Our Instructors

Linda Z. Andrews

Linda Z. Andrews, Artistic Director, founded Ozone Dance School in 1979. The professional Zenon Dance Company was formed in 1982 from her two grassroots dance groups - Rezone Dancers (modern) and Just Jazz Dancers (jazz). She has won accolades for developing the Company's unique modern and jazz aesthetic by commissioning repertory works from choreographers such as Bebe Miller, Susana Tambutti, Dwight Rhoden, Bill Young, Bill T. Jones, Llory Wilson, Joe Goode, Stephanie Skura, David Dorfman, Doug Varone, Joe Chvala, Robin Stiehm, Myron Johnson, Wil Swanson, and Wynn Fricke. Ms. Andrews studied at the Martha Graham School, Alvin Ailey Dance Center, Julliard School and with Alwin Nikolais, Lynn Simonson and Merce Cunningham. She holds a degree in dance and drama from Hollins College in Virginia. Ms. Andrews has taught dance and creative movement since 1972, and has developed Zenon Dance School into a recognized training center for avocational and professional dancers.

Mackenzie Beck-Esmay

Mackenzie Beck-Esmay graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota BFA Dance Program and has had the privilege to perform works by talented choreographers such as José Limón, Louis Falco, Maggie Bergeron, and Nancy Nair. Mackenzie worked with Linda Talcott Lee on Bloomington Civic Theatre’s production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" with the funding of a UROP grant, as well as “Mulan” at The Children’s Theatre Company. Currently, Mackenzie is dancing with Eclectic Edge Ensemble, Threads Dance Project, and Alternative Motion Project, choreographing for musical productions at local High Schools, teaching dance to enthusiastic students at several local studios, and working as a program counselor in a group home with vulnerable adults.

Amy Behm-Thomson

Amy Behm-Thomson trained at the University of Minnesota. She has been a very active member of the Minneapolis dance community for over 12 years. Amy joined Zenon Dance Company in the fall of 2000 and continues to perform and teach with the company as a guest artist. Amy is the associate artistic director of ARENA Dances and performs with the company on a regular basis. Amy is a recipient of a 2011 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Dancers administered by Northrop and funded by the McKnight Foundation.

Mary Ann Bradley

Mary Ann has been performing and teaching in Minneapolis since her arrival in 1997. She has taught all levels of Jazz at Zenon's school and has taught yoga, modern, hip hop, jazz, and partnering through the company's outreach program. Her Intermediate Jazz class focuses on developing musicality, spatial awareness, communication, and personal expression.

Natalie Brown

Natalie Brown holds a BFA in Dance from the University of MN, Minneapolis. She has been teaching and performing jazz, ballet, and modern dance in the Twin Cities dance community for 15 years. She was a member of JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski. She’s taught at several schools throughout Southern MN, including Zenon, Waconia Performing Arts, Continental Ballet, Mankato Ballet, and Gustavus Adolphus College where she choreographed the musical “Urinetown” and taught for a semester as a guest artist. Natalie is certified in Gyrotonic instructor and trains clients at Avatar Private Training Studio in Minneapolis.  She is also certified in ZUMBA Fitness. She has taught Youth Jazz at Zenon since 2005.

Allison Rubin Forester

Allison Rubin Forester is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher of dance and mathematics.  Allison first studied ballet, jazz and modern in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois at the studios of Gus Giordano and Lou Conte (Hubbard Street Dance).  She received a BS in mathematics from the University of Illinois - Urbana in 1987, while studying/performing as a full-time student in the dance department.  She taught and choreographed at the University of Oregon, while she received her Masters Degrees in Dance and Secondary Education.  Allison is now teaching junior high math and dance at Barton Open for the Minneapolis Public Schools.  Locally, she has studied and performed with Chuck Davis' Babu's Magic and The Umoja Ensemble, 10,000 Dances, and several independent choreographers.  Ali teaches a strong technique-based class that blends modern influences with strong classical jazz elements - and lots of energy and sweat!

Denise Gagner

Denise Gagner holds a BA in Dance from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.  She has been teaching dance for the past 10 years throughout Minnesota, working with students as old as 2 and as young as 70.  She teaches modern dance at Zenon for both youth and adult students.  She enjoys watching her students discover, explore, and create movement.  In addition to teaching she is also a member of Ready At Will Dance Collective, a freelance performer in the Minneapolis dance community, and a massage therapist.

