Photo: William Frederking
CREDITS
EX MACHINA: The Supernova Incident
CHOREOGRAPHY: Emmie Banayat in collaboration with the dancers
aespa MEMBERS: Karina: Alaya Welch; Giselle: Mikaylah Williams; Winter : Emmie Banayat; Ningning : Ash Williams
BACKUP DANCERS: Sophia Cozzi, Jalicia Jenkins, Elizabeth Moran, Aly Owens, Devon Saxman, Helia Silveira, J Stephens, Ava Winfrey
ACTORS: Emmie Banayat, Devon Saxman, Helia Silveira, J Stephens, Alaya Welch, Ash Williams, Mikaylah Williams
SOUND: Supernova by aespa (remixed by Amar Srivastava), SAINT - Instrumental by DPR IAN, Whiplash by aespa, Armageddon by aespa (remixed by Emma Brooks)
FILM DIRECTION: Emmie Banayat
ASSISTANT FILM DIRECTION: Alaya Welch
STAGE COMBAT: Ash Williams
VIDEOGRAPHER: Gianna Cabrera
GUITARIST & SUPERNOVA PRODUCER: Amar Srivastasa
EXECUTIVE SOUNDTRACK PRODUCER, MIX ENGINEER, & BASSIST: Emma Brooks
VOICEOVER: Cadence Uzarraga
LIGHTING DESIGN: Nathan Biron
FACULTY MENTOR: Kelsa Rieger-Haywood
The dancers in this piece are portraying real life people and includes original choreography from aespa’s Armageddon created by Renan. I’m extremely grateful to my dancers and collaborating artists for trusting me with this absolutely insane set idea. <3
Minnie the Moocher
CHOREOGRAPHY & PERFORMANCE: Sawyer Latimore
MUSIC: Minnie the Moocher by Cab Calloway
LIGHTING DESIGN: Giau Truong
FACULTY MENTOR: Dr. Ayo Walker
Fleischer Studios + Cab Calloway’s mic dances –The choreography was heavily influenced by a black and white 1932 Fleischer Studios Betty Boop cartoon in which the animators used rotoscoping over 35mm film of Cab Calloway’s mic dances and footwork. I studied the cartoon’s ghouls, backgrounds, and transitions and picked out reverberations from the gritty/at times shaky physical production and based the energy around the qualities that stayed with me.
Thank you to the napping swans of Hyde.
CHOREOGRAPHY: Amari Smith
ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER: Imani Smith
PERFORMERS: Nia Durlacher, Lola Jett- Beachley, Lauren Payne, Imani Smith, J Stephens, CJ Triche
MUSIC: Hit The Road Jack by 2WER, Interstellar (Original Score) by Imperial Orchestra, This Is Who I Am by Celeste
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Giau Truong
FACULTY MENTOR: Bevara Anderson
The Curtain Call
CHOREOGRAPHY: Kwon Boyd
PERFORMERS: Nahkia Alvis, Kyana “Ky” Bedford, Kwon Boyd, Nailah Brown, Miranda Elliot, Bella Giannone, Jala Jackson, Elizabeth Moran, Sydney Schuh, Danetra Thomas, Mikaylah Williams, Cosette Winter
MUSIC: Ya Ya by Beyonce, My House by Beyonce, Riiverdance by Beyonce, Sweet Honey Buckiin’ by Beyonce, Sorry I’m Still Buckiin’ by Jacob Dior, Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar, TV Off by Kendrick Lamar
LIGHTING DESIGN: Giau Truong
FACULTY MENTOR: Bevara Anderson
INTERMISSION
Let’s Go to the Jazz Club
CHOREOGRAPHY: Violet Czerwinski in collaboration with dancers
PERFORMERS: Isabel Bastardo, Sophia Cozzi, Violet Czerwinski, Sophie Daker, Lola Jett-Beachley, J Stephens, Nelson Stevenson, CJ Triche, Emma Wilson, Rhianna Young
MUSIC: Solar by Miles Davis Quintet, Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley, Mr. Pinstripe Suit by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
LIGHTING DESIGN: Giau Truong
FACULTY MENTOR: Bevara Anderson
A big thank you to all the dancers and Bevara for working with me to make this piece, and a HUGE thank you to my Grammy for being a huge inspiration in my life (this one’s for you).
Love and Universe
CHOREOGRAPHY & PERFORMANCE: Andy Anisco
MUSIC: Rosetta by Chuck Sutton
LIGHTING DESIGN: Giau Truong
FACULTY MENTOR: Bevara Anderson
I want to thank Bevara for being my Faculty Mentor and the best modern teacher that has pushed me and sees something in me.
