Alicia Christofi-Walshe (Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish-based dance artist originally from Boston where she graduated from The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Dance. Alicia regularly collaborates with other dance artists, composers, and visual artists to create visually stunning and engaging work. Her choreography has been performed in NYC, Boston and Ireland at various venues and festivals, some of which include Dance New Amsterdam, Greenspace, OBERON, Project Arts Centre as part of the first Project Brand New, The Backloft, Courthouse Arts Centre, Riverbank Arts Centre, Longford Dance Festival and I.F.O.N.L.Y. Alicia’s work is generously supported by Dance Ireland, Culture Ireland and Wicklow Arts Office.
Stephen Clapp (Mt. Rainier, MD) is Co-Artistic/Executive Director of Dance Box Theater, Inc. and has performed nationally and internationally as a movement theater artist. He has been a faculty member for the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange school (Maryland), the Studio of Ballet Arts (Maryland), Dance Place (DC) and he is a resident artist at Joe’s Movement Emporium (Maryland). Clapp is a certified Arts-Integration Specialist and facilitates arts-based anti-racism trainings for artists and cultural workers throughout the United States. Clapp serves on the development staff of Dance Place, the Board of Directors for both Dance/MetroDC and Alternate ROOTS, and he has received multiple awards from State and County Arts Councils in Maryland.
Katherine Ferrier (Bethlehem, NH) An independent dance artist/educator, poet, visual artist and curator, Katherine has been immersed in making since the late 80’s. She earned her B.A. in Dance and Women’s Studies from Middlebury College, and M.F.A. in Dance and Performance from Sarah Lawrence College. A co-founder of The Architects, an improvisational quartet with a collaborative performance history spanning nearly 20 years, she delights in composing in the moment, and her various forms of creative research continue to inform and provoke each other, becoming quantum partners in a life-long practice of paying attention. She is a chronic guest artist, and teaches and performs regularly throughout the US and abroad. Katherine created and directs Cultivate, a festival designed to nourish a growing community of contemporary dance-makers and dance supporters in Northern New Hampshire
Sarah Gamblin (Denton, TX) is interested in the intersections of improvisation, choreography and performance and seeks out collaborative relationships across performance contexts. Recent collaborators include Amii LeGendre, KT Niehoff, Ray Schwartz, and Jordan Fuchs and with Texas musical entities Hentai Improvising Orchestra, Shiny Around the Edges and Impulse. She has been produced in Texas and beyond including Houston Fringe Festival, Out of the Loop Fringe Festival, the Fusebox Festival, the Seattle Festival of Dance Improvisation, The Northwest New Works Festival at On the Boards and Bates Dance Festival. Gamblin is an Associate Professor at Texas Woman’s University.
Loren Groenendaal (Philadelphia, PA) is a Philadelphia-based dance artist and educator, specializing in contact improvisation, contemporary, and Balinese dance. She holds an MFA in Choreography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a BA from Oberlin College. Currently she is finishing her certification project in Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals. In addition to her work with youth, she has been teaching contact improvisation to adults for several years and has been facilitating a weekly contact improv jam in Philadelphia. Loren is the artistic director of contemporary dance company, Vervet Dance and she dances with Katherine Kiefer Stark’s The Naked Stark, Lacy James’ Mereminne dancers, Swarthmore’s Balinese Gamelan Semara Santi, and the Indonesian Cultural Club of the Delaware/Philadelphia area.
Ellie Goudie-Averill (Philadelphia, PA) a 2007 MFA Dance Performance graduate of the University of Iowa, Ellie currently co-directs the Stone Depot Dance Lab and dances for MacArthur Dance Project and Group Motion Dance Company in Philadelphia. Her choreography has been shown NYC, Philly and throughout the Midwest, and she was recently a selected artist for Dance New Amsterdam’s RAW Material. Ellie teaches Modern technique and repertory at Temple University and has served as Visiting Assistant Professor of dance at Bucknell University and Artistic Director of the University of Iowa Youth Ballet. In the past, Ellie performed with Daara Dance, Kayle+Co, Cohan/Suzeau, Prairie Wind Dancers, and was a founding member of the Bowery Dancers. She began her training at Ballet Midwest in Topeka, Kansas and holds a BFA in dance from the University of Kansas. Along with performing, choreographing, and improvising she loves teaching dance to people of all ages and jumping for joy!