Jennifer Glaws

Jennifer Glaws, from northern Illinois, graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in dance and photography from Arizona State University.  Prior to college, she was hired as a performer by Greg Thompson Productions touring internationally and nationally including an American review presented in Southern China. Following GTP, Glaws was an educator and performer for Perry Mansfield Performing Arts Group and School located in Steamboat, Colorado. With PM she performed throughout Colorado and New Mexico while teaching jazz, tap, and hip-hop classes for them.  She is grateful to have trained and performed works with Joe Goode, Wade Madsen, Clyde Evans Junior, and many other thought-provoking friends and colleagues.  Currently, she resides in Minneapolis where she teaches for Zenon Dance School and choreographs productions for the Youth Dance Ensemble.

Celeste Grimm

Celeste Grimm performs with partner Troy Lerum and teaches at Zenon and The Dancers Studio.  She believes that ballroom dance builds your confidence, which carries over into your daily life and relationships!

Stephanie Harmon

Stephanie Harmon is a dancer and choreographer who has spent the majority of her career working in children’s theater. Trained locally at The Minnesota Dance Theater and Zenon Dance Company & School, she has also studied in New York & Chicago, with dancers such as Lane Alexander, Diane Walker, Savion Glover and Brenda Buffolino.  For the past 12 years, Ms. Harmon has worked with VEE Corporation as a performer, on tour performance director and director/choreographer. Before that she spent 12 years as the co-director of a nationally recognized inner-city children’s theater program, where she got the opportunity to work in Russia. Her work has been seen internationally in Europe and Asia with the USO and Sesame Street Live, as well as at various theaters and independent projects in the Twin Cities area, including Stages Theater Company, Choreographer’s Evening and The Fringe Festival.

Dustin Haug

Dustin Haug moved back home to Minnesota in 2007 after 10 years of living and performing on the west coast. Since arriving in Minneapolis, he has shown work at Bryant Lake Bowl, the Bottling House Theater, and The Ritz. He  teaches modern, Contact Improvisation, and a performance lab, Body in Space/Space in Body. He is greatly interested in virtuosity, the body as decision maker, spontaneous flight, and narrative/story elements. His work focuses on developing an intuitive ecology of space where invented organisms cycle through life, breath, growth, death, and rebirth.

HIJAK

HIJAK (Kristin Van Loon and Arwen Wilder) have been improvising together since 1989.  This year they received a Bush Fellowship, performed and taught in Russia and Colorado, and danced with Lisa Nelson and Karen Nelson.  Their improvisation influences include Chris Aiken, Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith, Daniel Lepkoff, Jennifer Monson, Jane Shockley, Andrew Harwood, and Peter Bingham.

Sarah Jabar

Sarah Jabar is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher who has been dancing since the age of 3. She graduated with a B.A. in Dance and Psychology from Gustavus Adolphus College, and has had the opportunity to perform works by Shapiro and Smith Dance, Jeffrey Peterson Dance, Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner, and Mad King Thomas. She loves watching her students move and explore their own body's potential. Aside from being a freelance dancer and choreographer, Sarah is a cook/food enthusiast.

Mathew Janczewski

Mathew Janczewski is a Chicago native who began his early dance training at DanceCenter North. At age 19, he moved to the Twin Cities and began his training at the University of Minnesota. There he performed in the works of Doug Varone, Bill T. Jones, Mark Morris, Bebe Miller, Merce Cunningham and many more. He received his BFA in Dance in 1994. Mathew has danced with a variety of Minnesota choreographers, including Beth Corning, Shawn McConneloug, Robin Stiehm and Cathy Young. He was a company member of Shapiro & Smith Dance and JAZZDANCE! by Danny Buraczeski for five years with both companies.

Benjamin Johnson

Benjamin Johnson was a professional ballet dancer for 20 years, portraying characters and making abstract works come alive on a regular basis. He performed regular seasons with James Sewell Ballet, Dayton Ballet, BalletMet Columbus, Ohio Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet. His guest appearances stretched from Tampa’s Bay Ballet Theater, Fort Wayne Ballet, Lakeville City Ballet, Minnetonka Dance Theater, and Wisconsin’s East Shore Ballet Company to the Miss Kentucky Pageant, to performances with the Operas in Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. He brings what he learned on the stage into the classroom to be passed along to his students. He has taught regular and master classes in ballet, modern, and juggling around the country and the Twin Cities. He taught for two years at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists in Saint Paul. He is a licensed and certified massage therapist, and has a private practice focusing on injury rehabilitation and the particular problems of performing artists.

