Monica Newsam

Monica Newsam, President of NEWSAM AERIAL DANCE, was born in Panama. Monica’s internationally acclaimed body of work stretches across four continents. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the National School of Dance and Folklore in Havana. She continued her exploration of international movement styles in India where she received a Post Graduate Diploma in Indian Classical Dance at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra and Yoga at the Sivananda Yoga Center of Kerala. In 1999, inspired to take dance into the local community, Monica Newsam and her sister, Graciela, co-founded Gramo Danse Company, the first aerial dance company in Panama. In 2003, Newsam received a master’s degree in education from Lindenwood University. She began exploring aerial circus techniques which lent new perspectives to her artistic work. Since 2008, Newsam works with the St. Louis non-profit consortium ANNONYArts. In 2017, Monica and Graciela Newsam published a pioneering Aerial Dance Curriculum for Dancers. Through her extensive creative output, Newsam seeks to expand global awareness of aerial dance as an exciting, expressive movement discipline.