Born and raised in New York City to Caribbean parents, Zazel-Chavah O’Garra (she/her) is a multifaceted artist: a dancer, choreographer, model, educator, social worker, disability advocate, and Artistic Director of ZCO/DANCEPROJECT, a physically integrated dance company. Her work has been showcased in theaters, public spaces, and festivals such as ADA 30, WESTFEST Dance Festival, Judson Church, Dixon Place Theatre, Symphony Space, Cooper Hewitt Museum, the 4th International Festival of Disability, ABILITIES EXPO, Theatre for the New City, and Jamaica Performing Arts Center and the International Dance Festival, Karditsa, Greece. Zazel has also participated in artist residencies, including Downtown Brooklyn Arts, Fertile Ground at Green Space, and ARTS4ALLFLORIDA Artist Residency at the University of Southern Florida.
Her artistic contributions have been recognized with prestigious grants from the City Artist Corps, Dance Advancement Fund, Flushing Town Hall/NYSCA, and the Queens Arts Fund. Zazel is also the recipient of the Caribbean Impact Award, honoring individuals of Caribbean heritage who have made significant contributions in their fields. In 2024, she was awarded the Disability, Dance, and Artistry Fellowship for her innovative work in the arts.
Before founding ZCO/DANCEPROJECT, Zazel built a successful career in the performing arts, with a body of work that spans concert stages, Off-Broadway productions, European tours, national commercials, and features in runway shows, catalogs, and on the covers of Essence Magazine.
Zazel holds a BFA from the University of Michigan and an MSW from Fordham University. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Equity unions and is represented by Gamut Talent Agency.
