Moveius Contemporary Ballet
Artistic Director
Diana Movius
Diana Movius (Artistic Director, Founder, & Choreographer) was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She trained with Patricia McBride at the Charlotte Ballet (formerly named North Carolina Dance Theater) and continued her dance studies at Stanford University, where she earned a BA and MA in Anthropology and minor in Dance. In 2018, she earned her choreographic certification from the International Consortium for the Advancement of Choreography. In Washington, DC, Movius’ work has been presented by Atlas Performing Arts Center, the Kennedy Center, Dance Place, Dance Loft, and others. Her Glacier: A Climate Change Ballet toured nationally to San Francisco (2018) and New York City (2019) as the first ballet to be presented as part of international climate conferences. Glacier and other works by Movius have been critically acclaimed in the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, DanceInforma, Reuters, Observer.com, and other outlets. Movius is the Founder of Dance Loft on 14, the flagship dance center of Moveius Contemporary Ballet, in addition to being a climate policy expert at Climate Advisers.
Associate Artistic Director
Alvaro Palau
Alvaro Palau (Associate Artistic Director) is from Cali, Colombia and danced with The Washington Ballet for 10 years, National Ballet of Venezuela for two years and the Cali Ballet in his native Colombia for two years. Mr. Palau toured internationally with all three companies, and received his training at Colombian Ballet Institute. He studied at workshops in Cuba, New York with David Howard, and the summer program at the Houston School of Ballet. Palau currently teaches at Dance Loft on 14, Catholic University, Séber Method Academy, and Washington Ballet.
Executive Director
Holly Oliver
Holly Oliver is an experienced philanthropic strategist and chief development officer
with a demonstrated history of engaging the community in the work of important
organizations. Skilled in budgeting, organizational management, communications,
team building, and leadership, Holly has worked tirelessly to advance the work of
local nonprofits. Most recently, Holly worked as a consultant with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, advising them on fundraising, organizational management, and community engagement.
Previously Holly served as the chief development officer of Arena Stage, successfully leading a team of talented fundraisers to grow annual contributions by more than $1 million annually and launch the $75 million capital campaign. Before her time at Arena Stage, Holly was a part of the fundraising team at a number of local theaters including The Kennedy Center and Round House Theatre, as well as some of the many associations in Washington.
The Dancers of Moveius
Not pictured: Marcela Vera - Apprentice