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Founder
Marisa Hamamoto
Founder, CEO, Artistic Director
SHE/HER
The first professional dancer to be named People Magazine “Women Changing the World”, and also recognized as LinkedIn Top Voice, InStyle Magazine “Badass 50,” adidas "women reimagining sport," CBS News “People Making a Difference”, and featured on Good Morning America and NBC Today, Marisa is an award-winning Transformational Movement Artist, Speaker, and Changemaker dedicated to creating a more inclusive just world where we can each feel alive, not just survive. Marisa’s lived experiences of her body repeatedly not being accepted as a dancer, her Japanese American identity not fitting the box in many spaces, and surviving a spinal stroke that initially paralyzed her from the neck down eventually led her to create Infinite Flow Dance in 2015. A few years into devoting her life to disability advocacy, Marisa was diagnosed with two nonapparent disabilities: PTSD (2021) and Autism (2022). The diagnoses brought much clarity to the challenges she’s coped with throughout her life. Marisa is bilingual and bicultural. She completed her BA & MA from Keio University, Tokyo. She is an Honorary Member (Distinguished Artist) of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. She is a speaker, thought leader, performing artist, and multi-dimensional creator on the rise, seeking to creatively inspire inclusion, innovation, and transformation through movement, dance, and storytelling.
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Company Dancers
Adelfo Cerame Jr.
HE / HIM
Adelfo is a competitive bodybuilder and personal trainer / nutritional consultant, passionate about fitness, nutrition, and physical culture, aspiring to be a successful entrepreneur. On November 10, 2005, Adelfo was involved in a deadly car accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down as a T-12 paraplegic. Adelfo was initially torn down spiritually, mentally, and physically following the accident, but after one year, he embraced his physical condition with open arms and used it as a driving tool to challenge and motivate himself. Adelfo started bodybuilding in 2007 after being inspired by a youtube video of guys in wheelchairs posing and flexing at a bodybuilding competition. His life has been transformed ever since. Marisa called Adelfo early November 2014 asking if he'd be interested in being her wheelchair dance partner. Adelfo chose to take on the challenge and is having a blast learning a new form of self-expression. Adelfo is a founding member of Infinite Flow.
Mia Schaikewitz
SHE / HER
At 15 years old, an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) ruptured in Mia’s spinal cord, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. With resilient determination and a positive attitude, Mia finished high school, then attended the University of Florida where she excelled socially and academically, becoming the first woman in a wheelchair at the school to rush and pledge a sorority and graduated with top honors in Media Production. After college, Mia moved to Los Angeles where she worked in the recording industry and later developed an award-winning career in graphic design and branding. In 2012, Mia became one of the stars of the hit TV show Push Girls on the Sundance Channel which inspires audiences internationally and won the Critic's Choice Award for “Best Reality Series” in 2013. In addition to her dynamic career pursuits, Mia is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workforce and media. She maximizes her time public speaking, giving back to the community, and participating in multiple adaptive sports. Mia is a founding member of Infinite Flow. She is proud to be part of an organization that pushes for change and influences humanity.
Shaheem Sanchez
HE/HIM
Shaheem Sanchez is a talented self-taught dancer who went deaf at the age of 4. Shaheem always loved to dance and wouldn't let his inability to hear the music change that. So, he taught himself how to detect the music's vibrations instead, letting the feeling drive his rhythm. He comes from a family of dancers, who call themselves “Family First Crew”. They competed in Family Dance Off in 2013 and placed second. Sanchez now lives in LA and is pursuing many opportunities in the dance industry. In addition to getting his personal story out to various mediums, he is working on a TV show and a movie. He is out to make a difference in the deaf community through his love of dance. Sanchez wants to demonstrate that regardless of their inability to hear, deaf people can do anything they desire. Most recently, Shaheem made his actor debut on the Oscar-winning film "Sound of Metal" and made a solo appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremonies. Shaheem has been dancing regularly with Infinite Flow since 2016 and has been the lead instructor for Infinite Flow Kids since 2018.
