About

Tara Ghassemieh is a Persian-American artist and entrepreneur. Her prolific range in creativity are derivative of a variety of experiences in the performing and visual arts. Currently living in Southern California, she continues interlacing her careers paths of performing, creating dance for film stage, and teaching.

Ms. Ghassemieh is a pacifist-activist woman, that advocates that dance is expression of freedom; a birthright and a form of human expression. Her research in dance often tells stories that strengthen her Iranian roots, and inspire others to dance. Most recently, Tara had her directorial debut in film, with the release of her short titled "Persian Swan.”

As an educator for over a decade, Ms. Ghassemieh has been a guest teacher in various local and national organizations. She is a recurring renowned Jury member in dance competitions and conventions in the United States in over 30 states.

As a principal dancer with Golden State Ballet (GSB) in San Diego, she is originating new roles in world premieres and performing traditional roles such as "Black Swan pas de deux"; George Balanchine's "Valse Fantaisie," and soon The Nutcracker. Before joining GBS, she performed with the Festival Ballet Theater in "The Nutcracker," "Le Corsaire”, "White Swan" pas de deux, and "The Firebird" as Princess. She also co-choreographed a pas de deux, "Scheherazade," with her partner on and off stage Vitor Luiz, which was performed at the Barclay Theater and the Segerstrom Music Hall at the 30th Annual International Gala. She also was a feature lead dancer in Florence and the Machine music video “Spectrum”, Directed by David Lachapelle; Award winning British composer Oliver Davis Narcissus and Echo film and other collaborations.

Acting and entrepreneurship

“Little Tara” was a vibrant child who at the age of six started chasing the dream of becoming a ballerina and actor. She became an incredibly versed young performing artist and at age sixteen she received for three consecutive years the National Training Scholar award, before receiving a full scholarship to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School American Ballet Theatre (SABT) in New York, NY. Later in life while working in New York and Los Angeles, Ms. Ghassemieh worked on several off-Broadway productions either as an actor or dancer.

Ms. Ghassemieh started her first company, a dancewear line named 'Tata's Dancewear' from 2004-2012. As a ballet practitioner herself, she knew what dancers her age were looking for. ‘Tata’s Dancewear’ band was featured at major stores and online selling products. Ms. Ghassemieh design’s became popular brand in dance for its creativity, aesthetics and comfort.

Vitor Luiz is a classical ballet dancer from Brazil. At 10 years old he began taking lessons at Ballet Capell in the city of Petrópolis, RJ with Catalonian choreographer Victor Navarro and ballet teacher Stella de Mello. In the following years, he completed his study in Rio de Janeiro with the most distinguished ballet teachers at Ballet Dalal Achcar, and joined a selective group who was receiving private lessons with mentor Pedro Kraszczuk. Vitor later recieved a scholarship for The Royal Ballet School, in London. 

In 2000, Vitor accepted a contract as an artist with Birmingham Royal Ballet under Sir David Bintley, initiating his professional career in the United Kingdom. Vitor returned to Brazil and joined the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro Ballet (BTM), the nation's leading ballet company, and promptly drew attention, which led to him rapidly ascending the ranks as he performed leading principal roles. Eventually named Primeiro Bailarino (Principal Dancer) and became an international guest artist performed in various North and South American countries.

In 2009, he moved to California, where he joined the world-renowned San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer for ten years. Luiz is a member of the CID - International Dance Council-Paris, a UNESCO's official partner.

Mr. Luiz’s productive professional career in Europe and the Americas allowed an exposure to a vast variety of repertory, dancing well over one hundred classical and contemporary ballets. His versatile dancing talents and partnering abilities allow him to be frequently featured in galas and be a guest artist worldwide, including the English National Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and others. He received many awards, including an Isadora Duncan Dance Award winner for Best Ensemble Performance in Possokhov's Classical Symphony in 2010.

Choreographer and Educator

In 2019 Vitor Luiz joined as an Assistant Professor the faculty at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Dance, where he teaches classical ballet, Repertory, and Partnering. Vitor is enthusiastic about being an artist who is a practitioner-scholar, where he can combine his passions of teaching and dancing.

As an emerging choreographer he combines his classical and contemporary backgrounds with his roots and Brazilian influence. Being an educator at UCI has allowed time and supports his research. He created two new works at UCI at the faculty lead performance Dance Visions in 2021, 2022 and soon in 2023, for video and stage. Since then, he choreographed or co-choreographed, and performed with his wife and Partner Tara Ghassemieh Sheherazade in various other collaborations for film and music videos. His most recent work for Atlanta Ballet II premiered on November 26th, 2022, a ballet called Luna emotions.