Natsumi Sophia Bellali

Natsumi Sophia Bellali was born and raised in Montreal, and received her modern dance training at The Ailey School in New York. She is a founding member of MICHIYAYA Dance, and was an understudy for Hard Nut with the Mark Morris Dance Group. She deepened her artistic voice during the creation of Calling: a dance with faith with Ping Chong + Company, directed by Jesca Prudencio, presented at the LaMaMa Moves! Dance Festival. She has choreographed for dancers at Ballet Montreal, the Glee Club at St-George High School, and Youth Theater Canada.

She then dove into creating her first solo work Salam Tata, which premiered at Festival de danse contemporaine de Sherbrooke. She will next be developing new work Watashi(tachi) in residency at The Dance Centre in Vancouver, as part of the new cross-residency support with Circuit-Est. She has also showcased her commercial dance voice as Associate Choreographer for We Fancy, a new immersive party for cruise line Virgin Voyages. In May 2024, you could catch her on stage in Montreal casted as ensemble dancer for the French world premiere of la comédie musicale: TOOTSIE at Espace St-Denis.

Bellali continues to share her practice by teaching in various contexts. Today, she specializes in cross-training athletes in dance. She ranges from working with synchronized swimmers, to figure skaters, to high diver Molly Carlson.