Ashley Hensel-Browning (Chester, VT) founder and artistic director of Rural Dance Revolution, works as an educator, community artist, and choreographer throughout New England. Her work has been presented in venues such as the International Festival of Art and Ideas, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, MA, and MassMOCA. She choreographs and directs for the Opera Theatre of Weston in Weston, VT, most recently including The Magic Flute (2011), The Little Prince (2010), and Hansel and Gretel (Jan 2009). A Juried Teaching Artist on the Vermont Arts Council Teaching Roster, she has received multiple grants for work in public schools and community sites. Recent projects include a teacher training in incorporating math in movement in the Berkshires, choreography residencies through Vermont, and guest teaching with Boston Ballet’s CityDance. Ashley received her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her BA from Hampshire College where she designed her own concentration in Dance Education and Community Development through the Arts.
Jessica Howard (Fall River, MA) Jessica Howard graduated from Keene State College in 2009 with her B.A. in Theatre and Dance. As a theatre and dance undergraduate she was privileged to study under Marcia Murdock, Cathy Nicoli, Candice Salyers, and William Seigh and was selected to work with guest artists such as Paul Besaw, Mark Dendy, Pilobolus, and Sara Sweetly Rabidoux. Since graduation she became Founder and Artistic Director of The Heron Studio, where she offers classes and workshops in the healing and performing arts (yoga & dance) located in Fall River MA. She is also a free-lance performance artist & dance educator. Currently she is performing with Lorraine Chapman, the Company, and teaching for ACT at Saint Andrew’s School.
Jennifer Kayle (Iowa City) is Associate Professor at University of Iowa, and an independent choreographer and improviser. Commissions in 2011 include University of Utah, and37 por las Tablas, a Movement/Theatre Company in Santiago, Dominican Republic. In collaboration with composer Burton Beerman, she presented “Flamingo” atSymphony Space, NYC, and at 31st International New Music Festival in Ohio. In 2010, Kayle co-created “Virtually Yours,” with Charlotte Adams, regarding the poetry/politics of crossing the border, presented at Highways, Los Angeles, and El Centro Leon in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Other venues include a Joyce SoHoseason in New York City (2008), and with Lisa Gonzales at Links Hall, Chicago, and collaborations with Katherine Ferrier at The Body/Word Festival (2009), and with The Architects at Iguan Dance Theatre and Dostoevsky Museum Theatre (2008), both in St. Petersburg Russia.
Katherine Keifer Stark (Philadelphia,PA) artistic director and founder of The Naked Stark, is a Philadelphia-based dance artist. The foundation for her work stems from her belief that the world is socially constructed and that we create rather than merely discover its significances. Katherine received her MFA in Choreography from UNCG and her BA in dance from Connecticut College. Recently, Katherine was a guest artist at Muhlenberg College and the recipient of JumpStart, a mini-grant for emerging artists. Currently, Katherine teaches at PARD and is an Artist-in-Residence at Mascher. In addition to dancing in her own choreography, Katherine is working with Stone Depot Dance Lab and Vervet Dance.
Kai Kleinbard (New York, NY) was born and raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. His approach to movement is influenced by his study of waving with Future Ninja, voguing with Archie Burnett and Benny Ninja, and Aikido. Kai has worked with artists Kota Yamazaki, Mina Nishimura, Gerald Casel, Jimena Paz, and Cori Olinghouse. He tutors privately (grades K-12) and specializes in developing and organizing his students’ work and learning habits. Kai is an AMSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher and is currently engaged in a creative practice research, Body Literate Initiative with partner, Cori Olinghouse.
- Meredith Lyons (Philadelphia, PA) received her BA from Mercyhurst College with a focus
in Teaching & Choreography and her MFA in Choreography at Smith College. As a dancer, she has performed with the Albany Berkshire Ballet, Ballet Concerto, Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Elm City Dance Collective and appeared in both ballet and modern masters’ works: Balanchine, Tudor, Mark Morris, Trisha Brown, Bebe Miller, David Dorfman, Danny Buraczeski, and Wally Cardona. She is a current company member of PDM: Peter DiMuro – Public Displays of Motion (former Artistic Director of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange), Kayle + Company and Tori Lawrence + Co. Before her relocation to Philadelphia, Meredith served as Dance Director of the Taft School/Connecticut, leading the dance ensemble in tours throughout Europe. Additionally, Meredith has been on faculty at Ursinus College, Connecticut College, Providence College, Springfield College, and the Five College Dance Department at Smith College.
