HOT! Artists

Amiti Perry, |Artistic Director/choreographer| a native Texan received her BA in Dance from the University of North Texas. She has produced, choreographed and performed original works consistently since 1998. She co-founded DIP|dance in person with collaborator Coco Loupe, performed as a guest artist with Rachel Lampert and Dancers and for four years she performed, taught, assisted and designed nationally and internationally with Skip Costa/CORE movement Project-NYC. Amiti took a three-year hiatus from NYC during which she received her MFA in Choreography from the Department of Dance at The Ohio State University. At OSU she studied under and was mentored by Bebe Miller and Dave Covey. She performed works by Miller and worked extensively with CoCo Loupe, Michael Estanich, Blake Beckham, Esther m Palmer, and composer David Mourneau. Since her return to New York, she has been creating and presenting new works with her company, æmp:dance, as well as performing with ellen stokes shadle/DANCEWORKS and seenperformance.

Amiti is presenting A/Break:2, a new work in collaboration with composer David Morneau.

Adriana Durant is a choreographer, performer, and teacher. She has an MFA in dance from The Ohio State University and a BFA in performance from Emerson College in Boston. In the nine years between degrees, Adriana was in Chicago teaching, making, and producing dance. She has performed professionally as an improvisational dance artist, dancer for numerous independent choreographers, and as a member of Mordine and Company Dance Theatre. She has also performed in works by Bebe Miller, Amy Raymond, HiJack Dance Company, Peter Schmitz, Peter DiMuro, and Compagnie Felix Ruckert. Adriana’s choreography has been performed in New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago, where she was part of the pilot Artist-In-Residence program at Links Hall. Adriana is currently on the faculty of Ohio University teaching ballet, modern, and composition.

ellen stokes shadle/DanceWorks

Since first presenting original work at the 92^nd St. Y, Ellen’s company, ellen stokes shadle/DanceWorks, has also been seen at Dance Space Center, Dance Forum, The Strand Theater (NJ), New York University’s Frederick Loewe Theater, Sal Anthony’s Movement Salon, the Joyce SoHo, The Bridge for Dance, St. Mark’s Church (in The Remember Project), and University Settlement, Cunninham Studio, and the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Her work has been presented by Jennifer Muller/The Works HATCH, Thang Dao Contemporary Dance Festival, dancenow/downtown, Wiliam Smilth College, Davidson Dance Group, Torque Dance, Uptown Performance Series, Andary Dance (Providence, RI), American Dance Guild, Dancers Responding to AIDS (Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS), and The Élan Awards.

Ellen has served as Artist-in-Residence at Greenwich Academy. Ellen is an active member of The Field and is also a [very busy - too busy!] certified Pilates instructor.

esther m palmer

Esther m Palmer is exploring how performance heightens philosophical connections between people. She founded Seen Performance (seenperformance.org) with David Morneau and Shana McKay Burns to help define this process through cross-disciplinary collaboration. Esther received her MFA in Dance and Technology from The Ohio State University where she developed an approach to creating performance through methodologies borrowed from disciplines outside dance. She fell in love with the idea of dance as a broader art from through improvisation, which was introduced to her as a method of performed composition by Penny Campbell (at Middlebury College). Esther carries this spirit of improvisation through all of her performances, relying on each specific situation to feed choices. Esther has performed and presented work in Chicago, Columbus, and New York. More at esthermpalmer.com

suzana stankovic

Suzana Stankovic is an independent, multi-faceted actress, dancer and choreographer and founder of the Stankovic Ballet Company. She has performed a wide array of lead roles in independent films by emerging filmmakers and has choreographed 7 full-length modern ballets to critical acclaim. Recent credits include her performance in a principal role with Tony Award-Winner, Savion Glover and a full-length modern ballet entitled Rapture, which she choreographed, produced and performed. The pieces being presented tonight mark exciting new artistic territory for Suzana. Her work is deeply personal and is intended to inspire, disarm and awaken the human spirit. For complete information about Suzana visit her website: www.iAmSuzana.com

