Open Call: Cain Coleman

Cain Coleman is an award-winning, multi-hyphenate performer and creator based in Brooklyn. With a career marked by time spent with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Theatre, The Martha Graham Dance Company, The Metropolitan Opera and The Dragon Sisters, Coleman continues to explore the many possibilities of life. Coleman was recently honored as the Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2021 and Best Duo/Group 2021/22. They were also nominated for Entertainer of the Year at the NYC Glam Awards in 2022.

Coleman’s collaborations with platforms, brands, and institutions such as Amazon Music, Meta, Instagram, Brooklyn Museum, Queer Capital, MOBIFest, Absolute, Saks, and Lincoln Center all showcase their true commitment to pushing artistic boundaries. Recently, media outlets like Billboard, Vogue, Paper Magazine, Elle, Wonderland, Ladygunn, Guinness World Records, and the New York Times have recognized Coleman’s work, showcasing them as a trailblazer in various industries and avenues in the arts.

As a professor of dance and a choreographer at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, Coleman continues to inspire and educate the next generation of artists with an open heart! @odessabigdragon

Andrew Boyle is an Australian-born photographer, collage artist, and motion creator, currently based in Brooklyn. Boyle’s work sits at the intersection of photography, illustration, hand-made collage, and motion graphics, offering a different take on traditional cut-and-paste collage methods. Collaborations include NYFW, Coachella, Paper, Schön!, Milk Makeup, Fox Searchlight, Neuehouse, and Fast Company among others, and his first book Heroes & Villains—a deep dive into the world of cos players—was published in 2017 by Smith Street Books and distributed by Rizzoli.

Arianna “Kala” Brame is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, arranger, poet, MC, bandleader, and educator based in Brooklyn. Trained in classical and jazz piano at Westminster Conservatory and Sarah Lawrence College, Brame is also a student of West African and Afro-Latin percussion. A passionate pedagogue, Brame has taught music and literary arts education throughout the metropolitan area for 15 years. Her six-piece hip hop and jazz fusion band, Kala and The Lost Tribe, has performed at venues across NYC including Baby’s Alright, The Bowery Electric, The Sultan Room, National Sawdust, Le Poisson Rouge, and the iconic Blue Note.

ChazzGiovanni* is a polymathic generator born and raised in New York City. He pines to better understand and strengthen the connective tissues between physics, music, movement, direction, acting, and personhood vs. personage.

Focused on how experimental art can help us think critically and creatively come up with ways to support, uplift, protect, and positively build up our communities. He’s currently creating primarily through music, garb design, nightlife festivals, and theater and film direction [ie: “QUERY”, The Garden Fest PVD & Left3TV].

His performance practice has been rooted in music experiences with theatrical elements, costuming, and staging. One constant in his practice has been exploring, postulating, and deconstructing songs, dances, inventions, and ideas of folks from throughout antiquity.

Chazz is super excited and charged up to be helping direct and bring this piece to life at The Shed in collaboration with Cain Coleman and community.

“We have faith this will be useful; here you go, some New Information.” —Chazz Giovanni Bruce

Mel Cornick (they/them) is a Brooklyn native who started their dance training at Mark Morris Dance Center. They continued their education at LaGuardia High School and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Upon graduating from LaGuardia, they received a Star Award for outstanding progress made in the studio. They have performed works by Mark Morris, Tadej Brdnik, Billy Smith, Martha Graham, Jacqulyn Buglisi, and more. This past year they performed at Lincoln Center in Buglisi Dance Theatre’s Table of Silence. They assisted Cain Coleman in the creation of their work Shared Generation, which was performed at the SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center and was filmed for a scholarship video funded by the fashion house Mugler. They are currently obtaining their BFA in dance performance at Purchase College where they study ballet, Graham, Horton, and Cunningham technique, as well as dance composition, partnering, and improvisation. Cornick works as a freelance photographer and videographer and has filmed music videos, dance films, concerts, short films, and onstage dance productions.

