Meet our NEW Dances 2019 Company!

Quincie Bean (Chicago, IL) Quincie Bean spent her youth training in Utah at Provo Civic Ballet–now known as Ballet West Academy. At Provo Civic, she danced original pieces by Garrett Smith, Victor Plotnikov, and Brian Reeder. She spent summers training at Gelsey Kirkland, Complexions, NW Dance Project, and Modas.Quincie studied at the Modas Dance Program in residence at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.  Her training was overseen by Layla Amis and Duncan Cooper. Following her year at Modas, she moved to Chicago in and accepted positions with both Cerqua Rivera and Cocodaco.  Since moving to Chicago, Quincie has danced at the Dance for Life Festival in Chicago, Chicago Ideas, Harvest Dance Festival, and was honored to perform with Cocodaco at Prisma-Festival Internacional de Danza  Contemporanea in Panama.

Tara Charvat (Chicago, IL) graduated Summa Cum Laude with her BFA in dance from Western Michigan University in 2018 where she trained in ballet, pointe, modern, and jazz styles. While at WMU, she had the privilege of performing works by renowned choreographers such as Paul Taylor, Marius Petipa, Antony Tudor, Lew Christensen, Frank Chavez, and Brian Enos. She has recently participated in summer programs with BODYTRAFFIC LA, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Big Muddy Dance Company, and DanceWorks Chicago. Charvat is currently a scholarship student at Lou Conte Dance Studio, and aspires to perform professionally within the contemporary and modern dance genres while expanding her work experience in Chicago.

Kristen Donovan (Chicago, IL) originally from Pinckney, Michigan, began her dance training with Performing Arts Dance Theater. She attended the University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and studied with faculty members such as Peter Sparling, Rodger Belman, Julie Tice, and Amy Chavasse. Kristen currently dances with Now Dance Project, Cocodaco Dance Project, and serves as the company’s Rehearsal Director. She has been performing with a 90’s hip hop cover band, Too White Crew, for the past 4 years. Kristen is inspired by sensuality, grit, and generosity.

Abby Ellison (Lake in the Hills, IL) is originally from Crystal Lake, IL where she began her dance training at the Summers Academy of Dance and performed with the pre-professional company, The Berkshire Ballet Theatre. Abby graduated from Webster University in May 2014 with a BFA in Dance, with an emphasis in ballet and received Departmental Honors. Her Webster performances included choreography by Alvin Ailey company members Antonio Douthit and Kirven Boyd, Kirk Peterson (restaging Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies,) Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner (restaging Antony Tudor’s Continuo), former LINES dancer Maurya Kerr and former Executive Director of Dance St. Louis Michael Uthoff. Her Thodos Dance Chicago performances include choreography by Melissa Thodos, Garfield Lemonius, Ann Reinking, Kevin Iega-Jeff, Brian McGinnis, and Shannon Alvis. Abby has also had the opportunity to showcase her own choreography in The Dancing in the Streets Festival in St. Louis in 2013, the American College Dance Festival at Northeastern Illinois University in 2014, and more recently through the Thodos New Dances Choreography project from 2015-2017. Following her time with TDC, She has taken on bigger roles in her home studio teaching and choreographing within the pre-professional program and the competitive dance team.

Sarah Fluegel (Chicago, IL) is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a Dance B.A. and an Advertising/Public Relations B.A.  She has performed and choreographed for Loyola Dance Theatre, Collaboraction Encounter, Going Dutch, Jello Refresh, and ACDA Conferences.  She trained under Sarah Cullen Fuller, Sandra Kaufmann, and Amy Wilkinson, and further studies at Hedwig Dances, The Cambrians, and The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. Sarah was on the creative team for dance film All (2016) in collaboration with The Parkinson’s Project, and choreographed for dance film Get out the Vote (2018). She has worked for In/Motion Intl. Dance Film Festival, The Cambrians, and Loyola’s Marketing and Communications Department. She is a Boshart & Lawrence Fellow for Artistic Excellence in Performance and a Provost Fellow for Undergraduate Research in Dance.

