EMERGING ARTISTS
MONDAY KUNOO
My name is Monday Moo Kunoo but everyone calls me Monday and I am 21 years old. I represent the Karen community from Burma and since 2018 I have been an emerging artist with L2R. I like to volunteer my time teaching dance to Sunday school kids and babysitting my nephew. I also assist with L2R’s Wyndham class held every Monday at the Youth Resource Centre, Hoppers Crossing.
Being an emerging artist means a lot to me because it gives me the opportunity to speak for the youth that struggle to be heard. It’s also important to me because I get to work with other emerging and professional artists, supporting me to gain new skills in dancing and teaching which gives me the confidence to dance with my head up. I really enjoy working as a dancer and helping others to dance. I hope to gain more skills as an emerging artist while undertaking the internship with L2R.
NASTARAN ‘NASTA’ GHALHGHOVAND
Nasta's passion for dance started at the age of 13 when she started training with L2R. Fostering Nasta’s love for dance and hip-hop culture has given her the opportunity to do performances across Victoria and make an appearance on ABC TV show ‘The Floor is Yours’.
Nasta’s family is from Iran, and she was born in Iran. Nasta migrated to Australia in September 2012. She completed her VCE studies in 2017 at Rosehill Secondary College and is currently studying Bachelor of Criminology at La Trobe University, where she is pursuing her passion for criminology. She continues to be a student of different styles of dance.
Nasta works with our CEO Jacinda Richards on youth advocacy and mentoring opportunities where she is building her convince and developing her public speaking skills. Nasta also works with L2R as an emerging artist and facilitator refining her skills while carving a bright future. Nasta is an Assistant Teacher across multiple L2R programs.
VAN BIAK ‘VB’ THANG
VB is a dancer, performer and a proud L2R emerging artist. VB joined L2R in 2011 and has grown as a dancer and a young leader to the next generation. VB joined VET dance during his time at high school, where he fostered an interest in expanding his dance from hip-hop to other styles including Jazz and Contemporary dance.
VB is also a member of the ‘Young Masters’ crew – a group that formed out of L2R’s Breaking @ Braybrook program. You can see the Young Masters crew perform most weekends in the Melbourne CBD streets, where they have built a reputation as one of the city’s most popular busking attractions.
YOLANDE ARINDA
I’m Yolande Arinda but most people know me as “Yo” because it’s short and sweet. I was born in Uganda and I moved to Australia in 2015. I joined L2R in 2016 after finding out how much I loved learning different types of dance cultures other than Afro-beat. I believe that I have been dancing to music since I was in my mom’s womb and that’s why i love dancing.
I represent all young females in our society that feel like they have no voices to express their feelings and emotions because of their lack of confidence. I want to show society that there are multiple ways that people can express themselves without being judged, that’s why I believe I speak through dance and I want more people to know that they can as well.
To be an emerging artist to me means being able to learn something new but as you are learning, try to improve the idea and if possible try to create something unique and different from others with the knowledge gained during this time. In order to do so you must love what you are doing or enjoy what you are learning. I am interested in learning more about public speaking and improving my confidence in front of a big audience.
URLIK IRADUKUNDA
My name is Urlik Iradukunda, I’m 18 years old and an emerging artist based in Melbourne west. I have experience in the creative industry as an actor, model and singer; and currently starting my journey as a professional dancer.
My journey starts with a young Urlik in the country of Uganda where I was in multiple dance crews and performed with well known artists in Uganda. I was 10yrs old when I started dancing and I have haven’t stopped since.
I joined L2R Dance in 2016 and it has been a pleasure to be a part of such diverse and dedicated team. Initially, I wasn’t good with Hip-Hop dance as my background is in Afro and dancehall; but I have seen improvements in dancing and now I am more open to every genre of dance.
To me being an emerging artist is taking on a journey and hoping that you’ll find yourself where you are hoping to be. As an artist I believe you always have expectations but sometimes it doesn’t go as you planned. And the entertainment industry is very competitive so it’s hard to know exactly where you belong. Acknowledging myself as an emerging artist helps guides this journey towards success; I hope to find my place in the industry whilst building a foundation, working towards my craft and finding my voice.