John Feliciano is a professional musician who specializes in electric bass, stand up bass, and bass keys for live performances. He is blessed to be a part of many different musical situations ranging from salsa to jazz, hip hop to R&B, and everything in between. Feliciano is also a music director, arranger, producer, composer, educator, and father. Follow him on Instagram @johnnyfelic for more information about what he’s up to in the future.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, David Frazier Jr. got his first introduction to music in the Pentecostal denomination of the Black American Church. His father, David Frazier Sr., is an accomplished Gospel songwriter and his mother, Leslie Walker Frazier, is currently the principal of Crispus Attucks 21 Elementary School in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Frazier attended Xaverian High School and was nurtured musically by Joseph Loposoky and mentored by his first drum teacher, Sherrie Maricle. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be playing drums professionally.

Frazier studied at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music where he received a BFA and MFA in jazz studies (performance). There he studied with great jazz professors/musicians/instructors such as Steve Wilson, Scott Colley, John Abercrombie, Jimmy Greene, John Riley, Jon Gordon, etc. He was mentored closely by Kenny Washington, Hal Galper, and Charles Blenzig. Frazier’s touring résumé has included the following acts: Gabriel Garzon Montano, Arto Lindsay, Thiefs, People’s Champs, SZA, Hal Galper, Youngbloods, Axel Tosca, WTF Trio , Mae.Sun, L’Rain, My Tree, Kala and The Lost Tribe, Speak Freely Trio, Ant Saunders, The Dragon Sisters, Moses Sumney, and Brasstracks.

Julian Goldhagen is a theater artist and licensed social worker based in Brooklyn. Their storytelling work has been featured at the NYC International Fringe Festival, The Beacon Theater, and the United Nations Palais de Nacion. They are a regular storyteller and host with The Moth, and have been facilitating community-based storytelling workshops across the country since 2012. As a therapist, they work with Grounded Therapy, serving predominantly queer youth and adults. Goldhagen holds a bachelor’s in fine arts from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and a master’s in social work with a concentration in community organizing, planning, and development from Hunter College. They are currently a resident artist at the Public Theater, creating community-based theater within the Public Works program.

Alexey Kim, also known as Sidewalkkilla, is an NYC-based independent journalist, photographer, and filmmaker. Kim was born in Kazakhstan, formerly part of the USSR, eventually moving to the US in his early teens. As a queer artist, Kim’s primary focus is on the LGBTQIA+ lifestyle and emerging creatives. Kim is inspired by uniqueness and individuality. His work sets out to find beauty in the fleeting moments of life, challenging his eye to see beyond the obvious.

Kim’s work has been published in the New York Times, Vogue, New York magazine, Interview, V magazine, WWD, Paper, Out, The Cut, them., and more. Kim’s photography has been featured in the Google documentary Honoring Excellence in the Transgender Community: gc2b and The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, in OWN TV Network’s Juneteenth Artist Showcase highlighting the work of Hank Willis Thomas, and in the HBO documentary The Stroll.

Born and raised just outside of Chicago, Sara Richter (she/her/hers) began her dancing journey at the young age of two. Growing up, she trained rigorously in a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, pointe, and ballroom, working closely with esteemed mentors such as Sara Bibik, Hanna Brictson, Sonya Tayeh, Jennifer Hamilton, Alexandra Damiani, Artem Chigvintsev, Rena Butler, and Dana Wilson. Richter graduated from SUNY Purchase summa cum laude where she received her BFA in dance and BA in anthropology and was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence ‘24. While at Purchase she studied Graham, Cunningham, Horton, West African, floorwork, partnering, improvisation, and composition under the direction of Stephanie Tooman, Jean Freebury, Linda Celeste-Sims, Billy Blanken, Doug Varone, Megan Williams, and Maria Bauman. Additionally, she had the opportunity to perform repertoire by Wallie Wolfgruber, Trisha Brown, and Monica Bill Barnes, a new work by Cain Coleman, and worked as a rehearsal/class assistant and co-performed with the Fulbright Scholar from Benin, Marcel Gbeffa.

