2021 - ARTISTS | THE MOVEMENT KITCHEN

2021 ARTISTS

ABIGAIL HINSON

Born and raised in Florida, Abigail Hinson has been pursuing Dance since she was twelve. In 2017, Abigail graduated from Florida State College at Jacksonville with her Associates Degree, and a focus in Dance in part of DanceWorks, the college’s repertory company. Abigail transferred to The University of South Florida to continue her studies in Dance, receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2020. As an undergrad student, Abigail was selected to travel abroad in USF’s Dance in Paris Program, a five month intensive study in France, Germany, and the Netherlands. She was also selected to perform works by Bliss Kholmyer and Jeanne Travers at Beijing Normal University, as part of USF’s China Exchange Program. Abigail has performed works choreographed by Robert Moses, Andee Scott, Michael Foley, Bliss Kohlmyer, Charles Anderson, Jennifer Archibald, and various other artists. She has participated in several intensives and workshops including American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo Lines Discovery Project, Florida Dance Festival, Potsdamer Tanztage, Kavin Grant: The Company Experience, and American College Dance Association. Summer of 2019, Abigail spent in Berlin, Germany to travel and work as an intern with International Festival, Potsdamer Tanztage 2019. Here, she studied under several teachers in Ballet, Contemporary, and floorwork techniques. Her passion for education and people lead her to teach within the community at local studios and schools. Abigail’s primary styles of study include Modern, Contemporary, Hip-hop, and Improvisation. She currently lives in Tampa, FL where she works as a certified yoga instructor, and performs in local live, and film dance work.

ARTIST STATEMENT: For all the work I have, and will produce, I take the most pride in stating that it is composed of the essence of the people and things that surround me. I believe that we, persons, as a whole and individually, are made of influences— physical, emotional, and psychological. I am infatuated with the necessary dependencies that underlie all relationships amongst living beings. In life, and in dance, I have made it my primary focus to emphasize how people quite simply need each other. My work strives to revolve around ideas of coexistence, and how it affects the communities it creates.

ALEXANDER JONES

Alexander Jones is a graduate of the University of South Florida's Dance Department with a BFA in Dance Performance and a recent MFA graduate Hollins University. Prior to his collegiate training at USF, Jones received training from the LINES Ballet BFA Program under direction of Marina Hotchkiss. He has had the opportunity to work with Alonzo King, Bill T. Jones in Serenade/The Proposition, and Doug Varone in The Rite of Spring. He has performed in Tunisia, Africa with the University of South Florida on behalf of the American Embassy and the Tunisian Dance Federation. He had a 13 year career as a performer and equity dancer at Walt Disney World, performing in stage shows such as Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, and Dream Along with Mickey. He is an alumnus of ArchCore40 in NYC and works closely with choreographer Jennifer Archibald as her choreographer assistant in the Florida Dance Festival. In 2012, he choreographed and directed his first evening length work entitled First You, Then The Rest at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, FL. In the Spring of 2013, Jones joined Yow Dance Company and had the honor of choreographing works for the company for both Spring Into Dance and the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Later that Fall, he returned to the Studio@620 to premiere his second evening-length work, Contact. Jones participated in Project GenYes! at the Studio@620 made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation premiering his third evening-length work, Uncovered: Power of the Being at the Studio@620. In 2016, Jones became the Artistic Director of Collective Soles Dance making it his mission to connect the Tampa Bay area through collaboration. The following year Alex was one of the resident choreographers at the Florida Dance Festival where he premiered his latest work behind the Front. Jones is on faculty at the University of Tampa and Florida Southern College teaching techniques classes that help students prepare for both concert and commercial stages. Currently, Jones is the Dance Artist in Residence at the Studio@620 and founder of St. Pete based dance company, projectALCHEMY.

