Guest Artists and Faculty Presenter Bios
2023 OhioDance Festival
April 28-April 30
cosponsored by The Ohio State University Department of Dance
The Guest Artist is Ananya Chatterjea
REGISTRATION is now open click here to open the web registration page
2023 Festival Registration page
2023 Festival Schedule
2023 OhioDance Festival brochure with session descriptions
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2023 OhioDance Festival Registration
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- REGISTRATION is now open click here to open the web registration page
Guest Artist 2023
Ananya Chatterjea’s work brings together Contemporary Dance, social justice choreography, and healing justice. She is Artistic Director of Ananya Dance Theatre, a dance company of BIPOC femmes, and co-founder of the Shawngr?m Institute for Performance and Social Justice. She is a 2011 Guggenheim Choreography Fellow, 2016, Joyce Award recipient, 2018 UBW Choreographic Center Fellow, 2019 Dance/USA Artist Fellow, the 2021 A. P. Andersen Award and 2012 and 2021 McKnight Choreography Fellowships. She is currently developing Nün Gher?o, salt water stories, with the support of a creative residency at Jacob’s Pillow. Her second book, Heat and Alterity in Contemporary Dance: South-South Choreographies was published in 2020 (Palgrave McMillan). A co-edited anthology, Dancing Transnational Feminisms: Ananya Dance Theatre and the Art of Social Justice was published in 2022 (Univ. of Washington Press). She teaches Dance Studies courses such as Choreographing Social Justice, and Contemporary Practice at the University of Minnesota.
(www.ananyadancetheatre.org)
2023 Presenters
Education Consultant for Global Water Dances, Natasha Alhadeff-Jones, is a dance educator who is passionate about the relationship between creativity, community and connection with the environment. She is the Co-Director of the Sunkhronos Institute and founder of Alliance Action Arts, both based in Geneva, Switzerland and serving international and intergenerational audiences.
Loren Bucek, Ph.D. Director & Cultural Producer, Global Water Dances Columbus. Experienced dancer, choreographer, educator, scholar and author in children’s dance education in K8 urban, university and community dance worlds. Recipient: OhioDance Dance Education Award. Co-founder: National Dance Education Organization; Moving Arts Company. Board of Directors: NDEO, Congress on Research in Dance, Dancing in the Millennium, OhioDance and Luna Dance Institute.
Jenny Burnett holds a BFA in dance from The University of Akron and an MA in teaching from Kent State University. She has been teaching dance for over 25 years in Northeast Ohio, and currently directs the pre-K thru 12 dance programs at Hathaway Brown School where she also serves as co-director for the Center for Creative Arts.
Ananya Chatterjea is a choreographer, dance educator, and scholar, Artistic Director of Ananya Dance Theatre (www.ananyadancetheatre.org) and co-founder of the Shawngr?m Institute for Performance & Social Justice.
Padma Chebrolu is an accomplished teaching and performing dance artist and artistic director of the Cultural Centre of India in Cincinnati. She has been trained by master teachers in India in several dance styles. Chebrolu is the recipient of the 2021 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award and 2022 Master Artist award for Traditional Arts Apprenticeship for preserving the heritage arts.
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. On their own, together and with the Hillel Group, Mimi and Marlene have danced with and for thousands of people through the years. Marlene Robbins and Mimi Chenfeld have danced together for many years.
Liz Conway is a Cleveland-based professional dancer, actor, choreographer and teacher. In 2014, Liz graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography from Ohio University. Her professional theatre credits include: A Chorus Line (Bebe) and Can-Can (Featured Ensemble) at Porchlight Music Theatre, as well as others. She joined The Movement Project (Cleveland, Ohio) in 2021 as a company member.
Kimberly Crislip-Jarvis teaches for Ashland City Schools through a generous Ohio Arts Council grant. She is passionate about dance education being available for all people. She’s a Consultant and OAC Teaching Artist. Her degrees are from The Scandinavian Institute for Physical Culture in Denmark, Malone University, and The University of Akron. Kimberly began her dance education in rural Seville, Ohio.