Hailing from vibrant Harlem, DJ Samuella is a nonbinary force in music, seamlessly wearing hats as DJ, Producer, and Youth Advocate. Their unparalleled sonic prowess spans diverse genres, earning them the title of an open-platform DJ extraordinaire. Prestigious stages like The Shed and Lincoln Center have witnessed Samuella’s electrifying performances, leaving audiences yearning for more.

As a captivating performer and prolific producer, Samuella’s hits, like “YOLO” and “Tender” with Indigo General, continue to resonate globally. Their latest single, “Ai Could Never" with The Dragon Sisters and Lolita Leopard, has already captivated audiences. In this ever-evolving landscape, DJ Samuella stands as a beacon of innovation, redefining boundaries and leaving an indelible mark on the global music scene.

Madalyn Anderson (she/her) is a rising junior at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, she began her pre professional training at the Youth Performing Arts School at DuPont Manual High School. There she studied ballet, modern, pointe, and aerial silks. Since coming to Purchase, Anderson has been fortunate enough to be in choreographic works by Fulbright Scholar Marcel Gbeffa, Michelle Thompson-Ulerich, and Cain Coleman. She has had summer training from Rubberband Dance in Montreal and Vim Vigor in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Next Semester, Madalyn will be studying abroad at Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts.

Bianca Calá (she/her) is a student in the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase college and has over 17 years of dance training in a variety of dance forms including classical and contemporary ballet, contemporary dance, Broadway jazz, rhythmic tap, modern, Afro pop, hip hop, Sri Lankan, and liturgical. She began her dance training with Starbound Dance Studio in Bowie, Maryland, at the age of two and a half years old. From there, she joined the Metropolitan Ballet Theater and Academy (MBT) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She has trained and performed works under the direction of dance notables such as Dance Theater of Harlem, Koresh Dance Company, PHILADANCO! Dance Company, ICONS Dance Company, Fabrice Herrault Ballet, Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Bruce Wood Dance Company, Red Sky Performance, Yin Yue Dance Company, Companhia de Dança, and Afron'dani Dance Company. She has also performed in a variety of dance productions including The Nutcracker (various roles), MBT Gala & Spring Shows, Dream Gala (CityDance), Creating the Magic(CityDance), Choreographer in Residence Showcase (Rob Priore), 10 Hairy Legs (Randy James), SerenDip Dance (Asanga Domask), Nijawwon Matthews (XY Dance Project), GALLIM, Norbert L. De La Cruz III, Loni London, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Marcel Grbeffa, and Alex Neoral (Companhia de Dança). Calá is also a recent scholarship recipient and former student dancer with the Alvin Ailey Professional Dance division, as well as the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York City. Calá’s most recent accomplishments include being awarded the NAACP 2022 ACT-SO Regional Gold Medal in Contemporary Dance and Silver Medal in Modern Dance. Calá also filmed a scholarship commercial for Mugler Paris Fashion in collaboration with SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Dance.

Arianna Carson (she/her) is a 22-year-old Los Angeles native. She started her pre-professional training at Los Angeles County High School of the Arts (LACHSA), where she studied various dance techniques like ballet, pointe work, Horton, Graham, Limón, and Dunham. During her time at LACHSA she performed repertoire from Rami Be’re, Aide Memoire; Jiri Kylian, Svadebka; and José Limón, A Choreographic Offering. Arianna has had the opportunity to attend and train at BackHaus Dance, Paul Taylor Summer Intensives, ChoreLab Ballet Hispánico, and Debbie Allen Dance Academy Summer Intensive. Last year, Arianna was very grateful to perform works choreographed by Norbert De La Cruz III, Linda Celeste Sims, Glenn Sims, and Kevin Wynn at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. She is currently a graduating senior in the conservatory under the direction of Darrah Carr.

