Liana Zhen-Ai Kleinman

Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Liana is a dancer, movement director, and writer with a background in and love for the sciences. She holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College and an MA from London Contemporary Dance School at the University of Kent. 

Torn between her love of dance and her fascination with science, Liana first attended the University of California, Berkeley, studying Cellular and Molecular Biology. After her freshman year at UC Berkeley, she transferred to Marymount Manhattan College, where she pursued a degree in Modern Dance with minors in Biology and Chemistry. During that time, she interned at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, where she worked in video documentation. Her diverse interests make her knowledgeable about double-majoring, minoring, and finding collegiate programs which allow for exploration.

As an educator and writer, Liana has worked in academic tutoring and essay support for more than ten years. She has supported more than 135 students in 20+ countries in securing admission to schools including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, and Duke University. She is dedicated to harnessing students’ passion for change in order to articulate their goals for the future. She has aided students in writing essays about creating sustainable fishing practices in rural Thailand, inspiring budding astronomers in war-torn Ethiopia, developing their 90’s streetwear brand using recycled materials, coming to profound realizations on hikes with their parents, and many more topics. 

Liana currently works as a dancer and performer for choreographers including Holly Blakey, Akira Uchida, and Sigrid Lauren. Her work has been featured in Vogue US, NOWNESS, Sundance Film Festival, and The Face Magazine. As a movement director, she has worked with brands including Victoria’s Secret, Paco Rabanne, and Valentino. She is currently a part of an upcoming work with Choreographer Marla Phelan and  Computational Astrophysicist Blakesley Burkhart, which uses computational simulations of star formation to transpose celestial movements onto human bodies.

In her free time, Liana is an avid biker, chef, and watcher of obnoxious French art films.