Ashayla Byrd (she/they), is a writer, dance artist, and scholar who supports dance communities while creating brave spaces for queer and BIPOC folks to witness and be in fellowship with one another. She serves as the Manager of Executive Affairs for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. Prior, Ashayla served as the Presentation Administrative Assistant at Dance Place in Washington, DC. She has danced with professional artists including Tiffanie Carson, Yoshito Sakuraba, dani tirrell, and Anna María Alvarez, and she is a dance journalist with publications in Dancing in the District and The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.​ Ashayla was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia and solidified her investment in the arts at Shenandoah University (SU), graduating with a BA in both Dance & English. Ashayla also served as the President of both the Sigma Rho Delta Dance Fraternity as well as the Shenandoah Conservatory Student Council.