Isabella Caspariello is a dedicated dancer pursuing her BFA at Purchase College’s Conservatory of Dance. She trained at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and Boston Ballet’s Professional Division. Skilled in diverse techniques, Isabella has worked in Doug Varone’s Rise and performed Marcel Gbeffa’s Awakening. She enjoys choreographing original works and collaborating in various mediums. Casparriello continues to make her mark in the dance world.

Cassandra D’Agostino (she/her) is a dancer and creative from Toronto. An alumni of Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts and Elite Danceworx, she recently graduated from Purchase College, Conservatory of Dance, SUNY where she received a BFA in dance. At Purchase, Cassandra was selected to perform with the Purchase Dance Company in works by Connie Shiau, Bill T. Jones (staged by Jenna Riegel), and Andrea Miller (staged by Donterreo Culp). Professionally she has performed at Arts on Site in the Made by Woman program hosted by Dual Rivet where she performed work by Courtney Conovan and Earl Mosley Diversity of Dance and Dancing Beyond 2024 performing work by Juan Carlos Franquiz II. Prior to attending Purchase she performed works by Bryan Arias, Sonya Tayeh, Cindy Salgado, and Ethan Colangelo. Throughout her dance training she has worked closely with Quaba Venza Ernest, Stephanie Tooman, Jean Freebury, Linda Sims, Megan Williams, as well as Andrea Miller, Ethan Colangelo, Kyle Scheurich, Jason Parsons, Anneke Hansen, Spenser Theberge, Jermaine Spivey, Akira Uchida, Martha Nichols, and Mandy Moore.

Symone Denwood (she/her) is a 22-year-old from Chicago. Denwood is a recent BFA Graduate from the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a concentration in choreography. Starting her dance training in 2010, she quickly developed a love for the craft. Denwood began taking classes at Indiana Ballet Theatre. She then auditioned for and graduated from The Chicago Academy for The Arts in May 2020. She has and continues to train in ballet, pointe, Graham technique, Horton technique, Cunningham technique, contemporary, floorwork, contact improvisation, and hip hop. She has attended a plethora of dance intensives such as Fort Wayne Ballet, Dance Works Chicago, and Alvin Ailey: Professional Division. She has performed in works choreographed by Randy Duncan, Nick Pupillo, Martha Graham, Gerald Arpino, George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Bill T. Jones, Keenan Cooks (Netflix’s Dance100), and many more. Denwood has been exploring her craft through choreography and grew a strong passion for it very early in her high-school career. Denwood has also found a calling to teach and has taught at her home studio (Indiana Ballet Theater) and has had the opportunity to teach at Indiana University Northwest’s Kids College Summer Program. Denwood is always looking for new ways to challenge her artistic mind and continue expanding her vocabulary as she is committed to sharing her love for dance with the world, aspiring to serve her community through her passion of performance and choreography.

Amya Fortunato (any) was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and began their training in the Junior Division of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. From there, they went on to attend Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and now studies at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a concentration in Composition and a minor in Arts Management. They have performed works by Genessy Castillo, Megan King, Scott Autry, and Norbert De La Cruz. As of late, they have worked with Cain Coleman on several projects, including a video campaign for the fashion brand Mugler, a summer residency at SUNY Purchase, and a new Purchase Dance Company premiere of Shared Generation.

