About Us

Chair

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Kiazi Malonga is a second generation Congolese American born into a family of artists. He was first introduced to the Ngoma drum at age two by his father Malonga Casquelourd, a world- renowned traditional drummer, dancer and choreographer from Congo Brazzaville.  Casquelourd traveled to the US in 1972 and shortly thereafter began to build his exceptional legacy in the traditional arts in the US.

It was in this setting that Kiazi Malonga was trained and learned about his Congolese cultural heritage. He became the lead drummer of his father’s dance company, Fua Dia Congo, at age 16 and began teaching at that time as well. Kiazi has taught and performed throughout the US, Canada, Costa Rica, Europe and Africa. He currently teaches Congolese traditional music in Oakland, CA. Kiazi released his debut album, Tembo Kia Ngoma (https://linktr.ee/KiaziMalonga) in March of 2021; which incorporates never before recorded compositions from the late Malonga Casquelourd as well as newly composed music. 

In addition to music, Kiazi founded and runs a US based nonprofit social enterprise, Pelisa Energy (https://www.pelisaenergy.com/support). Pelisa Energy aims to close the energy gap in Central Africa by supplying solar-powered technologies that have immediate benefits to the health, education and livelihoods of the Central African people. 

Kiazi completed a dual masters in International Affairs and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development and has an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Stanford University. He has gained working familiarity with environmental, social, and governance criteria and ESG reporting frameworks.

Vice Chair

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Ron Muriera is Director of Arts Industry Support for the City of San José  Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs where he manages the city’s arts  and cultural funding portfolio of over $5M, operating agreements for the City of San  José’s six cultural facilities, and oversight of various artistic and creative initiatives and  programs. 

With over 20-years’ experience and knowledge as an arts and cultural administrator,  multi-disciplined performing artist, community activist, educator, historian, consultant,  and advocate for underrepresented communities in the Greater San Francisco Bay  Area, California and throughout the nation, Ron has dedicated his life’s work to  addressing issues such as: racial, social, and economic justice, arts & cultural  representation, and educational equity.  His nonprofit board service includes: Board President of Californians for the Arts, Vice President of California Arts Advocates, National Trustee for the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) , Founding Board President of Red Ladder Theatre Company, and Board Trustee with the California History Center - De Anza College.  

​Ron has also served two terms on the San José Arts Commission holding positions of  Vice Chair and Public Art Committee Chair; He currently serves on the advisory board  of Global Artists' Creative Collaboration for Empowerment (GAACE), an international  arts association.  As a multi-disciplined performing artist in dance, theatre, music, and comedy, Ron was  an original member of the Afro-Haitian dance group Roots of Haiti/Petit La Croix where  he danced in the early years of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and Carnaval.  In the theatre realm, Ron was a member of the Asian American Theatre  Workshop/Company, and the San Francisco Mime Troupe. A graduate of the American  Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.), he performed in over 20 productions throughout San  Francisco. 

As a musician, Ron was a founding member of San Francisco’s iconic squeezebox  band, Those Darn Accordions! (TDA!) playing in various clubs and venues throughout  California. TDA! played an integral role in making the piano accordion the official  musical instrument of San Francisco. 

In the comedy world, Ron began his stand-up journey in the mid-70s in San Francisco  at the Holy City Zoo, Other Café, and Punchline. He also held membership with San  Francisco’s longest-running improvisational comedy group, The National Theatre of the  Deranged.  Ron has been recognized for his work both as a performing artist and social justice  advocate receiving numerous awards and commendations for his volunteer work across  communities.

Treasurer

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Vijay Palaparty is the founder and co-artistic director of Spilling Ink, which offers a forum for critical and sensory investigation into the process of making dance. The organization is recognized for its contemporary classic style, supported by modern interpretations of tradition. With a penchant for curiosity and questioning, he has developed an exceptional method and approach to create meaningful artistic and cultural experiences.

The purpose of what Vijay does is rooted in why he founded Spilling Ink. When something is spilled, it really has no control. It is fresh and different each time. How the spill is addressed is what is interesting. He has received recognition for this approach, its genesis, and its impact from organizations including the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which awarded him five artist fellowships, along with a Young Artist Program award, and critical project support grants.

Community is a core value for Vijay, and he creates art to be in engagement with members of many communities. Vijay is channeling work with community development and engagement in his pursuit of a master’s degree in international affairs at The New School, where he is also a teaching fellow in the Schools of Public Engagement and the Parsons School of Design. Vijay earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University, where he also received a master’s degree in literary and cultural studies. He completed his M.B.A. from the University of Maryland. Vijay has a parallel career in communications and community development at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Vijay’s training in the classical South Indian dance form Bharatanatyam began with Padma Rajagopal from Nupur Anjali School of Dance. He continued his study of Bharatantayam with Sudharani Raghupathy from Shree Bharatalaya. He also studied classical South Indian Kuchipudi with K. Uma Rama Rao from Lasya Priya.

