Madia Cooper-Asirifi, Liberian dance educator, West African and performing artist, choreographer, and scholar. She received her Ed.D from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from The College at Brockport and a B.F.A. in Dance Education from Brenau University. Currently, she serves as the Chair and Associate Professor and Chair of Dance at Brenau University and chairwoman on the Georgia Council of the Arts under the Governor’s Department of Economic Development. As a Liberian-American, Madia shares her culture and knowledge of West African and social dances to all ages at various venues. She is a performer of the Ghanaian dance company Mawre African Dance and Drum, which travels throughout the Southeast performing and conducting residencies. Madia’s other company credits include the Bill Evans Dance Company and Sankofa African Dance Ensemble.
In addition, she has collaborated with various musicians, visual artists, and singers to produce multi-artistic works and performance art in the U.S. Her choreographic works and teaching credits include a variety of dance disciplines in genres of the African Diaspora, modern, afro-modern, West African, Afro-funk, and jazz. Additional teaching and choreographic credits include the American College Dance Association, University of Alabama, Darton College, Middle Tennessee State University, Amherst College, Dean College, The University of the South, The Atlanta Ballet Centre of Dance Education, The Dancers’ Studio, Vanderbilt Summer Dance Intensive, New York Summer School of the Arts, and the Gainesville Ballet Summer Intensive Residency as well as others. In addition to teaching, she has had the opportunity to work and perform works of Kofi Mawuko, Robert Battle, Carolyn Adams, Donald McKayle, Cleo Parker Robinson, Dianne McIntyre, Chet Walker, Darwin Prioleau, Habib Iddrisu, Bill Evans, Larry Keigwin, Telly Fowler, and Sherry Zunker.
Lauren Cundiff is a Pilates Mat and Pilates Apparatus Instructor as well as a performer in NYC. She earned both of her Pilates certifications at 4th Avenue Pilates in Huntington, WV, and she studied at Marshall University, where she earned her first BS in exercise physiology with a minor in dance and second BS in biomechanics with a minor in psychology. In addition to her Pilates certifications and degrees, she also earned her Yoga Alliance RYT200 certification in Huntington, and she danced through high school and college at 4th Avenue Arts. She prides herself on her contemporary, detailed teaching style and making Pilates accessible and fun! She’s thrilled to bring all she’s learned from both from her home in Huntington and her home in NYC back to Dance West Virginia this year.
Jessica Fox
Javier Garcia
Dr. Yoav Kaddar is the director of the WVU Dance Program, the WVU Summer Dance Academy and a founding member and president of the WV Dance Education Organization. He received his BFA from The Juilliard School, his MFA from University of Washington, Seattle, and his PhD in Educational Administration from the University at Albany, NY. He has been a member of the Jose Limon, Paul Taylor and Pilobolus dance companies to name a few. Dr. Kaddar has choreographed over 70 works for dance and theatre, is a Fulbright Scholar, and teaches nationally and abroad. He has been a member of the American College Dance Association Board of Directors, served on the US Fulbright Selection Committee for the Arts and is currently the president of the National Dance Education Organization. http://theatre.wvu.edu/faculty-staff/yoav-kaddar
Rebecca Klaft, Southern California native, studied at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Klaft performed in Shen Wei’s Behind Resonance, Larry Keigwin’s Kingdom, Robyn Mineko-Williams Go Lo, Trisha Brown’s Solo Olos, Martha Graham’s Panorama, understudied Merce Cunningham’s Change of Address, Catherine Miller’s Mind Mapping, and Ton Simons’ Measuring Blue. She also performed works by Brenda Daniels, Sean Sullivan, Patricia Casey, and student choreography. During college, she attended Merce Cunningham’s Workshop performing CRWDSPCR.
Graduating with her BFA, she moved to NYC. Rebecca was taking company class with Trisha Brown Dance Company after graduating. She attended TBDC Summer and Winter Intensives from 2018-2022. Rebecca continued studying Countertechnique after college through workshops/ classes and attended One Body One Career in Amsterdam Rebecca participates in dance on film and residency programs. Rebecca’s passion for teaching started during college when she was doing outreach programs at local schools. She’s taught at UNCSA’s Preparatory Program, Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts, Dance West Virginia’s Fall Festival, The Visual and Performing Arts Center, Centre Ballet, and The Academy of Dance and Fine Arts. Rebecca joined Success Academy’s High School of the Liberal Arts- Harlem in 2022 as the Conservatory Dance Teacher. There she built a 3 level program, has put on 6 dance shows, and started an Elite Dance Club, Conservatory Company.
