. That year, more than 100 high school students would spend the day at Tempe Center for the Arts learning about careers in the arts from professionals in the field (“Arts Career Day”). As the program evolved, a need for mentorship and professional development in the dance field became apparent. For several years, high school dance students spent the day at the TCA taking workshops and learning form dance professionals. Over COVID-19, a new realization was made when the program adapted to have professional dancers going directly into to the schools (virtually at first and then in-person). High Schools include: Tempe High, McClintock, Marcos de Niza, Mountain Pointe, Desert Vista and Corona del Sol.

Now, the professional dancers teach and develop choreography during the fall semester in each of the six Tempe Union High School District schools. They hold workshops for all grades, as well as set choreography on the advanced students in preparation for the Dance Tempe showcase.

Pieces set by the resident artists premiere as part of the Dance Tempe Student & Resident Artist Showcase at the Tempe Center for the Arts in January. The showcase also features additional pieces by each school and pieces by the resident artists and their professional companies.

The program is run by Tempe Community Arts in partnership with Tempe Union High School District. Special thanks to Tempe Center for the Arts for its support of the program overall.

Testimonials

Resident artist testimonials:

Dance Tempe_Billy Hardiman

"This program was integral in forming my identity as a movement artist and finding my voice after completing my BFA in Dance from Arizona State University. It allowed an opportunity for me to choreograph, set choreography, work within the school system and contribute to the growth of the younger generation. This intergenerational comradery is necessary for our communities to grow in their understanding of how important the arts are. Thank you, Tempe Arts + Culture, for bridging much needed communities, the artists and our future artists. "
- Zakiya Johnson, Resident Artist

Dance Workshop with Spencer Dennis "As a resident artist, Dance Tempe connected me to my community in ways I didn’t expect. Through this program I connected with many students and was able to provide my insight on how they could continue to engage with dance and the arts at large even after their high school experience. Dance Tempe also provided me the opportunity to invest back into our local arts community with funding to assist in hiring dancers and musicians. The connections I made through Dance Tempe have now become deeper collaborations and have inspired me to continue to create new work for our community."
-Spencer Dennis, Resident Artist