Joan Ayap is in her ninth season with Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. Ms. Ayap was born in Washington, DC, and raised in Manila, Philippines. She started her dance training at the Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and the Philippine Ballet Theatre Conservatoire. While earning a B.S. in Interior Design from Assumption College, San Lorenzo, she also pursued a dance career. Her professional journey began with the Philippine Ballet Theatre, where she worked with renowned teachers and choreographers such as Gener Caringal, Ronilo Jaynario, Anatoli Panasiukov, Enrico Labayen, TonyFabella, Maiqui Mañosa, and Graham Lustig. In Washington, DC, she has performed with DC Contemporary Dance Theatre and Bowen McCauley Dance. She has competed in Rising Star and Open Pro divisions in American Rhythm, as well as Amateur International Latin events. Additionally, she worked as a correspondent and field producer for The Filipino Channel. She teaches at CityDance, The VIVA School of Dance, and DTSBDC’s educational programs. Currently, Joan is pursuing an M.A. in Cultural Heritage Management at Johns Hopkins University.
Joan Ayap