ALEXANDER TU NGUYEN

Director of Performing Arts of Soul Music & Performing Arts Academy

Alexander Tú is a choreographer, artist, dancer and educator with over 20 years of experience beginning with hip-hop dance and evolving to commercial street dance at industry standards. From 2004 to 2010, he was the executive director of Kaba Modern (University of California, Irvine) and of KM LEGACY (Los Angeles, California), and has been invited to perform at many prestigious venues throughout the US such as the ESPY’s awards, World of Dance and Hip-Hop International. Having completed his doctorate at Loma Linda University (California) under the Allied Health Professions, for occupational therapy, he taught hip-hop dance at Academy of Dance Studios (Tustin, California) and enjoyed working with children seeing their growth, development and understanding of movement in correlation to sound. In Vietnam, Alexander has been a judge on VTV6’s reality TV show ‘Star Academy/Học Viện Ngôi Sao’ Season 1; and together with Thanh Bui, he co-founded Dance Faculty, as part of Soul Music and Performing Arts Academy. He is also -Founder & Managing Director of The LYRICIST Dance Company with group LYRICÍST which was the first Vietnamese dance group to win Super 24 in Singapore in its history.

ANJAL CHANDE

Anjal Chande is a choreographer, composer, writer, teacher, and producer, and she founded Soham Dance Space in Chicago in 2007. A recent recipient of the Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist Award, she recently returned to the States after researching urban arts communities in Berlin, Germany, through the U.S. Fulbright Program. Chande makes dance-theater performances grounded in an improvisational practice and a foundation in the bharatanatyam art form. Her work has been presented by Sophiensaele in Berlin, the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, West Wave Festival in San Francisco, Drive East in New York, World Music Festival in Chicago, and multiple cities in India. Additionally, she’s been recognized through the Ragdale Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Illinois Arts Council.

CAITLYN ELIE

Caitlyn Elie is a graduate of The University of South Florida, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance and Choreography with a Modern Concentration in 2017. Originally from Miami, Florida she attended New World School of the Arts and furthered her training in modern dance styles such as Horton, Graham, Limon, Cunningham, and Ballet. Caitlyn performed in works by Peter London, Gerard Ebitz, Lara Murphy, Dale Andree, and Tina Santos. While she attended USF, she had the honor of presenting original choreography and performed works by Ohad Naharin, Robert Moses, Andee Scott, Erin Cardinal, Bliss Kohlmyer, and Jeanne Travers. At the age of 20, she was able to travel to Paris, France during the summer of 2016 to study abroad under the dance program at USF. While in Paris she was able to work with other well known artists/choreographers such as Julien Desplantez, Catherine Dénécy, Clint Lutes, and Kevin Quinao. July of 2017, Caitlyn had joined Collective Soles Arts Group with Artistic Director Alex Jones as an apprentice and became a company member in January 2018. With the company she performed in Orlando, the Tampa Bay Area, St. Petersburg, LA and San Diego. Currently, Caitlyn is a local dance teacher in the Tampa Bay Area and a freelance dance artist. She is a Project-based dancer with Moving Current Dance Collective and Jeanne Travers and Dancers, which are both based in Tampa, FL. She's performed in GASP Fringe Festival, IDance Orlando, NewGrounds, St. Pete Fest and in Liverpool where she was able to attend their Leap Festival in November 2018. To continue, she is focusing on developing her movement vocabulary and working towards choreographing her own works and performing. She choreographed her first solo work after graduating titled "Appear - See" and premiered it at "Talking Bodies: Choreographers Fest". As she progresses in the dance field, she hopes to attend graduate school in the near future and continue choreographing new works.

CHI NGUYEN

Chi Nguyen is a Vietnamese dance artist who spent years overseas in Germany to study dance. She has recently come back to her home country with the hope of giving inspiration for the Arts community of Vietnam.

CHRISTOPHER SCOTT CALDWELL

Christopher Scott Caldwell founder of Ovations Global Network has been an active dance artist, educator and choreographer for over two decades. His clients include Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winners, So You Think You Can Dance, Major Fitness Brands, Las Vegas Shows, internationally accredited dance pioneers, and Ted X Speakers, just to name a few.

Christopher is a certified practitioner of the Simonson method of teacher training specializing in jazz, modern, and contemporary. He is also board-certified in 12 dances via Fred Astaire International. You can find his self created Hip Hop Cardio workout, newly partnered by WONDERCISE available worldwide on their app. His choreography has showcased across the US, Japan, Jamaica, and on major TV networks. He has worked with dance and entertainment royalty including: Bill T Jones, Lynn Simonson, Mia Michael’s, Viktor Manoel, Tyrone “The Bone” Proctor, The Whispers, The Ojay’s and more.

