Our Founding
Moving Forward was Co-Founded in 2016 by Madison Hicks and Kevin Pajarillaga. Madison Hicks is the Executive and Artistic Director along with Erin McElhone as Associate Director.
With Madison’s passion for the dance community, experience at all stages of dance and knack for choreography, she knew she had what it took to help students realize their dreams and create a space that fosters growth and inspiration. Madison started Moving Forward in the thriving Dallas community that she called home. Over the past 7 years, Moving Forward has branched to other parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Los Angeles, and is now fully based in New York City. Moving Forward was created to provide young artists with a creative outlet and safe space to develop their creative voices. We have hosted numerous intensives, awarded college scholarships, commissioned choreographers, presented emerging artists work, and now have a collective of our own.
Moving Forward has three branches of its organization: Education, Emerging Artist, and The Collective. The Education program focuses on providing affordable training opportunities for artists 15 and up. The Emerging Artist program provides creative opportunities to emerging choreographers such as choreographic festivals. The Collective is a project based professional company showcasing original works by Madison and her collaborators.
In particular, Madison tries to establish a community through Moving Forward. Her ultimate goal is to create a safe environment for dancers of all ages to flourish in fellowship while developing a distinct voice.
Madison Hicks
Executive and Artistic Director
Madison Hicks holds a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School and an MFA in Choreography from California Institute of the Arts. She has received choreographic residencies at Orsolina28, 14StreetY, Chez Bushwick, DanceLabNY, and was a Jacob’s Pillow Ann and Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellow. Madison has been commissioned by universities such as Loyola Marymount, The Fordham Ailey BFA program, Peabody University, University of Texas, and Wayne State University. She has also been commissioned by companies such as Vitacca Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Avant Chamber Ballet, Mash-Up Contemporary Dance company, Ballet Project OC, and Water Street Dance Milwaukee. Most recently, she worked alongside Tony Yazbeck and Chip Abbott as Associate Choreographer for Manhattan Concert Production’s Children of Eden at Lincoln Center.
Madison was also a guest choreographer at The Juilliard School’s Summer Intensive, UNCSA Professional Studies, and MoveNYC in 2023. She was the choreographer for “The Elixir of Love” Opera at Curtis Institute of Music in 2023. She is the Director and Founder of Moving Forward, an innovative Non-Profit Organization for young artists and founded The Moving Forward Collective in 2022, a group of collaborators that present original work across the country. She has presented work at Arts on Site, Boston Dance Festival, LA Dance Festival, Palm Desert Choreography Festival, and others. She has been a guest choreographer for Orange County School of the Performing Arts, Lindenwood University, Booker T. Washington HSPVA Rep II Ensemble, Center of Creative Arts, Houston MET Too, San Diego Civic Center, and The Windward School along with rigorously teaching artists of all ages.
She has been a company member with Sidra Bell Dance New York and LA Dance Project. She has performed works by Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian, Emily Molnar, Kyle Abraham, Ohad Naharin, Peter Chu, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Aszure Barton, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Benjamin Millepied, and Pam Tanowitz.
Madison joined DanceONE’s 24Seven Break The Floor faculty in 2022 and is a faculty member at Steps on Broadway.
www.madisonhicks.com
Erin
McElhone
Associate Director
A performer, arts administrator, and freelance dancemaker currently based in New York Erin is originally from Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 2018 and received her BFA from the Honors College at Adelphi University in May 2022 with a minor in business.
With over 15 years of dance training Erin has performed repertory and new works by several artists in New York and Texas including Moving Forward's own Madison Hicks. Erin is a founding collaborator of Meat Market Productions, a Dallas based dance theater company under the artistic direction of Marlee Fleisher. Erin furthers her creative and collaborative efforts by presenting work in venues throughout New York including Arts on Site and the Balance Arts Center.
Erin began administrative work in high school and since then has worked for organizations including the Dallas Arts District, Bombshell Dance Project, the School at Jacob’s Pillow, Adelphi’s Dance Department, and Adelphi’s Performing Arts Center. She currently assists Madison with Moving Forward and her choreographic commissions as well as works full time in the Education Department at Gibney.
