ABOUT MYKEL

Born and raised in New York City, Mykel Marai Nairne is a Bessie-nominated dance artist, creative producer, and model based in Brooklyn. She received most of her formal dance training at The Ailey School, where she was a fellowship student, and then earned her B.A. from Dartmouth College in 2016. During her time at Dartmouth, and without a formal dance curriculum or department, Mykel delved into other passions, including film, comparative literature, and sociology. As a member of the College’s dance ensemble, Mykel performed solo and ensemble works by choreographers John Heginbotham, Rebecca Stenn, and Mina Lawton. Ultimately, Mykel pursued a Film and Media Studies major with a concentration in documentary video production. Her undergraduate career culminated in a 20-minute honors thesis film which explored the persistent racial inequities in the film and television industries.

Upon graduating from Dartmouth, Mykel reignited her movement study through intensives with Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, American Dance Festival, and Movement Invention Project. She has had the privilege of performing works by Bill T. Jones, Merce Cunningham, Robert Battle, John Heginbotham, Earl Mosley, and Pedro Ruiz, among others. She joined Dance Heginbotham in 2018, and subsequently made her Off-Broadway debut as a chorus dancer in the critically-acclaimed production of OKLAHOMA! at St. Ann’s Warehouse, directed by Daniel Fish and choreographed by John Heginbotham.

Mykel’s freelance performance work has brought her to venues across NYC and beyond, including Jacob’s Pillow, St. Ann’s Warehouse, the Whitney Museum of Art (2019 Whitney Biennial), Danspace Project, Perelman Arts Center, Brookfield Place, The Space at Irondale, Joe’s Pub, and Symphony Space, to name a few. The New York Times’s Brian Seibert called Mykel an “elegant standout” when describing her “Blackbare in the Basement” performance at Danspace Project in March 2023. She was nominated for a Bessie (“Outstanding Performer”) alongside her fellow Blackbare performers in the same year. Mykel currently collaborates and performs with Dance Heginbotham, Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Jordan Demetrius Lloyd, Studio Susan Marshall, and Megan Williams Dance Projects.

Mykel has also had the privilege of modeling for brands such as Glossier, Oatly, Blluemade, Neen, and Hayley Bridget. As a makeup, skincare, and fashion enthusiast, she is excited to continue working with people and brands that inspire her.

Aside from her dance and modeling work, Mykel is the Administrative Director and Composer Advocate for New York Women Composers, a membership organization for contemporary women composers who make their living in the New York Tri-State area.