Dmitriy “Kima” Kim
HE/HIM
Kima was born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He trained in Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Jazz Funk, and built a professional dance career in Russia, which included working with Anita Tsoy, Vintage, and Egor Kreed. In 2016, he was granted asylum from the US and left Russia to avoid persecution for his sexual orientation. A few months later in January 2017, Kima lost his lower left leg as a result of an accident but that did not stop him from dancing. He trained hard to stand, walk, and eventually dance with his prosthetic leg. His journey with Infinite Flow began when he was introduced to Marisa via Facebook while recovering from the trauma. It took some time ‘til he was ready to jump back into dancing, but Marisa continued to check in, and in Sept 2017, he finally said yes. Since then, he has been involved in flash mobs, dance videos, and even choreographing for performances. Kima loves collaborating with new friends and posting videos on social media. He is an avid Instagrammer and he hopes to use it as a platform to motivate and spread positivity. Infinite Flow stands out to Kima as unique because of the support and love everyone has for each other. The organization has brought more smiles and laughter to his life.
Natalie Trevonne
SHE/HER
At the age of one, Natalie was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which caused her to lose her vision at the age of 18. As a cheerleader, co-captain of her dance team, and member of the show choir, she never thought she would perform again. But after an almost decade-long hiatus, Natalie put her dancing shoes back on. Natalie was connected with Marisa through her agent and although Ballroom dance is new to her, Natalie has a blast training and collaborating with other Infinite Flow artists. Natalie is a triple threat who hopes to bring the blind community together through the arts. She recently launched a Podcast called “Fashionably Tardy” with fellow blind friend Lissa Loe, where they “bridge the gap between the disability community and the fashion industry one story at a time”. Although she has been faced with numerous obstacles throughout her life, Natalie refuses to let her blindness define her and wants to encourage others to take the risk and go after their dreams. Infinite Flow holds a special place in Natalie’s heart because she feels that there is no other dance company or even entertainment organization that brings together people from different cultures, genders, beliefs, and abilities all together to express themselves through dance as one. Natalie’s time at Infinite Flow has taught her how to be more confident in her dancing because the organization showed her that she can still do the same types of dance as everyone else. She just has a different approach to learning.
Piotr Iwanicki
HE/HIM
Piotr is one of the most accomplished wheelchair dancers in the world, with multiple wheelchair World Latin Champion titles, including winning 6 World Championships, 5 European Championships, 11 Polish Championships, and a few World Cup crowns, all between 1999-2011. He has performed as a guest artist at some of the most prestigious ballroom dance competitions including German Open, Blackpool (UK), Snowball Classic (Canada), Millenium Dancesport Championships (Florida), and has performed alongside some of the most acclaimed dancers including Michał Malitowski & Joanna Leunis, Ricardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko, Hanna Kartunnen & Victor da Silva, and has also appeared in the Romanian Dancing With the Stars. . Piotr has contributed to the popularization of wheelchair dance sport performing and teaching in many countries and inspiring other wheelchair users to dance and pursue their dreams. In 2012, Piotr had to stop competing after a serious surgery and spending 6 months in hospital. Infinite Flow Founder Marisa Hamamoto and Piotr started to exchange messages and phone calls through Facebook Messenger in 2016, sharing information on inclusive dance and exploring the possibility of working together. After finally meeting and performing together in July 2017 in Tokyo, they mutually agreed to continue working and collaborating together. Piotr admires Infinite Flow for its message of inclusion and Marisa’s ability to bring out each person’s beauty, whether they have a disability or not. He feels he finally found a family and community where he can continue to advocate for people with disabilities through dance.