Nicole Hagen
Company Manager
Nicole Hagen (she/her) is a dancer, educator, and choreographer, who has performed works by Elías Aguirre, Gianna Burright, Genevieve Carson, Roderick George, Tess Hewlett, Madison Hicks, Iker Karrera, Kate Hutter Mason, Waeli Wang, and WHYTEBERG among others. Nicole is a company dancer and rehearsal director for the Moving Forward Collective and was formerly a company dancer with L.A. Contemporary Dance Company and MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, which provided her the opportunity to perform at iconic venues including LA Dance Project, The Odyssey Theatre, ODC Theater, The Architecture & Design Museum, and Highways Performance Space. Commercially, Nicole's credits include Paramore, NBC’s This Is Us, Banks, and Netflix’s Dear White People.
Passionate about grant writing, education, and cultivating community within numerous dance ecosystems, Nicole works as an administrative and grant writing assistant for arts consultant, Emily Wanserski and serves as the Company Manager for Moving Forward. She previously served as the Community Action Manager for L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, where she directed and produced all of the company’s community engagement and educational outreach programs.
Choreographically, Nicole’s work has been seen on a multitude of stages throughout southern California such as AMDA’s Cosmo Theater, LA Dance Project, LA Theater Center, IAF, Bootleg Theater, Sophia B. Clarke Theater at Mt. San Antonio College, McCallum Theatre, Musco Center for the Arts and Waltmar Theater at Chapman University, and ACDA's Screen Dance Festival. She has been a two-time finalist at the McCallum Choreography festival and has been commissioned by Mt. San Antonio College and AMDA College.
Nicole is on faculty at AMDA College, and she holds a BFA in Dance Performance, with a minor in Business Administration from Chapman University.
www.nicole-hagen.com
Guest Faculty
Eric Lobenburg
Eric Lobenberg was raised in Las Vegas, NV where he discovered his love for dance at the age of 14. He attended the Las Vegas Academy for the Performing arts, where he began his formal training in both voice and dance. Eric is a recent graduate of Point Park Universities Modern Dance Program with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. While attending Point Park he performed works by many sought after choreographers, such as Sonya Tayeh, Alexandra Damiani, Anthony Tudor, Joshua L. Peugh, Adam Houghland, and Kiesha Lalama to name a few. Additionally, Eric has had the opportunity to train at The Martha Graham School, Springboard Danse Montreal, and Northwest Dance Project's LAUNCH, where he has worked with legends such as Shamel Pitts, Virginie Mecene, Sarah Slipper, and Alexandra Wells. Eric has danced professionally with Matthew Pardo and Caitlyn Scranton's The Blanket, performing works by Lucinda Childs, Shana Simmons Dance, and Joshua Beamish's MOVETHECOMPANY for his 2018 Joyce Theater Performance. Eric currently resides in Dallas, TX where he recently completed a contract with Joshua L. Peugh's Dark Circles Contemporary Dance.
Todd Baker
Todd Baker is a Dallas native who discovered his passion for dance at the age of ten. He began his classical and modern dance training at Booker T. Washington HSPVA where he performed the repertoire of Aszure Barton, Lar Lubovitch, and Dwight Rhoden. He continued to develop his artistry at Dance Industry Performing Arts Center, performing works by Shannon Gillen, Jessica Hendricks, and Benoit-Swan Pouffer. Currently, Todd is training at The Juilliard School in New York, New York. Over the past two years he has performed a new work by Bryan Arias as well as Martha Graham’s Rite of Spring. The summer intensives that Todd has attended include Alonzo King LINES, Nederlands Dans Theater, and The School at Jacob’s Pillow Gaga Program. Todd was named a 2017 Presidential Scholar in the Arts, a 2016 YoungArts Finalist in Modern Dance, and a 2016 Texas Young Master in Dance.
Dana Pajarillaga
Dana Pajarillaga, a native of Washington D.C., graduated from The Juilliard School in 2017. In previous years, she trained at the CityDance Conservatory in Bethesda, MD, under the direction of Lorraine Spiegler. While at Juilliard, she performed works by José Limón, Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, and Nacho Duato. Additional programs she has attended include The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Cunningham Repertory Workshops, and Springboard Dance Montreal, performing works by Victor Quijada, Andrea Pena, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Emily Molnar, and Brian Brooks. Recently, she performed at the CTM Festival in Berlin in a work choreographed by Christoph Winkler. Dana was also a part of an Urban Dance Troupe called Future Shock DC throughout high school. Dana joined RUBBERBANDance Group in 2017.