Jennifer Lawrence (PhD) is the owner and artistic director of Artistry House LLC, with more than 20 years of experience teaching dance and fitness, including Ballet, Pointe, Pre-Pointe, Jazz, Leap ‘N Learn, Conditioning, Phusia, Progressing Ballet Technique and Stretch & Strengthen. She began her training at Annabel Timms School of Ballet in Bridgeport, WV. Jennifer has served as faculty at Annabel Timms School of Ballet, Morgantown Dance Studio, and The Ballet Studio Lafayette, which is owned and operated by Beverly Spell, creator of the nationally renowned Leap ‘N Learn early childhood program. Jennifer has training in Pilates Mat and holds certifications in Progressing Ballet Technique, Acrobatic Arts, and Leap ‘N Learn. She writes summer dance syllabi that have been sold in the US and abroad. Jennifer also holds a PhD in French Language and Literature and currently serves as adjunct faculty and team lead for Southern New Hampshire University.
Rosalynn “Roz” Miller graduated from Point Park University, Conservatory of Performing Arts, with two dance degrees in 2008. While at Point Park she performed at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in faculty performances including works with Ron Tassone, Pearlann Porter, and Kiki Lucas. She was also in Doug Bentz’s contemporary debut performance of “The Snow Queen”. With a duel concentration in jazz dance and dance pedagogy (the art of teaching dance), Rosalynn, affectionately referred to as Roz by her students and peers, quickly landed teaching jobs at various prestigious dance establishments in the Pittsburgh area. Roz has previously taught at CLO Academy teaching hip hop, Point Park University in their community dance program, Arthur Murray teaching ballroom dance, Dance Alloy teaching jazz and hip hop, NUP Pittsburgh Charter School teaching hip hop dance and hip hop dance history and numerous other local dance studios and cheer gyms. While in college she was Vice President to the student hip hop dance group “Impulse”, first Hispanic President to the United Student Government at Point Park and maintained an apprenticeship through the COPA department all four years of her education. She fulfilled her apprenticeship working as a hip hop teacher for an after school dance program at McKees Rocks Middle School. Roz was the choreographer and lead back up dancer for pop artist Tino Coury and solo artist Ambition, former member of R&B group Pretty Ricky.
Jax RF McAtee (They/He) is an interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, and performer with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts: Choreography & Multimedia from Wilson College (Chambersburg, PA) and a BFA in Theatre: Original Works from Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle, WA). Jax spent nearly a decade working as a Choreographer, Performance Artist, and Theatre Artist in Seattle before returning to their home state of WV where they currently dance with West Virginia Dance Company. Jax most enjoys exploring and creating stories and performance through implementing physical theatre techniques, generative/ensemble-based story-building, and immersive theatre experiences. Selected Recent/Upcoming Credits: Macker’d, WV Dance Company (Choreographer); Rocket Boys The Musical, Theatre WV (Choreographer); The Wizard of Oz, Theatre WV (Choreographer); Last Days of the Tsars, Witness Immersive (Choreographer/Fight Director); The Women, Harlequin Productions (Choreographer/Fight Director); You On the Moors Now, Seattle University (Choreographer); John, ArtsWest (Intimacy Choreographer).
Laura Neese is a dance artist and educator from Staten Island, NY. Described as “ethereally romantic” by The Dance Enthusiast, Neese is a longtime company member of Besssie-nominated Darrah Carr Dance and has performed works by artists including Carr, Melissa West, Sean Curran, Ann Carlson, Maho Ogawa, and KitchenSink Collective, among others. Performing credits range from Jacob’s Pillow to the Today Show to Wexner Center for the Arts. She currently resides in Lexington where she is on faculty at the University of Kentucky Dept. of Theatre and Dance. Neese holds an MFA from the Ohio State University, BFA/BA from SUNY Buffalo, & Pilates Certification from Kinected.www.lauraneese.com
Kelly Ozust
Kylie Proudfoot-Payne is a painter and teaching artist in WV. She is a graduate of Davis and Elkins College in Psychology and Human Services. With daughters who dance, she is happy to be bringing her years of experience as a teaching artist through ArtsBank Inc and the Augusta Heritage Center to the festival.