Marcia Keegan

Marcia Keegan is currently teaching for MDT and the Dance Institute, Phipp's Center for the Arts,Edina community Center and Eastview High School. She has performed locally with Children's Theatre company, Minnesota Opera, and the Guthrie. Marcia received her local training with Hy Somers, Jo Savino, and Frank Bourman. In Cannes, France, she danced and trained with Rosella Hightower.

Erinn Liebhard

Erinn Liebhard is a coordinator, choreographer, performer and teacher passionate about developing both her own creative interest in and community support of jazz and rhythm-driven dance. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Minnesota and is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Rhythmically Speaking, an organization supporting and presenting jazz and rhythm-driven dance in the Twin Cities. Erinn teaches actively in the Twin Cities metro area, including as a Guest Teacher for Gustavus Adolphus College and the University of Minnesota. She is also a company member of the Eclectic Edge Ensemble and the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, and busy pick-up performer with folks such as Off-Leash Area Contemporary Performance Works, Karla Grotting, Judith James Ries, Zoe Sealy, Jeffrey Peterson, Lisa Conlin and Jennifer Glaws.

Ariel Linnerson

Bio coming soon!

Whitney McClusky

Whitney McClusky has been studying and teaching African Dance for over 10 years. She has had the honor of studying with Master dancers Youssouf Koumbassa, Mamady Sano, Djeneba Sako, William Atchouelou, and George Momboye. Her passion for African dance has taken her to Senegal and Guinea West Africa. Since moving to Minneapolis Whitney has taught within the Minneapolis school system, performed with African dance ensemble “Les Gitanes,” and choreographed for “Black Choreographers Evening,” “Dance in the Dark” (Southern Theater), and B-Girl Be, to name a few. She is currently the creator and director of Duniya Drum & Dance, an organization that supports African Drum & Dance in the Twin Cities. www.duniyadrumanddance.org

Arturo Miles

Arturo Miles is originally from Mexico City. He has been dancing in Minneapolis since 1997. He was an original member of the Hip-hop Co-op under direction of Collen McLellan. He has performed at the Minnesota State Fair and the Walker's 'Hip-hop Heroes and Innovators.' The Hip-hop Co-op has since reinvented itself as 'Collective.' As a member of Collective, Arturo has performed in the critically-acclaimed 'Dance in the Dark' at the Southern Theater. In addition to hip-hop dance, Arturo is proficient in African, Modern and House dance. He has lent his talents over the years with Deborah Jinza Thayer's "Movement Architecture,' the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival with Collective and Three Dances. He has performed with Collective at the Mall of America, Hopkin's Center for the Arts, and gone on tour to Aberdeen, South Dakota, performing in area schools and teaching workshops. As a current guest curator, he has produced 'The Somewhat 80's Variety Show' and 'Elements in Translation' at Patrick's Cabaret. Currently Arturo teaches for Collective and Zenon dance companies.

John Munger

John Munger has been teaching at Zenon since 1990. He moved to the Twin Cities in 1978 after studying with modern dance pioneer Hanya Holm for seven years and performing with Norman Cornick's Colorado Dance Theatre. In addition to teaching, he is Artistic Director of his own company, the Third Rabbit Dance Ensemble. He also performs with Continental Ballet of Bloomington as a character dancer. His own work has been recognized with numerous commissions and grants including a Minnesota State Arts Board Choreography Fellowship and two McKnight Fellowships. His "day job" is Director of Research and Information for Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional concert dance in America. In that capacity he is recognized as a national expert in statistical and financial trends in professional dance.

J-Sun Noer

B-Boy J-Sun is a veteran of Hip Hop dance. Competing and performing for 15 years, teaching and choreographing for 13 years makes him one of the most experienced Hip Hop professionals in MN. He is a member of Rockforce, Battlecats, West Coast Rockers, and now the Faculty. He is also the official bboy of Rhymesayers Collective. Performance credits include: RUN DMC, Outkast, and Hierogylphics. He has recieved a myriad of awards, including the James Plumb Scholarship, Momentum, and 1st place at the Twin Cities Hip-Hop Festival breaking contest. He is proficient in the dance styles of rocking, popping, locking, breaking, freestyle, housing, and popular dances of the early 1990s. All J-Sun's classes incorporate history of the dance and culture, along with a lot of movement.