The Evolution
CHOREOGRAPHY: Imani Smith
ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER: Amari Smith
PERFORMERS: Kwon Boyd, Grace Butt, Sophia Cozzi, Aly Owens, Alondra Portero, Jasmin Rios, Amari Smith, Seniyah Tribble
MUSIC: The Evolution of Music by Ciara, Change Your Life by Fireboy DML, Int’l Players A Anthem (I Choose You) by UGK, What Goes Around, Comes Around by Justin Timberlake, Big Head by Ms. Jade, Safer by Tyla
LIGHTING DESIGN: Giau Truong
FACULTY MENTORS: Kelsa Rieger-Haywood
Esta Es Mi Casa (This Is My Home)
CHOREOGRAPHY: Lorena Anahi Castro
PERFORMERS: Lorena Anahi Castro, Paola Escudero, Valentina Fandanelli, Lia Gil, Lizeth Hernandez, Samantha Hernandez, Elizabeth Moran, Samuel Martinez, Areli Ramirez, Leslie Torres, Lesliet Vargas
MUSIC: Sonreír by Kurt, El Apagón by Bad Bunny, LA MuDANZA by Bad Bunny
MUSIC MIX: Giselle Castro
LIGHTING DESIGN: Nathan Biron
FACULTY MENTOR: Dardi McGinley-Gallivan
Esta Es Mi Casa offers an intimate exploration of what it means to be Mexican American Latina. Through the vibrant rhythms of Bachata, Reggaeton, and Salsa, the piece delves into the heart of Latinidad, celebrating its strength and resilience. This performance is an opportunity to invite the audience into the core of our culture, while proudly amplifying the voices of Latinos during a critical moment in history such as the 2025 Presidential agenda on immigration. Esta Es Mi Casa stands as a powerful statement against the mass deportations and the painful separation of Latino families across the United States.
BIOS
Nakhia Alvis is currently a Junior at Columbia College Chicago studying dance. Nakhia specializes in Hip Hop dance. Nakhia is currently exploring fusions of other styles into the mix to create unique experiences and significant art with movement.
I’m Andy Anisco and I’ve been doing solo performances for school talent shows ever since I was a little kid, and dance has always been my passion. Dance has helped me gain confidence, make connections, and to be myself. Before I had a hard time making friends because I was shy and couldn’t fit in that well with other students. Ever since I became a student at College of Lake County (CLC) and joined the dance department, it changed me a lot because I met a lot of good teachers and choreographers that inspired and helped me be open and able to share my talent. I was able to choreograph for the Fear No Arts show at CLC and make connections with other dancers. I even put together a dance crew called Illusion Fusion and we’ve been performing at showcases. I’m a dance teacher at Jack Benny Center and I teach 6-11 years old. After I graduated from College of Lake County, I transferred to Columbia College Chicago to keep studying dance and follow my passion. I did my first dance battle event at the B-Series, and I was Top 32 to battle. Ever since that, I have made connections with students and other dancers in Chicago. I am excited to do my first solo performance at Student Performance Night and just do what I love. My goal as a dancer is to gain more teaching and performance experience and find a path in dance wherever it will be.
Emmie Banayat (she/they) is a junior at Columbia College Chicago, pursuing a major in Dance. With a background primarily rooted in Hip Hop and street styles, Emmie blends these influences with Classical and Modern/Contemporary techniques to create a distinctive, dynamic movement vocabulary that is both expressive and innovative. As this concert marks her choreographic debut, she is excited to use this stage as an opportunity to showcase her skills and artistic vision, proving her creative potential.
Isabel Franchesca Bastardo is a Senior Dance and Arts Management double major at Columbia College Chicago. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, she began training in Jazz and Contemporary under the direction of Gina Laurenzi. During her time at Columbia she has worked to expand her movement vocabulary by studying West African, Umfundalai, and Ballet at the Dance Center. After graduation, she plans to continue her dance research while returning to regional theater.
Kyana Bedford known as “Ky” is currently in her 3rd year at Columbia college Chicago. She has been dancing since the age of 3, training in styles such as Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, West African and Modern. Mostly know for Hip Hop choreography, Ky is working her way up to be this generation’s next biggest choreographer and artist.
Kwon Boyd was born and raised in Chicago and is currently a senior studying Dance at Columbia College Chicago. He started his dance journey at age 7 and since then, has been trained in Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, and West African dance. Kwon is working towards being a professional choreographer and dancer and making a name for himself in the dance world.
Nailah Brown is a Chicago native who is currently a Junior studying dance at Columbia College Chicago. She started her dance journey at the age of eight, exploring styles of West African, Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, and Jazz.
Grace Butt was born in the vibrant city of Chicago. Her dance journey began at a very young age, setting the stage for a lifelong passion. Now a dedicated dance student at Columbia College Chicago, she seamlessly integrates different dance styles into each expressive movement. Grace’s commitment to the study and profound love for the captivating world of dance shines through in every harmonious step.
Lorena Anahi Castro is a senior at Columbia College Chicago, majoring in Fashion Design with a minor in Dance. As a Mexican-American creative, she is deeply inspired by her cultural heritage, which serves as a central theme in her work. During her time at Columbia, Lorena founded the Mi Gente Latin Dance Team, demonstrated leadership as the SGA Senator for the School of Fashion, and most recently won a fashion competition between Columbia College Chicago and Patagonia, showcasing her commitment to sustainability in design. After graduation, Lorena aims to continue advocating for her community through both dance and fashion.
