INTUITV ARTSHIP

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INTUITV ARTSHIP is a disobedient ballet company redefining what ballet can be, who it is for, and whose stories it tells. Rooted in classical technique yet uncompromising in its contemporary voice, we create original narrative ballets that challenge tradition, disrupt historical exclusion, and expand the canon of ballet through inclusive, culturally resonant storytelling.

We believe ballet is not a relic- it is a living language. At INTUITV ARTSHIP, we use ballet as a medium for truth-telling: elevating stories historically pushed to the margins, amplifying underrepresented and minority voices, and reclaiming space for artists whose identities, histories, and lived experiences have long been excluded from the classical stage.

Our work centers voices across race, gender, sexuality, nationality, and cultural heritage, insisting that ballet evolve to reflect the world as it truly is.Our productions merge classical ballet with contemporary movement, theatrical narrative, filmic structure, and interdisciplinary design to create emotionally driven works that speak to modern audiences. Through this hybrid approach, we challenge conventional ballet archetypes- who gets to be the hero, whose body is seen as “classical,” and which stories are deemed worthy of being told in pointe shoes.

INTUITV ARTSHIP develops new story ballets that engage with social, political, and cultural realities, offering ballet not as escape, but as confrontation, reflection, and transformation. We view the stage as a platform for empathy and resistance- where beauty and bravery coexist, and where art becomes an act of cultural reclamation.

Founded in Southern California and operating bi-coastally with a presence in both California and New York City, INTUITV ARTSHIP premieres bold new works on the West Coast and brings them directly to New York City along with national audiences. Our company functions as both a creative home for artists and a catalyst for change within the ballet ecosystem. Through performance, education, and interdisciplinary creation, INTUITV ARTSHIP empowers artists to step beyond obedience- to claim authorship over their narratives, challenge inherited systems, and reimagine ballet as a force for inclusion, liberation, and lasting impact.

  • Tara Ghassemieh is the first Iranian-American principal ballerina, an internationally recognized ballerina, choreographer, director, filmmaker, and the Founder, Artistic Director, and Executive Director of INTUITV ARTSHIP, a disobedient ballet company dedicated to creating narrative-driven works that challenge convention and ignite cultural conversation.

    Known as the Persian Swan, Ghassemieh began her professional training at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City at age sixteen. Her career has since expanded beyond the stage into choreography, directing, producing, filmmaking, and cultural advocacy.

    Ghassemieh conceived and co-choreographed The White Feather: A Persian Ballet Tale, which toured nationally to sold-out audiences across Southern California, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The production was named a 2024 Pointe Magazine Readers’ Choice Standout Performance. In 2025, she co-created Tchaikovsky: A Love Letter, continuing INTUITV ARTSHIP’s mission of using ballet to illuminate untold stories and challenge artistic convention.

    Her work is deeply rooted in cultural freedom and her mission to restore ballet to a free Iran while creating new pathways for artists whose freedom to dance, create, and perform has been restricted.

  • Vitor Luiz is an internationally acclaimed Brazilian principal dancer, choreographer, director, educator, and Co-Founder and Artistic Director of INTUITV ARTSHIP. Known for his artistry, technical precision, and dramatic range, Luiz has performed leading roles on some of the world’s most prominent ballet stages throughout an international career spanning classical and contemporary repertoire.

    Luiz has danced as a principal artist with major companies including San Francisco Ballet, English National Ballet, and the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro, performing principal roles in works by many of ballet’s most celebrated choreographers. His career has taken him across the United States, Europe, South America, and beyond as both a performer and guest artist.

    Alongside Tara Ghassemieh, Luiz co-founded INTUITV ARTSHIP and has helped develop the company’s distinctive approach to narrative ballet. He serves as director, performer, and co-choreographer of Tchaikovsky: A Love Letter and has collaboratedated on original productions that merge classical technique with contemporary storytelling and cultural dialogue.

    In addition to his professional work onstage and in the studio, Luiz serves as an Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of California, Irvine, where he trains and mentors the next generation of dance artists.