Trezon Dancy from Hartford, Connecticut is a Choreographer, Performing Artist, and Educator. Dancy worked with various artists Travis Gatling, Kim Stroud, Nathan Andary, Earl Mosley, Ronald k. Brown, Kyle Abraham and many others. 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.
Cameron Dedrick teaches 3D Foundations, 2D Foundations, Drawing Fundamentals, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Media Arts at Ashland High School. Previous to his high school career, he taught Elementary Art for 15 years. He serves as Assistant Marching Band Director at AHS and District Technology Coach. He serves on the board of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Ashland University with concentrations in Graphic Design and Printmaking, and a Master of Arts in Educational Technology from Baldwin-Wallace College.
Alexis Diggs is an independent artist from Dayton, Ohio. She is currently on teaching faculty at Miami Valley Ballet Theater and Jeraldyne’s School of Dance (advanced modern, jazz and contemporary). Her central artistic mission is to create and be a part of environments that provoke thought, feed soul, and ignite a desire to learn, love, and share within the collective.
Alissa Elegant is a dance artist and scholar researching and practicing dances of China and ballet. She studied dances of China on a Fulbright Fellowship; she took classes at Minzu University in Beijing alongside local students. She earned an MFA in choreography from Temple University and is working toward a PhD in dance studies at Ohio State University.
Ambre Emory-Maier Assistant Professor of Dance at Kent State University; Ambre completed her MFA in Choreography and Performance at the Ohio State University and MA in Dance Reconstruction and Directing from CUNY. She uses Labanotation to re-stage works. Her recent creative work in collaboration with the Wick Poetry Center called, What We Learned While Alone, premièred in Washington, DC in October 2022.
J. Shannon Filmore is a graduate of Fort Hayes Performing Arts High School. He studied at BalletMet Columbus, the Columbus Youth Ballet, and productions under the direction of Shelly Steward, Lawrence Lemon and Gamal Brown. His choreography has been featured in mainstage productions for Xclaim Dance Company. In 2017 Shannon was announced as the President of Tru Kingdom Mega Dance Crew Inc., an all-styles dance crew that he cofounded.
Megan L. Gargano is the co-artistic director and founder of The Movement Project, a non-profit dance company and school located in Fairview Park (OH), serving the communities of Cleveland and Akron since 2013. TMP’s mission is to challenge perspectives, evoke social change and bridge communities through the power of movement. In 2012, Megan received her BFA in Performance and Choreography from Ohio University School of Dance.
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. She has choreographed dozens of musical theatre productions. As Artistic Director of New Vision Dance Co. Melissa is known for her intense dance style, challenging classes and entertaining choreography.
David Hassler MFA. Directs the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University. In 2009, he cofounded Traveling Stanzas, a community arts project which creates illustrations in response to poems generated from community workshops. Hassler is the author or editor of ten books of poetry and nonfiction, including Dear Vaccine: Global Voices Speak to the Pandemic. Hassler’s awards include Ohio Poet of the Year, and is featured in a TEDx talk, “The Conversation of Poetry.”
Sarah Hixon, MFA Dance (Ohio State) and BFA Dance (George Mason University). Director, choreographer and educator of Hixon Dance – a professional performing company and educational program. A seasoned dance teacher, Sarah has taught for BalletMet, New Albany Ballet Company, The Ohio State and Wittenburg Universities. Sarah’s choreography is influenced by her studies with Doug Varone, Bebe Miller, Susan Rethorst and David Parsons.
Vannia Ibarguen, Artistic Director of Global Water Dances, a biennial event where hundreds of cities around the world create outdoor dances to raise awareness about water issues in the local and global community. Vannia is a choreographer, educator, filmmaker, and Director of VIDA – Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts. She has performed and choreographed in Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, USA, Cuba, and Hong Kong.
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 recipient of OhioDance’s Educator of the Year, Blue Chip, Crown Awards and Martha Holden Jennings Scholarship.
Ishmael Konney is an interdisciplinary Ghanaian artist born and raised in La which is one of the major towns in Accra, the capital of the country. He had his undergraduate degree in Theater Arts at University of Education, Winneba and his M.A degree in International Studies at Ohio University. He is currently a third year MFA candidate in Dance at The Ohio State University. He will receive his MFA from Ohio State in Spring 2023.