Board Member

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Artistic Director,  Los Lupeños de San José

​Samuel Cortez Balderas is a Mexican dance artist, arts advocate, dance researcher, festival director, and community leader whose work centers on the preservation, teaching, and continued evolution of Mexican folklórico in the United States. Born in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, he began his dance training at an early age and has dedicated more than three decades to advancing folklórico through performance, choreography, education, cultural research, and community-centered leadership.

As Artistic Director of Los Lupeños de San José, Cortez leads one of California’s most respected folklórico companies, guiding artistic programming, repertoire development, youth mentorship, and cultural education. His work is rooted in the belief that folklórico is not only a performance tradition, but also a living archive of community memory, identity, history, and resilience.

Throughout his career, Cortez has worked with more than 100 dance companies across the United States, contributing as a choreographer, educator, mentor, adjudicator, and cultural advocate. His work includes national and international touring, cultural exchanges, artistic collaborations, and long-term advocacy for culturally rooted arts access.

Cortez is also the founder and festival director of FOLKLOREADA, a San José cultural festival celebrating folklórico, traditional arts, and community. Under his leadership, the festival has grown into a meaningful gathering and was recognized as an official CIOFF® USA National Festival.

As a dance researcher, Cortez is committed to deepening the understanding of Mexican regional traditions while supporting their responsible evolution on contemporary stages.

​Cortez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mexican Folk Dance and a Master of Fine Arts. He continues to work as a choreographer, performer, educator, and cultural organizer, and was recently awarded a Doctorado Honoris Causa by the Claustro Doctoral de las Bellas Artes y Humanidades in recognition of his contributions to Mexican folklórico.

He considers it a great honor to serve as a Board Member of World Arts West, an organization with five decades of extraordinary work supporting, presenting, and advocating for traditional dance and cultural artists from around the world.

Board Member

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​Herna (pronounced “Er-Na”) Cruz-Louie is the Director and Co-Founder for the American Center of Philippine Arts (ACPA), based in Oakland, CA. Herna’s exposure to  Philippine dance and music started at the age of 5, when she learned Philippine cultural dances to perform at local town fiestas. In 1995, she graduated from learning Philippine dance in garages and backyards to becoming a performer with PASACAT Philippine Performing Arts Company of San Diego, CA and eventually became an instructor for music by the age of 18. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000, she performed with LIKHA-Pilipino Folk Ensemble as a musician and became their Executive Director from 2005-2008.

For over 20 years, Herna has performed and collaborated with many dance companies, organizations, schools, and individual artists such as KulArts and Alleluia Panis, Sydney Loyola, Barangay Dance Company, Kawayan Folk Arts, Kariktan Dance Company, Parangal Dance Company, Patrick Landeza, Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE) of SFSU, Asian Pacific American Youth Promoting Advocacy & Leadership (AYPAL), Mga Kapatid of UC Davis, Kasamahan of USF, Little Manila Dance Collective of Stockton, and more.

Herna has over 15 years working as an administrator and youth program practitioner for nonprofit organizations such as the YMCA, Coaching Corps (formerly Team-Up for Youth), San Francisco Community Health Center (formerly Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center), Kearny Street Workshop, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. She also spent 7 years in human resources with tech start-ups (Circle of Moms and Tightrope Interactive, Inc.) in San Francisco. She currently serves as Chief Organization & People Officer at Girl Scouts of Northern California and leads the organization’s human resources, member success, retail, marketing and communications, organizational effectiveness, and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives.

Herna was awarded as one of Filipina Women's Network’s 100 Most Influential Filipinas in 2011, and was a featured Asian American Studies Alumnus of San Francisco State University in 2014. She completed her Masters in Human Resources Management from Golden Gate University in 2015, and completed her Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University in 2020. Herna is a Girl Scout troop leader, and proudly raising 2 daughters with her husband in Oakland, CA.

Board Member

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Senior Director of Solutions, London Automation

​Meena Ghaziasgar is a strategic partnerships and philanthropy executive with more than 20 years of experience helping mission-driven organizations build meaningful relationships, strengthen communities, and inspire philanthropic investment. Throughout her career, she has secured transformational gifts, led high-performing fundraising teams, and partnered with university leaders, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and nonprofit organizations to advance education, innovation, and public good.

Her professional journey has taken her from New York to Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, San Diego, and across Asia, including Bangkok, Taipei, and Tokyo. These experiences have reinforced her belief that the strongest communities are built by embracing diverse perspectives, celebrating cultural traditions, and creating opportunities for people to connect across backgrounds.

Most recently, Meena served as Executive Director of Development for the Case School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, where she led fundraising strategy and helped secure philanthropic support for engineering education and research. She now works as a senior director of solutions in the healthcare technology sector, building partnerships that help bring innovative artificial intelligence solutions to healthcare organizations.

