Shelia Rains & Marjorie Sullivan Ronna & Rob Resnick
Media Sponsors
John & Marsha Ellis
Henry LaBrun
The Stewart/ Meredith Trust
Sue Fernbach & Jim Rishebarger
Peter Laine & Constance Ensner
Dianne & David Worley
Hedy Fischer & Randy Shull
Amy Loether
Diana Wortham
Jerry McAninch
Hank Young
STEWART/OWEN DANCE + GUESTS
May 1 & 2, 2026
Co-Founders and Artistic Directors
Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen
Production & Stage Manager
Josh Weckesser
Lighting Designers
Cassondra Klepzig & Josh Weckesser
Wardrobe Support
Jill Ersham
Stewart/Owen Dance is grateful for support from the following Sponsors and Partners: WNC Dance Academy, Andrew Bowen Studios, The Everyday Athlete, American Dance Festival, Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Dance, Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, South Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, NC Arts Council, ArtsAVL.
S/O Dance is equally grateful for the additional support provided by the following individuals: Susan Blanchard, Andrew Bowen, Tom and Barb Brege, Leslie Connolly, Jean Humphrey, Henry LaBrun, Heather Maloy, Jessica McLean, Hannah Michalove, Cary Petrusek, Susan Propst, Karen Rowlett, Charlotte Hankin, Jill Ersham, George Hunker, Alberto Colonia, Jamie Brege-DeVito, Karen Carpenter, Karen and Robert Milnes.
Stewart/Owen Dance receives programming support from the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts and is proud to be a Resident Company of the Wortham Center.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Stewart/Owen Dance enriches Western North Carolina through the education, promotion, and creation of contemporary dance. We believe dance has a distinct ability to inspire, connect, and heal individuals from all backgrounds and experiences, and we support this mission through inclusive, high-quality programming, a nurturing, creative environment, and performances that reflect the region’s vibrant culture with inventiveness, elegance, and rigor.
Stewart/Owen Dance began partnering with Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in 2020, when they created a parking lot “drive-up” performance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In their almost six years in residence at Wortham, they have created five new works, including films, an immersive promenade performance, and performances as part of the Wortham Presents season. During this time, they have also partnered with Wortham to build ongoing adult community dance classes for movers of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Stewart/Owen Dance hosts the annual summer intensive, DELVE, for emerging dance professionals from around the country, and also partners with the University of North Carolina School for the Arts (UNCSA) for the S/OURCE Winter Intensive.
Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen, a husband-and-wife duo, are the co-founders, artistic directors, and choreographers of Stewart/Owen Dance. Their repertoire has been described as “intimate and intricate” (The Washington Post) and “humorous, elegant, and wild” (Seattle Dances), often extending into sitespecific and immersive work, including drive-up performances, walk-along dance experiences, and public installations. Their work has been presented nationally and internationally, including fifteen U.S. State Department tours with Company E.
Since arriving in North Carolina in 2017, they have created and performed works across the U.S., with recent highlights including commissions from the American Dance Festival, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, an Audience Choice Award at the NYC Dance Gallery Festival, and collaborations with well-known music artists Moses Sumney and Sylvan Esso. Stewart/Owen Dance was voted ‘Best Performing Dance Company’ in Best of WNC 2024 (Mountain Xpress), and was featured in Dance Magazine.
PROGRAM:
The Front (Asheville Premiere)
Choreographers: Vanessa Owen & Gavin Stewart, in collaboration with the Dancers.
Dancers: Madeline Badgett, Jeff Ewing, *Kayla Gilligan, *Vincent Jackson, Megan Jones Medford, *Emily Murray, Vanessa Owen, Gavin Stewart, *Ava Strickland, Kendall Teague, *Candace Vann Rehearsal Assistant: Taylor Railton
Music: Antony Genn, Martin Slattery, Bernard Herrmann, Jean Constantine, alva noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ensemble Modern, Dictaphone, Fletcher Henderson, Gavin Stewart.
*Invited Guest Artists from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts
WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 2025/26
SEASON
The Front was commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. Additional support for the Asheville premiere of The Front was provided by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Instancing Network
Guest Choreographer: Eric Mullis
Dancers: Madeline Badgett, Taylor Railton
Music: Kadey Ballard
Dramaturgy: Joy Davis
Costumes: Eric Mullis
Projections: Eric Mullis
Light Design: Eric Mullis, Cassondra Klepzig
Instancing Network was developed by using motion visualizing software, which shows possible lines of connection between the dancers and challenges conventional forms of choreographic thinking.