Melissa Anderson
Melissa, a Dallas native, is currently in her first season with Company XIV under the direction of Austin Mccormick. Before joining Company XIV in NYC, Melissa was dancing the New York City MET Opera. She received her BFA from the Juilliard School where she has performed works by Austin McCormick, Aszure Barton, Pam Tanowitz, José Limón, and Jiří Kylián and well as numerous student choreographed works. Melissa has also received many scholarships from the Dance Council of North Texas including: The Cochran and Jerry Calloway Scholarship in 2014, The Buster Cooper Jazz Scholarship for contemporary dance in 2013, and The Texie Waterman Memorial Scholarship for contemporary dance in 2012.
Sarah Padillah
Sarah Padilla started her dance training at four years old and eventually received an artistic and academic scholarship to pursue dance at Southern Methodist University where she performed works by Adam Hougland, Joshua Peugh, and Millicent Johnnie and started developing her own choreographic voice. She graduated summa cum laude from SMU with a BFA in dance and a minor in Religious Studies in 2014. After college she was selected for a choreographic mentorship with Doug Varone which culminated in a performance of her original work at the 92Y in NYC. Sarah has trained with The Dallas Repertoire Ballet, Joffrey, Complexions, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, and the Martha Graham School. Her performances include The Nutcracker, Kenny Loggins, the Dallas Cowboys Halftime Show, and BeautiControl. Sarah currently lives in McKinney, TX with her husband Kyle and son Kirk. She has been active in her community by choreographing several musicals for McKinney ISD schools, teaching and choreographing at various DFW studios, being a master teacher at the Southwest Committee of the Cecchetti Council of America, and volunteering for the McKinney based non-profit Embrace Texas.
Jillyn Bryant
Jillyn Bryant is a native of Dallas, Texas. Jillyn is in her third season with Bruce Wood Dance, under the direction of Joy Bollinger. Under the direction of Kathy Willsey and Megan Buckland, Jillyn began her serious dance training in 2006 at Academy of Dance Arts. As a recipient of the New York City Dance Alliance college scholarship fund, Jillyn attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. During her time there, she performed works by George Balanchine, Lar Lubovitch, Ohad Naharin, Christopher Huggins, Garfield Lemonius and Jessica Hendricks. She extended her studies with summers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory, New Dialect and The Juilliard School. Bryant graduated in April of 2016 from Point Park University with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in Business Management.
Brian Stevens
Brian Stevens grew up in the Dallas Fort Worth area where he received his training from top instructors including Justin Giles and Dana Bailey. He furthered his education on scholarship at the Broadway Dance Center in NYC and The Edge Performing Arts Center in LA. Throughout his training Brian assisted for Tremaine and Dupree Dance Conventions across the country. Assisting faculty members of these nationally recognized dance conventions allowed Brian to have a hands on experience in teaching other dancers movement and technique. The assistant opportunity also helped him to further create his unique choreography style in contemporary and jazz.
Brian is currently the Artistic Director of Wanderlust Dance Project, named as one of "Theater Jones Top Ten Dance Performances of 2016”. Wanderlust Dance Project is "the first and only Non-Profit 501(c)(3) of it's kind, where pre-professionals learn and rehearse from some of the dance industry’s top choreographers, while dancing alongside working professional dancers". Brian is also the Artistic Director of KJ Dance’s pre-professional dance company, Pulse. Under his direction the company has been nationally recognized as New York City Dance Alliance’s Outstanding Studio. His choreography for large and small groups, solos, duets, and trios have won multiple high scores in the country. Under his mentorship Brian has had individual nationally recognized dancers as well. Brian tours the country with the Dupree Dance Convention faculty as a choreographer and instructor. He is the founder and designer of the internationally recognized costume company, Artistic Dance Designs, which launched in 2013. Brian teaches and mentors The Joffrey year round trainee program in Frisco, TX. He teaches at a number of dance intensives and workshops including the North Texas Summer Dance Intensive, Dallas Repertoire Ballet Intensive, Dancers Give Back Dallas and Dallas DanceFest. He travels teaching Master classes and setting choreography at studios, schools and professional companies across the country.