Jade Hooper (Chicago, IL) from Riverside, CA, began her training at Bre Dance Studio under Clifford Breland. As an attendee of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Summer Program, she received the Homer Avila Scholarship Award, given to one dancer in the program. Jade attended California Institute of the Arts, graduating with a BFA in Dance and Minor in Maths and Sciences in 2015. After graduation, Jade moved to Chicago to join Hubbard Street 2. She has had the honor of working with choreographers including Shannon Alvis, Joshua Manculich, Robyn Mineko Williams, and more. Jade joined DanceWorks Chicago in October 2017. She was also a member of the 2018 New Dances Company and is excited to work with a new group of Chicago Dance Artists.

Sarah Jones (Chicago, IL) from South Lyon, MI, began her training at the American Dance Academy. Sarah earned her B.F.A. from Western Michigan University where she performed in Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi, Lew Christensen’s Con Amore, Ohad Naharin’s excerpts from Kyr and Anaphase, and Antony Tudor’s Continuo, among others. Sarah also studied in New York at The Joffrey Ballet School and with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She was privileged to dance with DanceWorks Chicago under Artistic Director, Julie Nakagawa where she toured internationally and has had the pleasure of working with Shannon Alvis, Christian Denice, Joshua Manculich, Manuel Vignoulle, and others. Sarah is currently a co-founder and dancer with the project-based company, Ensemble180.

Cameron Lasater (Chicago, IL) from Austin, TX, started his training at the Ballet Austin Academy’s Boys Scholarship Class. Cameron attended The Ailey School (New York City) as part of the Scholarship Program and Certificate Program. In 2016, he graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program (San Francisco), where he was a scholarship recipient. Cameron danced with dawsondancesf, under the direction of Gregory Dawson, for the 2016-2017 season Les Vérités. Now he is thrilled to be welcomed into another strong, creative, and unique dance community as a part of DanceWorks Chicago! Cameron joined DanceWorks Chicago in October 2017.

Racquel Mar (Chicago, IL) from Clarkston, MI, began her training at multiple studios in southeast Michigan including Spotlight Dance Works under the direction of Liz Schmidt. She trained in many dance styles and performed works by choreographers Sonya Tayeh, Travis Wall, and other notable artists.  In 2017, Racquel graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance from University of California, Irvine, where she had the privilege to work with distinguished choreographers including Charlotte Griffin, Molly Lynch, and Tong Wang.  Racquel had a tremendous honor and opportunity to study with legendary Donald McKayle as a member of his UCI Etude Ensemble. In addition, she was selected by Lar Lubovitch to perform his Legend of Ten during her senior year. Racquel has expanded her artistry and dance training through attendance at summer programs with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and b12 Berlin Workshop. Racquel is a current company member of DanceWorks Chicago under the direction of Julie Nakagawa.

Erin Quigley (Chicago, IL) from St. Louis, Missouri, began her formal dance training at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) where she had the privilege of performing works by Frank Chaves, José Limón, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Antonio and Kirven Douthit-Boyd. Quigley continued her studies at Butler University where she earned her BA in Dance Pedagogy, graduating with Departmental Honors. At Butler, Erin trained in ballet, modern, jazz, and pointe with Derek Reid, Susan McGuire, and Cynthia Pratt. Erin has attended summer and winter programs with The Joffrey Ballet, Northwest Dance Project, DanceWorks Chicago, The Cambrians, and Visceral Dance Chicago. Most recently, Erin is thrilled to have been a part of Ensemble180’s inaugural performance this year. After her first year in Chicago, Quigley is loving the dance community she has found here and is excited to see what is next.