Sophia Cozzi is a second year student at Columbia College Chicago from Naperville, Illinois. She is majoring in Dance and Art History, and she hopes to pursue a career in Art Restoration. She has trained in numerous styles of dance from a young age and is enjoying learning and growing as a dancer at CCC.
Violet Czerwinski (she/her) is a third-year student receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Columbia College Chicago. She has been dancing for 16 years, 10 of those competitively, training in styles such as Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop and Musical Theater. Throughout her college experience she has been interested in furthering her research in Modern, Improvisation and Composition techniques. Violet plans to be a professional choreographer, dancer and performer on Broadway stages and touring with artists as a back up dancer.
Sophie Daker is a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago. They have been dancing for 17 years, training is various styles growing up. Sophie has a passion for challenging work and performance with the influence of Contemporary, Jazz and Modern forms.
Nia Durlacher is a Junior transfer student from Bloomington, Indiana, with a background in Gymnastics and Circus Arts. She began dancing in college and hopes to use her unique movement training to enter the field of Contemporary Circus.
Paola Escudero is a 19 year old Sophomore at Columbia College Chicago. She is majoring Film and Television with a minor in Graphic Design. Paola is a member of Columbia College’s Latin dance team, Mi Gente.
Mickey Elliot is a dynamic Hip Hop dancer known for her energy, creativity, and unique style. With years of experience in Hip Hop, Modern, Ballet and Contemporary she has developed a strong presence in the dance community, captivating audiences through powerful performances and a deep passion for the art form. Mickey continues to inspire and evolve, leaving a lasting impact wherever she dances.
Valentina Garcia Fadanelli is a 20 years old Dance and Musical Theater major of Mexican heritage. She trains in Contemporary/Modern, Ballroom Dancing, Hip Hop and Jazz.
Bella Giannone is a senior studying Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago. She has been dancing since she was two years old. Her favorite styles are Contemporary and Hip Hop.
Lia Gil, a 20-year-old international student from the Dominican Republic, is currently in her sophomore year pursuing a BFA in Acting. She also has training in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary Dance, and Caribbean rhythms such as Bachata and Merengue.
Lizeth Adaly Hernandez is 20 years old. She is a dancer and woman who emigrated from Quito, Ecuador to be able to fulfill her dream of being a dancer and getting her work and effort to be valued. She is always focused on being empathetic with people and loving with her loved ones. She is trying every dance style and learning a lot so she can travel and teach in other places.
Samantha Hernandez is a Senior at Columbia College, graduating this spring with a Bachelor’s in Arts Management focusing in the Performing Arts. She has been dancing for over 14 years and is a current member on the Burlesque Hip Hop fusion brand, BurHop.
Jala Jackson, currently studying Music and Dance here at Columbia, was born and raised on the west side of Chicago. At the age of 8, she began her path to become a musician and dancer. Since then, she has trained and developed an interest in a variety of dance forms, vocals exercises, and music theory. What was once a hobby has evolved into a goal she is willing to pursue professionally.
Lola Jett-Beachley is a dancer from Pittsburgh PA, where she trained at PBT and Bodiography Contemporary Ballet. She is currently a sophomore at Columbia and hopes to pursue Ballet, Contemporary, Heels, choreography, and teaching.
Jalicia Jenkins is a performer from Chicago, completing her third year at Columbia College Chicago. This is her first performance at the Dance Center.
Sawyer Latimore (they/them) focuses on the exploration of brutality of body and ambiguity of time. They studied Archaeology before falling ill and pausing their studies - afterwards, they backpacked alone for a couple of years, where they determined what dance means to them in stillness away from health and home. Though trained in Ballet growing up, their approach to movement now utilizes a Modern repertoire. WEBSITE: latimore-sawyer.com
Samuel “Sami” Martinez is a 20 year old Sophomore Majoring in Photography. Sami has two years of Latin dance experience and is a member of Latinos Juntos and Chicago’s Bachata All-Stars. Currently, he is the Vice Captain of Columbias Mi Gente Dance Team.
Elizabeth Moran, a first generation Mexican and Peruvian-American, was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She has been dancing from the age of 3 and most of her work reflects her Latin heritage as she has discovered her cultural Identity through dance. Her passions fall into primarily Hip Hop and Salsa. Discovering her passion through movement and performance, she is in pursuit of her Bachelor of Arts of Dance at Columbia College Chicago.
Aly Owens, originally from Warsaw, Indiana, began her dance journey at Debra Collier’s School of Dance. Now based in Chicago, Aly is a student at Columbia College Chicago, where she has had the opportunity to both present her own work and perform in a wide variety of styles. Her training includes everything from Second Line and Hip Hop to Umfundalai and Modern Dance, allowing her to develop a versatile movement vocabulary and a passion for artistic expression.
