Meisha Bosma is the founder and artistic director of BosmaDance, a contemporary dance company based in Northern Virginia. Over the past ten years, Meisha has served dance communities as an educator, choreographer, performer, and arts advocate. Her award-winning choreography has been commissioned and presented by the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, CityDance Ensemble, the Alexandria Performing Arts Association, Virginia Commission for the Arts and many universities throughout the country. Dance Magazine recognized Meisha Bosma as “One to Watch For” in 2007, and The Washingtonian named Bosma “One of DC’s Most Powerful Women under 40” for her artistic contributions made to the metropolitan DC community. Under her direction, BosmaDance has won five Metro-DC Dance Awards. A native of Michigan, Meisha earned her MA in Dance and Education from American University and her BA in Journalism from Michigan State University. As a company member with Jerusalem-based Kolben Dance Company, she toured throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Isabel Croxatto was born in Santiago, Chile, and has directed her own company since 1993. In 2000, she founded Grupo ABUNDANZA, which is based in Santiago. Croxatto is on the faculty of the Finis Terrae University. She began her dance studies in Chile in 1983 and continued them in Argentina were she studied with Susana Tambutti, Margarita Bali, and Ana Itelman, and in the United States at the Graham School and Colorado Dance Festival. In France she studied at the Centre Chorégraphique National de Nantes and danced with Claude Brumachon and Benjamin Lamarche. Her work has been seen and her company has performed in Brazil, Finland, Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, Portugal, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, and the United States. In 2007, she was invited by Florida State University and the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography to participate in the residency Free to Rep with Axis Dance Company. This year she is working with her company on Pactos, a work in progress about child abuse, performed for the first time in Germany in 2006. Pactos will tour in Mexico as a part of the X International Dance Festival of Oaxaca and will be presented in the MOV 6 International Dance Festival in Santiago. Croxatto won the Chilean National Foundation for the Arts in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2004. (top)

Jane Dudley (1912–2001) was born in New York and was educated at the Walden School and University of North Carolina. She joined the New Dance Group in 1934, with an aim to make dance accessible to a non-dance audience and to offer material having a political orientation. She soon became president of the group, a position she held until 1966. She performed with the Dudley-Bales-Maslow Trio, was a member of the Martha Graham Company from 1937-1944, and assisted Martha Graham at the Neighbourhood Playhouse School from 1938-1958. In the 1960s, she taught at Bennington College in Vermont and was the Artistic Director of Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company. After 1970, Dudley moved to London and was one of the Co-Founders and Director of the London Contemporary Dance School, becoming a major contributor to British contemporary dance. (top)

Paul Gordon Emerson (Artistic Director) moved to Washington for what was supposed to be a brief stopover while waiting for his first posting in the U.S. Foreign Service. He ended up serving as Legislative Director to the late Thomas M. Foglietta (D-PA) for seven years and liaison to the House Armed Services Committee. He has worked on more than 20 federal campaigns, including races for the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives. Paul is a published author on defense and foreign policy, and is a former radio broadcaster, having served as a news director, disk jockey, and sports announcer for several radio stations in Ohio. He has traveled nationally as a professional photographer, specializing in industrial photography. He has worked as a journeyman in construction and design and dabbles in bronze as a sculptor. He served as Executive Director for CityDance Ensemble from 1996-2004 and has been Artistic Director since 2000. During his tenure with CityDance Ensemble, the company has been awarded the 2009 DC Mayor's Arts Award for Artistic Excellence, 2003 DC Mayors Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist and the 2005 DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts, has been named a “Top 25 To Watch” worldwide by Dance Magazine, created one of the largest and most successful education outreach programs in the region, launched CityDance FilmWORKS, and opened the CityDance Centers at Strathmore and Mt. Vernon Square. He has guided CityDance through five international concert tours since 2003, traveling to a dozen countries. In 2006, Paul received the Pola Nirenska Award for Artistic Excellence in Dance. He is the co-host of the Addy Winning "Performance Moves" television news magazine, which airs on Montgomery County Cable in Maryland. His God children Aidan and Nathan are his real pride and joy. (top)

Rachel Erdos grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. She obtained a first class honors in dance from Roehampton Institute (London) and then a MA in Choreography from The Laban Centre (London). In 2002, she moved to Tel Aviv, Israel, where she now works as an independent choreographer. Her work has been presented in many prestigious festivals in both Israel and internationally including Denmark, London, and Slovakia. In 2008, Rachel won first prize in the Aarhus International Choreography Competition (Denmark) with her duet Alma and was invited back to create a new work for Aarhus’ Mancopy Dance Company. Rachel is also a freelance rehearsal director and stage manager accompanying choreographers such as Barak Marshall, Sally Anne Friedland, and Yoram Karmi in Israel and on international tours to Korea, China, New York, Atlanta, Ecuador, and Lithuania. Additionally, Rachel teaches choreography classes and repertoire workshops in high schools, private studios, and universities. (top)