Judith James Ries

Judith James Ries spent 11 years performing and touring nationally with JAZZDANCE! by Danny Buraczeski as a principle dancer and company member. She currently teaches at Zenon, Hamline University and the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, has taught at the University of Minnesota and 4 Seasons Dance, and has been a guest artist at Macalester College. As a choreographer, her work has been produced by Zenon Dance Company, Hamline University Dance Ensemble, Eclectice Edge Ensemble, Zenon Block E Performance Group and Shattuck/St. Mary's Preperatory School. As a movement coach/choreographer, she has worked with Park Square Theatre and the St. Thomas More Community Theater.

Amy Sackett

Amy Sackett graduated with a B.F.A in Dance from the University of Minnesota and has studied at Tisch School of the Arts in NYC. In her 15 year span as a professional dancer, Amy has performed and had her choreography featured locally, nationally, and internationally. She has opened for hip-hop acts including Bow-Wow, Mario, Ashanti, Talib Kwalei, DJ Funk Master Flex and Dead Prez, to name a few. She co-founded the hip-hop dance company Collective and has been an active participant in B-Girl Be (a festival for women in hip-hop), including serving as the 2009 B-Girl Be Dance Curator. In 2003 she was honored to perform with Hip-Hop Heroes and Innovators at the Walker Arts Center; and she is the recipient of a 2008-09 Jerome Foundation Travel/Study Grant for work in Rotterdam, Holland. Amy believes hip-hop culture, as a whole, gives voice to those often unheard and is a way to uplift, inspire, and bring change to those communities that need it the most.

Jesse Schmitz-Boyd

Jesse Schmitz-Boyd hails from Minneapolis. He holds a B.A. in Dance from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. At UWSP, he studied under Professor Joan Karlen, Re|Dance Group’s co-founder, Michael Estanich and Jump Rhythm Jazz Project’s associate artistic director, Jeannie Hill. He danced featured roles in Susan Marshall & Company’s Other Stories and Billy Siegenfeld’s god of dirt; and he choreographed several works, including his dance-theater work Glass Houses, in Eleven Sections, which was presented at the American College Dance Festival’s regional conference’s adjudication concert. Jesse went on tour with the Chicago-based RE|Dance Group performing in the Chicago and Minnesota Fringe Festivals. Currently he teaches at several studios including Zenon Dance School and Allegro School of Dance. Jesse’s classes are high energy and fun while maintaining an emphasis on technique, bodily awareness, performance quality, and a masterful mind. In his free time, Jesse enjoys science fiction television, gummy worms and bowling.

Stephanie Shapso

Stephanie Shapso has been teaching for the past decade. She brings professionalism and incredible energy to her classes via industry experience working with the Viking Cheerleaders and doing commercials for Best Buy and Plato’s Closet. She incorporates her additional background of funk, jazz, and ballet to provide an upbeat and exciting twist to hip hop. Her greatest asset is her fresh attitude and enthusiasm for expression through dance.

Erin Sheppard

Erin Sheppard is an actor, dancer and choreographer from Minneapolis. She has performed in several variety shows at Patrick's Cabaret as well as Four Humors' Firsty Thursday shows, Sample Night Live, the State Fair, Bedlam Theatre and B-Girl Be. She teaches youth dance classes at Zenon Dance School and Youth Performance Company. Her choreography has been seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, MN Fringe Festival, Patrick's Cabaret, Mall of America and various other venues across the Twin Cities. She has a passion to make dance performance accessible to all audiences and thrives on entertaining people.

Brittany Shrimpton

Brittany Shrimpton hails from northern Minnesota and earned a B.A. in Dance from St. Olaf College. At St. Olaf she had the opportunity to show her own choreography and perform in works by Janice Roberts, Heather Klopchin, Sherry Saterstrom,  and a reconstruction of Anna Sokolow’s “Dreams”.  Intrigued by movement in other cultures she has also studied dance in Ghana and Argentina. In Argentina she performed in works by Karina Roldan and assisted the production of Tinta China Sonora, a collaboration with choreographer Gabriela Prado, composer Martin Liut, and the sculptures of Leon Ferrari. At Zenon Brittany teaches Creative Movement and Beginning Youth Ballet.