Tara Penick is the Director of the School of Richmond Ballet in Richmond, Virginia. She is originally from North Carolina where she received her early ballet training in Chapel Hill with M’Liss Dorrance and Jennifer Potts. She continued her training with the NC Governor’s School and with the American Dance Festival working with Betty Jones, Donald McKayle, and Jeff Slayton. After completing her degree in International Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Tara moved to New York City, studying with Milton Myers, Chet Walker, and Merce Cunningham Studios, as well as STEPS on Broadway as a scholarship student. While in NYC, she taught ballet and auditioned scholarship students with Eliot Feld at Feld Ballets/NY (now Ballet Tech). She directed the Children’s Program at Broadway Dance Center with Frank Hatchett in addition to teaching children’s ballet classes. Tara choreographed new works for the American Place Theatre with Wynn Handman and Playwrights Horizons (both off-broadway), and she filmed segments of dance with the Children’s Television Workshop for Sesame Street. With the America Sings organization, Tara helped choreograph the NBC opening of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for several years. Tara has choreographed more than fifty musical theatre productions in over twenty states and continues to travel nationally as a choreographer working with K-12 students in the public schools and teaching master classes in ballet and theatre dance for university programs and private studios. She has choreographed for the Brightleaf Music Workshop at Duke University for many years and for the Sing Out & Next Stage programs. Tara joined Richmond Ballet in 1997 as faculty for ballet. She implemented a theatre dance curriculum for all divisions of School of Richmond Ballet. In addition to teaching all levels of ballet and theatre dance at School of Richmond Ballet, Tara enjoys choreographing projects for the SRB Ensembles (the auditioned student performing group) and the Richmond Ballet Trainees such as Carnival of the Animals, An American In Paris, and Appalachian Spring and collaborating with the Richmond Symphony.
Barbara “Barbi” Powers grew up in Milwaukee, WI where she began dancing at the Milwaukee Ballet School. She holds a high school diploma from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, a B.F.A. from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and an M.F.A. from the University of Washington. Ms. Powers has danced with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a Rockette, Li-Chiao Ping Dance, The Catey Ott Dance Collective, and Skybetter and Associates. She has performed works by Bill T. Jones, Crystal Pite, Alwin Nikolais, Susan Marshall, Laura Dean, Kate Ware, Lucinda Childs and Zvi Gotheiner. She is currently on faculty at the University of Georgia where she teaches ballet, contemporary modern, jazz, dance appreciation, and practicing wellness. As co-founder and co-director of the Art of Wellness living learning community at UGA, she works to bring wellness instruction and activities to students across campus. Her work in wellness has been presented at IADMS, the National Dance Education Organization, and the Healthy Dancer Canada Conference. Barbara is a certified vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga, Pilates mat, and meditation instructor, and has taught celebrities, individuals, and groups throughout New York, Wisconsin, Washington, and Utah, as well as workshops abroad.
Camille Weanquoi is a freelance interdisciplinary artist who hails from the Bronx, NY. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (B.A. in Dance), Winston Salem State University (B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies), and received her MFA in Choreography from Wilson College. Her commitment to building community as well as the growth & preservation of dance, specifically those rooted in the African diaspora, has assisted in expanding her artistry. She is the owner & visionary director of Camille W. Dance, a culturally immersive dance consulting firm & pick-up performance company. She is the founder & Executive Director of the Baltimore Black Dance Collective as well as the co-founder & co-director of the Baltimore Black Choreographers Festival. She is in training as a 4th-year candidate for Dunham Technique Teacher Certification. Currently, she creates, performs, & teaches African Diaspora dances rooted in tradition & culture along with other styles of dance throughout the Baltimore/D.C. area and beyond.
Julie “Jewels” Whitley is a certified E-RYT 200, RYT-500, YACEP hour yoga instructor registered with Yoga Alliance with many years of experience with Belly dance. She mainly trained in the Berkeley Springs area of West Virginia as well as traveling to study under some of the top belly dancers in the country. Julie has danced in an array of different venues with the Tribelle Chic Troupe, Bellysima Bellas, solo work, and most recently at the Blennerhassett Hotel Greek Komma nights. Julie’s intention, always, is to bring joy, uplift, and encouragement. Her classes are to be a safe space to explore possibilities and expect to leave encouraged and uplifted.
George Wilson-Berry is a newly appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at Brenau University with an MFA from the University of Alabama. During his performance career, he was a member of the Proia Dance Project (Atlanta, GA) before joining the Roxey Ballet (Lambertville, NJ), dancing in numerous classical and contemporary roles. Following his MFA, he held a full-time faculty appointment at Alabama and completed the American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) National Training Curriculum through Level 5.
