Guest Artists and Faculty Presenter Bios
Save the Date
2026 OhioDance Festival
May 1, 2, and 3
Location: The Ohio State University, Dance Department, Sullivant Hall, 1813 North High St., Columbus Ohio 43210
Call for OhioDance Festival Presenter Proposals
SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY October 15, 2025.
2026 bios available in January 2026
Guest Artist 2025
Christopher Kaui Morgan (he/him) brings his Native Hawaiian heritage and international experiences into his multifaceted work as a choreographer, performer, educator, curator, facilitator, and arts administrator. He creates performances that synthesize dance, storytelling, original music, and multimedia design to explore identity, social, and cultural issues, founding dance company Christopher K. Morgan & Artists in 2011; the same year Dance Magazine profiled him as one of six breakout choreographers in the United States. His choreography has been showcased in 22 countries across five continents, and been supported by Creative Capital, New England Foundation for the Arts, Dance USA, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, among others notable funders. In January of 2024 he was appointed Artistic Director of Malashock Dance, where he began his dance career in 1995.
Since 2006 Christopher has directed Art Omi: Dance, an annual collaborative residency for international choreographers in New York, where he designed the program’s unique approach to cross cultural collaboration and peer mentorship.
Christopher was nominated by President Biden to the National Council on the Arts and confirmed by the US Senate. He serves on the board of the National Performance Network and co-chaired the 2023 and 2024 Association of Performing Arts Professionals annual conference.
From 2022-2023 he served as Vice President of Programming at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. From 2017-21 he was Executive Artistic Director of Dance Place in Washington, D.C. Teaching credits include American University (2011-14), the BA and MFA programs at the University of Maryland (2014-17) and residencies at over 25 conservatories and institutions.
2025 Presenters Bios
Ann Cooper Albright A dancer and scholar, Ann Cooper Albright is a Professor of Dance at Oberlin College. Combining her interests in dancing and cultural theory, Albright teaches a variety of courses that seek to engage students in both practices and theories of the body. Her latest book is entitled Simone Forti: improvising a life, and she is performing book talks in her honor.
Anthony Alterio is on the faculty at Ohio University. He works in the School of Dance and the School of Theater as an Assistant Professor of Instruction. His research explores representations of identities in the LGBTQIA+ community in pop culture as part of a larger interest in how dancers present themselves.
Kenneth Brown has been a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator for 24 years dating back to the beginnings of his formal dance training at Ft. Hayes MEC. He has danced, choreographed, and taught from the recreational level to the professional level in a wide array of styles including Street Dance, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Musical Theater, Lyrical, Modern, and Contemporary.
Cherelle Brown is a Columbus-based dancer, instructor, and choreographer. She began dancing in high school, where a love of the art grew under the tutelage of renowned teachers and mentors. She has studied modern, contemporary, and African Diasporic styles of dance for over 20 years. Cherelle now shares this love with the community through performances, classes, and setting choreographic work
Helen Buck-Pavlick serves as the Fine Arts Specialist for DEW, Vice President (SEADAE), Board Director (NDEO), and Dance Representative (NCAS Council). Helen holds an MFA in dance, MEd, Ohio P-12 Dance/Theatre, and over 20 years of combined experience teaching in K-12, higher education, and the independent sector. Additionally, she is an RSDE, 200RYT, and STEAM Certified Educator/Administrator.
Talise Campbell is a celebrated dancer, choreographer, director, and educator whose work bridges the richness of diasporic music, history, art, and folklore. As Associate Professor of West African Music at Oberlin College and Founding Artistic Director of Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, her globally acclaimed works span West Africa, South America, the UK, Cuba, Dubai, and the Caribbean.
Khaila Carr (she/her) has been with The Greater Columbus Arts Council since 2023 and currently serves as the Grants and Community Engagement Coordinator. Khaila manages programs supporting both individual artists and nonprofit organizations; including Mural Assistance, Artist Projects, Cultural Festival Funding and Project Support: Events, Festivals, & Series. In addition to her work at GCAC, Khaila is a practicing visual artist working in illustration, animation, mural-making, and tattooing. To connect, feel free to reach out to kcarr@gcac.org or grants@gcac.org!
Padma Chebrolu holds MBA and MED degrees. Recipient of Ohio Governor’s Award for Arts Education and Ohio Arts Council’s Heritage Arts Fellow. She is the director, producer and writer of the dance movie, Passage of the River which amplifies the arts activism message for environmentalism for clean water and air. Won about 30 awards at international film festivals from 10 countries.
Mimi Chenfeld MA in Elementary Ed. the University of New York. a teacher, writer and educational consultant, has led the Ohio State University Hillel Folk Dance programs since moving with her family from New York to Columbus in 1970.
Makenna Liller Dahman is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer who currently resides in Youngstown. After high school, she joined the company at Millennium Dance Complex in Pittsburgh where she performed in Chicago and Los Angeles.. In 2019, she moved to Seattle, WA where she was a choreographer and company member. In 2023, she launched her business Reverie Movement Collective.
