Exenia (pronounced ek-SEN-ya) is a singer/songwriter and dancer/choreographer based in NYC. After growing up in ballroom dance studios and bookstores in Cincinnati, OH, she moved to NYC to pursue a career in music and dance, studying Music at the City College of NY, and dance at studios such as Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and Alvin Ailey. She is inspired by a diverse array of artists such as Jessie J, Anne-Marie, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Prince, Jason Mraz, Eric Bellinger and Tone Stith.
As a rising R&B singer working with Grammy winners in both New York and Los Angeles, she recently released her first music video for “Automatic,” A song that cleverly uses pop songwriting to hint at the ways we sabotage ourselves, and the adjacent power we have to get free from patterns that hold us back. She’s now working on her debut album, tentatively titled “Prism.”
She is also a competitive West Coast Swing “All-Star” dancer and teacher, known on the East Coast and beyond for her musicality and energy on the floor. She has 24 years of dance experience in over 20 styles of solo and partner dance, and experience dancing in major competitions across the United States, dancing as a recent finalist at events such as “Summer Hummer” and “MADJam,” the largest West Coast Swing event in the world.
Exenia is known in NYC as a detailed, kind and dedicated dance instructor. She is versed in many social and partner styles, such as Hustle, Zouk, Bachata, Salsa, and ballroom, and she has worked as a hip hop dancer and choreographer for music videos, wedding couples and events. She regularly teaches privates students, dance classes and workshops in New York and Los Angeles.
She also has a background in transformational coaching and leadership training, which informs the way she works with students. In her words: “My students bring me so much joy, and my work is to facilitate them discovering self-expression and confidence through dance.” (Book a dance lesson.)
“Automatic” is available on iTunes, Spotify, and more. (Watch the music video on Youtube.) For fans and friends seeking a “throwback” to her initial music efforts, her debut EP 5 Sides, produced by Jessie Fischer of Soul Cycle Music in Brooklyn, NY is also available now on Bandcamp, iTunes, and Amazon.