Joy Bollinger
Joy Bollinger brings much expertise to her role as artistic director. Bollinger has been affiliated with Bruce Wood Dance in varying capacities for more than 16 years. From 2014 to 2018, Bollinger served as rehearsal director and répétiteur under the direction of BWD artistic director Kimi Nikaidoh. Bollinger was in charge of restaging works from Wood’s renowned repertoire. As a veteran dancer of the Fort Worth-based Bruce Wood Dance Company from 2002 to 2007, and a founding member of BWD in 2010, Bollinger has performed in more than 50 of Wood’s works.
She is also a distinguished choreographer and has created two critically acclaimed works for BWD: Carved In Stone, which premiered in June 2016, and Hillside in November 2017. Both works received rave reviews and were on the annual Top Ten Lists for the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Carved In Stonewas called the “single best dance in 2016 . . . deeply emotional and striking in its stillness” by Mark Lowry of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram and “a dance for the ages” by Margaret Putnam of TheaterJones.com. “Hillside goes for broke, swirling with the same kind of physical and emotional power that marked her stunning debut as a professional dance maker,” acclaimed Manny Mendoza of The Dallas Morning News. Bollinger has been commissioned by Texas Christian University for the 2017 TCU Spring Dance Concert and recently by Dallas Black Dance Theatre for the 2018 Director’s Choiceproduction at the Wyly Theatre.
Bollinger is from Aledo, Texas. She began her dance training at Fort Worth School of Ballet under the direction of Victoria Fedine and Paul Mejia. Bollinger graduated from Texas Christian University with a BFA in ballet. She was a guest artist from 2002 to 2007 with Irving Ballet, Metropolitan Classical Ballet, Madison Ballet, and Ballet Concerto.
Bollinger co-directed the Arlington Heights High School Dance Department from 2007 to 2013. She has also taught and choreographed for Dian West Dance Studio, Ballet Center of Fort Worth, The Epicenter for the Arts, and Trinity Christian Academy.
Mykal Stromile
A native of Dallas, Texas, My’kal Stromile, is a 2014 Presidential Scholar in the Arts award winner. Mykal, is in his first season with Boston Ballet 2. Well versed in ballet and modern dance techniques, My’kal has performed works by Robert Battle, Dwight Rhoden, Takehiro Ueyama, Bruce Wood, Nycole Ray, Jerome Robbins, Jessica Lang, Aszure Barton, Pam Tanowitz and Christopher Huggins among others. My’kal performed in the TITAS Command Performance Gala, where principle ballet dancers from across the country were asked to perform new and existing pas de deux repertoire. In previous years, he was accepted to summer programs at Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre, Ballet Chicago, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Academy of Texas, and Cedar Lake Ballet. Also an active choreographer, My’kal's work has been performed at the Dallas City Performance Hall for Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Booker T Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and HappyNia Dance Theatre. A graduate of Booker T Washington HSPVA, My' kal began training at the age of 8 under Dereque Whiturs, former principle dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
Lily Weiss
Lily Weiss is the Executive Director for the Dallas Arts District and most recently served asthe Artistic Director for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts (BTWHSPVA), 2nd Artistic Director since Paul Baker, founder of the school. She served asChair of the Dance Department that now serves as a national model; she holds advanceddegrees from Texas Woman’s University, has taught on the dance faculties at SouthernMethodist University and Houston’s HSPVA, and joined the faculty at BTWHSPVA in 1978.Her dance credits include John Mead and Dancers in New York and Japan, the TexasChoreographers Award from the Texas Commission on the Arts, guest choreographer inthe Dance Education Department-New York University, Dallas Black Dance Theatre,among others. Much of her work was instrumental in BTWHSPVA’s distinction as the Top 8Magnet Schools by the U.S. Department of Education and the prestigious Texas Medal ofArt award. Additional awards include the National Young Arts Foundation DistinguishedTeacher, Distinguished Teacher by the Commission on Presidential Scholars twelvedifferent years, SURDNA Arts Fellowship, Bates Dance Festival Teacher Fellowship,features in two articles in Dance Teacher magazine (2007,2009) for her work atBTWHSPVA, and features in the December 2018 issue of Arts + Culture Texas, and in Patronand D Magazine in 2016, among others. Her commitment to the arts in Dallas is reflected byserving on the Cultural Steering Committee for the City’s Cultural Plan, VisitDallas’ CulturalTourism Committee, and a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network and has workedtirelessly over the past four decades to further the arts and education in the community. Hergoals to create access and connectivity in the Dallas Arts District are demonstrated by hercollaborative work on the CONNECT Master Plan, producing the Signature Block Party Series--a free, family-friendly event attracting over 40,000 visitors along with smaller activationsthroughout the year, and providing education outreach to 1,000+ students annually.
