Vanessa Isaac Dance

Artists, Collaborators & Community Voices

These two reflections provide complementary perspectives on my artistic practice, community engagement, and cultural work.

Diversity & Personal Impact

My name is Tisha Marina. I am a dancer, an international speaker and Peace Ambassador. I am the founder of I Choose Peace, whose educational mission is to empower young leaders with the courage, compassion, and leadership skills to create peace within themselves and their peers. I have worked with thousands of students, schools and communities facilitating Bully Prevention trainings, Restorative Practices and Equity and Justice workshops. 

My journey with Vanessa Isaac has changed my life forever. I will never forget the first time I walked in to my first class with her. My heart was immediately blown open and I knew things would never be the same. From there on, my life as a dancer, person and spirit grew for the better. 

Vanessa taught me the discipline as a dancer to master the craft, through so much passion and dedication. Her infectious love for movement quickly grew into my passion as well. One of the best times of my life was dancing with her company. Dance rehearsals became the highlight of my life. It brought me a sense of peace during the hard times and gave me an outlet to pour my own passion in to. 

A very special added bonus in dancing with Vanessa is the diversity. As a woman of color, I always felt like I belonged the studio, which is not often the case. It was such a blessing to be in a room with people of all ages, races, cultures and languages. In one of my favorite classes, I danced next to a small child and an elderly woman, whom were both dancing with all their heart and soul. These experiences prove that dance is a universal language and Vanessa creates this space in such a beautiful and tender way.

When I produced my own first dance show, I dedicated it to Vanessa. I would not have come this far as a dancer without her guidance. Vanessa’s artistic contributions and impact in our community are countless. I am continuously inspired as I watch Vanessa dedicate her life to enriching the communities around her.

Tisha Mariana, MA
Global Peace Ambassador, Educator, and Dancer
Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, California

Tisha Mariana, M.A. is the founder of I Choose Peace, a dancer and educator dedicated to holistic approaches to well being and community care. She holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and works through modalities including somatics, experiential facilitation, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Roots & Vision

My name is Marcus Santos. I am a Brazilian musician and educator. As a Latin artist living in the United States, I believe Vanessa Isaac’s work is of great relevance regionally and internationally for the Latinx community and beyond. For more than twenty years she has created art that matters while fostering community.

Vanessa Isaac’s work is important on many levels. She is a choreographer, dancer, artist, educator and community leader. Her dance work is important culturally and artistically and the influence of her projects continues to exist well after their creations. Her vision as well as her work inspires a culture of inclusion, diversity and social equity in the communities in which she serves.

As a choreographer, Vanessa exceeds in creating impactful and well-researched dance works. She brings her deep knowledge of traditional and contemporary dance languages. Her choreography is deeply rooted in the traditions of Afro-Brazilian and Brazilian culture. Whatever she creates or teaches, she ensures that everybody understands the cultural roots of her art. And as the extraordinary artist that she is, her work is visionary and singular. She understands and respects the cultural roots while bringing a broad perspective to her dance creations.

I have worked with Vanessa on a variety of projects and I appreciate the way she challenges her collaborators. She is able to bring the best out of every artist that she works with. She is always working with diverse voices, giving opportunities for all artists to grow and to be heard in her collaborations. 

Vanessa has also worked extensively for more than two decades teaching and leading the way for dancers in California and beyond. She has influenced many dancers to learn, develop and grow as artists and individuals in their communities. She has worked tirelessly on developing new artists and encouraging dancers to fully express themselves.

 Her work is a catalyst for self-development and transformation. She nurtures individual talents, while pushing them to surpass what they believed was only possible for themselves. Her influence is undeniable. Her community-building model utilizing dance and music as a healing agent, has served as a model of inspiration for the birth and development of many other groups and organizations.

She lifts people up and encourages individual expression while making everyone feel like they belong to a community. Her artistic work is one of inclusion positively affecting the communities she serves. In my view, she is one of the best artists bridging cultures today, which is especially necessary at this moment. 

Vanessa Isaac has had a transformational impact in the lives of our artistic communities, while creating excellence in the dance arts. 

Marcus Santos
Professional Musician, Educator, and Cultural Leader
Boston, Massachusetts

Marcus Santos is a Brazilian musician, educator, and cultural leader based in Boston and originally from Bahia, the Afro Brazilian motherland. He has performed with internationally renowned artists and received numerous honors, including the KOSA Recognition Award (2013), the Outstanding Arts Performer Award from the Brazilian Immigrant Center (2008), and the Outstanding Percussionist Award from Berklee College of Music (2004). Marcus has led workshops on Afro Brazilian percussion and music for social change at festivals, universities, and institutions around the world, including Carnegie Hall, Fiesta del Tambor (Cuba), PASIC, and Harvard University. He is currently the artistic director of Grooversity, a global drumming network connecting twenty four drumming groups across the United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and France.