Jason Hartley, of Des Moines, Iowa, is currently a member of Trey Mcintyre Dance Project after dancing with The Washington Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Ballet Austin, and BalletMet Columbus. Hartley trained at North Carolina School of the Arts, where he won the Level I Award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts in 1995. He received the Princess Grace Award for Dance in 1997. In July 2002, The Washington Ballet premiered Hartley’s choreography Crosswalks and Train Stations in Telluride and Aspen, Colorado. In 2003, his works Sanctified Shells and Nocturne Monologue premiered at The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage as part of the Prelude Festival. For The Washington Ballet’s production 7x7, Hartley created Underneath. (top)

Jason Garcia Ignacio began his dance training at the age of 12 in Manila, Philippines. He trained with Gigi Velarde David, Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theater, and Steps Dance Studio, studied Korean ritual dance at the University of Theatre of Nations (Seoul, Korea), and was a member of Earth Savers Dreams Ensemble with whom he toured and performed internationally for five years. In 2001, Jason continued his dance training in New York City with a scholarship at Ballet Hispanico, where he also served on the faculty as a teacher. He was a fellowship student at The Ailey School and toured nationally with the Martha Graham Ensemble. He has performed with the Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, Diversity of Dance, Cortez and Co., Connecticut Ballet, Zig-Zag Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Verb Ballets, and was an apprentice for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. He has also performed in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats as Mistoffolees at numerous regional theaters and was a principal dancer of the off-Broadway musical Traumnovela. Jason was named a "Top 20 Showstopper" by Washingtonian Magazine in 2008 and won the 2009 DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist. He was named a finalist for the Outstanding Individual Performance category of the 2009 Metro DC Dance Awards. In 2009, Jason was featured in the USArts International bulletin, received the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ Dance DC Festival grant, and was awarded The Kennedy Center’s Local Dance Commissioning Project for his work The Mountain, which premiered on the Millennium Stage in September 2009. (www.jasonignacio.com)

Ludovic Jolivet, originally from Paris, was first trained in physical theatre. He has performed in and directed theatre performances in Europe and America. Jolivet received his BFA in dance from Wright State University and his MFA in choreography from the University of Maryland. He also studied Argentine Tango and performed with Tiempo de Tango. Jolivet has created and directed dances for film that have been presented at venues and dance festivals worldwide. Awards for his works include the 2004 Maryland State Arts Council’s Individual Artist Award in Film and the 2003 Metro DC Dance Award for Emerging Choreographer. He has worked with CityDance Ensemble as a choreographer, filmmaker, and senior manager of FilmWorks. Mr. Jolivet has taught dance and theatre courses at University of Maryland and St. Mary’s College. (top)

Larry Keigwin's prolific and wide-ranging dance career began the day he auditioned as a back-up dancer for Downtown Julie Brown on Club MTV. (He got the gig). He continued his dance career working for Chezzam! enlivening many a bar and bat mitzvah while earning his BA in dance from Hofstra University. In addition to Larry's choreographic work with K+C, his recent commissions have included The New York City Ballet's Choreographic Institute, The Martha Graham Dance Company, The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, The NYU/Tisch School's Second Avenue Dance Company, Paradigm, Hofstra University and California Institute of the Arts. His other choreographic credits include work with the pop band Fischerspooner, comedian Murray Hill and as an Associate Choreographer for both the The Radio City Rockettes and the Off-Broadway musical "The Wild Party." As a dancer Larry has danced at the Metropolitan Opera in Doug Varone's "Le Sacre Du Printemps" and Julie Taymor's "The Magic Flute" in addition to his work with Mark Dendy (receiving a Bessie Award in 1998 for his performance in "Dream Analysis"), Robin Becker, Jane Comfort, John Jasperse, Doug Elkins, Zvi Gotheiner, and David Rousseve. He appeared in the Broadway bomb "Dance of the Vampires" and the Julie Taymor, Oscar nominated film "Across the Universe." In his spare time, Larry has created "Keigwin Kabaret," a fusion of modern dance, vaudeville, and burlesque acts presented by the Public Theater at Joe's Pub and by Symphony Space. (top)

