Introducing Zyria Guillory

Zyria Guillory is a Lafayette based choreographer, arts administrator, and dance educator with extensive experience in performance, program coordination, and youth mentorship. She began teaching dance at the age of 15 and has since dedicated her life to empowering young artists through movement. Zyria is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and performed as a member of the University’s Lionette Dance Team.

She is currently the Assistant Director of the Hamilton Academy Performance Company (HAPC), where she has helped shape competition teams and direct studio programming since 2019. Zyria also serves as the Performing Arts Coordinator at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, where she connects schools and communities through live performance, arts education, and outreach. She is a lead PACE Movement Artist in the Lafayette Parish School System and works closely with students across the region to integrate dance into curriculum-based learning.

Her past and current roles include Backstage Coordinator and Mini Room Instructor for The Movement Dance Convention and Costume Manager for The Creole Nutcracker. Zyria brings a well-rounded, professional, and heart-forward approach to every project she leads.

Who makes up your art circle?

My art circle is made up of the people I create, teach, and grow alongside every day. It includes my fellow choreographers and instructors at Hamilton Academy Performance Company, my collaborators at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and the PACE artists I work with in Lafayette Parish schools. It also includes the dancers I’ve mentored, some since they were children, who now return as emerging artists with voices of their own. My circle expands into studios, school classrooms, backstage dressing rooms, and community events. It’s rooted in shared commitment to youth development, storytelling through movement, and keeping dance connected to real life and real people.

How do you expand your art circle?

I remind myself to stay open to collaboration, new environments, and learning from people outside of my immediate field. I’ve taught in traditional studios, public schools, and community centers, and each space brings in a new layer of perspective. I build relationships through teaching residencies, community events, conventions, and performance projects, and I’m intentional about keeping those connections active, not just transactional. I also seek out artists whose work challenges or inspires me, especially those working at the intersections of education, wellness, and cultural identity.  I see every interaction as a potential thread in a wider creative network grounded in purpose and growth.

What value do you see in having a creative community?

A creative community grounds you. For me, it’s a space where I’m constantly inspired, supported, and reminded that I don’t have to carry everything alone. Having a creative circle holds me accountable to my vision but also allows me to be vulnerable, to learn, and to dream out loud. A strong creative community also ensures that our work lives beyond just one performance or classroom, it becomes part of a larger legacy rooted in connection, healing, and creating spaces where people feel seen and heard.

How does your artistic approach contribute to  your community?

My artistic approach is rooted in storytelling, intention, and accessibility. I choreograph and teach with the belief that movement is a tool for expression, healing, and empowerment, especially for younger artists who don’t always see themselves reflected in traditional spaces. I’m intentional about creating work that speaks to real-life experiences.

Our weekly Art Circle series profiles artists throughout the community and is sponsored in part by Lafayette Visitor Enterprise Fund managed by Lafayette Travel