Lionel Taplin
HE/HIM
Lionel Taplin is a Michael Jackson impersonator and self-proclaimed Disney nerd from Los Angeles, California. He expresses himself in many different styles of dance, including ballet, tap, modern, ballroom, belly, African, and jazz, and is often compared to Lumiere from his favorite Disney movie Beauty and the Beast because of their similar charming personalities. While Lionel has a well-rounded dance background, he considers one of his achievements to be performing despite his learning disability and autism. He continuously pushes through obstacles he faces and works on it every day. Lionel first heard of Infinite Flow in 2017. His first performance with Infinite Flow was a flash mob at Venice Beach, and he was hooked ever since. Since then, he has worked with Infinite Flow on a number of projects, including a collaboration with Adidas. While Lionel continues to perform with other dance companies, he considers Infinite Flow to be his true dance family because of the welcoming environment that is free of judgment. He is also thankful for the experiences he has had with Infinite Flow so far as it includes milestones such as his first time working with a green screen.
Tony Nunez
HE/HIM
Antonio Núñez grew up in New York where he was heavily involved in Salsa, Merengue, and many of the Caribbean's African-rooted folkloric dances. As he got older his mother pushed him into ballet, modern, and later hip hop. He learned ballroom dancing as a teenager and quickly became certified to teach at only 17 years old. Ballroom quickly replaced most other dance styles as Tony's passion, when he realized just how impactful this style can be to the soul and psyche of all of his students. After finally meeting Oxana Kashkina (current competitive dance partner) a few years ago, he is now able to take what he teaches artistically to his students to the professional floor on a regular competitive basis. Tony and Oxana are currently professional rhythm and smooth US 9 dance finalists, World Mambo finalists, 9 dance Vice Champions at the Ohio Star Ball, World Salsa Championships finalists, among many other titles. Having diverse a background of professional, competitive, and social dancing with a street flare, Tony strives to put authenticity in all he teaches and performs. He also has a degree in Education from Cleveland State University. For Tony, dancing (particularly partner dancing), is the vehicle that brings true self-awareness and therefore ultimate fulfillment regardless of the background, orientation, gender or ability, and is thrilled to be dancing with Infinite Flow.
Ryann Mason
SHE/THEY
Ryann "Ry" Mason was born and raised in Bedford, Virginia, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She identifies as a queer force of nature (she/they) and has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder that necessitates the use of a wheelchair. Ry’s dance journey began 21 years ago when she was recruited for a Nutcracker performance, leading her to train extensively in ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, modern, hip-hop, and more. Ry’s advocacy journey began with her Instagram page “Chronically Ry” in 2017, sharing her story and connecting with a broader community. In 2019, Ry won the title of Ms. Wheelchair Virginia, serving through 2021 due to COVID-19, and became a prominent disability advocate. She has spoken at events like the National Institute of Health’s celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and has been featured in publications like Women’s Day, Forbes, and Teen Vogue. With over 16 years of healthcare experience, Ry has worked as an EMT, registered nurse, school nurse, postpartum bedside nurse, and acute care case manager. Ry first heard about Infinite Flow during a challenging time and joined in 2023, rediscovering her confidence as a dancer and a disabled woman. Since then, she has been involved in performances and advocacy work with Infinite Flow, combining her love of dance and disability advocacy. Ry’s favorite quote, “Fear is temporary, regret is forever,” epitomizes her journey of embracing new challenges and continuing her advocacy work.
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BTS Creatives
Kenzo Le
Director of Cinematography
HE/HIM
Kenzo is a Los Angeles based cinematographer, University of Southern California alumni from USC’s Film & Television Production program, and founder/lead cinematographer at Origin Zero Media, a full-service production company. He is an expert Director of Photography, with dozens of narratives, music videos, commercials, and two recent feature films under his belt. Kenzo acquired his photographic style from his parents’ signature in surrealism painting and impressionism. He approached Infinite Flow founder Marisa for a collaboration in 2016, while a Sophomore at USC, and has since created an extensive portfolio with Infinite Flow, working towards building a better world by bringing inclusion on the lens.