Meet the Artists

MEGAN L. GARGANO (Co-Artistic Director & Founder) is a native of Cleveland, Ohio where she began her training in 2003 at the Royal School of Ballet under the direction of Joanne Hughes Morscher. In addition, Megan studied at The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, BalletMet, performed with The Pennsylvania Ballet and participated in several dance festivals throughout Ohio.

In 2012, Megan received her BFA in Performance and Choreography from Ohio University School of Dance where she developed her own artistic voice under the mentorship and direction of Madeleine Scott, Marina Walchli, Mickie Geller, Travis Gatling, Tresa Randall, John Bohuslawsky and Gladys Bailin. While studying at OU, Megan performed the reconstruction of Alwin Nikolais piece Noumenon Mobilus, under the direction of Alberto del Saz. She has performed in faculty works by Mickie Geller and guest work by Adriana Durant, Stefanie Batten Bland and Sean Curran. July 2010 Megan studied at the Laban Centre in Greenwich, London where she furthered her studies in Limon and Release Techniques, choreography and contact improvisation. In 2010 Megan set original work at the Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights and in 2011 her work “Formally Phrased, with the exception of a few” was selected for adjudication at the American College Dance festival held at Grand Valley State University, Michigan.

In 2009, Megan co-founded The Movement Project, a professional dance company located in Cleveland, whose mission is to challenge perspectives, evoke social change and bridge communities through the power of movement. TMP has produced over 30 evening length concerts, has created over 50 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.

TMP has received funding by The Fedora Network, Puffin West Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Ohio Arts Council and Tremont Trek for programming aimed at supporting artists, youth and the communities of NE Ohio. In 2015, TMP launched the Cleveland Artist Initiative, a program designed to support and fund the creation of new work by Cleveland artists. Over 68% of TMP's operating budget was dedicated to paying artists and in 2019 TMP collaborated with over 100 artists and organizations throughout the year.

REBECCA J. LEUSZLER (Co-Artistic Director & Founder) graduated in 2007 from the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts in Connecticut with a degree in Ballet and Modern Dance Performance. During her time in Connecticut she furthered her studies at the Alvin Ailey School, School of American Ballet and the Harkness Dance Center. Rebecca developed her performance skills under the mentorship, direction and coaching of dance masters Eleanor D’Antuono, Theresa Capucilli, Kevin Martin, Victoria Mazzarelli, Alexi Tchernivchov and Doug Varone. During her professional career, Rebecca has performed with the Kirov Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ohio Dance Theatre, MOMIX Dance Theatre, Doug Elkins and Friends, Morrison Dance and Verb Ballets.

Currently, Rebecca teaches dance throughout northeast Ohio, including her position as an adjunct dance professor at Baldwin Wallace University. And most recently, along side her sister Megan, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Columbus based organization OhioDance, as well as the Dance Advance Team at DANCECleveland. Rebecca received a 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship. The Fellowships is a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture. Funding for the Fellowship program is made possible by the generous support of Cuyahoga County residents through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. The Movement Project’s work has been featured at Cleveland Public Theatre, Hullabaloo/Valerie Mayen, Cellar Door Cleveland, Arts in August, OhioDance Festival at BalletMet, Baldwin Wallace University, Ohio University and Dumbo Dance Festival in NYC.

ELYSE MORCKEL (Associate Director) of Akron, Ohio is a dancer, choreographer & movement educator. After training under the direction of Kelly Berick at Firestone High School’s Dance Program, she went on to earn her BFA in Dance from The Ohio State University in 2014 with concentrations in choreography and dance technology. While at OSU she had the opportunity to work with individuals such as Vicki Blaine, Noa Zuk, Bebe Miller, Esther Baker-Tarpaga, Melanie Bales, Susan Hadley, and Cleveland native Dianne McIntyre. Her choreography was featured in many concerts and dance festivals throughout her undergraduate career, and her duet Scat in VII (2014), in collaboration with Lauren Bedal was selected to represent graduate and undergraduate adjudicated work at the 2014 ACDFA conference at Ohio University. Her senior thesis project our place (2014) was performed at BalletMet Performance Space and her choreographic research was presented at the Denman Arts and Sciences Research Forum. In 2017, she became a company dancer and choreographer with The Movement Project (Cleveland,Ohio), and was promoted to Associate Director in 2022. Since joining TMP she has performed the choreographic works of Pam Tanowitz, Rebecca Leuszler, Megan Gargano, Irene Honora, Grace Nicklos & Liz Conway. Some of her most recent choreographic projects include, the time has come, (2015), WWTD (2017), & untitled: an exercise (2020), performed at the Akron School for the Arts, series of rituals, remembered (2013, restaged in 2017 & 2018) in the end, this is a victory dance (2018, restaged in 2022), (6) Vignettes of Drama (2019), Sixes & 7’s (2021), coddiwomple (2021), & it’s a game we play (2022). Her works have been performed at venues such as Transformer Station, Mentor Amphitheater, & Current Gallery, and through performance platforms Cleveland Dance Fest & Summerworks, presented by The Movement Project. She has taught at The Movement Project Summer Intensive (2017-2022), TMP Winter Workshop (2017-2021), TMP School of Dance, Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Akron School for the Arts at Firestone High School, Ohio Thespian Conference, Cleveland Dance Fest, as well as many private dance studios and schools across northeast Ohio. In addition to her dance movement practice, Elyse is an E-RYT 200/YACEP level yoga instructor with advanced certifications for children’s yoga.

