Vanessa Agle Isaac is a Brazilian born performer, choreographer, dance educator, community builder, filmmaker and producer.

In 2021 Vanessa directed, choreographed and performed the dance films “Pandu-cada” and “Alfazema”, both works commissioned by composer Ami Molinelli for her San Francisco Arts Commission Individual Grant Raizes do Choro and Samba project.

Other recent projects include Feita de Luz, a dance film directed and choreographed by Isaac dedicated to Bahia (The Afro Brazilian Motherland) the Baianas”, women of African descent who embody Afro-Brazilian culture and the power of sisterhood. A short clip of this piece was featured in Before It Kills Us All, a film and video installation produced and directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Margaret Lazarus.

In 2018 her Company performed Prelúdio da Saudade commissioned by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Internationally, Isaac has taught in Brazil, U.S.A, France, Belgium and Monaco. She served as a guest teacher for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo’s “Fete de La Danse” in Monaco, Centre Momboye in Paris, Gustafson Ballet Dance School, UCSB, International Samba Congress, among other organizations. She has also served as a guest lecturer at UCLA. Isaac’s pedagogy emphasizes inclusivity, welcoming all ages, genders, and body types.

Nominated for the Brazilian International Press Award in the dance category, Isaac was named one of the “Most Intriguing People Worth Getting to Know” by the Santa Barbara Magazine for her cultural contributions to the city.

For more about her dance company, The Vanessa Isaac Dance Company, please visit site www.vidancecompany.com