Lauren Payne is a soon to be graduate at Columbia, majoring in Dance and minoring in Arts Management. Before moving to Chicago, she danced under Kathi Nallia and trained and performed for eleven years around the greater Kansas City area.
Alondra Portero is a passionate dancer, marketing strategist, and future naturopath dedicated to blending creativity, business, and holistic healing. Currently a first-semester senior at Columbia College Chicago, she is refining her expertise in marketing while integrating her artistic background into her professional pursuits. With four years of dance experience, including two years as a member of the Renegades Hip Hop Dance Team, Alondra has developed a deep understanding of movement, discipline, and performance. Her time with Renegades honed her skills in teamwork, choreography, and stage presence, reinforcing her love for creative expression.
Areli Ramirez is a junior who is majoring in Dance with a Fine Arts minor at Columbia College Chicago. Ramirez has danced primarily Latin dance such as Bachata and Salsa. Ramirez has a love for exploring different dance styles and how they can bring stories and emotions to life.
Jasmin A. Rios Aguilar is a Chicago based dancer with an emphasis on street styles and Contemporary. Their beginning years of dance were self taught, first receiving training at Columbia in forms such as West African, Modern, Contemporary and various styles of Hip Hop. They’ve been surrounded by dance their entire life as they’re family is deeply rooted in their Latin/Mexican culture but have grown love for street and commercial Hip Hop throughout their adolescent and teenage years, continuing to further their practices in and out of Chicago spaces. Their intention is to create energy and emotion through their movement.
Devon Saxman is a primarily Contemporary dancer entering their third year at Columbia College Chicago as a BFA Dance Major. Coming from southwest Florida, they have studied dance for 8 years with a focus in Modern, Contemporary, West African, and Improvisation, with minor studies in Flamenco, Afro-Modern, Pointe, and Hip Hop after fully moving to Chicago in 2023.
Sydney Schuh is a sophomore at Columbia, originally from Kansas City, KS. She is a Film major with a concentration in Editing and Post-Production, as well as participating on the Hip Hop Renegades Dance Team for two years now. She is excited to perform in SPN for the second time!!
Helia Silveira started her dance training at the age of three at Ipswich Moving Company, in Ipswich Massachusetts. She attended several summer camps including the Boston Conservatory Summer Contemporary Dance Intensive, the Windhover Performing Arts Summer Dance Intensive, and the Modern Dance Intensive with Dusan Tynek Dance Company. She is now continuing her dance studies at Columbia College Chicago.
Amari Smith is a dedicated dancer studying and training in dance programs in Chicago IL, focusing on various styles such as Ballet, Modern, Jazz, West African, and Hip Hop. She has been a part of many programs within her community, while also training with The Joffrey Ballet. Amari is currently a Senior at Columbia College Chicago acquiring her BA in Dance, while also taking many dance classes in the Chicago community. Amari is extremely excited to continue her passion and journey in dance auditioning for companies, becoming a commercial dancer, performer, and choreographer.
Imani Smith is a dynamic and versatile dancer, choreographer, and movement artist whose work seamlessly blends creativity, self-expression, and a deep love for the art of dance. From an early age, Imani was drawn to the rhythms of the world around her, finding joy in the freedom of movement and the way it connected her to others. Born and raised in Chicago Illinois, she is currently a Senior at Columbia College Chicago majoring in dance with a minor in education. Training in Ballet, Modern, West African, Contemporary, and many more styles she focused on building and strengthening her technique with every style she comes across. Through her journey, Imani continues to explore the power of movement as a tool for healing and connection and strives to share her passion for dance and movement.
J Stephens (they/them) is a performer from Buffalo, New York and a recent Columbia College Chicago graduate having received a B.A. in Dance. They have a background in Musical Theatre, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Contemporary. Currently J’s corporeal research is driven by an interest in the intersection of Modern/ Contemporary aesthetics and various street styles. Due to this melting pot of inseparable stylistic embodied knowledge, J strives to represent a mix of movement styles rooted in their ability across various dance forms.
Nelson Stevenson is a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago, and he’s grateful for the opportunity to perform on the main stage at the Dance Center for the second time. He hopes you enjoy the show.
Hello my name is Danetra Thomas. I am a freshman at Columbia College. I am a dance major with an acting minor. I have been dancing for about 13 years and acting for 3. Being in Chicago has been such a blessing and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Se’Niyah Tribble is a choreographer and movement artist whose work explores the intersection of identity, space, and human connection. A recent graduate, she was awarded a scholarship from the Weisman Art Museum to present an immersive exhibition featuring her choreographic works Ephemeral Mesmerism, Shadows of Sanctuary, and Mosaic in Motion. Her movement practice emphasizes improvisation, vulnerability, and the interplay between performer and spectator, crafting experiences that challenge traditional audience engagement. She continues to develop work that merges dance, film, and physical space, creating environments that invite viewers to navigate the tension between visibility, absence, and embodiment.
CJ Triche, whose training began in Seattle, Washington, is a second year student at Columbia earning a BFA in Dance. CJ is trained in multiple styles and is expanding that range at CCC.