Christopher is the founder of Florida's first and only international gay urban dance festival What The Punk Fest and its year-round LGBTQ+ Safe Space Initiatives. His nonprofit is also responsible for the South Florida Dance and Drum Folklore Series so far offering FREE attendance options for workshops led by dance and drum masters of Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Abidjan, Haiti, and Cuba.

As a guest artist Christopher has been invited to many dance institutions including Florida Atlantic University, Shenandoah University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Patel Conservatory, Indian River State College, Saint Andrews School and The Pulse On Tour. Christopher is also a performance coach for DMS Entertainment International working with emerging pop artists signed to their label.
Most recently, Christopher announced the formation of his dance company House Of Ovations. His official space to entertain, explore, educate, and evoke. Be sure to tune in for his performances and weekly classes virtually and in person.

CINDY HENNESSY

Cindy Hennessy swam, walked, and then danced, in that order. She is one of the 1997 founders of Moving Current Dance Collective, which to date has, produced over 75 concerts, presenting local and national choreographers, dancers, musicians, poets, actors, and visual artists. Annually with Moving Current she choreographs and oversees residencies. Her dances have been seen regularly throughout Florida, as a part of the Visions of Peace Project in Paris, France, and in Lisbon Portugal. Cindy earned a BFA in Dance at FSU and the last 14 years has focused on teaching Skinner Releasing Technique and improvisation, earning her Skinner Releasing Teacher Certification. Honors include: Hillsborough County Individual Artist Grant, State Artist Fellowship and Tampa Bay Treasured Artist of the Year. Her greatest award has been the privilege of working with many dedicated teachers, students, professional dancers and artists, who have given many hours of their talent to her creative endeavors.

CRYSTAL DELGIUDICE-WILLIAMS

Crystal Delgiudice-Williams spent 10 years as a competitive gymnast. She later went on to receive her BFA in Dance performance from the University of South Florida. During her studies, she performed works by choreographers such as, Doug Varone, Jenifer Salk, Maurice Causey, Colleen Thomas, Andrew Carrol, and Andy Scott. In addition, Crystal has performed and studied abroad in the Dance in Paris Program. She was selected to perform in the International Creative Dance Seminar held in Beijing, China. Crystal has danced professionally with companies such as, Staib Dance, Moving Current Dance Collective, and Rogue Dance. She has also performed works by noted choreographers Adele Myers, Doug Gillespie, Bliss Kohlmyer, Jeanne Travers, Kristin O’Neal, Lauren Slone, Paula Kramer, Kyle & Gina Bolas, Victoria Marks, and Loren Davidson. Crystal has taught master classes throughout Florida at Sarasota Contemporary Dance, St. Petersburg College, South Florida Dance Company, and Tree CoLab. She has also taught a master class and performed internationally at the Soul Music & Performance Arts Academy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Crystal has worked as guest choreographer for places such as, St. Petersburg College, Sarasota Contemporary summer intensive program and Sarasota Dance Contemporary. Most recently, she coproduced and performed solo work to promote artists in all fields in the Agape Project in Stuart, FL. Crystal continues to build her repertoire of work as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and advocate for all art forms.

DONNELL WILLIAMS

Donnell Williams is a compositional improviser inspired by curiosity, human interaction, and the world above him. He has long been interested in creating work in stilettos, exploring sexuality and spectrums of masculinity. He presented and was the closing performer at the International Federation of Theatre Research’s Re-Routing Performance” conference in Barcelona on the work of his queer dance trio, DoubleDJ, which garnered praise and feedback from global thinkers and practitioners in performance. Alongside this work, Donnell spends summers diving deeply at the Movement Intensive for Compositional Improvisation, where he leans into influential disparate disciplines. He utilized these tools internationally while immersed in Cape Town’s contact improvisation community under Danish dancetheatre maker and improviser, Jori Snell, during a year in South Africa. Donnell is an inaugural member of Goldmine Queer Artist Collective and a founding member of STaD.

