Hitomi Nozawa-Mendoza, Director, Dancer, Choreographer, Vocalist and Certified Zumba Instructor. A native of Shizuoka, Japan, In her early age, she began taking piano, voice and modern ballet lessons over years with several teachers. She studied vocal performance at Hamamatsu Gakugei High School, Showa Music University and Morningside College. She has completed her music degree in voice in 2006. Besides her education in music, she continued to study various dance styles as classical and modern ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, afro brazilian…etc.
 
Hitomi has been actively performing with deferent dance, art and music projects and companies since 2006. Her performances apperaed in major and minor venues in NYC and east coast areas in the U.S. such as Lincoln Center, BAM, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gotham Hall, La MaMa Theatre, Joe’s Pub and many more. She had performed in significant festivals in NYC such as Fringe NYC, Tribeca Film Festival, Toy of the Year Award, DUMBO Dance Festival and more.
 
Hitomi has been teaching dance, art, music and nutrition to kids in NYC through The School at Steps, Education in Dance and the Related Arts for the past several years. She also has received her official Zumba Teacher Certification, and teaches her Zumba classes for adults.