J. Andrea Porras / yAyA is a Queer, 2Spirit, Coahuiltecan descendant Chicana, madre of JAH'Sol Amaru, cultura cura curator-producer, intersectional artist, documenter, & theater maker. They have been offering intersectional multimedia arte between edutainment and story sharing, storytelling ceremonias through solo and collaborations for over 25 years. They are self and community funded as well as an honored culture bearer via commissions, grants, invitations, research, opportunities. Porras earned their B.A. degree from California State University Sacramento, Theater Dance and Cultural Anthropology Departments, where they specialized in Black, Indigenous, and Chicano/a Theater. They focused on acting, improv movement, playwriting, producing and video documenting.
Porras spent years as an artist in residence at elementary and middle schools in Sacramento, funded by The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. They studied, taught, performed and participated in Inter-Tribal ceremonies as an Afro- Caribbean, Danza Mexika traditional dancer predominantly connecting and building in Northern California across through the Southwest, and later in Cuba, Mexico, Africa and NY. They crossed over from teaching artist and community cultural producer to Arts administrator and philanthropy focus in joining the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

*Porras respectfully resides on Unceded Me-Wuk, Miwok, Maidu Nisenan and Patwin land also known as Sacramento, California