Griset Damas-Roche moved to Columbus in 2014. She taught at the established school “Flamenco del Corazón” before opening her own flamenco studio “UWillDance” in Plain City. Griset leads “Compañía Caña Flamenca,” composed of three dancers and two musicians.
Trezon Dancy from Hartford, Connecticut is a Choreographer, Performing Artist, and Educator. Dancy has worked with various artists throughout the east coast and Midwest. Dancy received his BFA in Dance: Performance and Choreography from Ohio University. Upon Graduation Dancy accept- ed a First Company position with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Dancy is the Artistic Director of InPulse Dance Company and Operations/Program Manager for OhioDance.
Lucy Dillon is a choreographer investigating the utility of movement for claiming embodied agency. Her work declares aliveness and unapologetic presence. Her lived experience, community, and training as a dancer, runner, and athlete fuel her movement invention. Lucy is pursuing an MFA in Dance at The Ohio State University. She moves from core commitments to anti-racism, sustainable practices, and empowerment.
Ambre Emory-Maier MA, MFA, ERYT-500, is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Kent State University and the former Associate Director of BalletMet 2. She uses Labanotation to re-stage dances and examines questions around ownership, memory, and transference. She has a deep background in sharing movement practices that support people with eating disorders and mental health challenges.
J. Shannon Filmore is the President of Tru Kingdom Mega Crew Inc., an all-styles dance crew he co-founded in 2017. TKMC received “2021 Best Dance Crew in Ohio” and the “2022 Grace Dance Award for Excellence in Hip Hop”. Shannon’s accolades include: “2021 Buckeye Choreographer and Dancer of the Year”. Shannon has received individual artist grants from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and graduated.
Angie Gallis is an accomplished dance teacher as well as a 500-hour CYT with a focus on accessible yoga. Currently, you will find Angie sharing her passion for dance, yoga, and wellness through teaching classes and workshops, speaking on the benefits of yoga through her nonprofit Paisley Yoga Project, and serving as an adjudicator for the Celebration Talent Competition.
Ashley Goos is a dancer, choreographer, creative leader, educator, and somatics practitioner. She holds an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from The Florida State University. She has presented her research on somatic integration and dance techniques across the nation. Ashley is an Assistant Teaching Professor and the Director of Dance at Miami University (OH).
Melissa Gould received her B. A in Dance at San Jose State University and enjoyed a professional dance career which included contracts in Japan, Las Vegas, and Korea. Melissa has been teaching for over 35 years. Melissa is the Artistic Director of New Vision Dance Co., Founder of the New Albany Dance Festival, and Director of the New Albany Middle School Theatre Dept.
Elizabeth Hany graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and is currently a Master of Fine Arts- Choreography candidate at Jacksonville University. The former Director of Dance for the CTE-Dance Program at Sandusky City Schools in Sandusky, OH and is currently the High School Dance Director for Lorain City Schools.
Jessica Harris is a professor of Jazz, Tap, and Musical Theatre dance, currently on faculty at University of Cincinnati (CCM), Northern Kentucky University, and Miami University of Ohio. She has also worked with many professional NFL and NBA dance teams as a guest choreographer. Harris has performed on ESPN and GMA, and has received numerous awards for her work across the country.
Michael Holland started dancing at the age of 5 under Ann Richens and John Timm at the Richens/Timm Academy of Irish dance. After twice finishing 2nd place at the World Championships, in 2012 Michael achieved the highest honor in Irish Dance, the title of Senior Men’s World Champion. In 2008, Michael was awarded the Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and danced at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Erin J. Hoppe, PhD Associate Teaching Professor, Arts Management & Arts Entrepreneurship, Miami University. Erin is passionate about enhancing wellbeing for the creative sector and its stakeholders. Her pedagogy bridges theory and practice with attention to equity and accessibility. She is a seasoned nonprofit arts administrator and board member for local, statewide, and international organizations. Her research has focused on embodiment, creativity, covid, and artificial intelligence in the creative sector.
Ryan Johnson is Guggenhiem Fellow, an award-winning artist and scholar who translates and synthesizes global rhythms into the human body, creating immersive performance experiences that are both sonic and kinetic. In 2015, he founded SOLE Defined, a percussive dance company that has become the leading arts organization specializing in percussive dance in the Washington Metro area. He has performed in productions such as STOMP, Cirque du Soleil, and STEP AFRIKA!, among others.
Karen King-Cavin, MA Dance & B.S. Early and Middle Childhood (Ohio State). A Columbus City Schools dance educator at Duxberry Park Arts IMPACT ES and Columbus Gifted Academy. Karen advances innovative dance instruction through an interdisciplinary approach to inspire connectively across disciplines. She is a recipient of OhioDance’s Educator of the Year, Blue Chip, Crown Awards and Martha Holden Jennings Scholarship.
Kisa Li is a dance artist, educator, and filmmaker whose interdisciplinary work bridges dance, film, and social justice. With a focus on themes of social issues and activism, Kisa’s award-winning films explore societal norms and mental health. She currently serves as a Visiting Scholar Professor of Dance at the University of Dayton and director of UD Dance Ensemble.