Libiya Gray, born in Memphis, Tennessee, currently attends SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Dance in New York and will graduate in the spring of 2025. She graduated from White Station High School in 2021. She trained and graduated from Collage Dance Collective’s Dance Conservatory in 2021. Gray was awarded with the Student of the Year (2013) Award and the Tiffany Glen Award (2014) early on in her journey of training with collage. She has traveled to perform and train in various cities across the United States, including Chicago, San Francisco, New York City, Philadelphia, and many other cities across the mid-South. She has trained in Montreal, as well, with Collage Dance Collective back in 2015. She has had the opportunity to train over the summer with the North Carolina School of the Arts in 2019, as well as online in their pre-professional program in 2020. She also studied at the Graham School in New York City in the summer of 2023 and with Andrea Miller’s Gallim and Kyle Abraham’s AIM the same year. She has also been in residence with Joshua Manculich’s WhirlWind in the summer of 2023 as well. She has worked with many choreographers/artists such as Kevin Iega Jeff, Kevin Thomas, Tamisha Guy, Tammy Hurt, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Kimberly Bostosik, Bret Easterling, Michelle Ulerich-Thompson, Andrea Miller, and many others. She has danced works by Martha Graham and Kevin Wynn in her time at Purchase Dance. She was also in the honor choir during middle and high school during her time at White Station and has participated in the All-West honor choir for seven years, with her highest chair being 3rd as a Soprano 2. She also performed with White Station’s acapella group, Key of She (2018 – 21). She graduated from White Station on the honor roll.

Thomas Hogan (he/him) was born and raised in New York City. He is an alumnus of LaGuardia Arts High School and was a 2019 National YoungArts Winner in Choreography. Hogan recently graduated from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in dance as a composition concentration. He has performed works by Annie Rigney, Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, Michelle Thompson-Ulerich, Jonathan Fredrickson, Bob Fosse, and Trisha Brown. Most recently, he assisted Annie Rigney in her creation for the Martha Graham Dance Company and performed in her evening-length work …she was becoming untethered at 92NY.

Zil Inami (they/them) is from the Bay Area, California, and grew up training in classical ballet at Alameda Ballet Academy and Berkeley Ballet Theater. They currently attend SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Dance in New York, with concentrations in production and composition. They have attended summer intensives by Ballet West and Hubbard Street and have performed works by Doug Varone, Trisha Brown, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, 2nd Best Dance Company, Post:Ballet, and more. Outside of dance, they practice and work in videography and editing; they have filmed dance performances, made short films, promotional videos, and much more.

Kai Irby, originally from St. Louis, started dancing at the age of six. Irby has been trained in most styles of dance including ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop. While in St. Louis, Irby trained at COCA (Center of Creative Arts) and St. Louis Elite Dance Company under the direction of Jay Staten and Monique Smith. At the age of 16, Irby and her family relocated to Washington, D.C. Her time in D.C. was spent strengthening her training in concert dance at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts studying under Sandra Fortune-Green, Charles Augins, Katherine Smith, and Nikki Sutton-Mackey. After graduating from high school, Irby decided to pursue dance at SUNY Purchase to earn a BFA. During her time at Purchase, she has trained in ballet, Graham, Horton, and Cunningham. Irby has also had the opportunity to work with Norbert DeLa Cruiz III, Kimberly Bartosik, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, CJ (Claude Johnson), and Paul Giarratano re-staging a Kevin Wynn work.

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Sydney Jaffe (she/her) discovered her passion for dance at a very young age. She trained in all styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, and hip hop at a local dance studio. After graduating from high school, Jaffe moved to New York to pursue a BFA in dance, a BA in Arts Management, and a Pilates certification at SUNY Purchase. During her time at Purchase, she has furthered her training in ballet, Graham, Horton, and Cunningham technique, as well as partnering and improvisation. Jaffe has had the opportunity to perform works by Peter Chu, Nick Pupillo, Alexa Capareda, and Cain Coleman. Throughout the summers Jaffe furthered her training with Visceral Dance Chicago, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Alonzo King Lines, and ABT.

Malachi Kingston (He/Him) is an 18-year-old student pursuing his dreams. Kingston has trained and continues to train in a number of genres such as ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip hop, and others. He is a rising choreographer who enjoys sharing his talent with the rest of the world. Kingston participated in the DanceLab New York NextGen program, where he was able to build and hone his choreographic skills. He has trained at Dwana Smallwood Performing Arts Center and Harlem School of the Arts and is currently studying at Purchase College Conservatory of Dance.

