Amalia Najera is a Chicago native currently based in New Orleans. She holds a BA in Dance and a BS in Exercise Science from Tulane University, where she performed extensively  and developed her choreographic voice. Her foundational training was rooted in the Academy of Movement and Music and nurtured through years with Momenta Dance Company. In 2024, she performed with the International Dance Festival New Orleans and is honored to return for the 2025 Festival. Amalia’s latest work, Tethered, co-choreographed with Madeline Lorio, has been in development for the past year and a half and was most recently performed at the American College Dance Association’s National Dance Festival. She is excited to share Tethered again and looks forward to engaging with audiences through this work.     

Madeline Lorio is a native of Livonia, Louisiana where she began her dance training. Eventually, she moved to Natchitoches, Louisiana to pursue her education and continue cultivating her artistic voice at The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and Arts. Madeline is currently a freelance artist based just outside of New Orleans. She recently earned a BA in Dance and a BS in Public Health from Tulane University. While at Tulane, she was involved in many performances with the Newcomb Tulane Dance Department. Madeline is thrilled to be sharing “Tethered” with the International Dance Festival, New Orleans. This work was choreographed in conjunction with Amalia Najera in the spring of 2024 and has been continuously developed over the past year and a half. Most notably, the work has been showcased in American College Dance Association Festivals at both the regional and national levels. Madeline is beyond honored to have been given the opportunity to perform at this landmark event for you all tonight!