Originally from Brooklyn NY, Jada Vaughan was immersed in the culture, art, and music of her city. Her dance journey began at the Edge School of The Arts in Queens, NY, where she trained in Modern, West African, Hip Hop and Tap. Inspired to pursue dance further she joined the Inaugural Class of MOVE|NYC|’s Young Professionals Program under the direction of Chanel DaSilva and Nigel Campbell. She also attended The Ailey School’s Junior Division Program, where she studied Ballet and Horton.

 

Jada continued her multifaceted dance education by pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Here, she was able to expand her knowledge of black vernacular and social dance practices which greatly influenced her artistic development. Throughout her time at USC Kaufman, Jada had the privilege of performing works by renowned choreographers such as Kyle Abraham, Hope Boykin, Tyce Diorio, Roderick George, Jiří Kylián, Dwight Rhoden, Micaela Taylor, Paul Taylor, and Doug Varone. Jada also had the opportunity to train at The School at Jacob’s Pillow 2023 Contemporary Performance Ensemble and was awarded the Inaugural Summer Intensive Fellows Program Award while attending Hubbard Street Dance Chicago CREATE Summer Intensive, where she was invited back to Chicago and took part in a World Premiere creation process with the Company through a week-long residency during their ‘23-’24 season.

 

Jada has recently joined Saint Louis Dance Theatre as a company dancer for their 2024 season. She’s dedicated to bridging African Diasporic and Contemporary dance and providing platforms for culturally and socially relevant artists. Jada brings power and grounded movement practices to every endeavor, valuing the uniqueness of everyone.