Founder / Artistic Director

Joel Aguilera is a Houston-based choreographer, instructor, and performer with an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a BFA in Dance from the University of Houston. He has performed nationally and internationally, with credits in Albania, Montenegro, France, and New York. Joel has worked alongside Grammy Award–winning artists including Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Joel currently serves as an adjunct professor, teaching Hip Hop at the University of Houston and San Jacinto College, in addition to teaching at studios across the Greater Houston area. Aguilera has choreographed works for University of Houston, Lamar University, Principia College, San Jacinto College, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Houston Community College, Westside High School, and Bailando Dance Festival. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Mezclada Dance Company, where he has presented work in Houston, New York, Milwaukee, Austin, and St. Louis. Aguilera is a current New/Now Artist under Performing Arts Houston for the 25-26 season.

Assistant Director

Lizzy Aguilera received her BFA in Dance from the University of Houston and her MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She is a principal dancer with Mezclada Dance Company and serves as the company’s Assistant Director alongside her husband, Joel Aguilera. Together, they have choreographed and led residencies at several colleges, including Principia College and Lamar University. Lizzy also teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston.

As a performer, Lizzy has guest danced with companies such as Six Degrees, NobleMotion, Psophonia, and Dance Houston. As an educator, she teaches a wide range of styles, specializing in Jazz, Contemporary, and Acrobatics. She is the Assistant Artistic Director of her family-owned studio, Dayton Academy of Dance, and previously directed the dance program at Crosby Middle School. Lizzy is highly experienced in both studio and drill team choreography, always emphasizing strong technique and a solid classical foundation across all platforms.

Principal Dancer

Hector Cisneros is a Houston based Venezuelan dancer, competitor, and instructor varying in styles and genres with rich experience in breaking. Cisneros actively competes in the competitive breaking circuit, performs nationally, and teaches locally. In Houston, Cisneros is the Captain of the Houston Rockets Launch Crew, Core Dancer of Mezclada Dance Company, Member of RAD Crew, and Head instructor with Fitbreak Workout. A few of Cisneros highlights include performing with The Houston Symphony, The San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, Kaleidoscope Festival, Hispanic Bar Association, and Barnstorm Dance Fest. Competitively, Cisneros has qualified for events including The Red Bull BC One Houston Cypher, TX Breaking Open, Breakfree’s Break X, and Silverback 2017. Lastly, Cisneros is currently on track to attain his Bachelor's Degree in Design and Digital Media from the University of Houston.

Principal Dancer

Sonia is a professional choreographer, performer, educator, and cered personal trainer with an emphasis in modern dance, ballet, and street/club styles such as hip hop and house dance. Sonia received her BA in Contemporary Dance with a minor in Arts Management in 2016 from the University of New Mexico. She has also studied with many masters of dance at the American Dance Fesval, the American College Dance Associaon, and the Jo+rey Ballet in New York City. Having such a diverse background and training has allowed her to ll many di+erent rolls in her professional career.

Sonia’s career has consisted of an array of dance and dance theater producons like a mul-disciplinary/mulmedia performance in the Alps of Austria with Lawine Torrén. She is currently in her third season as a company member of Open Dance Project, a dance theater company that specializes in immersive dance theater, her second season as a company member of Mezclada Dance Company, a company that blends contemporary dance and street styles with Lan dance, and a member of Assorted Flavas Crew, a street dance crew that has been based in Houston, Texas for 25 years. She most recently performed as a principle dancer with Bace Producons Motown Revue at The Miller Outdoor Theater. Sonia has presented her own choreography through ACDA, the University of New Mexico, with Open Dance Project at Miller Outdoor Theater and at the Match Theater in Houston, Texas. Sonia views art and the educaon of art as a means of social change. She is passionate about teaching dance and feels that expression through movement is a necessity in life.

Principal Dancer

lyssa Vega is a dancer, choreographer, and educator with over twenty years of training and a B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Houston, where she was a member of the UH Dance Ensemble, Young Audiences Touring Company and recipient of the Joanna Friesen Scholarship. She has performed with PDC Works, Chapman Dance, and is a current core member of Mezclada Dance Company. In addition, she co-founded Momentum Movement with Lizzy Aguilera, a teaching and choreography collective that brings quality dance training and team-building workshops to high schools across Texas. Most recently, she began an apprenticeship with Open Dance Project under the direction of Annie Arnoult and continues to serve as Studio Manager at Hunter Dance Center in the Heights. Elyssa is passionate about uplifting & contributing to the Houston dance community, nurturing the next generation of artists, and expanding her own creative practice as both a performer and educator each and every day.

Principal Dancer

Julia Hammond is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she began her training at Thomas Dance Studio. She holds a BFA in dance, as well as a kinesiology minor, from George Mason University where she performed in works by Christopher d’Amboise and Stefanie Nelson, as well as conducting a research project on the efficacy of mental imagery for technical dance corrections. Her choreography has been presented at Harris Theater (GMU), the Jack Guidone Theater (Washington D.C.) and the ACDA Mid-Atlantic South Conference Gala (Meredith College). Upon graduation, Julia collaborated with composer Kenneth Michael Florence at the NEXT Festival of Emerging Artists (Peter Askim & Christopher d’Amboise, directors) at NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts in New York City to create an original piece, both of music and movement. Shortly after NEXT Fest, Julia relocated to Houston to perform with NobleMotion Dance as a guest artist and has since performed in works by Adam Castaneda, Dwain Travis, Joel Aguilera, and Nicola Bennett. When Julia isn’t dancing, she is taking care of the tiny humans in the NICU as a registered nurse.

Principal Dancer

Annmarie Walling, from Georgetown Texas, is a principal dancer on Mezclada Dance Company. She holds a BFA in Dance from Texas University and comprehensive pilates certification. From dancing in music videos, breakdance battles, and with acrobatic dance company Diavolo, Annmarie is known for her athleticism and elegance.

Annmarie works as a choreographer for teams all over the U.S., pushing creativity through instruction that challenges both the athlete and the artist.

With high level training opportunities, such as training under bboy YNOT DeNaro, training jazz, ballet, and contemporary with Joffrey NYC, and street styles of hip hop with 36 Chambaz of Stylz NY, Annmarie is ready to inspire the new generation of dancers.

Principal Dancer

Sydni Lee is a tenacious dancer, performer and choreographer who has just recently graduated from the University of Houston with her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. Lee’s dedication to her craft led her to be a Principal Dancer with Mezclada Dance Company, where she has played significant roles in numerous shows that took place at Wortham Theater, Miller Outdoor Theater and Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston. Lee currently teaches for the Institute of Contemporary Dance in Houston, Texas and Dayton Academy of Dance in Dayton, Texas. As a recent senior at the University of Houston, Lee has studied under the direction of Elizabeth Aguilera, Joel Aguilera, Carol Anglin, Teresa Chapman, Dr. M Gabriela Estrada, Key’Aira Lockett, Firat Ozsoy, Travis Prokop, Toni Valle, and more. Lee performed in numerous faculty works under the pre professional Company, UH Dance Ensemble and choreographed numerous works in her time with the program including her most recent work “Polyphonies” that was chosen to represent the University of Houston at the Central Region, American College Dance Association in Macomb, Illinois where the piece was then selected by adjudicators for the Gala Concert. Lee was Co-President of the Dance Student Association for the 2025-26 year where she helped to create uplifting environments and experiences for other students in the program. Lee was also given the opportunity to study abroad in the summer of 2025 in Paris, France on scholarship where she trained and collaborated with other dancers. Lee now hopes to join a contemporary modern company and continue to share her passion for dance through performance and teaching.

Apprentice

Apprentice