Born to an Iranian father and a Mexican-American mother, Meena was raised in both Tehran and Cleveland, Ohio. She has a lifelong appreciation for the ways music, dance, storytelling, and artistic expression preserve cultural identity while fostering empathy and understanding. She believes the arts are among the most powerful ways to strengthen communities, honor heritage, and create a sense of belonging across generations.
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As a member of the World Arts West Board of Directors, Meena is honored to support the organization's mission of uplifting cultural artists, preserving living traditions, and ensuring that communities of every culture have opportunities to share their stories through the arts.

Board Member

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Samad Raheem Guerra is a director, multidisciplinary performing artist and arts educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He received his BA in World Arts and Cultures/Dance from UCLA in 2014. During this year, he was also awarded a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad scholarship to study Arabic Gnawa culture in Morocco. He collaborated with local artists on a multimedia project which was featured in his thesis work. Since graduating, he has worked as a teaching artist, program coordinator at a youth homeless shelter and toured internationally with CONTRA-TIEMPO ACTIVIST DANCE THEATER. He has also performed at the Hollywood Bowl and Ford Amphitheater with Viver Brasil and Sergio Mendes, and co-produced his own work at the LACMA, Main Museum in downtown Los Angeles, Hamburger Bahnhof and daadgalerie in Berlin, Germany. 

Currently, Guerra directs the World Dance Department at Ruth Asawa School of Arts, an audition-based public high school in San Francisco. He is also in the process of receiving a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Dance at CSU East Bay as a part of California’s first cohort. When Guerra is not teaching or working on art projects, he enjoys spending time in the wilderness, at the beach and with loved ones. He finds it very healing to be in nature and goes on hikes to escape city life. A big part of his healing practice also includes the ancient practice of sweating, which involves prayer and meditation. Being inside the sweat lodge has helped him stay grounded and connect to his higher purpose in life, which is to work with children and make art that inspires positive change in the world. He is grateful to the community of Navajo elders and teachers who introduced him to the practice and continue to be a source of inspiration in his life. Aho Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ (To All My Relations). Às̩ e̩ (So, Will It Be).

Board Member

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Dr. Victor Torres, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Department of Chicano and Latin American Studies at California State University, Fresno. He is currently director of Fresno State’s Los Danzantes de Aztlán Mexican dance program, one of the Central Valley’s most established and accomplished programs. Under his direction, the program has earned top awards in Binational (US-Mexico) and national competitions. The group has made three recent appearances in the prestigious San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival.  

Dr. Torres serves on various Boards of Directors. He is Vice- President and parliamentarian for the Asociación Nacional de Grupos Folklóricos (National Association of Folklóric Groups). He serves as Chair for World Arts West (a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that supports the cultural arts). He is President of Danzantes del Valle Advisory Committee for Arte Americas, Fresno’s major Latinx cultural center.

Torres founded various folklórico-based programs that promote higher education, primarily to low-income, rural, Latinx students in the Central Valley. These programs include the annual Festival de Los Danzantes folklórico state-wide conference, the annual California State University Folklórico show, and the High School Folklórico Summit, which utilizes folklórico to motivate high school students to pursue higher education. At the university level, Dr. Torres serves in various leadership roles. He is a Co-Vice-Chair of the President’s Council for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Coordinator of the university’s Latinx graduation celebration, which draws over 14,000 people.

Board Member

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Blanche Brown first began dancing as a 10 year old girl in Berkeley, California.  She   attended San Francisco State as a business major, and took dance classes there, but her    true calling came to her at age 35, when Blanche returned to her first love of dance.  She returned to SF State, studied all styles of dance she could, including ballet, tap, jazz, and folklore, while also dancing with the Wajumbe ethnic dance troupe. Blanche received her Bachelor’s degree in physical education, with a focus in dance, from San Francisco State in 1974.  In 1988, Blanche formed the dance troupe Group Petit La Croix. Blanche created the troupe to fully express and visually explain Haitian culture by combining western choreography and techniques with traditional Haitian dance and drumming.

Blanche has since taught ethnic dance in the California University system from UCLA to Hayward, Sonoma, to Santa Cruz. Blanche has taught classes at Mills College, Santa Clara University, The Modern Dance Center, The Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, and at Third Wave Dance House in San Francisco for many years.

Over the years Blanche has been widely recognized for her contribution to the dance community. In 1977 she was the first dancer to be appointed to the San Francisco Arts Commission, and served from 1977-1981. In 1996 Blanche received the Artist Educator Award from the California Dance Educators Association. In 2003 she was President of the Board of World Arts West. And in 2008 Blanche received the Malonga Casquelourd Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Ethnic Dance and Music. Today, Blanche still teaches and challenges people from all walks of life at ODC in San Francisco, and is beyond pleased to be rejoining the World Arts West board. Blanche now lives in Oakland among her children, grandchildren, and a great grandson.