Andreas Altmann is a guitarist, composer, songwriter and arranger (this is his first stage appearance without his guitar!). He graduated with Honors from New School University with a BFA in Jazz and has shared the stage with such luminaries as Bobby Sanabria, Candido, Ray Vega and Chico Freeman. Andreas's original jazz compositions have received widespread industry acclaim. Currently Andreas can be seen at NYC hotspots performing as the lead guitarist for the pop-rock band 45High. For more info about Andreas visit: www.45High.com

tracie stanfield / synthesis dance project

Under the direction of Tracie Stanfield, Synthesis Dance Project has appeared at The International Dance Festival NYC, The Bluegrass State Dance Festival, Towson University, The Los Angeles Dance Invitational, CT Meets NY Dance Festival, The Garden State Dance Festival, Hollywood Performing Arts Center, SoNo Arts Festival and numerous venues throughout New York. Synthesis Dance Project has had the opportunity to share the stage with an array of strong dancers and companies, recent commissions include: DRA’s On with the Dance, The Next Stage Project, The Kennedy Dancers, The Grier School, The Jazz Choreography Project, Promenade Relief Jubilee, Theatre Group Too and The American Dance Guild.

Recently, Synthesis Dance Project has partnered with The Andrea Rizzo Foundaton to raise money for Drea’s Dream, the pediatric dance/movement therapy program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Synthesis Dance Project performed “A Time Will Come” at Heart & Feet: A Dance Exhibition in NYC. Through classes and performances, Synthesis Dance Project hopes to bring a voice to this special cause. www.SynthesisDanceProject.com

annapurna dance

Annapurna Dance is a new contemporary modern dance company built from the love of dance. This vibrant young dance company is lead by Portland based choreographer and director Melissa St.Clair. This company of five to eight dancers is known for its use of human connection through emotional, earthy content.

Katrina Marie Phillip is a native of Chicago, IL. Her training started there at dance studios such as Lou Conte, Joel Hall, Gus Giordano, and the Academy of Dance Arts. She has her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Dance from Western Michigan University, and extended her studies in performance getting involved with comedy improv, learning other various acting techniques, along with getting certified in both group exercise & personal fitness training.

Katrina just recently started presenting her choreographic works here in New York City and founded “Strong Like Cattle” (SLC); a musical theatre dance group geared for the young musical theatre dance professional. For more information about Katrina & SLC, visit her website at www.katrinaphillip.com.

Lauren began her training at Robin Horneff's Performing Arts Center under the direction of Robin Horneff and choreographer Kelley Larkin. She's performed with Ben Vereen at Make a Wish Foundation Benefits as well as with Wyclef Jean and the Temptations at the Princess Grace Foundation's Benefit for the Prince of Monaco. She's performed on the CBS Morning Show, Off Broadway in The Fringe Festival with Gil Stroming and can be seen in International American Express Commercials. She's also choreographed for the College of Charleston Dance Team, "Falling Awake" a NYC Showcase held at Bridge for Dance and has taught at National Dance Showcase Conventions. From 2004-2006 she was a member of Synthesis Dance Project, Dir. Tracie Stanfield, where she performed at the '04 Elan Awards, International Dance Festival '05 and '06, Carnival Choreographer's Ball '05 and '06, and Save The Music/Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefit among many other venues. She was featured in the Uptown Series Showcase with Clarity in Motion and has recently joined the dance company :pushing progress, Dir. Calen Kurka. She has performed as part of the company in "The Artist's Showcase" and "The Choreographer's Showcase" both hosted by :pushing progress at Alvin Ailey studios, at B.B. Kings on 42nd st for "Broadway Underground" produced by Jared Grimes, the Capezio video event in NYC and the DEA Gala Performance in NYC. She recently premiered a piece at "The Exchange" at New Dance Group and has also been substituting classes there, as well. She will next be seen performing at the South Norwalk Festival in CT and is happy to be sharing this piece with the dance community through Bridge for Dance!

milvia pacheco

Milvia Berenice Pacheco Salvatierra is a dancer and coreographer at Rastro Dance Company (2004) and member of Alexandra Beller/Dance since september 2007. She was born in Caracas-Venezuela where she begun her carrier as a dancer combining dance and acting training. For more than 12 years she has danced with Danzahoy’s seasons and toured renowned festivals over 15 countries, including Danzahoy’s “Exodo” season at the Joyce Theatre in NYC (2006). She has been working in New York since 2004. Milvia's own coreographies, "KM 0" (2004) and "ATAJO"(2007) was presented by Rastro at London's ICA and the Avant-garde Festival of Merida, as well NYC and Caracas.