Kevin Pajarillaga (Co-founder & Faculty)
Kevin Pajarillaga is a Filipino American, born and raised in Silver Spring, MD. Pajarillaga trained at Citydance Conservatory, Point Park University and Springboard Danse Montréal. Professionally he has worked with companies including NW Dance Project, Yin Yue’s YY Dance Company, Sonya Tayeh Dance, Bruce Wood Dance, PRIOREDANCE, and I.C movement project. He has guest performed with Parsons Dance Company, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and originated roles with choreographers Felix Landerer, Ihsan Rustem, Yin Yue, Patrick Delcroix, Andrea Pena, Sarah Slipper, Maleek Washington, and more.
Pajarillaga Co-Founded Moving Forward Dallas, a non-profit dedicated to nurturing the thriving young artists in Dallas. He has appeared in GAP’s 2018 spring campaign “Experiment in Color” and in Apolla Performance Shocks’ campaign in 2017. He is the movement coach and choreographer for artist “BIG WILD”, Jackson. He has choreographed for NW Dance Project’s “In Good Company”, The Juilliard School’s senior showcase, the DREAMscape Gala, Booker T. Washington Ensemble, and Wanderlust dance project. Pajarillaga is the recipient of the “All County Performing Arts Awards” by the MCPS Arts Superintendent and the “All States Dance Award” at the Goucher College Dance Festival in 2011 and 2012.
Bombshell Dance Project
Created in 2016, Bombshell Dance Project is a contemporary dance company founded by Emily Bernet and Taylor Rodman in their hometown of Dallas, TX. Since its creation, Bombshell dance project has been presented bye and al Dallas Arts District, Barnstorm Dance festival, Dance Gallery festival, and Austin Dance Festival. They have also been commissioned for Ballet Dallas, The Boston Conservatory, Booker T Washington HSPVA, Dallas Youth Repertory, and Wanderlust Dance Project.
Guest Artists
Sidra Bell
SIDRA BELL is currently a Master Lecturer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, an Adjunct Professor at Ball State University in Indiana, was artist in residence at Harvard University, was an Adjunct Professor at Georgian Court University and was an Adjunct Professor at Barnard College in New York City. She has a BA in History from Yale University and an MFA in Choreography from Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. She was a University of Minnesota Theater Arts & Dance Cowles Visiting Artist and an artist in residence at Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle).
Bell has won several awards, notably a 1st Prize for Choreography at the Solo Tanz Theater Festival in Stuttgart, Germany in 2011 for Grief Point. and a 2015 National Dance Project Production Award from the New England Foundation for the Arts. Additionally, NEFA awarded the company a Production Residency for Dance. The collaborating soloists on works she created also won performance awards for two different solos at the Stuttgart Solo Tanz Theater Festival (1st and 2nd Prizes respectively). The company was one of 25 recipients of the Dance Advancement Fund from Dance/NYC in 2017. Her work has been seen throughout the United States and in Denmark, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovenia, Sweden, Germany, China, Canada, Aruba, Korea, Brazil, and Greece. The company was lauded as #1 in Contemporary Dance by the Pittsburgh Examiner in 2014 for garment, in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's 2010 Best in Dance for ReVUE, and in the 2012 Year in Review in ArtsATL's notable performances for Nudity. February 3 was named SIDRA BELL DAY by Mayor Thomas Roach in the City of White Plains, NY.
Bell has received many commissions from institutions and companies internationally and created over 100 new works notably for BODYTRAFFIC, Ailey II, The Juilliard School, Harvard University, Boston Conservatory, River North Dance Chicago, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Sacramento Ballet, Ballet Austin, Alonzo King's LINES Ballet School, LEVYdance, Robert Moses' KIN, METdance, University of Minnesota, Point Park University, Visceral Dance Chicago, Springboard Danse Montréal, Uppercut Dansteater (Denmark), and Motto Dans Kolectif (Turkey) to name a few. Bell was a cultural ambassador in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2014 and 2015 (made possible by Movement Research, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and Derida Dance Center). In 2015 she collaborated with the internationally acclaimed women's chorus Karmina Slovenica in Slovenia.