His choreographic work has been featured at Broadway Dance Center, the Young Choreographer’s Festival, Benjamin Briones’ The Round Table, and the Alabama Dance Festival. George has created numerous dance films with select screenings at MFA Makers in Motion and the American College Dance Association’s (ACDA) Screendance Festival, where his film “Fragile” was chosen for the final night gala. His feature-length Screendance “SeaQueens” premiered in 2023 at the Historic BAMA Theatre with a live orchestra and original score by Dr. Warren Ertle.
His research has earned him several awards, sponsorships, and grants, including an Outstanding Non-Traditional Thesis from the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, a Levitetz Innovation Seed Grant, and an Outstanding Research Paper from the Southeastern University Graduate Research Symposium. In addition to concert dance work, he has choreographed several musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Red Mountain Theatre (Assistant Choreographer/Director) and The Rocky Horror Show on the Marian Gallaway mainstage at the University of Alabama. He believes in true collaboration and the importance of the dance community existing beyond theatre walls as we fight for our art form in the vast media landscape.
Accompanist – Matthew Driver believes the value of music lives as something for everyone to enjoy and to make a meaningful connection. Music becomes a way for people to truly express themselves, leaving an everlasting effect on someone. Born in Chesterfield, VA he began playing the piano at the age of nine. He went on to begin serious piano studies under Dr. Sonia Vlahcevic at Virginia Commonwealth graduating Cum Laude. He has performed all over the Country, recently in Vermont at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival. Matthew enjoys performing for the community, as a way of giving back. He enjoys performing jazz and new age music for churches, musicals, organizations, events, along with playing Organ and Conducting. Matthew conducted the Richmond Youth Brass Ensemble, leading them to the performance of Sonata XII
an 8 Arranged for 8 Brass in 2 choirs by Randy Steinberg. He traveled with the Virginia Commonwealth University Wind Ensemble to the Omni Homestead in Hot Springs Virginia for the Virginia Music Educators Association, performing for the award ceremony. Matthew continued accompanying work at Richmond Ballet working as a ballet accompanist and teaching new accompanists the discipline of ballet accompaniment. Moreover, he is continuing his work of ballet accompaniment at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Wake Forest University Dance Departments. Matthew resides in North Carolina teaching at Forsyth Country Day School and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts(UNCSA) as a teaching assistant, along with continuing his studies under the tutelage of Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg in the Performing Artist Certificate Program at UNCSA in the Fall of 2022.
Accompanist – Lawrence Greene has been using African percussion for education and entertainment for over 15 years. As an AmeriCorps member he started his drum training playing 18 hours a week at Inner Harbor a mental health facility in Georgia. He was able to study Mande music with master drummers Mahiri Keita and Mamady Keita of Tam Tam Mandinque drum school. For three years he was the accompanist drummer at Factory Street studio in Athens, Ohio for the African dance classes he started. He is an Artsbridge catalog artist in Parkersburg, WV serving local schools. Lawrence is now the founder of Ugata: drum and dance where he offers classes and workshops in southern Ohio and the Mid Ohio Valley.
Accompanist – Savannah Wright is a pianist, piano studio owner, and instructor based in Beckley, WV. Following years of pre-collegiate private lessons, Savannah deepened her love of learning piano literature at West Virginia Wesleyan College through her roles as a music scholar and the primary pianist for the college’s Big Band and Afro-Cuban ensembles. After completing her studies of Secondary Education, English Literature, Music, and Business at WVWC, Savannah began her primary role as a piano studio owner and instructor. Additionally, she has acquired years of experience as both an Instructional Interventionist for the public school system and now Dance Ministry Educator at Rhythms of Grace dance studio.
Throughout her childhood, the art of ballet played a formative role in Savannah’s development not only as a dancer, but also as a musician and creative. In her current role at Rhythms of Grace, Savannah utilizes her musical expertise, years of dance experience, and knowledge of pedagogy to provide her students with an artistically enriching dance education. A new addition to the Fall Festival faculty at Dance WV, Savannah is excited to combine appreciation of both music and dance through her service as a Ballet Accompanist this fall.
Accompanist – Nathan Yoke has been playing and studying music for over 25 years. As a percussion major in college, he would provide accompaniment for dance classes as part of the Governor’s School for the Arts, which turned into many years of collaboration with West Virginia-based dance companies. Nathan continues to perform with local and regional bands and ensembles.