ERIN KILMURRAY

Kilmurray is a dance artist, space-maker and performance producer building genre-straddling works challenging conventions of gender, agency, and spectatorship that enlivens the body and environment.

Erin is currently a Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist (2020), listed on Newcity Magazine’s 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago (2020), and has been supported through Chicago Dancemakers Forum’s Greenhouse Grant (2018) and 3Arts Make-A-Wave + 3AP Award (2018).

She is best known for The Fly Honey Show—a decade-long performance project whose mission is to elevate women + queer individuals through a movement culture of burlesque and variety as embodied liberation, acknowledged as a Chicago institution by the Chicago Reader in 2018.

Born from athletics, DIY sensibilities, spectacle, music videos, and dance teams, Kilmurray crafts fierce energy and vivid imagery using contemporary dance forms, social practices, theater and a longstanding relationship with nightlife culture.

Her independent projects have gathered a multitude of artists and their audiences, building long-lasting cross-genre collaborations inside social, dance-forward work. Resonating in a number of spaces, her work has been presented in Chicago performance spaces + collectives Links Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Dance Center of Columbia College, Pivot Arts Festival, The Cambrian’s, The Inconvenience, among others; music venues + nightclubs Thalia Hall, Empty Bottle, Logan Square Auditorium, Metro, Berlin Nightclub, Beauty Bar Chicago; film festivals including In/Motion Film Festival, Flatlands Film Festival, Jacksonville Dance Film Festival, and toured her work SEARCH PARTY in cultural- exchange to dancebox-Kobe in Japan (2019). She has choreographed for countless underground spaces, independent makers, parties, concerts, and musical artists, as well as equity theatrical productions with Court Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Kilmurray has attended residency through a Co-Mission Residency, High Concept Labs, University of Chicago Performance Lab, and approached her regular performances at Salonathon as a research tool for her ongoing projects.

She teaches extensively with Lucky Plush Productions and The Cambrian’s, held guest artist positions through the Theater and Performance Studies department (University of Chicago), Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, Loyola University, Beloit College, Columbia College Chicago, and Ball State, and creates a space for Chicago freelance dancer and teachers through her pick up class series, CONTEMPORARY FORMS dancing class.

FELICIA HOLMAN

Felicia Holman, Independent Cultural Producer / Facilitator

2020-2022 Threewalls RaDLOW fellow Felicia Holman is a native Chicagoan, independent cultural producer/facilitator, and a co-founder of Afrodiasporic feminist creative collective Honey Pot Performance. She is also a 2020-2021 Buddy Research and Performance resident artist and a member of the Co-Prosperity Programming Committee (CoPro ProCo).

Felicia's creative/ professional and social practices are firmly grounded in critical thought, intersectionality, community building and embodied storytelling. Her recent projects include commissioned performances for Illinois Humanities and the 5th annual Instigation Festival, as well as written contributions at See Chicago Dance, Performance Response Journal, 6018North, and The Quarantine Times (published by the Public Media Institute).

Felicia relishes her artrepreneurial life and sums it up in 3 words---"Creator, Connector, Conduit".

HALEEM 'STRINGZ' RASUL

Haleem "Stringz" Rasul has taught dance workshops and presented choreography at Columbia College Chicago, Eastern Michigan University, Oakland Community College, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, California State University, and has also given international workshops in parts of China, Sweden, Windsor and Quebec.

In 2015, the Zimbabwe Cultural Center in Detroit (ZCCD), a collaboration with the Jibilika Dance Trust, sponsored a dance residency in Harare, Zimbabwe, where Haleem conducted research and interviews and led workshops in Mutare and other various towns. In 2016 Haleem attended the Next Level Hip Hop Diplomacy program in Indonesia that promoted cultural exchange and mutual understanding as well as a dance residency in Kurdistan through Yes Academy and American Voices.

Haleem was awarded the Kresge Artist Fellowship in 2010 and was a recipient of the Knights Arts Challenge grant in 2013. In 2018, Haleem served as a King • Chavez • Parks Visiting Professor at The University of Michigan and was presented with The Copperfoot Award for choreography from Wayne State University in 2019.