Elijah Richardson (Chicago, IL) from San Jose, California, grew up with a versatile training as a figure skater, actor, and singer before immersing himself in dance. In 2018, he graduated cum laude from Chapman University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in History. Elijah was a featured in faculty pieces by Jenny Backhaus, Sean Greene, Dale Merrill, Julianne O’Brien, and Ido Tadmor and has worked with Jess Harper & Dancers, Capitol Dance Company, and Anaheim Ballet. Elijah has trained on scholarship at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, BodyTraffic, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. As a creator, Elijah choreographed many works at Chapman and was selected to show films at dance festivals in New York and Arizona. Other hats he wears in the dance community on occasion include: teacher, mentor, moderator, and competition adjudicator. Elijah moved to Chicago and has been a company member with DanceWorks Chicago since September 2018.

Tori Rumzis (Chicago, IL) began her training at the age of 14 at Dancenter North in Libertyville, Illinois. She pursued her studies in dance at Point Park University where, in three years, she earned her BFA, graduating magna cum laude. Additionally, Tori has received training at Movement Invention Project, ODC, and Axis Connect. She has had the privilege of performing professionally with Aerial Dance Chicago, Dance in the Parks, Hedwig Dances, and most recently with Ensemble180. Along with performing, Tori has enjoyed working as a dance teacher and certified yoga instructor in the Chicago area.

Simone Stevens (Chicago, IL) is an Atlanta native, received her BA in Dance from Kennesaw State University in July 2017. During her college career, Stevens studied contemporary and ballet techniques, traveled to Tel Aviv to study abroad with the Batsheva Dance Company, and choreographed adjudicated works for ACDA and the Department of Dance’s performing company. Following graduation, Stevens performed with professional contemporary dance companies Fly On A Wall and Staibdance in Atlanta for a full year before relocating to Chicago this past September. Here, she is now a Company Member with the newly formed Ensemble180, as well as a Scholarship Student at the Lou Conte Dance Studio. This will be Stevens’s first season performing with New Dances.

Jack Taylor (Chicago, IL) a Southern California native started dancing at the age of nine where acclaimed tap dancer, Alfred Desio, quickly discovered Jack’s potential and made him his protégé. In his preteen years, Jack trained at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where he was exposed to a variety of different dance styles. Ms. Allen encourages her students to be “triple threats,” which led Jack to train as an actor and singer, as well as a dancer. Jack is most notably known as Dandruff Danny on the television series Hannah Montana. Jack continued his training at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), where he majored in Musical Theatre and Commercial Dance. It was his training and involvement at OCSA that led him to meet Jessie Riley, creative director of the company Westside Dance Project (WDP). Jack performed with WDP for 6 years, while also obtaining his BFA in Dance and BA in Dance Science from California State University, Long Beach. The summer of 2018, Jack decided to change his scenery and move to Chicago. He is excited to now dance for the contemporary company Ensemble180 directed by Katlin Michael Bourgeois.

Kallie Tierney (Chicago, IL) from Sauk City, Wisconsin, Kallie received her training in classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, and modern in Madison Wisconsin. She also spent summers training at Joffrey Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet.  Kallie graduated high school in 2016 and moved to Chicago to be a part of Lou Conte’s Scholarship program at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, under the direction of Claire Bataille.

Imani Williams (Chicago, IL) from Atlanta, Georgia, started dancing as a junior in high school and developed his passion at Sugarloaf Performing Arts. After graduation, Imani accepted a full scholarship at Joffrey Ballet School’s (New York) Jazz and Contemporary Program directed by Michael Blake, where he had the honor of dancing in works by Jennifer Archibald, Bradley Shelver, Matthew Powell, Nathan Trice, and Kevin Wynn. He has worked with former prima ballerina Margo Sappington, Tony Award-winner Chet Walker, and choreographer of Rent, Marlies Yearby, and performed pieces by Emily Bufferd, Lane Gifford, Tyler Gilstrap, and Sekou McMiller. Imani was featured in Joffrey Ballet School photos by Lois Greenfield and was selected to showcase his choreography at The Ailey Citigroup Theater. Imani spent two seasons with Florida Dance Theater and one season with Giordano II. Imani joined DanceWorks Chicago in September 2018.