A Brief Biography.

Anaka began dancing in the Boulder, Colorado, area at age 8, most notably under Jayne Persch, Artistic Director of Briah Danse.

In 2018, she joined the inaugural year of Ballet Melange in Denver, Colorado, and spent three years training under the excellent instruction of Elizabeth Shipiatsky, Sergii Sydorskyi, Maureen Breeze and the rest of the faculty. In addition to classical training, she nurtured her love of contemporary ballet and modern dance by attending summer intensives and/or performing with several contemporary companies, including (alphabetically) Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Ballet X, Briah Danse, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Maureen Breeze Dance Theater.

Anaka’s professional career began with the International Ballet Competition in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2020, where she was presented with multiple Special Judges' Awards and was asked to join Klaipėda State Music Theater in Lithuania as a company dancer. Once COVID subsided, she moved to Lithuania and danced with KVMT for the 2021-2022 season. Anaka moved back stateside in 2022 and is currently pursuing a career as a freelance dancer throughout the United States. In addition to dancing, she is the Administrator for the newly founded Artistic Ventures in Dance (AVID) and the Assistant Artistic Director of Zikr Dance Ensemble.

Anaka has performed with (to date) Artistic Ventures in Dance (AVID), Boulder Ballet, Ballet Taos, Ballet Melange, Buglisi Dance Theater Table of Silence Project 9/11, CityDance NY, Connecticut Ballet, Dances Patrelle, Minnie Lane, Maureen Breeze Dance Theater, New Chamber Ballet, New York Emerging Artists Project, ZEWJ, & Zikr Dance Ensemble.

Upcoming Projects

Past Highlights

  • In Memoriam

    In the fall of 2025, Zikr Dance Ensemble added a pas de deux from Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s ballet In Memoriam to it’s repertoire.

    My partner, Brandon Penn, and I traveled to Monte-Carlo, Monaco, to learn the pas de deux from Gioia Masala, who was one of the dancers on whom it was created in 2004. Gioia brought such joy to the studio each day, and gave us an incredible amount of detail and insight into the ballet that allows for never-ending discovery.

    In Memoriam is a very powerful piece to perform and it challenges me as an artist to dig deep below the emotions and excitement of performing to find a place of authentically human expression.

    Photo by Kadaire Zeiset

  • Maureen Breeze Dance Theater

    2024.

    It was a dream come true to get to dance in MBDT’s Traveling the Labyrinth. I got to see the premiere of the production in 2023, and then was able to join the cast a year later.

    Maureen was one of my teachers growing up, and influential on me as both a dancer & a person. Her choreography and concepts are so clearly definied and intelligently developed, and it is always a joy to be in the studio with her company!

    Photo Credit: Maureen Breeze Dance Theater

  • Ripples in the Sand

    2023-2024.

    Ripples in the Sand is one of David Taylor’s newest ballets for Zikr Dance Ensemble. I had the opportunity to perform it on three tours with the company, each time diving deeper into the role of the ‘Woman in Black’. It is truly one of my favorite roles that I have danced do date.

    Photo by Francisco Estevez

  • Table of Silence Project 9/11

    2024.

    It was a profound experience to perform alongside over 100 dancers from NYC on the Lincoln Center Plaza. The Table of Silence Project is a yearly ritual and call to action for peace designed by Jacqulyn Buglisi, which takes place the morning of 9/11 and is broadcast worldwide, illustrating the desire & need for compassion, peace, remembrance, and unity.

    Photo by Hisae Aihara

  • Zikr Dance Ensemble

    Fall 2022 & Spring 2023.

    These were two amazing seasons. I was lucky enough to share the stage with (and learn from!) dancers from Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and some who trained at the LINES school.

    David Taylor choreographed an elaborate new ballet, Portals, which premiered in the fall of 2022 and was reprised in the spring of 2023. Portals, along with numerous other works from Zikr’s extensive repertoire were performed on tour around Colorado and New Mexico.

    I personally find David’s work and the inspiration he draws from religious practices worldwide to be fascinating. He presents his inspirations with the utmost respect for the culture of origin and in a way that teaches me about practices I am not totally familiar with, ultimately bringing awareness and understanding to Zikr’s audiences.

    Photo Credit: Zikr Dance Ensemble

  • Klaipeda State Music Theater

    2021 - 2022.

    Through a series of fortuitous events, I received a contract to dance in Klaipeda, Lithuania. It was a whirlwind season and I danced in many different contemporary, contemporary ballet, and theater dance performances, as well as operas. Highlights of this season were performing Stabat Mater by Edward Clug, touring Kirill Simonov’s adaptation of The Nutcracker (photo above), and dancing in Robert Bondara’s Faust.

  • Little. Black. Dress.

    2021.

    A dance film choreographed and directed by Maureen Breeze, in collaboration with the Maureen Breeze Dance Theater and Ballet Melange. The film simultaneously explores how the ‘little black dress’ lets us wear experiences such as playfulness, grief, and power, while charting the journey from innocence to knowledge. (Maureen Breeze, 11-16-21.)

    I danced two solos in the film, representing torment and darkness. It was at times difficult to embody these heavy emotions, but working closely with Maureen allowed me to find different ways to approach and express the essence of the choreography, and ultimately made the film a great learning experience.

    Photo Credit: Maureen Breeze Dance Theater

  • Le Corsaire

    2021.

    What a way to come back from COVID! It was wonderful to be back onstage with Ballet Melange, dancing Gulnara in Le Corsaire. I was coached by Elizabeth Shipiatsky and Sergii Sydorski for this role. Fun fact: the Pas d’Esclave variation was the first variation I danced at YAGP, and it was the last variation I performed before beginning my professional career. It’s always fun to go full circle!

    Photo Credit: 2021 by Martha Wirth