Brenna Clinker is a performer and artist who has been dancing since she was eight. She primarily trained in modern and ballet under Jessica Hamblen-Klepper at Maple Valley School of Ballet. In the spring of 2022, Brenna received a Bachelor of Science in Dance from The University of Idaho where she studied with Belle Baggs, Rachel Dodson, and Melanie Meenan. Brenna has attended and performed at regional and state conferences including Idaho Dance Educational Organization and American College Dance Association Northwest regional conferences. She was awarded the Emerging Artist Award in 2021 and received the Outstanding Dance Major Award in 2022 from the dance program. Brenna plans to move to the east coast to pursue a career in dance.
Shelby Coon is a recent Contemporary Dance BFA graduate from UNCSA. This program included the opportunity to train in Countertechnique, Limón, Release, Cunningham, and West African dance. Here she had the opportunity to perform works by Ming Lung-Yang, Ashley Lindsay, Yoshito Sakuraba, and Gina Patterson. Her creativity was explored with supplemental training at the Shen Wei Dance Arts Intensive (2019) and the New Dialect Intensive (2022). Locally Shelby has performed in films and installation pieces such as the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra Valentine’s Mixtape film and the Center for Creative Economy SHINE Fundraiser. Since graduation, she is finishing a comprehensive Pilates teacher certification. She especially looks forward to furthering her production skills through interdisciplinary artistry, continuing a performance career, and utilizing her art for advocacy.
Mia Crider is a North Carolina native dancer who began dancing at the age of four. Through her training at Holly Springs High with Laurann Stauderman and Holly Springs School of Dance with Marilyn Chappell and others, Mia grew a foundation of technique and movement. Deciding to continue her dance career in higher education, Mia is currently a BFA dance major and a business minor at Montclair State University, going into her junior year. In New Jersey, Mia has performed in works choreographed by Christian Von Howard, Brandin Steffensen, Maxine Steinman, and Michelle Manzanales.
Sara Dellinger is a freelance movement artist based on the east coast. In May 2022, Sara received their BFA in Dance and Choreography as a scholarship student at Virginia Commonwealth University where they performed work by Urban Bush Women, Christopher K. Morgan, and Judith Steel in addition to numerous student works. Sara has studied under Trebien Pollard, MK Abadoo, Dr. E. Gaynell Sherrod, and Scott Putman. While on scholarship for the American Dance Festival’s 2021 season, Sara performed Shen Wei Dance Arts’ Re-(III) as well as repertoire from ARCOS Dance Company. Sara is also a somatics practitioner and received their teaching certification for Scott Putman’s Elemental Body Alignment System this year. In their creative work, Sara is currently focused on explorations of energy and vibrational frequency and how these impulses interact with the body to generate movement. This research led Sara to produce and choreograph their first movement-based installation at the Anderson Gallery in Richmond, VA, last November. Sara is looking to deepen their physical research and continue working in installation-based work while expanding their movement-community.
Erin Dutton is a dancer originally from the suburbs of Washington, DC, currently based in Richmond, VA. Erin is a student in Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Dance and Choreography department where she has studied from the likes of Scott Putman, Trebien Pollard, and MK Abadoo, among others. Most recently, Erin performed A Cloud of Probability by Scott Putman which was professionally presented at Dogtown Dance theater and The Grace Street Theater. She’s also performed in numerous student works at VCU, one of which was adjudicated to attend the American College Dance Association. Erin is interested in expanding her contemporary knowledge and exploring improvisational score making.
Faith Fidgeon is a recent graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where they have performed works by José Limón, Robert Battle, Ming-Lung Yang, Trisha Brown, and Gina Patterson. Faith has worked on performance art installations and projects such as Interstitial installations by Chris Yon and Taryn Griggs, the American Dance Festival’s 2022 Made in NC show, a Los Angeles Opera digital short, and the 2020 Winston Salem Symphony’s Valentine's Mixtape. Additionally, Faith’s recent personal creative research topics are steeped in ideas of tenderness and its relationship to time through a practice of contact improvisation with their creative partner, Kendall Ramirez.