Marty Kral, District Fine Arts Coach, Director of Bands, Music Department Chair, Ashland City Schools In 2020 Mr. Kral became one of the Co-Producers of the Media Arts program at AHS as well. Along with his teaching duties, he also serves as the District Fine Arts Coach. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from Ashland University, Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning from Nova Southeastern University and Teacher Leadership Endorsement from Concordia University. Mr. Kral has Master Teacher status with the district, and holds a Lead Professional Teaching License.
Marlene Leber has worn many hats over her nearly 5-decade career in dance, and after spending 20 years co-directing the upper school dance program at Hathaway Brown School, she is curently sharing her body of knowledge as the resident choreographer at Mentor High School. She will co-present this session with dance artists’ Jenny Burnett and Brianna Rhodes as a part of the Global Water Dances project.
Joshua Manculich is a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award Winner (2015) and some of his choreographic adventures include a longstanding relationship and building of community with organizations like: Ballet Austin II, The Big Muddy Dance Company, Collage Dance Collective, DanceWorks Chicago, Eisenhower Dance, Houston Contemporary, and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. He is the founder and director of WhirlWind Dance and is based out of Columbus, Ohio.
Neda Miyashiro is the director of MUCAI Academy, in Columbus, and teaches Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance. Of particular interest is working with students who are working through injuries, age, and disabilities, which she does through the Zena Rommett Floor Barre™ technique. Rommett Floor Barre™ technique is a trademark of the Rommett Floor Barre™ Foundation, New York City.
Katherine G. Moore is a movement and teaching artist whose work spans theaters, outdoor environments, galleries, and community spaces. While active professionally since 2010, recent artistic achievements include creative residencies at The Croft (MI) and Keshet Center for the Arts (NM). Katherine earned her MFA from the Ohio State University and taught at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2019-2022.
Elyse Morckel of Akron, Ohio is a dancer, choreographer & movement educator. In 2014, Elyse earned her BFA in dance from The Ohio State University with concentrations in choreography and dance technology. In 2017, Elyse became a company dancer and choreographer with The Movement Project (Cleveland,Ohio), and was promoted to Associate Director in 2022.
Rachel Nace began her study of dance in 1982. She danced for 11 years in pre-professional companies and has been dancing professionally since 1998. Ms. Nace is the Artistic and Executive Director of Oyo Dance Company and President of Inspiration to Movement. Rachel has studied Pilates since 1997, Ballroom Dancing since 2003 and Massage Therapy since 2001. Rachel’s passions are diversity, inclusion and education about the body and acceptance and grace in the process of growth.
From Montpelier, VT, Zoey November is an educator, choreographer, and performer specializing in improvisational movement. Self-identified as autistic and queer, she teaches adaptive dance and has been working in the disability field for over 10 years. She holds a B.A. in Dance with a minor in Special Education, and her creative work has received numerous awards in Columbus and across the Northeast.
Chaz O’Neil, Artist Programs/Percent for Art coordinator, Ohio Arts Council Chaz O’Neil recently 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.
Jonathon Pattiwael is a bohemian adventurer in love with the pursuit of knowledge. I seek knowledge by dancing because when my body moves, it is thinking. My journey is rooted as deep as my own personal history and my ancestral lineage. Thus, I am an embodied wellspring of knowledge in motion, weaving an ancestral tapestry at once ephemeral and eternal.
Perennial Movement Group (PMG) is a Columbus based collective of older adult dancers directed by choreographers/community-based artists Chloe Napoletano and Sarah Ramey. Participating dancers take movement classes and engage in rehearsal and performance processes. PMG’s goals include developing the artistic voices of participating dancers and fostering community inside and outside of the collective.
Elizabeth Ramsey is in her seventh season with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. She graduated from Wright State University summa cum laude with a BFA in dance. She is a teacher and choreographer for DCDC2. She was named Resident Choreographer at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she also co-directs the junior dance ensemble.