Leslie Torres is a 21 year old Junior majoring in Environmental Sustainability & Studies with a minor in Fine Arts. She is part of the Columbia College Mi Gente Latin Dance Team as a dancer and the Financial Director.
Lesliet Vargas is a 18 years old Dance major with training Ballet, Modern, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary Ballroom, and Latin Dancing.
Emma Wilson is currently in her senior year of a BA in Dance at Columbia College Chicago. She was born in Houston, Texas and grew up training in Ballet and Modern.
Alaya Welch is a sophomore at DePaul University studying Post-Production. Along with a background in Hip Hop, she is currently a member of the K-pop dance team Chemical X Crew. She is excited to share her passion for both filmmaking and dance with the audience tonight!
Ash Williams is a dancer and performer from Oregon. They have studied with various organizations such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, DanceWorks Chicago, and Open Space. They are currently working towards achieving their BA in Dance at Columbia College Chicago and on track to graduate in 2025. After graduating, Ash plans to pursue a career with a touring dance company.
Mikaylah Williams is a transfer student currently in her senior year here at Columbia. She’s a self taught dancer but has been technique trained for 3 years now. Each class she’s taken has improved not only her dancing skills but her personality as well.
Ava Winfrey is a second year Dance Major at Columbia College Chicago born and raised here in Chicago. She has been dancing since she was three years old, and has trained various forms of dance (Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop to name a few). Ava is forever and always grateful to do work in and outside of the Dance Center in hopes to grow, create, and share her love of dance with the world!
Cossette Winter is a freshman from the Chicagoland area. She is majoring in Musical Theatre with a minor in Arts Management. She’s so thankful and excited to dance with this amazing group!
Rhianna Young’s early training started in Frankfort, Illinois at Braemar Dance Center, under the direction of Donnette Cannonie and Kari Jensen where she took classes in a variety of styles including Jazz, Hip Hop, and Contemporary, and competed as well. Now, she is in the final year of her pursuit of a BFA in Dance at Columbia College Chicago, where she’s presented works such as Blue Lips (Spring ‘22), t here’s room for all of you here (Fall ‘23), and F E M M E (Fall ‘24). She teaches and choreographs across the South Chicago suburbs for T-N-T Extreme Dance, Wish Dance Academy, and Braemar Dance Center. Rhianna focuses on Contemporary forms and ideas of dance within her movement, along with the influence of the plethora of other styles she has taken.
FACULTY MENTOR BIOS
Bevara Anderson Bevara Anderson is an unapologetic professional dance artist hailing from the Maryland Coast. Her work is an exploration of embodied resistance and raw expression, delving into the complex worlds of Umfundalai, House, and many other African diasporic means of physical communication. Her BFA from Temple University came with international acclaim, having presented her first work at the Piazza Del Popolo in Rome, Italy. Her MFA from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign further sharpened her vision. Anderson’s choreography digs deep into the relationship between narrative and abstraction, diasporic community building, and the joy that defies oppression in the Black American experience. Her first mainstage piece premiered in November 2020 at the Tryon Festival Theater, and was a defiant triumph amid the chaos of a global health crisis—proof that no pandemic could contain her artistry. A founding member of the Katherine Smith Dance Ensemble and a core performer with Kariamu & Company: Traditions, Anderson is of the final generation of dancers to be mentored by the legendary Dr. Kariamu Welsh. She carries her legacy fiercely, embodying and teaching Dr. Welsh’s technique, Umfundalai.
Dardi McGinley Gallivan is a Professor of Instruction in the Dance Department who specializes in Pedagogy and Modern Technique courses and is currently serving as the Associate Director of Dance. Dardi is a founding member of Molly Shanahan/ Mad Shak Dance Company, performed for Mordine & Company Dance Theatre, and Colleen Halloran Performance Group. She received the Louis Sutler Prize for the Arts as an undergraduate and a Ruth Page Award in Chicago for Performance. Dardi has a long history of teaching residencies for Antares Danza Contemporánea in Hermosillio, Mexico and received two Faculty Development Grants to facilitate projects with Antares company member, Isaac Chau. She received her BA in Art
History with a Minor in Dance from Emory University and her MA in Dance from The Ohio State University.