In 2012, Bell was commissioned as the choreographer for the feature film TEST set in San Francisco during the height of the AIDS crisis in 1985 written/directed by Chris Mason Johnson (Frankfurt Ballet/White Oak Project). TEST was awarded two grand jury prizes from Outfest.The film had many screenings at festivals worldwide, including The Seattle Film Festival, Frameline37 (San Francisco), Outfest (L.A.), Berlinale, and New York City Lincoln Center's NewFest Festival. The movie is enjoying a theatrical release and was a New York Times Critic's Pick. It is currently available on VOD, iTunes and Netflix. Other commercial work includes casting and event coordination for MTV, Revlon, BookAFlashMob, Interview Magazine with photographer Billy Kidd and stylist Katie Burnett, NOWNESS with director Jovan Todorovic & all:expanded, Daisies Art Fair with director Sandra Winther & all:expanded, fashion photographer Lloyd Stevie & stylist Alison Mazur, and New York Times' T Magazine (New York Times' Style Magazine).
Bell is a sought after master teacher and her alternative pedagogy, Contemporary Systems-an interior & material approach was featured in Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine and Dance Studio Life Magazine. She has taught her unique creative practice at major institutions for dance and theater throughout Canada, Europe, South America, and the United States. She was one of the inaugural choreographers at University of North Carolina School of the Arts Professional Studies Program and a founding collaborator of the Movement Invention Project. She was also the inaugural teaching artist at University of the Arts Sophomore Coaching Performance progress where she has led a teaching team under her pedagogical methods since 2012. The company was an inaugural collaborative partner of Ball State University's charter program Innovation2Impact made possible by the Provost Office and an Immersive Learning Grant. I2I was a three phase program bringing BSU students to NYC and the company to Indiana for an immersive learning experience. In addition to extensive master classes at institutions for dance and theater Bell's workshops have been presented internationally by STEPS NYC Contemporary Masters, SpringboardX, University of North Carolina School of the Arts Professional Studies Program, Movement Invention Project, Broadway Dance Center, Danskappellet Copenhagen Denmark, Gibney Dance Center, Peridance Capezio Center, The Ailey School, Mark Morris Dance Center, Velocity Dance Center Seattle, Visceral Dance Chicago, International Festival of Goainia Brazil, Derida Dance Center Bulgaria, Motto Dans Kolectif Istanbul, Alonzo King LINES Ballet Dance Center, ODC School San Francisco, YoungARTS Miami, Harvard Dance Center, Yale University, Dancing Grounds New Orleans, MODAS Alberquerque, Karmina Slovenica Slovenia, MOVE NYC to name a few. She is the Creative Director of the award winning MODULE a New York City based immersive laboratory for movement and theater artists.
Maleek Washington
A native New Yorker from the Bronx, Maleek Washington is a performer, choreographer, and teaching artist.
He began his dance training at Harlem School of the Arts, Broadway Dance Center, and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, and attended The Boston Conservatory on a full scholarship before beginning his professional career with CityDance Ensemble (Washington DC). While there he worked with Paul Taylor, Kate Weare, and Alex Noeral, and as a SpringBoard Danse (Montreal) participant working with Jose Navas & Rubberband. In New York City, Washington collaborated with McArthur Genius awardee, Kyle Abraham, and his company Abraham.In.Motion. Washington also was a dancer for Punch Drunk's Sleep No More. He has also performed for musical sensations, such as Sia, Phish & Rhianna for her immersive AntiDiary Campaign.
Washington's performance and commercial choreographic talent has been recognized nationally at prestigious venues such as The White House, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Jacob’s Pillow, and internationally in Australia, Jordan, Mexico, and Sweden. In addition Washington is a teaching artist at the Joffrey Ballet School, LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, Broadway Dance Center, and Brent Street in Australia.
With multidisciplinary, experiential performance works that investigate the people, practices, and spaces shaping Washington's black identity, He has presented his art in 2017 at the Boston Dance Festival, Pepatian and BAAD!, Periapsis Dance and Music Noesis, and at Judson Church in Spring 2018. Washington is also a 2017-18 Dancing While Black top 10 choreographic finalists. Alongside his creative work, Washington has entered his second season with Camille A. Brown & Dancers in collaboration for her work “Ink” that premiered at the Kennedy Center in December 2017.
