Ryan, a Professional Dancer and Choreographer, to Receive Alabama Arts Impact Award

You may know her for her work in Career Development Services, but Monique Ryan is also a lifelong professional dancer and choreographer. A career support specialist at AAMU, Ryan has trained with giants in the field, danced for Elton John and Arrested Development, and performed at the Olympics. In May, she will be honored at the Celebration of Alabama Arts at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, Alabama.

The celebration shines a spotlight on arts and creativity in Alabama and recognizes individuals who make significant impact on Alabama’s rich cultural landscape. Ryan is among eight people being honored for their unique and meaningful contributions to arts in Alabama.

“I was completely overcome when I received the call from the Alabama State Council on the Arts Executive Director, Elliott Knight,” says Ryan. “It is a complete honor to be recognized for doing something I love.”

Ryan moved to Huntsville, Alabama in 2003 from Atlanta, where she choreographed and performed with the nationally known Atlanta Ballet, Total Dance/Dancical Productions, and The Patdro Harris Co. Upon arriving, she quickly found the dance community and began teaching at the Community Ballet School, now Huntsville Ballet. She then founded and became Executive Director of DanceAll Productions, Inc./Dance Theatre of Huntsville, to bring dance closer to Black and Latinx children and young adults in North Huntsville who had little to no access to classical, contemporary, and modern dance training. 

“When I moved to Huntsville, I did not see dance for me or the people who look like me (Afro-Latin), so I created DanceAll Productions, Inc. to create diversity in the Arts community of Huntsville,” says Ryan. “Since then we have opened the eyes for many young performers to explore performance art beyond their community.”

Ryan’s extensive training comes from master instructors like Mary Jacobs, Teri “Ajile” Axam, and Valjean Grigsby. At Western Kentucky University, Ryan studied under Beverly Veenker in the Performing Arts degree program. As a member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance, she trained with Joan Myers Brown, Chuck Davis, Eleo Polmare, Donald McKayle, Sarita Allen, Ojinga Love, Mamady Sano, Djian Tie, and Lula Washington.

Some of Ryan’s most notable performances include dancing for Elton John, Arrested Development, and Wei Wei of Japan at the 1996 Olympics. She also appears in the video “The Moving Word,” produced by Patdro Harris. Ryan has more than 30 years of experience in the dance and performance world both nationally and internationally and has served on the board of the Alabama Dance Council and is a member of the Leadership Huntsville Access team.

“My favorite part of dance is performing,” says Ryan. “I started training in ballet at the age of nine. I've had the pleasure of working with and performing for some of the best master instructors and artists in the world, from the U.S. to Europe and the Caribbean. Today, I share my passion for dance with countless other performers here and abroad.”

Ryan, who has been at AAMU for eight years, also brought dance to The Hill. She is the Co-Advisor for the Alima Dance Company at Alabama A&M University and has choreographed for campus events, including “Dancing with the President and First Lady,” and “Tea on the Hill.” 

“I started working with Alima Dance Company with Matthew Hales, because we wanted to offer classical dance training to students who came to A&M, but studied dance in their home town,” says Ryan. “Our program allows the dancers to create lasting friendships while continuing to train here on campus. It also provides opportunities for dancers to perform for events on campus.” Ryan has trained dancers who have gone on to dance in professional dance companies, on Broadway, in music videos and major motion pictures, and on professional sports dance teams. Some are now professors of dance at national universities.

Ryan is a two-time recipient of a Dance Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Her fellowship allowed her to travel to Rome in 2009 to train with the World Dance Movement. She returned to the States to further her training with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, both in New York City, and at the West African Dance Conference in Atlanta.

She has also received numerous awards for choreography and was awarded the title “Living Legend in Dance” for her contributions to the African American community in Huntsville. She is on the board of the Alabama Dance Council and is a member of the Leadership Huntsville Access team. She also holds Bikram yoga certification.

Ryan says dance and dance performance have always been her passion. She continues to teach at Dance Theatre of Huntsville and loves working with students at Alabama A&M University. She says her drive comes from something her mother taught her.

“If you can share dance with those who have limited access, then your passion can live far beyond your years. I truly believe Service is Sovereignty!”