ILSE ZOERB

Ilse Zoerb arrived in Ho Chi Minh in 2017 by way of Philadelphia USA where she freelanced as a performer, writer, and producer. She is a product of that vibrant arts scene having trained with Headlong Dance Theatre and the Pig Iron School of Advanced Performance Training. Her work up til now has been steeped in an ensemble based, physical theatre pedagogy where collaborators create original works from scratch. She has participated in fifteen original works ranging from 20 person ensemble extravaganzas to solo pieces performed in her friend's closet. This is her first time working with a script in five years. Performance is a way for her to attempt to authentically connect to others.With over ten years of experience as a performer in the US her focus shifted to teaching acting, movement, and voice. She's had the privilege to teach at The Movement Kitchen, Cái Tô Nhỏ, Wintercearig, Dragonfly Education, and ACT Academy.

JEANNE TRAVERS

Jeanne Travers is a Professor within the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of South Florida where she teaches Contemporary Modern Dance, Choreography, and other dance related courses. She received her BA in Dance from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA from the University of Utah where she graduated with honors. Her choreography has been presented in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. She has also been a guest teacher in Australia, Bolivia, China, Ecuador, England, France, Italy, Germany, Korea, Trinidad, Tunisia, and Vietnam. Jeanne is also the Co-founder/Coordinator of the USF/China Dance Exchange Program between USF and Beijing Normal University in China. Her choreography, Visions of Peace was presented at the Theatre Dejazet in Paris, France under the high patronage of the Mayor of Paris. Additionally, her choreography has been presented at the at the International Fragmentos de Juno Festival in Ecuador, the International Celebrazione Festival in Italy, the Ties of Friendship International Dance Festival in La Paz, Bolivia, at the International Creative Dance Festival in Beijing, China, at the Yongin Poeun Art Hall in Seoul, Korea, at the International Choreographer’s Collective Festival in Trinidad, at the prestigious International El Djem Festival in Tunisia, at the International Edinburg Fringe Festival in Scotland, and at the Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange Seminar in Vietnam. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants including the USF Kosove Outstanding Teaching and Service Award, the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, The USF Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the USF TIP Award for Outstanding Teaching, a USF Woman in Leadership and Philanthropy Research Award, a USF Diversity award, numerous USF Sponsored Research Grants, Cultural Grants through Embassies, Outstanding Choreographic Grants through the State of Florida and International Cultural Grants. Jeanne Travers is also the Co-founder of Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

JENNIFER AKALINA PETUCH

Jennifer A. Petuch is currently Adjunct Faculty and Staff at Florida State University's School of Dance. Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, she trained for fourteen years at the Academy of Ballet Florida and performed in professional ballets with the Company of Ballet Florida in pieces such as Marie Hale’s "The Nutcracker", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Sleeping Beauty". She graduated magna cum laudé from the University of South Florida achieving a Bachelor’s in Dance Studies. At USF, she danced in several notable pieces including Gretchen Warren’s, "Les Sylphides" and Doug Varone’s, "Sacre du Printemps". Jennie participated in the USF Dance in Paris Program in the summer of 2010 working with well-known choreographers, Claudia Lavista and Michael Foley.
After graduating, she taught at three dance studios in the Tampa Bay area as well as performing and choreographing with Shoes at the Door Dance Company.
Petuch graduated summa cum laudé from Florida State University’s School of Dance Program with her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance with a focus in Dance Technology in 2017. While attending FSU, she performed in multiple pieces such as Tim Glenn’s, "RIDE", Joséphine Garibaldi’s, "Land of the Pick and Choose", and a Tedx Talk in Spring of 2015. She also became certified by Balanced Body, Inc. as a Pilates Mat instructor in 2017. Her MFA thesis resulted in a two-year collaboration with the FSU Computer Science faculty and students creating an original interactive motion-tracking software for the stage called "ViFlow". She creates screendances, projections, and uses new technology to enhance the performance experience. Her life-long mission as a performing artist and choreographer is to create work that resonates with the audience members. Her goal is for them to walk out of the theater thinking back on their experience feeling stimulated and inspired.