Brianna Rhodes Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Brianna is a 2019 graduate of The Ohio State University and holds a degree in Dance with a focus in African & African American Studies. Awarded a fellowship with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company upon graduation, Brianna is currently a freelance dance artist, model, Aunt Flow spokesperson, and dance teacher residing in Columbus, Ohio.
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 recent retirement. She has been folk dancing most of her life.
Daniel Roberts (BFA Ohio State, MFA Bennington College) is an Associate Professor in Dance at Ohio State, where his teaching areas include choreography, and restaging the works of Merce Cunningham. His choreography has been presented in Iceland,Denmark, Taiwan, Brazil, and the US. Roberts is a 2019 and 2022 Fulbright Specialist in Amercian Studies (Dance).
Tori Rumzis, hails from Chicago, She received her BFA in dance from Point Park University. Tori is currently dancing with GroundWorks DanceTheater. She has performed as a company member with Aerial Dance Chicago, Ensemble180, Dance in the Parks, Hedwig Dances and New Dances (under the direction of Melissa Thodos and Julie Nakagawa). Along with performing, Tori has enjoyed working as a dance teacher, choreographer, and certified yoga instructor.
Yukina Sato is a dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker. She uses a camera to question the definition of “seeing.” Her dance film was awarded and screened at Film Fest by Rogue Dancer in 2020. Her recent intermedia solo, “Body Negative” was presented at the World Dance Alliance in October 2022. She is a Graduate Teaching Associate and Research Assistant in the Dance department at Ohio State University.
Kathleen Signorino, Artist Programs and Percent for Art Director at the Ohio Arts Council Kathy Signorino oversees grant programs for artists that include the Individual Excellence Awards, Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program, and the Artist with Disabilities Access program. In addition, she oversees the Ohio Heritage Fellowship program and the Ohio Poet Laureate program. She is in charge of the state’s Ohio Percent for Art that administers public art projects in state buildings that receive $4 million or more in capital funding. Additionally, she is responsible for multiple resources for artists including the Ohio Artist Registry, the Artist Opportunities Database, and the Ohio Folk and Traditional Arts website.
Megan Tedrick is a dance educator from Columbus. She is the Education Programs Coordinator for BalletMet and teaches adjunct for Ohio University. Megan earned her BFA in Dance from Ohio University and is in the MA in Community Dance program. Her teaching credits include children’s dance, ballet, modern, West African dance, and composition. Currently, her research centers on transdisciplinary approaches to elementary school general education.
The Dancing Wheels Company & School is one of the premier arts and disabilities organizations in the U.S. Dancing Wheels is a professional, physically integrated dance company uniting the talents of dancers both with and without disabilities. With a message of inclusion and accessibility, the Company continually expands the reach of artistic possibilities while celebrating the universal spirit of dance.
Smt.Kalyani Veturi is an accomplished artist in the field of Kuchipudi residing in Cleveland. She began her training with the guru Sree Dr.Vedantam Ramalinga Sastry, who is currently working as principal of Siddhendra Kala Kshetram, Kuchipudi. Under his tutelage, she has embedded the rigorous techniques and the strong foundation Kuchipudi along with the satvika abhinaya. She founded the Sree Mayuri Dance Academy in 2015.
Renie Viola is a movement educator and artist that empowers people to heal their own pain and restore their joy in movement. She has a BFA in dance from Ohio State and YBR® certification, NYC. Yamuna Zake selected her to become a Yamuna Teacher Trainer, launching the Yamuna Foundations Training worldwide. She is a dance and Pilates instructor, teaching movement for over 15 years.
Kerri Wilde is a dancer, choreographer an educator. She holds a Bachelors of Education in Dance from University Toledo and a Master in Dance Therapy from Columbia College in Chicago. Kerri has taught at the University of Toledo, Toledo Ballet and Owens Community College. She created and developed dance curriculum for Ft. Meigs YMCA and Toledo School for the Arts.
Amy Williams MA Dance Education (Ohio State) and BFA Dance (Ohio State). A Columbus City Schools dance educator for 34 years where she enjoys collaborating with children, classroom and arts teachers and community members. Has served on Fine Arts writing committees for ODE and CCS. ODE Guest Teaching Artist Santiago, Chile (OAC International Cultural Exchange)