~Intermission~
Echo Mother (World Premiere)
Guest Company: New Dialect
Choreographer + performer: Banning Bouldin
Collaborator + performer: Phylicia Roybal
Choreographer’s assistant: Madison Brott
Music: Arvo Pärt
Costumes: Victoria Bek
Light Design: Josh Weckesser
New Dialect’s appearance in this program is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council.
Comfort
Creatures (World Premiere)
Choreographers: Vanessa Owen & Gavin Stewart, in collaboration with the Dancers.
Dancers: Madeline Badgett, Jeff Ewing, Megan Jones Medford, Vanessa Owen, Taylor Railton, Gavin Stewart, Kendall Teague
With assistance from: Kayla Gilligan, Vincent Jackson, Emily Murray, Ava Strickland
Music: Horst Jankowski, Gabi Hartmann, Ensemble Contraste, Peder and Jenno, Hidden Orchestra, Art Blakey, Bertrand Renaudin, Olivier Cahours
Vanessa received her BFA in dance from Wright State University and danced professionally with Wylliams/ Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Washington Reflections, the Kennedy Center’s Children of Eden, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance Company, and Company E.
During her time with Company E, Vanessa performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and went on sixteen international tours as a cultural ambassador with the U.S. State Department. Her choreography has been presented by venues, companies, and universities across the U.S.
As Co-Artistic Director of Stewart/Owen Dance, her recent collaborative work with Gavin Stewart includes projects with music artists Moses Sumney and Sylvan Esso, as well as commissions from the American Dance Festival and the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Their work has also been featured in Dance Magazine and received the Audience Choice Award at the NYC Dance Gallery Festival.
Gavin Stewart (Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer, Dancer)
Gavin, originally from Tulsa, OK, earned a BFA from UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and danced professionally with Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Owen/Cox Dance Group, MOVE: the Company, Richmond Ballet, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, Company E, and Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, among others. He danced works by Salvatore Aiello, Jennifer Archibald, George Balanchine, Joshua Beamish, Val Caniparoli, Christian Denice, Heather Maloy, Sasha Janes, Joshua Pugh, Edgar Zandejas, and others.
As a member of Company E, he performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and served as a cultural ambassador on 16 international tours with the U.S. State Department. His choreography has been presented on multiple programs by Wylliams/Henry CDC, Richmond Ballet, Company E, and other venues and companies across the U.S.
In his role as Co-Artistic Director of Stewart/Owen Dance, Gavin has co-created a range of notable works for stage and screen with Vanessa Owen, including collaborations with Moses Sumney (Blackalaichia) and Sylvan Esso (Frequency, KEEP ON), as well as commissions from the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts and the American Dance Festival. S/O Dance has been recognized by a feature in Dance Magazine and the Audience Choice Award at the NYC Dance Gallery Festival.
Cassondra Klepzig (Lighting Designer)
Cassondra (Cass) Opal is thrilled to be working on her third show with Stewart/Owen Dance. Before moving back to Asheville, Cass worked in NYC as a Lead Electrician for The Juilliard School, The Actor’s Studio, Ars Nova, and various other event companies. She then moved back to the mountains of Asheville and took on the role of Production Manager at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, where she served as Stage Manager or Lighting Designer for over 150 productions and events and has since been back at her alma mater at Western Carolina University as the Production Manager of the School of Stage and Screen. With a passion for storytelling as a catalyst for cultural growth, she is excited to employ her lived experience to mentor and educate the next generation of emerging artists while continuing to make beautiful art that challenges the status quo and inspires creativity as a connective energy.
Joshua Paul Weckesser is the founder of Bread & Roses Productions, dedicated to providing production support to live arts organizations. The New York Times saw Josh’s designs as “captivating” and “full of mysterious depth.” CVNC called Josh “completely brilliant.” Josh’s mother said, “I have no idea what he does for a living.” Josh has worked with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Hispánico, Joffrey Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, Che Malambo!, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Molly Shanahan / Mad Shak, and Jump Rhythm Jazz Project. Career highlights include lighting the first ever evening-length production of American Tap at the Kennedy Center (when it was cool), working with Karole Armitage in the Netherlands, and the national tour of Gobsmacked. Josh currently tours with Alonzo King LINES Ballet. This is his first production with Stewart/Owen Dance.