http://www.japetuch.com/recent-projects

http://www.japetuch.com/viflow

http://www.japetuch.com/dance-films

J'SUN HOWARD

J’Sun Howard (he/him) is a recipient of a 2020 National Performance Network Creation Fund Award, a 3Arts Award, and an inaugural City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events’ Esteemed Artist Award. His works have been presented at Links Hall, Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Defibrillator Performance Gallery, Patrick’s Cabaret (Minneapolis, MN), Danspace Project (NYC), Center for Performance Research (NYC), Detroit Dance City Festival (Detroit, MI), New Dance Festival (Daejeon, South Korea) where he won Best Dance Choreographer and the World Dance Alliance’s International Young Choreographers’ Project (Kaohsiung,Taiwan), among others. He has been commissioned by Northwestern University, Columbia College Chicago, World Dance Alliance, and The Art Institute of Chicago.

LINH AN

Linh An - a Theatre Jazz dance artist, Hanoi born, New York trained. Linh first fell in love with dance when she moved to London and was trained in contemporary jazz at Holland Park School ( from 2010-2012) where she was involved in various dance students' performance projects with the English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall and Shanghai World Expo (China). Nevertheless, she found her true color in dance when she visited New York in the summer 2017, and met Broadway for the first time. Inspired by the theatrical dance style of musicals and shows such as: Chicago, the Rockettes, Hamilton, Bandstand, Linh started to explore this style of dancing and was first introduced to a branch called "Theatre Jazz Dance". This is when she made a plan to move to NYC for musical-theatre dance training once completing university in Vietnam.

In 2019, Linh completed her one-year intensive dance training course at the Broadway Dance Center in NYC, (concentrating in Theatre Jazz and minoring in Tap), under the guidance of Broadway professionals: Chet Walker, Diane Laurenson, James Kinney, Karla Garcia, Jill Kenney, Michael Mindlin, etc. After her musical adventure in NYC, Linh and her friend - an American actor - Johnson Brock decided to travel to Vietnam in the summer of 2019 to hold a musical theatre dance workshop series called “A Broadway jazz dance experience in Vietnam”, with the participation of over 100 dance lovers in Hanoi. Hoping to continue building a community of musical-theatre dance enthusiasts in Vietnam, Linh and Johnson founded Theatre Dance Vietnam - a dance forum which aims to spread Theatre Jazz art form in Vietnam via workshops, dance performance , and film production.

Theatre Dance Vietnam’s most recent theatrical project with The Tank Theatre in NYC is the virtual dance show called “Dancing Through”, where Broadway meets Vietnam during a global pandemic. The performance explores the last century of theater dance and its prevalence beyond Broadway. "Dancing through…" involved over 70 dance artists, choreographers from Hanoi to Broadway (Hamilton, Newsies, Moulin Rouge, etc.).

(Directed by Elizabeth Troxler; associate director, Logan Pitts. Choreographed by Richard Stafford, Ryan VanDenBoom, Michael Mindlin, Kristyn Pope, Danielle Diniz, Andrea Brodine, Jill Kenney, and James Alonzo White. Filmed under COVID safety guidelines by Tim Fuchs Productions at The Tank, with lighting design by American Ballet Theatre's Brad Fields and Stephen Weeks. "DANCING THROUGH..." premiered virtually October 30th, 2020 at 8pm EST. )

LISA ROLL

Lisa Roll LPC, BC-DMT a board-certified dance/movement therapist in Bartlesville, OK will introduce Dance/Movement Therapy as an embodied experience which helps clients learn how to mobilize, to stand one’s ground, and to reach out making connections and finding safety in the greater world. She will apply the themes of grounding and resilience and give examples of her clinical work transforming anxiety and depression into hopefulness and action.