LIZ CONWAY (Company Member) is a Cleveland-based professional dancer, actor, choreographer and teacher. Her professional theatre credits include: A Chorus Line (Bebe) and Can-Can (Featured Ensemble) at Porchlight Music Theatre, Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble) at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Chicago (Featured Dancer) at Big Noise Theatre and Joseph..Dreamcoat (Wife) at Music Theater Works. Her professional concert dance credits include: The Dance COLEctive, Kristina Isabelle Dance Company, Kelly Anderson Dance Theater and The Movement Project. She was a featured dancer and actor in the short film, Limerence, directed by Dan Pedersen. Conway’s choreographic work has been presented at the Going Dutch Festival and the Inaside Choreographic Sponsorship Event in Chicago, IL. Her work was also featured as a part of Dog Night, by Rabid Bat Theatricals. A Cleveland, OH native her early training led her to study dance at Ohio University where she graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography in 2014. Conway was a dance instructor at various studios around the Chicagoland area and has taught modern technique and improvisation for The Movement Project Summer Intensives. She continues to train in all dance styles including modern, ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop as well as training in voice and acting. Currently Liz is a Company Member with The Movement Project.

ELYZA MORCKEL (Guest Artist) is a 23 year old Akron, Ohio native, who at the age of 7 had one goal: to copy anything her big sister did. She began her dance journey by enrolling in a ballet class, and hasn’t looked back since. From then on, her passion and artistry has continued to blossom into what eventually would be her professional career. From a young age, Elyza knew dance would have permanent impact on her life, which is why she auditioned for the Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts. To further her dance education, Elyza attended Firestone High School and studied under the direction of Kelly Berick, graduating in the spring of 2017. She joined the National Honors Society of Dance Arts organization her junior year at Firestone, and has been a member since. Elyza then went on to receive her Bachelor’s in The Fine Arts in Dance Performance from Kent State University, graduating in the spring of 2021. Elyza has studied under NE Ohio names such as Jennifer Lehaney, Barbara Allegra Verlezza, Gregory King, Catherine Meredith, Elyse Morckel, Lauren Mathis, Jeffery Rockland, Jennifer Black, Megan Gargano, Samuel McIntosh, and Joan Meggitt. She has traveled from New York City to Las Vegas with the intention of growing her individual style, and technique as a well rounded performer and educator. Elyza has had her work “Seeking Tranquility” perform in the Cleveland Dance Festival, fall of 2021. She has won many awards for her original style of choreography, and continues to push the boundaries of contemporary dance. In the fall of 2022, Elyza accepted the position of Artistic Director of Dance at Firestone High School. She is proud to continue on the legacy of the dance department at her alma mater.

LISA HORTON (Guest Artist) is a dancer, creator, and dance educator in Akron, Ohio. She grew up training at her local dance studio for 15 years and currently attends The University of Akron where she is pursuing her B.A. in Dance with a business cognate, graduating May 2023. During her time at Akron, she has performed in several shows with The University of Akron Dance Company in styles of ballet contemporary, modern, contemporary jazz and tap. Along with performing, her work was presented in the Spring UADC show through the Choreographer’s Workshop. In addition, she’s worked with various artists and companies like Gibney Dance, Body Traffic, Ben Needham-Wood, Dance Heginbotham and more. Lisa has worked as a dance educator at Martell School of dance for the past two years, Weathervane Playhouse as an Akron after-school dance teacher and leader for the Neighborhood Playhouse Camp.