Monkeyhouse (Boston, MA) an award winning Boston based nonprofit that connects communities to choreography, began with a promise to build a laboratory where choreographers could create, experiment and present new work. Founded in 2000 by Artistic Director Karen Krolak, and Voted “Best Dance Company in Boston” for 2006, 2007 & 2010 by the Boston Phoenix Readers’ Poll, Monkeyhouse regularly performs as well as holding classes, workshops and performances throughout the Greater Boston Area. Our mission has developed to include motivating people to move with meaning and improving communication by connecting communities to choreography. Over the years we have mentored, nurtured and supported dozens of choreographers ranging from students first experimenting to established favorites. We’ve had hundreds of conversations about different choreographic processes that stimulate or inspire new directions for our work and helped foster long term relationships with presenters, audience members and other choreographers. Go to www.monkeyhouselovesme.com to join us at an upcoming event or to stir up a conversation on our blog.
Angie Muzzy (Troy, NH) is an MFA candidate at The College at Brockport concentrating on choreography and performance. She began her dance training in the hills of Western Massachusetts and continued her studies at Keene State College where she received a degree in Theater and Dance (2008). She has worked with choreographers: Robert Battle, Beppie Blankert, Lorraine Chapman, Bill Evans, Stephan Koplowitz, Marcia Murdock, Candice Salyers, among others. She has been a guest teacher at Keene State College, Williston-Northampton School, Northfield Mount Hermon School, and Hillsboro-Deering Middle School. She has presented work around New England and currently divides her time between Southern New Hampshire and Western New York.
Bethany Nelson (Jackson, MS) is a choreographer, educator, collaborator, and ardent improviser. Bethany is interested in connecting disparate dance communities within the greater Jackson area by creating communication networks, collaborative environments, educational opportunities, and dance works that are accessible and inclusive of all audiences. She is currently teaching for Ballet Mississippi, organizing the Mississippi Improv Alliance, performing with Front Porch Dance Collective and Duncan Dance, and learning how to break dance. Bethany holds an M.F.A in Dance from Texas Woman’s University and a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Cori Olinghouse (New York, NY) is a New York-based dancer, teacher, and choreographer whose work explores the plasticity and shapeshifting capacities of the body in relationship to creativity, health, and culture. Her work has been presented by Danspace Project, The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn Museum of Art and Movement Research, among others. Cori performed with the Trisha Brown Dance Company from 2002-06. In 2005, Cori began a dancing dialogue Bill Irwin and has since been researching a variety of movement forms that explore physical transformation. She’s been studying corporeal mime with Colin Gee and continuing her study of voguing with Archie Burnett and Benny Ninja. Cori was a 2009 Movement Research Artist-in-Residence. Cori is currently collaborating with filmmaker Shona Masarin to create a 16 mm b&w film, Ghost line. She is influenced by her creative practice research, Body Literate Initiative with partner, Kai Kleinbard.
Goldie Peacock (Brooklyn, NY) Genre-crossing movement artist Goldie Peacock has created and performed original dance and drag works, taught, produced/curated and served as a professional artistic muse for nearly a decade. After earning a B.A. in Dance at Oberlin College, Goldie relocated to Portland, Maine and premiered dance works at venues such as Bates College, the St. Lawrence Arts Center and SPACE Gallery, while also extensively performing drag and teaching power yoga. Goldie was dubbed “Best Dance Performer” in the Portland Phoenix’s 2009 Best-of Poll, which stated, “…performance-artist Goldie Peacock…writhes, contorts, and gyrates through burlesque events, art openings, drag shows, and Pride festivities — and we fall in love a little more with every step.” Now joyfully residing in Brooklyn, Goldie curates monthly salons and shows work at local venues such as the WOW Cafe Theater, Dixon Place and the Knitting Factory, while also performing on stages across the USA.
Pamela Vail (Lancaster, PA)Pamela Vail is a performer, choreographer, improviser, and teacher. She is a founding member of critically acclaimed New York City-based Yanira Castro |a canary torsi, and is a co-founding member of the Architects, a performance improvisation ensemble. Vail also works with independent choreographers including Terry Creach, Heidi Henderson, Tori Lawrence and Peter Schmitz. She teaches master classes and performs her own choreography nationally and internationally, and is currently Assistant Professor of Dance at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. Vail holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.F.A. in dance from Smith College.
Cultivate 