Niarra Gooden-Clarke

dancer

Niarra Gooden-Clarke is a multifaceted professional dance artist, educator, and choreographer currently in her fourth season as a first company member with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC). Born in Toronto, Ontario and raised in Kent, Ohio, she began her dance training in competition-based studios before continuing her education at Kent State University.

Niarra holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Dance and Sociology from Kent State University, where she was involved in both performance and leadership. She spent two years on the Kent State Dance Team and two years in the Kent Dance Ensemble, serving as Student Artistic Director during her junior year and as President of the Student Dance Education Organization. During her senior year, Niarra simultaneously danced with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company as a Jeraldyne Blunden Fellow while teaching at the Jeraldyne Blunden School of Dance. She joined DCDC as a full company member following her graduation in spring 2022.

Throughout her professional career, Niarra has performed works by renowned choreographers including Ray Mercer, Yoshito Sakuraba, Tiffany Rae-Fisher, Gary Abbott, Rennie Harris, Talley Beatty, and Paul Taylor, and has trained with acclaimed artists such as Kayla Farrish, Juel D. Lane, Baye & Asa, and her mentor Maleek Washington. Her additional training includes summer intensives with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, EMERGE125, and the BODYTRAFFIC Summer Program, which she attended on full scholarship.

As an educator, Niarra has over seven years of experience teaching dancers ages 3–18 in a variety of styles. She has choreographed works for multiple studios across Ohio, set choreography on Oyo Dance Company, served as an assistant cheerleading coach at Theodore Roosevelt High School, and is currently a staff member at Miami Valley Ballet Theatre.

Niarra’s artistic interests center on the retelling and preservation of African American history through movement and the use of the dancing body as a vessel to express the Black experience. She is inspired by collaboration and finds joy in the physical storytelling of other artists.

In addition to her dance career, Niarra is a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at Kent State University. She aspires to merge her passions for dance, education, and health advocacy to promote holistic wellness—particularly within marginalized communities—while working to dismantle barriers to equitable access to health knowledge and resources. Niarra is excited to continue evolving as a movement artist, teacher, choreographer, and advocate for inclusive, embodied wellness.