Born in Shakopee, Minnesota, Elliana Marlier (they/she) grew up training at Premiere Dance Academy. She attended multiple dance competitions locally in Minnesota as well as in Las Vegas, Nevada. She attended one year at Ballet Royale Minnesota, the official school of Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, where she trained under Rick and Denise Vogt. She danced in the corps de ballet in Coppelia with Ballet Royale Minnesota and in an original ballet The Ruby Slippers with Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota. Marlier is continuing her training at Purchase College Conservatory of Dance where she is pursuing a BFA in dance performance. While at Purchase, Marlier has worked with Martin Løfsnes to restage Mary Anthony’s Devil in Massachusetts (1952) and with Cain Coleman on his new work Shared Generation (2024). Marlier has also continued to pursue her own choreographic endeavors with her most recent work When the Morning Glory Blooms performed in the Dance Theatre Lab at Purchase College on April 27, 2024.

Jai Ali McKoy (they/them) was raised in Newark, New Jersey. Growing up in such a diverse city, dance has always shown its face in different mediums throughout McKoy’s life. Seeing street style and Afrocentric movement, McKoy knew this art form was something they had to become fluent in. After training at Sharon Miller Academy for Performing Arts, McKoy continued their dance training at Arts High School, under Ronnie Carney and Krystal Hall Glass, while attending Alvin Ailey winter and summer sessions to grow technically throughout high school. After working with artists like Levi Marsman, Christopher Huggins, Hannah Gardener, Linda Celeste Sims, and Earl Mosely, McKoy learned how artists can channel from multiple avenues to create amazing pieces of art. One of McKoy’s missions in the dance world is to create space for artists to collaborate with other artists and create works with a new perspective, ultimately breaking down systems that were put in place to limit creative expression.

Daniella Montedoro (she/her) was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. She began her dance journey at the age of three, training at her home studio Dance Electra under the direction of her teacher, Kathy Gambardella, where she discovered her true passion of dance at a very young age. She continued her training and attended the Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted and Talented for Dance in Brooklyn, New York. She then continued her pre-professional training at the acclaimed Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music, Art & Performing Arts where she spent four years training in ballet, Graham, Horton, Limón, jazz, choreography, and improvisation. Her teachers were Joey Smith, Kelley Prouty, Gregory Sinacori, Tadej Brdnik, Mary Brienza, Kristen Foote, and Chanel DaSilva. In her junior year she was selected as a company member for the Laguardia Dance Ensemble choreographed by Darrell Grand Moultrie performing An Infusion of a Beat at multiple venues across NYC. In 2021 she was nominated for a local Emmy for her performance in their annual Rising Stars Show named Behind the Mask, performing her solo Sober choreographed by Carissa Gambardella that was aired on the All Arts Channel. She also was awarded the prestigious Father Fame Award at graduation. In her senior dance concert she was selected by Damani Pompey to perform in his piece titled Sanctuary. Currently, Montedoro is furthering her education at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, where she is pursuing a BFA in dance. During her time at Purchase, she has trained in Graham, Cunningham, Horton, floor work, partnering, improvisation, and choreography. She has had the opportunity to study with Linda Sims, Bettijane Sills, Martin Lofsnes, Stephanie Tooman, and Cain Coleman. Montedoro has performed in Purchase Dance Company in works by Kimberly Bartosik, Nattie Trogdon + Hollis Bartlett, and Cain Coleman. Additionally, Montedoro has had the pleasure of working with a wide range of choreographers outside of Purchase such as Taylor Wickham, Marinda Davis, James Aslop, and Elisabetta Spuria. She is also represented by Go2Talent agency and currently serves as an apprentice with Marinda Davis’s company, Marinspired.

