Saturday November 4th
Show 2 - 7:30 pm
Meet the Artists
ALFONSO CERVERA AND PAIGE CUNNINGHAM-CALDARELLA
Alfonso Cervera (he/him/they/them) holds an MFA in Experimental Choreography from the University of California, Riverside. He is a Queer first generational Mexicano/a/x choreographer, performer, educator, curator, and activist. Along with his degree, he holds professional certifications in Asana Yoga, Reiki Healing, and has recently been elected as Executive Director of Show Box L.A. His research and specialization as an independent artist, focuses on the conversation between queerness, Ballet Folklorico and Afro-LatinX social dances in a contemporary auto-biographical embodied experience that he calls Poc-Chuc. Poc-Chuc, an emerging and inclusive dance technique developed by Cervera, weaves these techniques as a pedagogical tool to adhere to the current times and to create representation for marginalized communities.
Paige Cunningham-Caldarella (she/her) is a dance educator, choreographer, performer, and Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. As a faculty member at Columbia College Chicago from 2007-2022, she taught modern and contemporary dance techniques, ballet, dance pedagogy, and performance-based classes and served as the Associate Chair. Cunningham-Caldarella received a Chicago Dancemakers Forum grant, DCASE Individual Artist grants, and a Teaching Excellence Award from Columbia College. Cunningham-Caldarella performed with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, touring nationally and internationally, and has worked with The Seldoms, Colleen Halloran Performance Group, Darrell Jones, Timothy Buckley, and Onye Ozuzu. She holds a B.F.A. from the Juilliard School and an M.F.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
CDF Show 2 Artist 2023 - Alfonso Cervera and Paige Cunningham-Caldarella
MELISSA HINCHMAN (she/her) graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Her past performance credits include; ensemble dancer in Kings Island's 2008 live shows, Flashback Totally 80s and Hot Island Rhythms, company member of SMAG Dance Collective, and principal dancer with Seven Dance Company. Melissa has been on the artistic faculty at Columbus DanceArts Academy since 2011 instructing ages 3 to adult in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, and competitive dance team. In 2018, Melissa founded Cultivate Dance Project as a creative outlet for adult dancers in the Columbus, Ohio community. The work she has set on Cultivate Dance Project has been a part of local productions including Columbus Dance Alliance WORKS #2, Ten Tiny Dances, City Dance Showcase III and IV, Columbus Arts Festival, and New Albany Dance Festival. Her collaborative film "Memory Is A Monster" was been a part of both Constructed Sight Dance Film Festival 2022 and Cleveland Dance Fest Virtual Film Gallery 2022. Under Melissa’s direction, the company has produced two company showcases that featured original work by Cultivate Dance Project dancers.
RE|DANCE GROUP Creative partners, Lucy Vurusic Riner (she/her/hers) and Michael Estanich, established RE|dance group in 2009 to explore long distance collaborations and present dance theatre works that examine the many facets of human relationships. Executive Director, Lucy Vurusic Riner, is a Chicago based dance artist and teacher. Artistic Director, Michael Estanich, lives in Stevens Point at the University of Wisconsin as an associate professor of dance. Their creative process embodies rich emotional content and dramatic imagery through the layering of music, text and sculpture. They seek to establish physical memories that enrich their dancing and the relationships created in their works.
JENNIFER MECKLEY - As a performer, teacher, choreographer, and practitioner of hip-hop, street dance, club dance, and contemporary dance forms, Jennifer (she/they) has made it her goal to emphasize the benefits of training in African American vernacular dance techniques and enhance the interactions between these dance forms and queer culture. Jennifer obtained a B.A. in Dance from Slippery Rock University and a M.F.A in Dance from The Ohio State University. They currently serve as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Ball State University. She has served as a faculty member at West Chester University, Cuyahoga Community College, Northampton Community College, and the University of Dayton. Jennifer actively pushes the boundaries of physicality as a founding member of the modern dance company, Abby Z and the New Utility, directed and choreographed by Abby Zbikowski. The company has performed at venues including Jacob’s Pillow, New York Live Arts, The American Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival., Judson Church Movement Research, Kelly Strayhorne Theatre, and more. Their choreography has been presented at The American College Dance Association, Gibney Dance Center, Detroit City Dance Festival, West Chester University, Slippery Rock University, and Ball State University. Her identity as a queer person motivates the content for her work and her choreography is a fusion of movement from breaking, house dance, waacking, vogue, and contemporary dance.
MAYHUGH FOX is a recent graduate from Kent State University with her BFA in Dance performance with a focus on choreography. She has performed many legacy works and worked with numerous top choreographers around the world. In addition to performance, Mayhugh has a deep passion for choreography. She aims to combine her choreography and political activism to spark important conversations in audiences and have them leave with a different perspective. Mayhugh believes every dancer in the space has something unique and special to offer to the dance and strives to incorporate each dancer's identity within her works.
DOMINIC MOORE-DUNSON (he/him) is an award-winning choreographer, professional dancer, teaching artist, speaker, and creative entrepreneur. Dominic is the founder of MooreDunson Co, an arts, media, and entertainment company committed to "Urban Midwest Storytelling". Dance Magazine's 2023 "25 to Watch", Dominic has received numerous recognitions including a 2021 Top 40 finalist for the National Dance Project Production Grant, 2021 Associate Artists at Atlantic Center for the Arts with Doug Varone, 2019 Cleveland Arts Prize's Emerging Artist Award, and a 2018 fellow of The Anne & Weston Hicks Choreography Program at Jacob's Pillow. Moore-Dunson is a Creative Research Residency Artist and named a Creative Administration Research Fellow with the National Choreography Center at The University of Akron.