Maleek was apart of the ensemble for NBC “Jesus christ Superstar” staring John Legend as Jesus. Performed at the 2018 Ted Talk Conference in Vancouver British Columbia in Camille A.Browns m “New Second Line”. Performed with ASAP Rocky “Testing” Album release installation at Sotheby’s NYC.
Christie Lou Partelow
Christie Partelow, born and raised in New York, is currently an artist with Netherlands Dans Theatre. With NDT she has performed ‘The Hole’ by Ohad Naharin, ‘Walk the Demon’ by Marco Goecke, ‘Proof’ with Edward Clug, and performed works by Lightfoot Leon. Previously, Christie was working with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal, Quebec under the direction of Gradimir Pankov, where she performed as Juliette in Jean Christophe Maillot’s ‘Romeo and Juliette’, Lena in Christian Spuck's 'Leonce & Lena', Ohad Naharin's 'Minus One' and 'Danse', Mats Ek's 'Sleeping Beauty', Jiri Kylian’s ‘Falling Angels’ and ‘Kaguyahime’, as well as the creations of Stephan Thoss’ ‘Reve’, ‘Death and the Maiden’, and ‘Searching for Home’, Stijn Cellis' 'Transfigured Night' and 'Orpheus'. Prior to Les Grands Ballets, she toured internationally with ‘West Side Story’ the musical in the role of Anybodys, during which she also instructed the company’s ballet classes. Christie began her career creating and performing with Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson in NYC for 5 years, and, prior to that, as an apprentice for North Carolina Dance Theatre under Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride where she performed various works by George Balanchine, a highlight being ‘Rubies’ with the company.
Christie’s training ranges from The School at Step on Broadway, Boston Ballet School, The French Academie of Ballet, ABT summer Intensive’s, NDT summer intensive, and Springboard summer intensive where she worked on Forsythe improvisation techniques with Christopher Roman.
Ms. Partelow teaches classical ballet as well as contemporary and choreographic workshops for Nederlands Dans Theatre, past Summer Intensives with Complexions and The Funktion Dance Complex, and has been a year-round ballet faculty member for Peridance's Certificate Program, as well as a private dance instructor and substitute for all ages.
Zack Tang
Originally from Houston, Texas, Zack Tang holds a diploma from The High School for Performing and Visual Arts (07). Upon receiving his BFA from The Juilliard School, under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, Zack won the Hector Zaraspe Prize for choreography. He has worked with choreographers Victor Quijada, Peter Chu, Alexander Ekman, Stijn Celis, Larry Kegwin, Mark Morris, and Darrell Grand Moltrie, and has performed works by José Limón, Anthony Tudor, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, and Bronislava Nijinska. In 2012, Zack was listed in Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch”. Before joining RUBBERBANDance Group, he spent two years with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. Most Recently Zack has been casted in events and advertisements for Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloize, Street Parade, Aldo, and Running Leap Pictures.
Norbert De La Cruz III
Norbert De La Cruz III (he/him/his) is a Filipino-American NY & LA-based freelance dance artist and choreographer. He was born in the Philippines and raised in Los Angeles. With a BFA in Dance from Juilliard and an MFA in dance from Hollins, his choreographic and teaching career has earned him a Princess Grace Award under the choreography fellowship, a Jerome Robbins Foundation N.E.W. grant, a Winning Works recognition form the Joffrey Academy of Dance, the Youth America Grand Prix’s Outstanding Choreographer Award, a featured choreographer at New York City Ballet’s NY Choreographic Institute and was featured as Dance Magazine’s top 25 to watch.