Rosy Simas

Rosy Simas is a choreographer, teacher and bodywork therapist. She is Seneca from the Cattaraugus reservation of New York. Rosy is a teacher of modern technique, alignment technique, improvisation, contact improvisation and composition. She trained in Minneapolis, MN, New York, NY and San Francisco, CA. Most influential in her training has been Nita Little, Suzanne River, Barbara Mahler and Susan Klein. Rosy is a certified practitioner of Global Somatics™, Massage and Shiatsu. Rosy has taught regular technique, alignment and contact improvisation classes in Montréal, Santa Cruz and Minneapolis. Rosy maintains a private bodywork practice in Minneapolis, Blue Heron Bodywork.

Becky Stanchfield

Becky Stanchfield has taught ballet extensively for over 40 years in the United States and Canada.  She brings a thorough understanding of technique and movement principles to her teaching.  She is especially well known for her ability to develop the individual potential of the dancers with whom she works.  She "teaches correct body placement - it just happens to be with ballet steps."

Laura Swanson

Laura has a true passion for helping people to improve their quality of movement and quality of life.  After many years of dance and gymnastics, Laura was drawn to Pilates because of lower back and hip problems. Certified as a STOTT Pilates Matwork and Reformer Instructor, she has also completed additional training in Postural Analysis and Application. She enjoys working with students of all ages and activity levels, and loves to challenge students both physically and mentally as they progress in their Pilates practice. Laura believes that the strength, concentration, coordination, flexibility, and enhanced body-mind connection gained from Pilates can greatly benefit everyone, both on and off “the mat”.

Aside from teaching Pilates, Laura is an avid practitioner of yoga and enjoys tennis, biking, cooking, and traveling. She holds a B.A. in Spanish and is currently studying to receive her Master’s Degree in Nursing with an emphasis on Public Health and Holistic Practice.

Deborah Jinza Thayer

Deborah Jinza Thayer graduated from Johns Hopkins University; trained in dance in New York City; and received an MFA in Dance from George Mason University.She has presented her choreography, Movement Architecture - a blend of dance and theater in structured environments, and has seated approximately 50 original works in New York City, Washington DC metro region and Minneapolis. She has twice been a semi-finalist for France's Recontres Choregraphiques Internationales de Seine-Saint-Denis (Bagnolet), and received a McKnight Choreographers Fellowship in 2004.  At Zenon, she teaches Composition, Contemporary dance technique, Somatic Principles, and Gyrokinesis.

Erin Thompson

Erin Thompson danced in New York City in the companies of Nina Weiner and Bebe Miller, receiving a New York Dance and Performance Award, Bessie, in 1986. Erin's advanced professional modern dance class integrates internal awareness and sensation with physicality that is weighted and daring. Her warm-up includes articulation of bones, joints, and muscles, lending maximum ease and efficiency to her extended movement phrases.  Her class also focuses on the play between learning set movement phrases and each dancer's ability to uniquely inhabit and personalize those phrases. Erin Thompson is on faculty at the University of Minnesota's Department of Theater Arts and Dance and is also an Alexander Technique teacher.

Morgan Thorson

Morgan Thorson regards dance-making as an occupation of necessity. Through her work, she recognizes a persistent intuitive drive to investigate dance as a purveyor of culturally, socially and perceptually relevant life experience. Morgan began dancing at a young age and received formative instruction from Carol Sumner in Balanchine Ballet Technique in Connecticut. She graduated from Barnard College in 1987. After a long hiatus from dance she resumed her studies with Cynthia Novack, Daniel Nagrin, Jennifer Monson and Lisa Nelson. She is a certified Skinner Releasing Technique teacher, adjunct dance faculty at the University of Minnesota and has been a guest professor at Barnard College and Wesleyan University.  Based in Minneapolis, Morgan has received many grants, fellowships, and awards for her choreography from, among others, the New England Foundation for the Arts, The Guggenheim, The McKnight Foundation, The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, The Jerome Foundation, the City Pages, and the Sage Awards.

