Biography

Mher Kandoyan is a dancer, choreographer and educator whose work bridges contemporary dance and Latin traditions. A seven‑time Latin dance champion in Lebanon, he holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Maryland—where his thesis What Remains examined cycles of joy and grief—as well as an MBA in management and a BA in economics. He is a two‑time recipient of the DEL Arnhold Summer Fellowship at New York’s 92nd Street Y and holds the 2023 IPCCR Award, which enabled him to travel to Italy and collaborate with salsa icon Fernando Sosa.

Mher’s teaching is shaped by mentors including Kendra Portier, Maya Brin Endowed Professor at UMD; Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig, co‑directors of PearsonWidrig DanceTheater; Adriane Fang, associate professor and former member of Doug Varone and Dancers; and Alvin Mayes, a veteran educator whose contributions have earned a University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award. He also draws inspiration from salsa luminaries Fernando Sosa and the Vazquez brothers—Johnny and Francisco—pioneers of the LA On‑1 style, along with many other teachers and collaborators.

In 2024 Mher choreographed and performed in We Shall Not Inherit the Earth, an anti‑surveillance opera created and directed by Stephanie Mercedes and commissioned by Georgetown Law’s Center for Privacy and Technology. His participatory project Journey (2023) invited 1.5 million participants to explore personal stories of survival and honor victims of the Armenian Genocide. In 2011 he founded The Backstage—a Lebanese dance organization dedicated to building communities of movers committed to resistance, joy and creative expression. He has also received accolades such as the “Best Show” award at the Egypt International Dance Congress. Through his work and teaching, Mher seeks to inspire dancers to move, create and connect while honoring the many collaborators and students who have enriched his artistic journey.