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Destin Morisset (he/him) is a graduate of LaGuardia Arts High School and now attends SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. Morisset is a recipient of the 2021 Gregg Burge Award. He has performed works by choreographers such as Chanel DaSilva, Nigel Campbell, Greg Lau, Gregory Dolbashian, Roderick George, Jie-hung Connie Shiau, LajaMartin, and Doug Varone. Morisset is currently a dancer for The Dash Ensemble founded by Gregory Dolbashian located in Dallas, Texas.

Solea Powe (she/her) is a multifaceted artist whose journey through the realms of dance, performance, and entertainment has been diverse. With a background spanning live performances to sets of television and film, Powe has graced stages such as the NWBA Sparks arena as team dancer, Adaawe, the Hot Chocolate NutCracker, and danced in pieces by Ohad Naharan, Adndrea Miller, Norbert De La Cruz III, and other reputable choreographers. She has trained in an array of dance styles including ballet, modern, contemporary, hip hop, heels, tap, and more. Her training, which includes rigorous programs at SUNY Purchase, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Lula Washington, and LA County High School for the Arts, has honed her skills. Not only a performer but also a leader in her field, Powe has been recognized for her exceptional talent and dedication and received awards, such as Most Inspirational Dancer two years in a row, received the Don Martin Legacy Scholarship, and took the title of Dance Representative in her high school. Beyond the stage, Powe has also done work in the film and acting industry. She has graced the screen of the HBO hit show Insecure and appeared in student films. In addition to her dedication to the performing arts, Powe is a creative soul with a myriad of interests including choreography, sketching, painting, and modeling.

Spirit Priester (she/her) was born and raised in Southeast Jamaica, Queens. She started dancing at the age of five years old at her hometown studio, Innervisions Theater Arts Center. In 2017, Priester began training at MOVE|NYC| and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Priester is currently a rising senior at the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College under the direction of Darrah Carr. During her time at Purchase, she has performed works by Norbert De La Cruz, Andrea Miller, Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, and Kevin Wynn.

Born and raised just outside of Chicago, Sara Richter (she/her/hers) began her dancing journey at the young age of two. Growing up, she trained rigorously in a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, pointe, and ballroom, working closely with esteemed mentors such as Sara Bibik, Hanna Brictson, Sonya Tayeh, Jennifer Hamilton, Alexandra Damiani, Artem Chigvintsev, Rena Butler, and Dana Wilson. Richter graduated from SUNY Purchase summa cum laude where she received her BFA in dance and BA in anthropology and was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence ‘24. While at Purchase she studied Graham, Cunningham, Horton, West African, floorwork, partnering, improvisation, and composition under the direction of Stephanie Tooman, Jean Freebury, Linda Celeste-Sims, Billy Blanken, Doug Varone, Megan Williams, and Maria Bauman. Additionally, she had the opportunity to perform repertoire by Wallie Wolfgruber, Trisha Brown, and Monica Bill Barnes, a new work by Cain Coleman, and worked as a rehearsal/class assistant and co-performed with the Fulbright Scholar from Benin, Marcel Gbeffa.

Marra Spallone (she/her) is a dancer, singer/songwriter, and aspiring choreographer from Bolton, Connecticut, currently studying dance at SUNY Purchase. She has had an interest in dance and music since she was four years old and decided to further pursue her dance studies at Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School. There, she gained experience in Laban/Bartenieff fundamentals, Cunningham, and ballet. She also worked with Rennie Harris, Yoshito Sakuraba, Jennifer Weber, Leslie Frye Maietta, Carter Alexander, and Kim Stroud who staged repertory by Martha Graham. At SUNY Purchase she continues to study various modern dance styles. She had the opportunity to work with Marcel Gbeffa for an evening-length work, and most recently, Cain Coleman. Additionally at Purchase, she is the lead singer of the band Not a Threat, in which she writes original music in collaboration with her bandmates.