Kelsa “K-Soul” Rieger-Haywood is a dance artist, culturally responsive educator, community organizer and curator. Kelsa is Co-Founder/CoArtistic Director of BraveSoul Movement (since 2016), and a member of the internationally known streetdance crew, Venus Fly (since 2005). Kelsa’s movement training has been through a range of spaces and forms, including underground House and Hip Hop, capoeira, samba, salsa/batchata, modern techniques and gymnastics. Kelsa has performed and presented work at danceGATHERING (Lagos, Nigeria), Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago, IL), B.Supreme (London, UK), B-girl Be (Minneapolis, MN), J.U.I.C.E. Hip-Hop Dance Festival (Hollywood, CA), Constellation/ Links Hall (Chicago, IL) and Pritzker Pavilion (Chicago, IL). A prominent focus of Kelsa’s work is building reciprocal collaboration and meaningful exchange between Hip-Hop and the academy. Kelsa currently serves as Associate Professor of Instruction at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, a Fellow of Columbia’s Antiracist Transformation Team, Coordinator of Columbia’s Hip-Hop Studies Minor, and Curator of The B-SERIES, a biannual festival and co-curricular program celebrating Hip-Hop & street dance culture at the College since 2013. Kelsa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Lisa Gonzales is devoted to the practices of performing, improvising, choreographing and teaching. She is a founding member of the Architects, an improvisation collective, and conducts research into non-hierarchical organizing and art making through improvisational and collaborative practice. She has shown her work nationally and internationally in a diverse collection of spaces such as DTW, Danspace at St. Mark’s Church, Joyce Soho, HERE, Dixon Place, WAX, Joe’s Pub, John Jay College, and Brick Studio in NYC; the Dance Center of Columbia College, Hamlin Park, Links Hall, and MANA Contemporary as part of an Incubational Artist Residency with High Concept Labs in Chicago; RedCat in Los Angeles; Diverseworks and Barnevelder in Houston; and others. Internationally, Gonzales’ work has been presented at the historic Lu-Ling Theater in Taipei, Taiwan, at the Dostoyevsky Theater in St. Petersburg Russia, at the University of the Arts in Helsinki, Finland, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and in Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Gonzales received a BA from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT and an MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University. She is an Associate Professor of Dance at Columbia College Chicago.
Dr. Ayo Walker is an Associate Professor of Critical Dance Studies at Columbia College Chicago and a member of the core faculty for Rennie Harris University. As an anti-racist educator utilizing culturally relevant and critical dance pedagogies, her praxis is committed to substantiating the techniques, vernaculars, and genealogies, and embodiment of historically marginalized and othered dance aesthetics in higher education dance spaces. Her general choreographic practice is rooted in visibilizing
the “blood memories,” “aesthetic of the cool,” and the “get down” qualities evident in Africanist and Black dance aesthetics. Employing social justice choreography representative of anti-essentialist movement that is at once exposing and undoing stereotypical assumptions historically signifying the Black body politic, her works challenge what performing Blackness is and isn’t. “Through my research, creative scholarship, and pedagogy I urge the much-needed cultivation of a comprehensive cultural dance literacy beyond the dominant Eurocentric perspective in the United States.”
Performed by her dance company Ayo & Company her works have been commissioned by PUSHfest, Sacramento/Black Art of Dance (S/BAD), the Rhythmically Speaking Dance Company and the Modern American Dance Company (MADCO). Ayo & Company premiered and toured their most notable work, “Jadine’s Son” for the 2022 We Create Festival: BIPOC Legacy in the Arts and the BIG MUDDY Dance Festival. This work was then commissioned by the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) 33rd annual Conference and Festival. Ayo’s latest work “P-I-E-C-E-S” premiered and was adjudicated at the 2023 Southeast American College Dance Association Conference (ACDA) 50th Anniversary Festival and subsequently invited to perform at both the GALA and National concerts. Adjudicators Maura Keefe, Daniel Gwirtzman and Juel Lane described the strength of this work as an “unexpected crisscrossing of movement cultures-in conversation with a powerful rhythmic score that keeps revealing new dimensions of movement possibilities.”
Dr. Walker’s research also focuses on decolonization of the body in dance, which is the undoing of domination by ethnocentric ideology to free the body (the nature of the practice) from being dependent on a singular movement practice presenting as the foundation of all dance techniques. This method informs and is informed by her work as both the Hip Hop Pedagogy and Afro-Hip Hop instructor for Rennie Harris University. Harris said in a New York Times article, “what’s special about our curriculum is the pedagogy piece because no one is teaching how to teach Hip Hop, everyone is just teaching people how to do it.” Recently featured in the latest issue of DANCE magazine “Certified to Teach” by Jennifer Heimlich, Dr. Walker’s work is realized most notably with the Rennie Harris University program, which “emphasizes codifying the way street dance is taught…sending a message to the world: it matters that we get it right”.
THE DANCE CENTER PRODUCTION AND DESIGN TEAM
LIGHTING DESIGNERS: Nathan Biron & Giau Truong
MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR: Jane Jerardi
SPN CONCERT COORDINATOR: Lisa Gonzales
STAGE MANAGER: Joyy Norris
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Giau Truong
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION BIOS
Nathan Biron (he/him) is a sophomore lighting designer originally from New Hampshire. Some of his other design credits at Columbia include; The Impracticality of Modern Day Mastodons, 24-Hour Play Festival, and Mud. He is very excited to be working on SPN for the first time, and hopes everyone enjoys!
