Nikki Assanti is a choreographer, performing artist, arts educator and administrator, yoga instructor, and the Director of Cora Dance Brooklyn (CDB). In her role, she dances for Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance's (SH/CD) professional company, teaches all levels of Modern Dance and dance for Seniors, and directs the Cora Youth Company (CYC) in addition to working to oversee the work of the CDB administrative team and production team. Assanti is the Founder and Choreographer of Nikki and the Noise (N+N), a Brooklyn-based dance company in residence at Cora Dance. Her choreographic work with N+N has been shown in NYC venues such as Arts on Site, Center for Performance Research, The Cherry Lane Theatre, Creative Cultural Center at St. Veronica’s Church, Gallim Dance, Green Space, Movement Research, Open Arts Studio, Triskelion Arts, and Union Street Dance. In August of 2024, she was awarded a week-long choreographic residency with her company N+N by SH/CD in partnership with The Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge, VA. In 2019, Assanti was invited back to her Alma Mater, University of Florida, with N+N for an Alumni Guest Artist residency. Assanti has additionally performed in works by JACKS, Joanna Mendl Shaw, Raja Feather Kelly, and was a teaching artist on faculty at Open Arts Studio from 2022 - 2024. She has been a guest artist and speaker at multiple universities including University of Florida and University of Southern Maine, and was Choreographer-in-Residence at the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Florida in 2015. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Florida, and is a 200 hour registered yoga instructor. Nikki has held many roles over 9 years at Cora in administration, productions, performance, and teaching and is proud to serve as Director of Cora Dance Brooklyn for the 2025–2026 Season.