His extensive performance career includes dancing soloist roles for the Metropolitan Opera, Aszure Barton & Artists in Germany, Balletto Teatro di Torino of Italy, Santa Clarita Ballet, Lustig Dance Theatre, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Boca Tuya, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He was the representative for Juilliard at the first annual Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala and was recently casted in the film adaptation of Tony-winning musical In The Heights. Since then, Norbert has been commissioned for new works from The Juilliard School, Hubbard Street 2, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Ballet X, Joffrey Academy of Dance, Tulsa Ballet II, Grand Rapids Ballet, and is currently developing 2 full-evening works for the Guggenheim’s Works and Process and for Seattle’s Olympic Ballet Theatre. www.NorbertDeLaCruziii.com IG: @Norbert.DeLaCruz.iii
Shadden Hashem (Emerging Choreographer 2021)
Shadden Hashem is a recent graduate from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. Prior to attending Purchase, Shadden graduated from the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas where she had the honor of being cast in the works of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Loni Landon, and Lar Lubovitch to name a few. At Purchase, Shadden has performed the works of José Limón, Ana Maria Lucaciu, Doug Varone, and more. Shadden also produces works of her own and most recently presented her senior project concert. Some of Shadden’s accomplishments include being named a Texas Young Master in 2016 as well as receiving the 2021 Outstanding Senior Award for Dance at SUNY Purchase. Shadden plans to pursue a professional career in contemporary dance as well as continue creating her own work on a larger scale. She also hopes to pursue her passion for photography and filmmaking.
Yin Yue
Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Yin Yue trained at Shanghai Dance School and earned her undergraduate degree at Shanghai Normal University. She then received her MFA at NYU Tisch University. Yin Yue was the winner of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2015 International Commissioning Project, winner of the 2015 BalletX Choreographic Fellowship, and winner of Northwest Dance Project’s 5th Annual Pretty Creatives International Choreographic Competition in 2013. Yin was commissioned by all three widely-recognized companies as well as other companies and organizations namely Limon Dance Company, Alberta Ballet in Canada, Whim W’him, Bruce Wood Dance, Boston Dance Theater, 10 Hairy Legs, New Dialect,, Balletto Teatro di Torino in Italy, Backhausdance, Tisch School of The Arts. She was also awarded First Place in Choreography at National Professional Dance Competition in Shanghai, China, 92Y Harkness Dance 2016-2017 Artist In Residence, Emerging Choreographer of 2015 at Springboard Danse Montreal, as well as a finalist at The A.W.A.R.D Show 2010! presented by New York The Joyce Theater Foundation. Her work has been recognized by organizations and festivals such as SummerStage, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Inside Out, Schrit_tmacher Festival in Aachen, Germany, Open Doors Dance Festival in Iowa City, New York International Fringe Festival, DanceNOW[NYC] at Joe's Pub, Peridance Capezio Theater, New York Live Arts, Dixon Place, La MaMa Moves International Festival and many more. Yin Yue’s repertoires have been re-staged by Rutgers University, George Mason University and dance studios such as MoveNYC, Dancewave, CityDance.Yin Yue joined the BFA dance faculty of the Peabody Conservatory as artist-in-residence for the fall 2018 semester at John Hopkins University. She is also faculty at Peridance Center in NYC.
Troy Ogilvie
Troy Ogilvie has danced for and collaborated with choreographers - Roy Assaf, Sidra Bell, Antonio Brown, Gabriel Forestieri, Itzik Galili, Shannon Gillen, Margie Gillis, Andrea Miller, Patricia Noworol, Zoe Scofield, Idan Sharabi, and Nicole Wolcott; violinist - Liv Heym; theater company - Punchdrunk (as Lady Macbeth in “Sleep No More” NYC); and directors - Sophie Bortolussi (“McKittrick Masquerade” parties), Susan Misner (“Bend,” FOSSE/VERDON), and Peter Sellars (“The Gospels According to the Other Mary,” LA Philharmonic). She has also curated, produced, and performed in solo shows 'RESET' (2011), 'PRISM' (2017 - with producer Ron Black), and ‘BITE’ (2019). Troy teaches improvisation and is on faculty at SPRINGBOARDx Skills + Process, The Joffrey Jazz & Contemporary Program, Peridance, and The Performing Arts Project. Troy’s choreography has been performed by the Joffrey Jazz & Contemporary trainees, Rivertown Dance Academy, Bare Opera ("Maria de Buenos Aires" with director Malena Dayen), and as a part of Met Live Arts ("The Ninth Hour: A Beowulf Musical" with director Kevin Newbury). She has participated in residency programs at The Marble House Project and Turkey Land Cove Foundation and was one of “Dance Magazine’s 2011 Top 25 to Watch.” Juilliard B.F.A. <http://www.troyogilvie.com/>www.troyogilvie.com <http://www.troyogilvie.com/> @troyanosaurus