Isabella Qureshi - DanceVersity Faculty
Isabella Qureshi was born and raised in Marin County. She was raised in a family of artists including her father, world-renowned percussionist Zakir Hussain, and her mother, Kathak dancer/choreographer Antonia Minnecola. Isabella spent her toddler years amidst the great musicians of our age, including her grandfather Ustad Alla Rakha, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, John McLaughlin, Mickey Hart, to name a few.
She began her early dance training at age 4 at Dance Theatre 7 in Fairfax under Jody White, David Roxander, and Georgia Ortega. At Dance Theatre 7 Isabella studied ballet and Jazz extensively. Isabella also studied West African dance, Brazilian, Character, Modern, and Yoga as a supplement to her classical training. In her teen years she performed as a soloist in Dance Theatre 7's full-length original ballet, "Surealia," where in 2002 she performed a solo choreographed by Georgia Ortega and accompanied by Zakir Hussain. She performed in 2001 9-11 Youth Response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
Isabella went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance with a concentration in visual media at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. While at Marymount she continued her training in ballet and jazz, and began her training in modern technique. She studied various modern techniques including Nikolais technique, Graham, and Hortion. Isabella was given the opportunity to perform original works by Helen Pickett, Patricia Catterson, Anthony Ferro, and Peter Kyle. In 2003, Isabella was given the opportunity to perform in London at Queen Elizabeth Hall "Riverborn," a piece she co-choreographed with Antonia Minnecola and accompanied by Zakir Hussain and Taufiq Qureshi.
Upon graduating, she returned to Marin to teach jazz, contemporary, & ballet at Dance Theatre 7, RoCo Dance & Fitness, and Marin Ballet. She is also a choreographer for Yes Theatre in the Ross Valley School District. She has choreographed youth productions of "Into the Woods," "Oliver," and "The Wiz." Isabella has began to branch out of Marin and has choreographed a high school production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" in Albany. She continues to study different forms of dance. Isabella is currently performing with Salsa Vale Todo & Rueda Vale Todo, two Cuban style salsa companies in the east bay. Isabella is also a dancer with the Carmen Carnes Dance Ensemble doing experimental modern dance that incorporates vocals, theatre, and elements of dances from all over the world.