Madeline Badgett (Stewart/Owen Dance Ensemble)
Madeline is a North Carolina-based dancer and a graduate of the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, State University of New York, where she earned her BFA in Dance. While at Purchase, she performed works by Alex Ketley, Hannah Gardner, Annie Rigney, Doug Varone, and Kayla Farrish. She has also trained with Northwest Dance Project, BODYTRAFFIC, and Hubbard Street, working with choreographers including James Gregg, Rebecca Margolick, James Vu Anh Pham, Micaela Taylor, and Imre Van Opstal. Professionally, Madeline has performed in projects by Eric Mullis at Goodyear Arts (Charlotte), Breaking Ground Dance Festival (Arizona), and Dance City Festival (Detroit, New York City, Chicago). Madeline has been working with Stewart/Owen Dance since 2023.
Jeff Ewing (Stewart/Owen Dance Ensemble)
Jeff is originally from Torrance, California, where he began dancing at Lauridsen Ballet Centre and Fusion Dance Studio. He attended the Juilliard Summer intensive, the Chautauqua Institution, and assisted Cathy Young at Bates Dance Festival. Jeff earned his BFA in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory, collaborating with renowned choreographers including Danny Pelzig, Gianni DiMarco, Doug Elkins, and Adam Barruch. He danced with Charlotte Ballet’s second company, performing works by Mark Diamond, Dwight Rhoden, and David Ingram, and danced with Lucky Plush Productions and Cocodāco Dance Project. Jeff co-directs Momentum Dance & Events and has been a dedicated company member of Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance for over a decade. Jeff has been working with Stewart/Owen Dance since 2018.
Megan Jones Medford (Stewart/Owen Dance Ensemble)
Megan received a BA in Dance Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She was a company member with Periapsis Music & Dance, LiNK! the movement, Shauna Sorensen and Dancers, and Lindsey Kelly Dance. Megan was on faculty for the Children & Teen Program at Broadway Dance Center and All Star Studios in NYC. She has guest taught and choreographed for universities, studios, and conventions around the States. Megan continues to teach and perform in Asheville, NC, where she is currently dancing with The Asheville Ballet. Megan has been working with Stewart/Owen Dance since 2020.
Taylor Railton (Stewart/Owen Dance Ensemble)
Taylor began dancing at In Motion School of Dance in Hamilton, Bermuda, and in 2012 furthered her training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. She graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Purchase College in 2019 with a BFA in Dance and studied abroad at the London Contemporary Dance School. Taylor has performed works by Ohad Naharin, Tom Weinberger, Bobbi Jene Smith, Ana Maria Lucaciu, and Kyle Abraham. Professionally, she has danced with Stewart/Owen Dance, UANA Dans, and is an ongoing artist with Eric Mullis Projects. Taylor has been working with Stewart/Owen Dance since 2022.
Kendall Teague (Stewart/Owen Dance Ensemble)
Kendall was raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina and attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. He began his career in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2008 with San Francisco Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He has since worked with North Carolina Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden, Ballet San Jose, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, ODC/Dance, and Kate Weare Company. Kendall has been working with Stewart/Owen Dance since 2024.
GUEST ARTISTS (in order of appearance):
Kayla Gilligan (Stewart/Owen Guest Artist)
Kayla is a passionate dancer and choreographer from Ocala, Florida, whose journey in dance is fueled by a deep love for self-expression and movement. Kayla is currently earning a BFA in Contemporary Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She believes in embracing the raw beauty of the creative process and is dedicated to creating work that celebrates the art of movement. Looking ahead, she aims to dance professionally and collaborate with artists across disciplines to discover new sources of inspiration and foster innovation in her work.