STEPHANIE DIXON
I am Stephanie Sorn Dixon but everyone calls me Steph. I am an 18 year old, Australian born with Thai heritage. I have multiple interests in the creative arts including dancing, acting and singing but am mainly focusing my journey at the moment as a professional dancer. I originally started dancing in my room watching youtube tutorials before discovering Kpop and performing at my high school. Yolande, who I went to high school with introduced me to L2R in 2018 and through that I had been introduced to the amazing world of hip hop dance.
Through L2R I discovered the many different styles within hip hop dance and have had many wonderful opportunities to explore further through performances, workshops, dance battles and am currently undertaking my Bachelor of Fine Arts (dance) at Melbourne University (Formally VCA Dance). For me, dance has created the person I am today. It has aided me to become more confident and ways towards self love/care, I’ve met many phenomenal and inspiring artists which has allowed me to develop happiness within myself and spread happiness to others within my community.
An emerging artist to me means a creator who never stops learning and growing. Who continues throughout their career discovering who they are and who they want to be as an artist. In this continuous journey there will be moments that will be tough and may cause us to be frustrated with ourselves but that in turn will aid us in pushing us forward to recognise what we want and find the right pathway for us. In saying this I hope to ride this crazy wave of life and take every opportunity to develop my practice and explore who I want to be as an artist.
GIULIANO 'GINO' HAMMAL
Giuliano ‘Gino’ Hammal is, born and raised in Melbourne’s Western suburbs, with an Egyptian and Sudanese heritage. An education student, in Physical Education and exercise science. Also holding a background within the visual arts through photography, painting, drawing, sculpting, and design. Gino finds himself exploring these two dominating aspects of himself through a found love for the expression of dance, since early 2021. Gino practices multiple forms within street dance while favoring the form, Krump.
‘Step one is to be there. Be present, be open, be adaptable.’
DAN JERINEL BAY
Dan-Jerinel is a Filipino movement artist of Krump, Breaking, House styles and choreography. He has been heavily involved in the street scene of Naarm since 2015.
Dan-Jerinel allows himself to gallivant through other creative mediums including pen to paper or text to speech. The plurality of mediums begins to shift and blur between as an experiential echo presents itself through his work. Questions are raised for Dan-Jerinel as a dancer of Filipino heritage situating his ancestry and contemporary influences around the world, he exists in. Therefore, the canvases of his work change to suit a more encompassing lens. To be an emerging artist is to be one who recognizes the need for expression. The obsession to create emerges. To confront, to inform, comfort and communicate through the things that come out.
PHILLIP PHAM
Phillip is an artist of Vietnamese descent who uses dance to express and navigate life. Being relatively new to the art form, dance has provided much meaning to his life; giving him the tools to express and feel confident in himself. Phillip first found a love of hip hop (both music and dance) and later house but loves all forms of dance. He represents 4OK, a collective of dancers who love to create, with the goal of inspiring others. Phil aims to bring music to life through movement, while exploring and personally growing throughout his journey. Phil is also committed to developing greater respect for culture, the roots and everything that came before him.
"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
NOLLY ZAA THANG
Nolly is a movement artist born and raised in Myanmar.
She migrated to Australia in 2012 where she discovered her love for street dance. In 2013 she attended L2R Dance Next Gen program where her passion for dance accelerated. In the decade of dance practise, she is now working as a professional dancer and teacher.
Nolly is passionate about creating opportunities in her community and aims to ignite creativity and freedom with the next generation of dancers. She is determined to eliminate the stigma people have around dancing in her community by emphasizing the positive outcomes that emerge from movement.
She is currently working on choregraphing pieces and building her artistic profile. She is always exploring new ways to develop skills, connecting and collaborating with like-minded creatives and using art as a vessel to bring joy to people’s lives.