Sophie Maslow (1911-2006) began her dance career studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse with Blanche Talmund, Louis Horst, and Martha Graham with whose company she danced as a soloist for twelve years. While a member of the Graham company, she began choreographing dances that were inspired by the social and political climate of the Great Depression, the rise of labor unions, and the working class. She was a founding members of the Dudly-Maslow-Bales trio, which focused on those same ideals and worked under the auspices of the New Dance Group. Ms. Maslow later formed her own company and continued to create works inspired by socially conscious themes. Ms. Maslow also choreographed for the New York City Opera, the yearly Chanukah Festivals at Madison Square Garden, and several off-Broadway musicals. (top)

Christopher K. Morgan, who is said to possess "originality and a gift" by The San Diego Union Tribune, has had choreography commissioned/presented in Germany, Lithuania, Ireland, Poland, Hong Kong, and throughout the U.S.  The artistic director of New York pick-up company Muse, he has garnered support from the Jerome Foundation, Dance Ireland, Asian American Dance Performances, Dance Theater Workshop and the Brooklyn Arts Exchange. A respected teacher, credits include the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Shawbrook (Ireland), Iwanson Schule (Munich), Stephens College & Western Kentucky University. He has lectured and spoken on panels for the Alliance of Artist Communities, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, New York City Ballet’s Education Department, and Dance Theater Workshop (New York). A veteran performer, Christopher's credits include David Gordon, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Fabulous Beast Dance Theater (UK), Malashock Dance & Company, Verb Ballets, Selfish Shellfish (Germany), Pilobolus Creative Services and as a soloist with the Washington National, Houston Grand, and New York City Operas. A skilled facilitator committed to artist development, Christopher also directs the Omi International Dance Collective, an annual 3-week residency for professional international dancer/choreographers that takes place in upstate New York. (top)

Alex Neoral is currently the director and choreographer of Focus Cia De Dança, a contemporary dance company in Brazil. He began studying dance in Rio de Janeiro in 1994. As a dancer, he has worked with Cia de Dança (Deborah Colker), Cia Nós da Dança (Regina Sauer), Grupo Tápias (Giselle Tápias) and Cia Vacilou Dançou (Carlota Portella). In addition to choreographing for his own company, Alex has been a guest choreographer for DeAnima Ballet Contemporâneo (2003 & 2005), Nina Botkay of Nederlands Dance Theater I (2003), Roberto de Oliveira (2004), Cia Nós da Dança (2006), and the Bolshoi Ballet in Joinville (2009). He also had the opportunity to choreograph the Imperatriz Leopoldinense Samba School’s performance in the 2009 Rio Carnival. Two of his pieces, Outro lugar and Pathways, were named among the Best Top 10 Works in 2007 and 2008 by the Journal of Brazil News in Rio de Janeiro. Pathways premiered in Stuttgart, Germany in 2007 and was the piece submitted and selected as part of CityDance’s 2009 Next choreography commission. This is the first time Alex has worked with CityDance Ensemble’s professional company members. For the past three years, he has been invited by Lorraine Spiegler to work with CityDance Select program students. (top)

Paul Taylor has had an incredibly profound impact on the art form of dance. People in cities and towns throughout the world have seen and enjoyed live modern dance performances due largely to the far-reaching tours he pioneered as a virtuoso dancer in the 1950s, and that his two companies have continued to this day. Fifty years after he made his first avant garde works, he has a collection of 127 dances performed by his own celebrated Company and Taylor 2 as well as renowned dance companies here and abroad. He has set movement to music so memorably that for millions it is impossible to hear certain orchestral works and popular songs and not think of his dances. He has influenced dozens of men and women who have gone on to create their own dances and/or establish their own troupes. As the subject of the widely seen documentary, Dancemaker, and author of a critically acclaimed autobiography, he has demystified his creative process as few artists ever have. At 77, Paul Taylor may be the most sought-after choreographer working today, commissioned by leading companies, theaters and presenting organizations the world over. (top)

Brenda Way has choreographed more than 75 pieces throughout her 35+ year career and has received numerous awards including the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000. Way holds a Ph.D. in Aesthetics and is the Founder and Artistic Director of ODC/Dance whose two facilities in San Francisco now constitute the West Coast's most active center for dance. (top)

Kate Weare was recently nominated for The 2008 Alpert Award in the Arts. The NY-based Kate Weare Company (KWCo), officially formed in 2005, has enjoyed support from The Joyce Theater Foundation, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, The Djerassi Artist’s Ranch, Dance New Amsterdam’s A.I.R. Program and The Greenwall Foundation.  KWCo just premiered their latest work, Bridge of Sighs, co-commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow in The Duke Theater in August 2008.  For more info: www.kateweare.com.  (top)

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