Emily Murray (Stewart/Owen Guest Artist)
Emily is from Chester, New York, and began training in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, acro, pointe, and contemporary. After years of competitive dance, she joined Top Tier Dance Academy in 2019 and later UNCSA’s high school ballet program. Now pursuing her BFA in Contemporary Dance at UNCSA, Emily has performed works by Ming Yung Lang, Juel D. Lane, Stewart/Owen Dance, Gaspard Louis, Endalyn T. Outlaw, and Yvonne Rainer. She has sought to expand her expertise through summer institutions such as the American Dance Festival, Orsolina28, and Dance Italia. After graduation, Emily hopes to expand on her artistry and join a professional dance company.
Candace Vann (Stewart/Owen Guest Artist)
Candace is a contemporary dance artist and BFA candidate at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (expected in May 2026). At UNCSA, she has trained in Cunningham, Limón, Release Technique, West African, and Groundwork, developing a dynamic and versatile movement practice. Candace has had the opportunity to perform works by many contemporary choreographers while refining her artistic voice. Most recently, she has expanded her practice into choreography, creating and presenting original work for the Black Sacred Music Symposium at UNCSA. Through both performance and creation, Candace continues to explore storytelling, musicality, and embodied expression.
Vincent Jackson Jr. (Stewart/Owen Guest Artist)
Vincent is a multidisciplinary artist from Dayton, Ohio, whose foundation in martial arts informs his dynamic presence and discipline in dance. He began training at Stivers School for the Arts, where he studied under esteemed faculty and received the Jeraldine Blunden Award before graduating as a principal dancer. Currently pursuing a BFA in Contemporary Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Vincent trains in Horton, Limón, Cunningham, Countertechnique, and both classical and contemporary ballet. He has performed works by choreographers such as Ashley Lindsey, Trey McIntyre, Juel D. Lane, Martha Graham, and Darrell Grand Moultrie.
Ava Strickland (Stewart/Owen Guest Artist)
Ava is an international artist originally from California, where she began her training in ballet and modern dance. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Contemporary Dance at the University of North Carolina
WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
School of the Arts. Her training includes Cunningham, Limón, Countertechnique, Horton, improvisation, composition, and music studies. She has performed works by Merce Cunningham, José Limón, Juel D. Lane, Trey McIntyre, Stewart/Owen Dance, Ming-Lung Yang, and Kimberly Bartosik. Beyond graduation, she hopes to study movement, psychology, and medicinal research in the US and abroad, collaborating, teaching, and creating interdisciplinarily, while exploring global perspectives and experiences.
Eric Mullis (Guest Choreographer)
Eric is a dance artist and scholar whose work has been featured at the North Carolina Dance Festival, Black Mountain College Museum {Re}Happening, Midwest Alternative Dance Festival, Fact/SF Summer Dance Festival, and more. A Fulbright Scholar, he researched dance and the philosophy of technology at Taipei National University of the Arts and is the author of two books on dance and interdisciplinary performance. He is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Queens University of Charlotte.
Banning Bouldin/New Dialect (Guest Choreographer, Dancer, New Dialect)
Banning Bouldin is a choreographer, educator, and nonprofit arts leader based in Nashville, Tennessee. A graduate of Juilliard (BFA ’02) and MFA candidate at Bennington College, they have performed internationally with companies including Cullberg, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and artists such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Trisha Brown. In 2013, Bouldin founded New Dialect, a contemporary dance practice dedicated to building a sustainable and collaborative ecosystem for artists in the South. As artistic director, they create and produce acclaimed works for stage, screen, and site-specific performance. Their research and teaching center on improvisation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community-driven practices. Bouldin’s work has received national recognition, with features in major publications and support from leading arts organizations.
Phylicia Roybal (New Dialect Artist)
Phylicia is a native of Santa Fe, NM, and received her BFA at the University of Arizona, where she was awarded the Gertrude Schurr award for excellence in modern dance. Her professional career includes collaborations with New Dialect, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Cocodaco Dance Project, and many others. Phylicia is the co-founder of the Nashville-based duet project, MauveTaupe, and the founding creative producer of Backstage, a performing arts incubator and performance space. She is also a certified Gyrokinesis instructor. This performance marks the end of Phylicia’s seventh season collaborating with Banning and New Dialect.
Anigiduwagi Land Acknowledgement
The Wortham Center acknowledges that we are on the ancestral land of the Anigiduwagi, more commonly known as the Cherokee (ᏣᎳᎩᎠᏰᎵ).
