Today we’d like to introduce you to Ámándá Bonilla.
Hi Ámándá, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Ámándá Bonilla – (pronounced: Ah-mahn-dah Boh-nee-ya) a queer Latina artist unafraid to be a weirdo in the name of liberation.
My gymnastics training began at age 3 and my formal dance training at age 6, but I’ve been a performer and entertainer for as long as I could walk. Some of my earliest memories include dressing up in sequined costumes, putting on plastic, light up princess heels, and wrapping a hot pink boa around my neck. My mom would do my eyeshadow and tell me to suck in my cheeks so she could get the blush in just the right spot. Once I was all done up I’d prance to the living room, put on the MTV Party To Go Vol. 3 or Selena CD and immediately start dancing in front of the TV. Flips, leaps, pirouettes, hops, jumps, cartwheels, skips, you name it, I could do it. They used to call me “Mighty Munchkin”. Being raised in Orlando, Florida made me a next level Disney-kid. This is probably why I’ve always believed that I “could paint with all the colors of the wind” and have an insatiable desire for whimsy and magic.
My family moved to Lawrenceville, GA in 2005 and it wasn’t until 2007 when I started high school that I started got back into foundational dance technique. Big shout out to Mrs. Dollar at Collins Hill who encouraged me to audition for Brenau University’s dance department. At first, I was majoring in Psychology and only minoring in dance because who in their right mind gets an arts degree? Alas, my passion, desire (and delusion?) led me to pursue a B.F.A in Dance Performance and an Education minor. It was here where I expanded into the world of modern contemporary dance and musical theatre under professors Vincas Greene, Jolie Long, Cassandra Mora Van Houten and Peter Swan. While serving as president for Tau Sigma Dance Fraternity I was able to express more through hip-hop and cultural dance choreography and also learned first-hand what it meant to be a producer – holding auditions, choosing a cast, costuming, lighting and scenic design, marketing, etc.
Upon graduation in 2015, I was invited to teach at the Newton County Arts Association in Covington, GA for kids of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience. Over the years I had the honor of choreographing and assistant directing many annual musicals including Hairspray, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia, Sister Act, Once on This Island and more with Jay Tryall, Senior Supervisor of Entertainment at Herschend Family Entertainment. Under the mentorship of Executive Director Buncie Lanners, I gained an abundance of non-profit fundraising and development knowledge. I would speak on behalf of the organization at many community events (Chamber, Kiwanis, Lion’s Club, local business, etc.) in an effort to raise arts education awareness and cultivate potential funders. All the while I was performing professionally with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre (West Side Story, Shrek, Tarzan, A Chorus Line and The Wedding Singer) Out Front Theatre Company, Alliance Theatre and local independent contemporary choreographers Bella Dorado, Emily Cargill, Anicka Austin and T. Lang. I was blessed to be a full time dancer until 2020 when the pandemic put a pause in the momentum of my performance career.
With arts funding dwindling, an ongoing public health crisis and civil unrest the opportunity to pivot and work with me too. International as their Development Manager was something I could not pass up. Thanks to Founder, Tarana Burke and CEO, Dani Ayers I was immersed in survivor justice organizing and intersectional coalition building for three years. With it being a remote role I got to travel so many places and meet people from all over the globe working to end sexual violence. I also bought a camper and decided to take some time for personal solo travel which gave me lots of time and space to reflect on my life.
In 2023, after living quite transiently I bought a house on the Westside of Atlanta with my sweet pup Couper. I was drawn to the not-quite-yet gentrified nature of the area. Being in one place has allowed me to plant some roots and reintegrate with the Atlanta arts community post COVID. I began freelance consulting with independent artists, DJs, creatives, companies and collaboratives producing shows and cultural gatherings. Currently, I am manifesting more performance and choreographic opportunities and focusing on developing my personal business, Combo Creative Productions.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It broke my heart when the pandemic caused our 2020 annual musicals and recitals to take place on Zoom. Not being in the studios and on stage rehearsing with my kids felt like my joy was stolen from me. Although I am blessed to have been able to pivot into full-time non-profit work; however the burnout has been so real. Managing and balancing financial stability with being a creative has been challenging to say the least.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
To put it simply, I am a dancer, choreographer, community organizer and cultural experience curator. To put it not so simply, I am a movement artist dedicated to imagining, facilitating and building other worlds that bring our collective dreams to life through embodied practices. From one-on-one limpia healing sessions to meditative group ceremonies, I am known for being a free-spirit and encouraging others to leap into their most liberated self. While it’s not always easy for me to do this in “real life” I find that as a facilitator surrounded by community and on stage are the safest spaces for me to express without fear. Improvisation and intimate crowd engagement is something I specialize in. I am proud that I do not allow myself to be conformed by anyone or anything. If there is a desire in my heart I can trust it to come to fruition through pure passion, prayer, love and care for humanity.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
In early 2025 I became an official volunteer air-shifter with the local independent radio station WRFG 89.3FM. After completing their broadcasting course I joined the Monday edition of Global Drumbeat, World Rhythm Nation with Katia Kool and Akure Imes. This is another way I can lend my voice, lived experience, perspective and musical taste to our community. I’m also a singer which is something I’m getting more comfortable saying out loud.
Pricing:
- $77/1 hour – private session
- $150/1.5 hour – group class
- $444/special appearance performance
- $888+ Choreography services
- Non-profit pricing available
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @amandaboneenee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.bonilla.902/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-bonilla5678/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@amandabonilla9159
- Other: https://thenewtoncommunity.com/arts-education-innovation/bridging-the-gap/
Image Credits
Victoria Register
Adriana Castro
Kasey Victoria
La Choloteca
Nora Sparrow
Zemirah Chayah
Gillian Millard
