FOUNDER | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

(She/They)

Dominique M. Fontenot is an educator, choreographer, dance coach, and visual artist whose work centers artistic excellence, community, and cultural legacy. Hailing from Lawtell, Louisiana, she earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she began choreographing original works examining the African American experience within social contexts. She later earned an MA in Dance Education and Ballet Pedagogy from New York University in partnership with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), receiving NYU’s Outstanding Community Building and Service in Dance Education award. Dominique is also an ABT® Certified Teacher, trained in the National Training Curriculum from Pre-Primary through Level VII and Partnering.

Dominique has spent the past decade building and sustaining impactful dance programs within school and community spaces. She served as the founding dance instructor and arts coordinator at Achievement First Ujima High School, where she curated large-scale artistic productions and developed youth leadership through the Lion Dance Ensemble. She currently serves as the Performing Arts Teacher at Unity Preparatory High School, continuing her commitment to arts education rooted in access, discipline, and self-discovery.

In addition to her work in education, Dominique is the Founder and Artistic Director of The R.E.A.C.H. Collective, a non-profit arts organization dedicated to empowering Black and Brown movement artists through creation, instruction, exposure, and performance opportunities. Under her leadership, the collective has presented work at Dixon Place, El Museo del Barrio, Arts On Site, New York University, Queensborough Performing Arts Center, Center for Performance Research, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, and Trisk Theatre.

A devoted mentor and coach, Dominique has served for ten years as head coach of Northwest High School’s Dazzling Dolls, cultivating leadership, tradition, and artistic excellence. She is also the founder of Louisiana’s 337 All Star Dance Team: The Elite Gems, established in 2017 to expand access to high-level performance training for youth. Her artistic leadership extends beyond the stage through her role as director for NYU Steinhardt’s 2025 and 2026 Sankofa Celebration honoring Black History Month.

Dominique lives and works by the guiding principle: “You live to create another day.”
Her work reflects a belief in dance as both a discipline and a living archive — one that carries history forward while creating space for future generations.