Makeda Roney (she/her/hers) is a fourth generation artist based in unseated Lenape Nation land known as Harlem, New York. Living in this physical experience as a life, body, and energy alchemist, creative visionary, professional dance artist, and Body Alignment/Pilates coach. Makeda came out of the womb feeling most at home expressing herself through the language of dance/movement and music. Impassioned by this expression and eager to learn many different techniques and dialects of movement language, she attended schools and trainee programs including; Dance Theatre of Harlem under the original directorship of Arthur Mitchell, Walnut Hill School of the Arts, The School of Steps, The Ailey School, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Lines Ballet. As a professional dance artist, Makeda worked with dance companies including BalletNext, Nimbus Dance Works and nia love|Blacksmith’s Daughter. As a freelance dancer she’s worked and studied with Liz Lerman, Debbie Allen, nia love, Jennifer Nugent, Misty Copeland and Marjorie Liebert. Over the past decade, Makeda remains nia love’s teaching/choreographic assistant and online presence manager. Makeda has been featured in The New Yorker, Cake and Whiskey Magazine, A Ballerina’s Body Book, KT-LA Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker Live Excerpt, Ritual: Short Film, Rah Dance Works - ‘What Moves you?’ and The Whole Dancer. This is Makeda’s first season with BDS as the Producer and is honored to be apart of the BDS team.