Tracy Vacura

Tracy Vacura is a dance educator and choreographer living in Minneapolis. She completed her undergraduate work in Philosophy and Dance at Minnesota State University-Mankato in 2001 and continued studying dance at the University of Iowa, where she earned an MFA in choreography. Tracy held a fixed-term appointment as a professor in the dance program at St. Cloud State University for five years. At SCSU, she taught ballet, modern dance and a fun general education course called Dance for Everyone. Tracy's choreography has been performed by Zenon's Block E scholarship program, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, SCSU's Repertory Dance Theatre, and Company Northcrest in Sauk Rapids. Tracy also teaches gymnastics at TAGS in Eden Prairie.

Sharon Varosh

Sharon Varosh believes that every person can delight in ballet and learn important skills from studying the technique, regardless of age or body type. She received her formative ballet training in Cecchetti technique from Larry Boyette in Denver, and has taken intensive workshops with Gwynne Ashton, Enrique Martinez, Sallie Wilson, Yoko Ichino, Eiko and Koma, Phyllis Lamhut, and many others. She has taught ballet for 41 years. In her youth, she danced with the Wisconsin Ballet Company and the Colorado Ballet and several modern dance companies and independent artists.  Most recently she spent seven years with Katha Dance Theatre, a classical Indian company and toured to India. She has taught and choreographed at Macalester College for the past 18 years and has taught off and on at Zenon since its inception.

Sandi Walker

Sandi Walker is a graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. She has toured the South performing her work and other independent choreographers in Atlanta, New York and Knoxville, Tennessee. Sandi has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for her dance work with her ex-company Dance for Everyone, a company composed of people with disabilities and professional dancers in Atlanta, Ga. She directed, choreographed and taught for a children’s dance company in Atlanta, Ga. for five years. Besides dance, Sandi holds a certification in Pilates from Fitour and just recently earned her 200 hours of Yoga Certification from Sun Moon Yoga in Mankato. Sandi is training to be a Life Coach through Adler Graduate College and has performed with Steppingstone Theatre, South Saint Paul High School, The Indianapolis Fringe Festival and students of Jill Bernard and Stevie Ray.

Roxane Wallace

Roxane Wallace is active in the arts as a performer, teacher, dancer, and choreographer. She holds a BA in Philosophy with an ethnic studies minor from the University of California at Berkeley (1993). She is a teaching artist for the Vocal Essence WITNESS program and a dance instructor at the St. Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts and Zenon Dance Studio and School. In addition to this, she has been a member of Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater Company for over ten years. Constantly engaged in her field, Roxane has worked with choreographers and directors of regional and international acclaim.  In 2004 she was named “Best Dancer” in the City Pages “Best of the Twin Cities.” In 2006 she wrote, choreographed, directed and produced “Evolution of a Soul Sista.” She was presented by Red Eye Theater in 2007 with her production “REvolutionary Soul Sistas” and that same year, received a 2007 Minnesota Sage Dance Award for Outstanding Performer. In 2008 she was greatly honored to be named a McKnight Artist Fellow in Dance. Roxane feels blessed to be doing what she loves.   Working with diverse communities and age groups, engaging all aspects of her artistry and her humanity, she continues to appreciate and enjoy what her work brings to her life. For further information contact Roxane directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Taja Will

Taja Will is an active teacher in the Minneapolis community, offering classes and workshops in contact improvisation, improvisational performance, choreography, and yoga. As an independent artist Taja has performed her own works in Minnesota, Iowa, Washington, Massachusetts, and Mexico.  She has been active in the Contact Improvisation community, traveling to California to teach and speak at the West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival. For Taja, the body is a vehicle by which to explore the experience of an individual within community.

Cathy Wright

Cathy Wright has taught and choreographed Ballet, Hip-hop, Modern, Jazz and Cultural Dance for over 11 years across the country. She has a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and a Master of Arts in Education from MN State University of Mankato. Some highlights of instruction include teaching Hip-hop and Cultural Dance to homeless children and adjudicated youth in Salt Lake City, Utah and founding the Hip-hop dance program at Onandaga Community College and SUNY Upstate in Syracuse, New York. Ms. Wright also was the Director of the curricular dance program at Apple Valley High School from 2002 to 2008. Her work has been performed locally at the Walker Art Center, the Southern Theater, the Bloomington Center for the Arts, Pat’s Cabaret, Bryant Lake Bowl, the Perpich Center for Performing Arts, the MN Zoo, and the Hennepin Center for the Arts; and nationally in Salt Lake City, UT, Miami, FL and Philadelphia, PA. Visit mnartists.org/Cathy_Wright for more information.