CDF Show 2 Artist 2023 - Reflections Dance Theater
REFLECTIONS DANCE THEATER | SAMARA STEELE began her dance training in Cleveland, OH. She recently graduated cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program. She had the immense honor of being the inaugural recipient of the Ballet in Cleveland Misty Copeland Scholarship in 2015. She has performed works by choreographers such as Jeffrey Page, Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, and Crystal Pite. Samara has furthered her training and experience with several organizations including Jacob's Pillow, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Columbus City Ballet School, and the Radio City Rockettes. She has been privileged to perform at Lincoln Center, Cleveland Playhouse Square, as well as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She is currently a seasonal company member with The Movement Project as well as rehearsal director and company member with Reflections Dance Theater.
CDF Show 2 Artist 2023 - Lucy Dillon
LUCY DILLON (she/her) is a choreographer investigating the utility of movement for claiming physical agency. Her work seeks to declare aliveness and unapologetic capability, disrupting systems that restrict bodily autonomy. Her lived experience, community, and training as a dancer, runner, and athlete support this investigation and fuel her movement invention. Originally from northern California, Lucy is currently pursuing an MFA in Dance at The Ohio State University. While at OSU, her work has been selected for American College Dance Association’s Midwest Regional Conference, Culminations Concert, and for the installation gallery Urban Arts Space. Lucy has been an artist-in-residence at Levy Dance, Iowa Choreography Festival, and SAFEhouse Arts. She has shown her work in festivals such as PUSHfest Global, Broad Statements Festival, and SpectorDance Choreography Showcase. She works across disciplines – from site to stage to film to the classroom – with the goal of finding movement’s potential for enlivening catharsis. Lucy makes and moves from core commitments to anti-racism, sustainable practices, and body empowerment.
CDF Commissioned Artist 2023 - Caribe Conexion (Photo Credit: Black Valve)
CARIBE CONEXION is a Cleveland based Afro Caribbean dance company founded by Dr. Munirah Bomani (she/her) and Inali Pichardo. Together, they have taught hundreds of authentic, low cost dance classes to a variety of ages and nationalities. The company's artistic mission to amplify the voices and stories of our Caribbean ancestors, and honor them in the mainstream dance community. Company repertoire includes works in western classical styles, fused with latin dance, orisha work and west african dance. Caribe Conexion's work has been showcased at events such as Station Hope, Cleveland Dance Festival and "Celebremos".
THE MOVEMENT PROJECT THE MOVEMENT PROJECT was founded in 2009 by Megan Gargano (she/her) and Rebecca Leuszler (she/her) with goals to support professional dance in Cleveland. Through the years, TMP has grown their efforts to support artists throughout NE Ohio, specifically the communities of Cleveland and Akron. In 2013 TMP launched its first full season of performances and has since then produced over 35 evening-length concerts, has created over 60 new works, produced 6 original dance films, and has performed at various venues such as Cleveland Public Theatre, The Breen Center, Dumbo Dance Fest in NYC, Baldwin Wallace University, Ohio University and Transformer Station. In 2019, TMP collaborated, performed and produced a sold-out concert with Pam Tanowitz and her NYC company Pam Tanowitz Dance.
In 2013 and 2016, TMP was awarded The Fedora Award, a grant for individuals and organizations that focus on positively helping communities of Northeast Ohio. And in 2017 TMP was awarded funds by Puffin West Foundation to further support TMP's annual summer intensive, a 1-week summer intensive focused on providing affordable and accessible dance education to youth dancers. In 2015, TMP launched the Cleveland Artist Initiative, a program designed to support and fund the creation of new work by Cleveland artists. Over 51% of TMP's operating budget was dedicated to paying artists and in 2022 TMP collaborated with over 150 artists and organizations throughout the year. In 2016, TMP launched Cleveland Dance Fest, an annual dance festival featuring Cleveland choreographers and is hosted each year in Cleveland. TMP Co-artistic director Rebecca Leuszler was awarded the 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship funded by Community Partnership for Arts & Culture and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) to produce the first festival. In 2019, 2021 & 2022, TMP was awarded funds by CAC to continue growing the festival, as well as in 2020 by Ohio Arts Council. Since its inaugural year, over $43,500 has gone towards paying artists.
In addition to our programming in Cleveland, TMP has worked to provide resources to artists, families, and youth throughout the communities of Akron. TMP's outreach programs have included The Akron Art Museum, Miller South School for Visual & Performing Arts, The University of Akron, and our annual year long residency at Firestone CLC. In 2023, TMP officially became a proud Pathway Partner with the College & Career Academies of Akron through Akron Public Schools.
Fall of 2017 TMP launched The Movement Project School of Dance for youth 2.5-18 years old, serving the neighborhoods of Cleveland. January 2022, TMP moved its operations to Cleveland’s westside community of Fairview Park where we offer year-round weekly professional classes, summer intensives, company rehearsals, festivals and performances.