David Cartahena Lee (he/him) is a Brooklyn-based dance artist, educator, and producer originally from California. He holds an MA in Dance Education from NYU with a focus on Dances of the African Diaspora, and is on faculty at NYU and Queens College. He has also taught at Iona University, Mark Morris, Modega, and internationally in South Korea and the Philippines. In 2024, David was a fellow at the NYU Production Lab, and he is a recipient of NYU’s Leadership in Social Justice Award.
His choreography draws from waacking, contemporary, and street dance, centering queer and Asian American identity while honoring Black and Brown dance lineages. David has choreographed solos and group works for competition studios, public school programs, and companies including Rogue Makers, Gotham Dance Theater, and Evoke Dance Company. His choreography has been presented at NYU, Sybarite, Club Jete, Inhale/Exhale, The Craft NYC, Vibe, and other platforms across the U.S.
As an educator, David has taught Hip Hop foundations master classes across NYC and North Dakota, presented workshops at the National Dance Education Organization Conference on Leading with Inclusion: Waacking and Queerness (Colorado) and Decentering Eurocentrism in the BFA Dance Program (Washington State). He has written curriculum for the 92NY Discover Dance program, taught at the 92NY, and led a Waacking with Pride seminar.
David is the founder of the Diffraction Dance Festival an AAPI+ dance festival bringing together dance artists of all styles and DCL Arts Collective a training company focused on creating a safe space to grow and build community. David also currently works wit