Emma Brooks is a third-year Audio Arts major with a concentration in Music Recording, as well as a Music Business Minor. She currently works as an Assistant Engineer at Narhwal Studios and is heavily involved in the production of WCRXFM’s Sessions @33. As an Asian American woman in the audio scene, she hopes to contribute to the small-but-growing community of minority women behind the glass. Gianna Cabrera is a graduating senior at Elmhurst University, majoring in Audio and Video Production. With experience filming multiple short films and dance covers throughout the Chicagoland area, she is passionate about the art of storytelling through visuals. Dedicated to honing her craft, Gianna continually seeks new opportunities to expand her skills and creative vision.
Gianna Cabrera is a graduating senior at Elmhurst University, majoring in Audio and Video Production. With experience filming multiple short films and dance covers throughout the Chicagoland area, she is passionate about the art of storytelling through visuals. Dedicated to honing her craft, Gianna continually seeks new opportunities to expand her skills and creative vision.
Jane Jerardi serves as the Media/Technology Coordinator for the Dance Center, providing video documentation for both the Presenting Series and its academic programs. As a part of its faculty, she teaches video for dance and choreography courses. In her role, she has documented and edited over 250 performances, workshops, and events, providing essential documentation to artists and adding to
the Dance Center’s leading, regional archive of materials dating from 1980 to the present. An artist working in the media of performance, choreography, and video installation, her work has been presented at galleries and theaters in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC.
Joyy Norris is a writer, creator, creative consultant, and arts/film programmer. She works as a Creative Contractor with organizations, productions, individual creatives and small businesses to realize their creative visions and put them into practice. She has worked as Cultural Arts Coordinator for the City of Evanston where I fostered the arts in Evanston by developing relationships with artists and arts organizations by networking and professional development and granting opportunities. She has worked as a Co-Producer and Artist Facilitator with Soham Dance Space, Operations and Programs Manager with Sisters in Cinema, Assistant Director and Production Manager with RMB Studios, Programming Associate with Chicago International Film Festival, Interim Theatre and Performing Arts Program Manager with the University of Chicago’s Arts and Public Life Initiative, and Operations Manager for the Rebuild Foundation. She serves on the Advisory Board for Chicago Made Shorts, a Member of Mezcla Media Collective and a former Committee Member with the Chicago International Film Festival Black Perspectives Committee. She received an B.A. in Cinema Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.F.A in Documentary Media from Northwestern University. Amar Srivastava is in his third year at Columbia College Chicago, studying Music Recording. With a background in multiple instruments and genres, music production, and mixing/recording, he hopes to break into the industry as a recording and mix engineer. Amar currently interns at Mystery Street Recording and plays in bands such as Lost in Translation, The Purple Hearts Club, and Tusko.
Giau Truong is a versatile artist and technologist whose work spans performance, design, fabrication, and technology. Over a decade ago, he served as a teaching artist at StoryCatcher (formerly Music Theatre Workshop), where he managed programs and taught set design, construction, storytelling, script writing, etc. In this role, he created transformative educational experiences for teens at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and the Illinois Youth Center in Warrenville, fostering creativity and engagement among incarcerated youth. Giau has also designed and fabricated environments for diverse events, ranging from theatre performances to pop-up events, enhancing audience engagement through interactive technology. In his art practice, Giau focuses on creating spaces that explore human behavior within environments, offering unique, transformative experiences. He co-founded Axis Lab, an arts and architecture community organization in Uptown, Chicago, focused on urban design, culinary curating, and arts education. Axis Lab advocates for the ethical development of immigrant and refugee communities. Amidst the pandemic, Giau pioneered initiatives at Links Hall to foster collaborations between technologists and artists, devising virtual performances that captivate and engage audiences remotely. He currently works full-time at Links Hall as Technical
ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE
Columbia College Chicago’s School of Theatre and Dance, provides students with hands-on experience to ignite passion and develop professional skills to launch careers on and off stage. The School of Theatre and Dance produce approximately 40 productions a year, giving students multiple opportunities to perform, dance, design, produce, choreograph, direct, and stage manage.
Interim Director, School of Theatre and Dance
Jimmy Noriega
Associate Director of Dance
Dardi McGinley-Gallivan
Associate Director of Theatre
Wendi Weber
ABOUT THE DANCE CENTER
Home to the academic Dance Department and the Dance Presenting Series, the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago values embodied human expression and nurtures an expansive understanding of dance from the established to the experimental.
Centering pluralism, the Dance Center aims to be a nucleus for innovation and creativity—on stage, in the classroom, and beyond.
By partnering with local, national, and international dance artists dedicated to transforming the field, the Dance Presenting Series offers live performances and other shared opportunities for students, faculty, artists, and audiences to connect, witness, research, experiment, practice, imagine, and grow.
We cultivate an environment and culture that prioritizes respect for self and others, and advances an anti-racist, equitable, and just society.