LO MIEN HOANG aka SHIEN

MARCEIA L. SCRUGGS

Marceia L. Scruggs | Marceia L. Scruggs is a dancemaker, creator, and collaborator. She is a 2019 Links Hall Co-Mission artist and 2019 Chicago Dancemakers Forum (CDF) Greenhouse recipient. As a creative, Marceia values writing, performance, and storytelling highly driven by her inquiry in womxn’s/gender studies and rooted in high energy movement practice. Her work has been presented at RAD Fest (Kalamazoo, MI), Old Town School of Folk Music, La Femme Dance Festival, Links Hall (Chicago), Black Coffee & Raw Sugar Series, and The Edge Theatre (Chicago). Additionally, this is Marceia's fourth season as a company member with Red Clay Dance Company.

MARY MAR

Mary Mar aka BGIRL MAMA is part of Hardcore Detroit & Venus Fly dance crews and the dance duo Mama2. Mary started her journey in the Hip Hop culture when she started breakin’ aka breakdancing in 2001. Since then, she has performed, judged, and competed throughout the United States and Canada. Mary runs a performing arts studio just north of Detroit, MI and hosts a free open session practice spot in Detroit empowering youth and adults of all ages through hip hop dance and culture. In 2016, Mary was selected to be part of the Caravanserai: American Voices Tour in which Muslim American artists shared their cross-cultural stories in unique, contemporary expressions. Mary introduced her solo project, Escape From the Killing Fields. Her solo project is an emotionally driven, theatrical dance piece motivated by her family’s journey to the United States in which they escaped the Khmer Rouge and the war in Cambodia. The music used is a mix from The Killing Fields soundtrack composed by Mike Oldfield released in 1984 and Sni Bong by Dengue Fever. Mary is also a competitive b-girl and won several competitions including 2011 Breakin’ the Law in Madison, Wisconsin; 2011 Grand Rapid’s Slam N Jam; the 2014 Detroit’s Quality All Styles Dance Competition; the 2016 On the Rocks battle. As she continues her journey with Hip Hop and dance, she never loses sight of who she is: a Cambodian Muslimah B-Girl.

MINH BUI

Minh Bui, a Fulbright Alumni at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, 2015 and a member of America Dance Therapy Association. Minh now pioneers integrating dance/movement therapy and creative education for personal development in Vietnam. She is working as an independent dance/movement therapist with populations from diverse backgrounds including ethnic minorities, children with autism and multi disabilities, LGBT, seniors with dementia, victims of domestic violence, and veterans in both Vietnam and America. Minh has been directing some projects to apply dance/movement therapy in special education and dance/movement therapy for Vietnamese-American veterans under the small grants of the US embassy in Hanoi. She and her Vietnam Dance/movement therapy group currently lead a series of online workshops and courses on authentic movement, Laban, and DMT introduction.

MOON

Moon is a member of Saigon based dance company The LYRICIST. This is her 3rd year joining Holding Common Ground: Pathways to Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

NGO THANH PHUONG

Director/choreographer/dancer

Graduated in 2008 from the Folkwang Hochschule (Folkwang University) in Essen, Germany. Phuong came home to Vietnam and worked with Ea Sola Dance Company. After that, worked at the acclaimed Arabesque Dance Company as one of the key choreographer. At the same time, she has collaborated with many different artists from different disciplines, made many different experimental works and founded the Open Stage Project.

In 2012, Phuong received the Best Choreography Award at the International Modern Dance competition in Korea, and a grant from the Danish Cultural Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF) for her experimental work ‘Erasable’ at the same year. In 2013, she got 3 months grant for residency 2014 from Cleveland Foundation in Ohio, USA. In 2015, cooperated with ‘A O Show’ creators and participated in the choreography of ‘The Mist’ from the early days, Phuong has bonded and shared visions with Lune Production’s artistic board members. She now played central role as choreographer for Teh Dar show, the latest cultural new circus spectacle from Lune Production. At the same year, she got 6 months fellowship for residency 2016 from Asian Cultural Council in New York, International Choreographer Residency from American Dance Festival in North Carolina, and the residency collaborate with composer program in Pocantico Center , USA. Since 2017, she started to focus on the relationship between native culture and contemporary culture, a bridge between traditional mind and contemporary life. So she starts to research and work
with the natives from Tay Nguyen highlands with “Thoai” and Champa with “Palao”. At the moment she’s focusing on building the contemporary dance community in Hoi An with “X project” and Through the door then” organized by MORUA Arts Project based in Hoi An.