NKU's School of the Arts annual dance concert returns in-person with Dance '22. Featuring a company of NKU's best young dance artists, along with new and innovative works created by faculty, guest artists, and nationally-renowned choreographers, Dance '22 has something for everyone – contemporary dance forms that include modern, jazz, and African/Afro-Fusion. Performances take place April 22-24 at NKU's Corbett Theatre. The production is coordinated by the artistic team of Madisyn Combs, Kasey Weinfurtner, and Tracey Bonner.
Kiersten Edwards is a Louisville, Ky. native who began dancing at the age of 13. While growing up in Louisville, her main focus was ballet and modern training at the University of Louisville Dance Academy, Louisville Ballet, and the Youth Performing Arts School. Kiersten is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor's degree in Chemistry and a minor in Dance. While at NKU, she performed in Dance Troupe, dance concerts, and at the American College Dance Association (ACDA). Kiersten has danced professionally with De La Dance Company, Tulsa Modern Movement, Big River Dance Festival, and is currently with Mutual Dance Theatre.
A native of Cincinnati and faculty member of African Dance Forms at NKU, Jeaunita Ìfẹ́wándé Château Weathersby Olówè is a professional dancer, choreographer, teaching artist and athlete for the past 30 years in African, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Ballroom, Latin dances and Zumba®. She's performed, taught and toured throughout the US, Canada, Africa, Asia since 1994 and performed for the US/NATO military in Europe and Mediterranean. Jeaunita was one of the seven talented artists that traveled to perform in Europe during 2003-2005 for the United States and United Nations Armed Forces military families. She is a certified Zumba® fitness instructor and AFAA Group Fitness instructor.
Rowan Salem is a choreographer, performer, and teacher originally from Massachusetts, currently based in Ohio. As an artist, her interests lie in compositional improvisation and philosophy's links to movement. Her teaching is influenced by Humphrey/Limón technique, contact improvisation, and contemporary forms. Rowan earned a Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance as a Teaching Fellow/Gretchen Moran Scholar at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Recent teaching affiliations include Amherst College (MA), Smith College (MA), the University of Massachusetts (MA), Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO), Colorado Ballet Academy (CO), Mutual Dance Theater and Arts Center (OH), Cincinnati Ballet Academy (OH), and Northern Kentucky University (KY). She has recently collaborated on and performed in the work of Chris Aiken, Angie Hauser, Kate Speer, and Tara Rynders. Rowan's work has been presented at Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Counterpath Exhibition Space, Green Street Studios, and Art Gym, Denver, and Mutual Dance Theater in Cincinnati.
Teresa VanDenend Sorge is the developer and Founding Director of Koresh Kids Dance, which serves nearly 500 Philadelphia public school children each week. For nearly a decade, she was a full-time lecturer at Muhlenberg College in the Department of Theatre and Dance and remains a part-time lecturer at Sydney Kimmel Medical School in Philadelphia. Teresa holds a BA in Dance Education and Dance Performance/Choreography from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and a Masters of Education in Dance degree from Temple University. She is also adjunct faculty at NKU teaching Modern Dance and Dance History.
