Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Jada Vaughan was immersed in the vibrant culture, art, and music of her city from an early age. Her dance journey began at the Edge School of the Arts in Queens, NY, where she trained in Modern, West African, Hip Hop, and Tap. Inspired to continue broadening her training, she joined the inaugural class of MOVE|NYC|’s Young Professionals Program under the direction of Chanel DaSilva and Nigel Campbell. She also attended The Ailey School’s Junior Division, where she studied Ballet and Horton.

Jada continued her multifaceted dance education by pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. She also minored in Entrepreneurship at USC’s Marshall School of Business, supporting her interest in dance entrepreneurship and arts management. During her time at Kaufman, she expanded her knowledge of Black vernacular and social dance practices, which deeply influenced her artistic development. While at USC, Jada had the privilege of performing works by renowned choreographers including Kyle Abraham, Hope Boykin, Tyce Diorio, Roderick George, Jiří Kylián, Dwight Rhoden, Micaela Taylor, Paul Taylor, and Doug Varone. She was also a founding member of USC’s first majorette team, the Cardinal Divas of SC.

In addition to her collegiate training, Jada was selected to train at The School at Jacob’s Pillow as a member of the 2023 Contemporary Performance Ensemble. She was also awarded the Inaugural Summer Intensive Fellows Program Award while attending the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago CREATE Summer Intensive.

Jada is currently a company dancer with Saint Louis Dance Theatre (since 2024). She is dedicated to bridging African Diasporic and contemporary dance forms while creating space for culturally and socially relevant artists. She brings power, grounded movement, and intentionality to every endeavor, while honoring the individuality of each artist she collaborates with.

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