Meet the Dancers: Nyna Moore's Grounded Grace
From Saint Louis Dance Theatre's "Meet the Dancers" series.
There's a moment in rehearsal when everything clicks. The music fades into background, the studio walls disappear, and all that remains is the movement. For Nyna Moore, that moment is rooted in something she's carried since childhood: the essence of modern dance.
Denver's Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy is where it all began. Under the direction of Bashir Page-Sanders, young Nyna absorbed the fundamentals of Horton technique—that distinctive style emphasizing power, groundedness, and dynamic use of the torso. Years later, after graduating Summa Cum Laude from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and dancing with Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre, that training still pulses through every performance. "I always like to bring a bit of the Horton essence into my dancing," Nyna admits. "It reminds me of the importance of being grounded and finding my center and moving from that place."
Nyna Moore at 21C Museum Hotel St. Louis | Photo by Pratt + Kreidich
Now in her second season with STLDT, Nyna brings that centered quality to each new challenge. Last season gave her two contrasting roles that tested different aspects of her artistry. Good Grief required resilience—she was injured during the creative process and had to fight her way back. "It really hit home for me," she says of Jamar Roberts' emotionally raw work. Then came Gaslight Dreams (formerly Ellington Strayhorn Nutcracker), which demanded something entirely different: character transformation. "It made me really have to become a different person which was scary and freeing all at the same time."
That duality—vulnerability and strength, freedom and discipline—defines Nyna's approach to art. When she talks about what moves her, she gets specific: "Authenticity and a deep seated sense of humanity. I like to feel a gut punch to the stomach when I am watching, listening or reading about art." She's after something visceral, something real.
Off stage, Nyna's pursuits reveal another side of her personality. She's an avid thrifter with a philosophy worth noting: "Some may say I have a shopping addiction but I think money is fleeting and having a good fashion sense lasts forever." Her apartment doubles as a botanical sanctuary—she tends to multiple plants with the same care she brings to cross-training exercises. (Her favorites? Ankle stability work and glute bridges for those deep six muscles.)
Nyna Moore with “Way Out West” by Forbidden Fruit at 21C Museum Hotel St. Louis | Photo by Pratt + Kreidich
St. Louis has offered Nyna a perfect recharge spot: Art Hill. She goes there to journal, overlooking the city, finding the quiet she needs between the intensity of rehearsal weeks. And when it's time to fuel up? Salmon with broccoli or spinach keeps her strong.
But perhaps the most telling thing about Nyna isn't what she does—it's how she values time. Quality time, specifically. "Being in the presence of loved ones and just sharing space is so special," she reflects. That same presence, that quality of being fully in the moment, translates directly to the stage. When you watch Nyna perform, you're watching someone who understands that dance isn't just about the steps. It's about the humanity behind them.
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