Samuel McIntosh is a talented dancer and choreographer specializing in street dance styles, including Popping, Animation, and Boogaloo. With 15 years of experience, he has learned from legends and competed internationally. An arts administration graduate, he is the Founder of 10K Movement, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing access to authentic Hip Hop and Street dance programming and education. 10kmovement.org/about
Meghan Mulcahy is a dance educator, arts advocate, and communications professional based in Lima, Ohio. With a BFA in Dance from The Ohio State University, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communications at Ohio University. Meghan teaches elementary dance at Lima City Schools and at Lyn’s Academy of Dance in Lima, Ohio, advocating for arts access and community engagement.
Richard Oaxaca has an MFA in Dance & studied at the Martha Graham School of Dance in New York City, where he was accepted into their teacher training program. He performed at the 2012 World Expo in Korea and danced for Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Disney Cruise Lines. He is Assistant Professor of Dance at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Chaz O’Neil, Artist Programs/Percent for Art coordinator, Ohio Arts Council Chaz O’Neil joined the Ohio Arts Council staff in 2021. Chaz received a BA from Otterbein University, 2006 and MFA from Bowling Green State University, 2013. He is a visual artist. Recent exhibitions include Greater Columbus 2020 at the Columbus Museum of Art, Terraform at ROYGBIV Gallery in 2021 and 934 Gallery in October 2022. O’Neil was the Museum & Gallery Assistant/ Collection Registrar and taught foundations drawing courses at Otterbein University. O’Neil was Assistant Director at the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition. He taught at Shanghai Publishing Printing College in China. His residencies include El Bruc, Spain and Greater Columbus Arts Council’s Residency Exchange Program in Dresden, Germany.
Robin Raven Prichard, MFA, is an artist/scholar straddling the worlds of contemporary concert dance and Indigenous dance. She has taught dance in universities for more than two decades in Australia and throughout the US. She served as a choreographer for the American Idol video game, and her dance film Trigger Warning was an official selection at ADF.
Marlene Robbins graduated from Ohio State with her MA in Dance Education. She was the beloved Dance Teacher at Indianola Elementary School (Columbus Public Schools) for over twenty years before her retirement. She has been folk dancing most of her life.
Gregory Robinson received his dance training at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. His career as a performer, teacher, ballet master, and choreographer, primarily with Dayton Ballet, has spanned more than thirty years. He was named a “Dayton Gem” by the Dayton Daily News. His works have garnered critical praise and funding from regional and national arts agencies. He is on the faculty of Wright State University.
Jeffrey Rockland, Associate Professor of Dance at Kent State University, Jeffrey Marc Rockland enjoys helping students expand, discover, and excel. A former soloist with Atlanta Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Rockland brings his professional experience into the classroom. He sets a professional standard by which technique and artistry are achieved. Rockland’s choreography credits include works for many regional and International companies and universities.
Saige Dore Rook is a certified yoga teacher and dance artist with Bachelor’s degrees in Dance and Health Sciences as well as education from numerous dance and healthcare mentors. She is passionate about embracing a sustainable, whole-person, and individualized approach while creating dance spaces that feel open and safe for anyone drawn to participate.
Alla Ryumshin 30 years in the arts field. Former Rhythmic Gymnast, Studied in the College of Arts (Choreography dpt.), danced professionally in companies like Columbus Dance Theater and Canadian Pacific Ballet. Teaching experience: ballet, folk dance, contemporary, rhythmic gymnastics, fitness, and more at the dance studios and sports schools in the Columbus area. Artistic director of Arts for Nations Center.
Amy Schofield MFA, is a PhD candidate in Dance Studies at OSU where her research explores flamenco in the US-American context.
Trinity Stevens has an Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts; they have attended teacher trainings with Boston Ballet, the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, Dark Room Ballet, and the Kennedy Center’s Destination Arts Integration Conference. Stevens has danced for Seiche Dance Collective, Lowell House Opera, Morgan Walker & Dancers, and Dancing Wheels. They aim to use dance to encourage well-being, self-expression, and community-building.
Rose Sunila is a movement educator, performer, choreographer, and mindfulness enthusiast educated in Finland. She embraces diverse cultural perspectives and lived experiences in her dance approach. Holding an MA in Dance and certifications in yoga, prenatal yoga, and breathwork, Rose is passionate about trauma-informed dance education. Based in Cincinnati, she teaches various dance and yoga modalities.
Megan Tedrick is a dance educator and arts integration specialist from Columbus. Megan holds a BFA in Performance and Choreography and an MA in Community Dance from Ohio University.. Currently, Megan is the Education Programs Coordinator for BalletMet where she continues to develop teaching strategies for integrating dance with Ohio learning standards for elementary education.
Jessica Werfel Jessica is a movement artist who believes that dance has the power to build community while igniting social change and empathy. She graduated from Elon with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.A. in Arts Administration. Jessica is in the Gin Dance Company, teaches dance throughout Virginia, and researches dance improvisation.