Training Student Showcase: Tiernan Yei

June 13, 2025
7:30 PM ET
Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center
The Theater (Studio H)

Gibney Education proudly presents an evening of work by Tiernan Yei. Experience Tiernan’s piece “Meraki” in a culminating performance of her time as a Gibney Professional Training student.

CAST AND COLLABORATORS

Meraki
Choreographed by: Tiernan Yei
Lighting Design: Dominique Watson
Performers: Alana Averett, Edu Tair Hernandez, Anna Limberea, Cecilia Mitchell, and Arielle Popovsky

This piece is about embracing individuality. It begins with the sensation of a pulse—feeling one’s own heartbeat, and the quiet connection that emerges when rhythms align between people. It’s about sharing space while remaining true to oneself—allowing each dancer to be fully present as an individual, even within a group. The focus is on seeing the humans dancing, not just the dance being executed by bodies. There’s something deeply moving about people choosing to move together without striving for sameness. The work isn’t driven by a narrative or deep conceptual framework—it’s rooted in the belief that dancing, and dancing with others, is enough. That joy, connection, and presence are reason enough to move.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Tiernan Yei: I was born in Liberia and grew up in the United States, dancing my way through a local community studio. A serendipitous performance opportunity just prior to 2020 brought me to NYC for the first time, where I quickly realized I had finally found my heart’s home and next set my intention to train in NYC as soon as possible.

I then spent my high school training years at both NW Dance Project and Open Space in Portland, Oregon. I was honored to study with Gibney in the summer of 2024 and thrilled to be invited to their Choreographic Process which then brought my dreams full circle to move to NYC at age 19 in October of this last year.

I have been honored to set choreography over several years in Portland and am thrilled to make my NYC debut this evening. I hold enormous gratitude to Gibney Dance for giving me space and support in this endeavor.

Alana Averett is a freelance movement artist currently based in New York City. Since graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2023 from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Dance and Psychology, she has completed Gibney’s Independent Training Program, collaborated on various performance-based projects, and facilitated recreational dance classes with Own It! Dance Productions. She focuses on building community and maintaining versatility in her movement practice, while also integrating her faith and curiosity.

Edu Tair Hernandez (He/They) is from Morelos, México. He is a graduate student in BFA Dance from Cal State Long Beach. He has performed the works of Kathryn Alter, Rebecca Lemme, José Limón, Ohad Naharin, Omar Román De Jesús, Anouk Van Dijk, Anna Sokolow, and Charles Weidman. As an artist, his work has been selected for the APAP New York City Center, 92Y Harkness Center, the Palm Springs Dance Festival, Triskelion Arts, and recently the BAAD! By Arthur Aviles. He is a former guest artist of the Limón Dance Company.

Anna Limberea is a first-generation Russian/Romanian American, NYC born and DMV raised. She recently finished the Independent Training Program at the Gibney School last spring and currently works as an NYC based dancer, choreographer, and artist.

Cecilia Mitchell, a Montclair, NJ native, cultivated her dance foundation at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts, where she trained extensively and performed throughout her community. As a member of the esteemed Performance Workshop Ensemble, she engaged in arts education initiatives, using dance to connect with diverse audiences. She earned her BA in Dance Performance from Stockton University, performing with the Stockton Dance Company and collaborating with artists such as Caroline Fermin, Tiffany Mills, Meredith Rainey, Salena Pettaway, Lauren Putty White, Christopher Huggins, and Christian Von Howard. Mitchell’s professional credits include performances with The Moving Architects, Koresh Artist Showcase, Putty Dance Project, and Alma Dance Company. As a freelance artist, she continues to teach, choreograph, and perform across the East Coast, expanding her artistic repertoire while deepening her passion for dance education and performance.

Arielle Popovsky is a NYC-based freelance dancer, environmental activist, and choreographer. Arielle’s work and movement construction is born from her utter fascination of dreams and explores their strange and peculiar nature. Arielle also enjoys implementing storytelling, physical theater, and acting into her work as well as her approach to the work and processes of others to create worlds that add more artistic depth to her work.

GIBNEY INDEPENDENT TRAINING PROGRAM

The Gibney Independent Training offers students from across the world the opportunity to train full time at Gibney, New York City’s premier destination for contemporary dance. Training Students at Gibney have the opportunity to train with NYC’s foremost dance educators, gain practical skills toward building a sustainable career in the arts, and join a network of incredible dance artists. Each Training Student in the Choreographic Process Track spends six to twelve months creating and producing an original work, culminating in a final performance in The Theater at Gibney.

Photo by Victoria Arice