Kate Jewett is a dancer, dance maker, director, and educator. She joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2005 and became education and rehearsal director for the company. Her work with other choreographers includes Merce Cunningham, Sean Curran, Helen Simoneau, Rashaun Mitchell/Silas Riener/Charles Atlas, Helado Negro, June Finch, and Mimi Garrard, among others. Her own works have been presented at DeSales University, the United Nations, Park Avenue Armory, SCGSAH’s Gunter Theater, Milano Teatro Scuola, Paolo Grassi, Fabbrica Europa, and Performatica festivals, as well as NYU, Forge, and Houying Dance Theater summer programs. Kate founded Moving Minds, a mind-body learning and leadership program for organizations. Moving Minds has conducted workshops throughout Japan, China, and the US and was accepted to present at SXSW EDU in 2019. She is a trauma-informed yoga teacher and social-emotional learning facilitator and is an avid mushroom forager at her leisure.
Emma Little recently graduated with a BFA in Dance from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University in Athens, OH. While in school, Emma studied under and performed in works by Lisa Moulton, Travis Gatling, Christi Camper-Moore, and Zelma Badu-Younge. Emma’s artistic interests lie in improvisational practices and the rich communicative experiences between collaborating improvisers. Their thesis research in dance explored experiences of togetherness and negotiations of power, authority, and democracy in group improvisation settings. Emma’s choreographic work has been twice adjudicated at the American College Dance Association. In 2019, they were an ATLAS Young Choreographer at ImPulsTanz-Vienna International Dance Festival. Most recently, they had the privilege of serving as rehearsal director for Brian Brooks’ guest-artist residency at Ohio University.
Yang Sun is a dancer, movement creator, and installation artist. Her interests lie in the intersection between visual and performing arts. She is the curator for Project 2020, an collaborative interactive installation at Merrill Courtyard at Amherst. As a 2021 Trinity/La MaMa alum, she has studied and performed at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York. Yang is from China and is currently a senior at Amherst College majoring in Theater and Dance and Economics. Yang has performed in multiple works choreographed by Jenna Riegle. She has also choreographed and performed a solo piece Dark Night and Wings in spring 2022.
Aya Venet is a dance artist currently studying at The Ohio State University where she is pursuing her BFA in Dance. Raised in Japan, she discovered her love for dance in forms including ballet, Kathak, jazz, and Hip hop. When attending Bates Dance Festival she was exposed to modern and contemporary dance which inspired her to further pursue contemporary styles at OSU. She has had the opportunity to study under and perform for Abby Zbikowksi, Eddie Taketa, and Momar Ndiaye. Informed by her minor in psychology, her current interest lies in the intersection between movement and therapy. She looks forward to exploring these ideas in her last year at school.
Emily Henriques was born in Hartford, CT, and grew up in Birmingham, AL. She recently graduated magna cum laude from Belhaven University in 2022 with two degrees in Dance and Psychology. At Belhaven, Emily was featured in many faculty and guest works and toured with Belhaven’s Dance Ministry Ensemble. In 2021, Emily had the pleasure of stage managing Belhaven’s fall faculty concert. Emily has also had the honor of touring various cities in Cuba, collaborating dance and production elements for a contact improvisation piece, and presenting about negative self talk in dance. Emily is thrilled to be a part of the wonderful ADF production intern team this summer.
David Ferri has worked with prominent choreographers such as Pina Bausch, Shen Wei, Doug Varone, Yin Mei, Eiko and Koma, Jane Comfort, David Rousseve, Jody Sperling, and Ballet Preljocaj. He has been the production manager for the prestigious American Dance Festival since 1996 training upcoming designers in America. Recipient of 1987-1988 "Bessie" award for his design of Doug Varone’s Straits and 2000-2001 "Bessie" award for sustained achievement in lighting design. Mr. Ferri is the resident lighting designer and technical director for the Vassar College dance department. Mr. Ferri was also resident lighting designer and technical director at PS 122 from 1985 to 1991. Mr. Ferri lives in New York between his travels and projects. He has been working with Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre since 2010.