THE DANCE CENTER FACULTY
Founder
Shirley Mordine
Faculty
Bevara Anderson
Lisa Gonzales
Susan Imus
Darrell Jones
Dardi McGinley-Gallivan
Kelsa “K-Soul” RiegerHaywood
Dr. Ayo Walker
Jessica Young
Adjunct Faculty
T. Ayo Alston
Keesha Beckford
Malik Camara
Zineb Chraibi
Shaker Cohlmia
Allen Desterhaft
Emma Draves
Colleen Halloran
Carrie Hanson
Daniel “BRAVEMONK” Haywood
Gina Hoch-Stall
Matthew Hollis
Jane Jerardi
Mary Klonowski
Hau Kum Leung Kneip
Michael McGinn
Pamela McNeil
Jimmy Payne
Emily Stein
Trae Turner
Meghann Wilkinson
Thomas Zwergel
THEATRE FACULTY
Faculty
Paul C. Amandes
Michael Anthony Brown
David Castellanos
Mikhail Fiksel
Nelli Fritjofson
Heather Gilbert
Julie Granata-Hunicutt
Sami Hussain Ismat
Anne M. Libera
Frances Maggio
Jimmy Noriega
Grace Overbeke
Susan Padveen
Jaqueline A. Penrod
Michael Pogue
Wilfredo Rivera
Brian Shaw
Stephanie L. Shaw
Kendra Thulin
Amy Toruno
Richard L. Walker
Wendi Weber
Albert N. “Bill” Williams
Dr. John Williams
David Wooley
Adjunct Faculty
Brittany Price Anderson
Carson G. Becker
Karen L. Berger-Nolte
Rachel L. Bunting
Jeremy Michael Cohn
Enneressa Davis
Ariane Dolan
David Fiorello
Lillian D. Francis
Marc William Frost
Susan Gosdick
John Charles Green
Jeffrey D. Griggs
Norman B. Holly
Nicole E. Jasper
Dawn R. Jones
Lori J. Klinka
Laura Sturm Lain
Timothy McCain
John T. McFarland
kClare McKellaston
Ashley Neal
Clare L. Nolan
Scott Olson
James Adolfo Payne
Janice P. Pytel
Aaron M. Reese-Boseman
Grant R. Sabin
James A Sherman
Catherine Slade
Elizabeth Swanson
THEATRE AND DANCE STAFF
Mary Butler Director Academic Operations
Michael Caskey
Music Director, Accompanist Coordinator
Dan DiLuciano
Director of Facilities and Operations
Nelli Fritjofson
Lighting Supervisor
Raynner Garcia Box Office/Reception
Caity Gee
Administrative Assistant/ Communications
Ize Heinzen House Manager
Jane Jerardi Media/Technology Coordinator
Ambe’r Johnnson Box Office Associate
Angelika Lewis
Box Office Associate
kClare McKellaston
Costume Manager
Mia Nelson
Box Office/Reception
Gabriel Oladipo
Academic Advisor
Gina Ordaz
Administrative Assistant
Disha Patel
Box Office/Reception
Kevin Rolfs
Scenic Supervisor, Props
Grant Sabin
Technical Director
Erica L. Sandvig Production Manager
Roell Schmidt
Dance Presenting Series Producing Director
Meredith Sutton
Dance Presenting Series Artistic Director
Josef Szaday Director of Technology, AV
FRIENDS OF THE DANCE CENTER
The Dance Center gratefully acknowledges its donors for their generous support.
$1,000 AND ABOVE
Taylor and Carrie Olivia Adams
Bonnie Brooks
David Colburn
Pamela Crutchfield
William Hunt
Marcia Lazar and Alan Amos
Elizabeth Liebman
Susan Manning and Douglas Doetsch
Kathleen Miles
D. Elizabeth Price
$500-999
Ellen Chenoweth
Melynda Lopin
Robert Mrtek and Marsha Mrtek
Susan J. Stall
Shawn Wax
$250-499
Nancy Church and Charles Jett
Amor Kohli
Jamey Lundblad and Bill Melamed
K. McGriff
Shunda McGriff
Susan F. Rossen
$100-249
Anonymous
Bernadette Casey
Dr. Kurt Christoffel
Margi Cole
Andrea Edwards
Peter N. and Susan F. Gray
Nancy Juda
Arnold and Carol Kanter
Maggie Kast
Philip Martini
Thomas and Shirley Neiman
Stephen Roy and Lloyd Kohler
Judith Sagan
Clyde Whitaker
$50-99
Charlotte and Alan Bath
Dr. Bob
Cornelio Casaclang
Nancy K. DeDakis
Paul E. Fisher
Lisa Gonzales
Colleen Halloran
Dawn Renee Jones
Dardi McGinley-Gallivan
Pamela Hoffman McNeil
Evemarie Moore
Bette Rosenstein
Dr. Elaine Sachnoff
Emily Stein
Mary Beth Van Dyke
This list includes gifts received through April 1st, 2025. If you have donated since then, thank you and look for your name in the next program!
To become a Friend of the Dance Center, please visit dance.colum.edu/donate
DANCE CENTER SPONSORS
The Dance Center is a member of Dance/USA, See Chicago Dance, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, and the American College Dance Association.
Athletico is the exclusive provider of physical therapy, occupational therapy, sports medicine, athletic training, work rehabilitation, and massage therapy for the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago.
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