Arzu Salman (he/him) takes the dance floor thanks to the work of LGBTQIA+ and immigrant communities that came before him. His dancing, rooted in the idea of movement as resistance, is a fervid and unbridled love letter to those who will follow. After immigrating from Izmir, Turkey, Salman first attended Piedmont School of Music & Dance in Charlotte, NC. Salman next graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Ailey School & Fordham University, where they received a BFA in Dance & Communications. He is a Dancer & Teaching Artist with Yaa Samar! Dance Theater, under the direction of Samar Haddad King & Zoe Rabinowitz. Salman joined Ballez Company in May 2022, and is thrilled for his company performance debut with “Travesty Doll Play Ballez (after Coppélia)” by Katy Pyle.

Photo by Yael Malka