Guest Artists

Peter Kyle will come twice in September to choreograph a work for the outdoor Orientation celebrations on Sept 4th and for theater performance in the theater for Parents weekend and the Fall Concert.

Bio: Peter Kyle was a soloist with Nikolais/Louis Dance Company (1992-1999), prior to working with Mark Morris Dance Group (1998-2003) and Erick Hawkins Dance Company. Kyle earned his MFA from the University of Washington and taught in the Dance and Drama departments there from 2000 – 2005. He has been a guest instructor at numerous colleges, universities and workshops across the country and overseas. Kyle also teaches in the Dance Department at Marymount Manhattan College and is a 2007 Guest Artist at Wesleyan University. Kyle’s choreography has been presented internationally, including commissions by Kaatsbaan International Dance Center, Symphony Space, The Dancenow/NYC Festival, Cornish College of the Arts, University of Washington Summer Arts Festival and the Museum of Glass: International Center for Contemporary Art. He has received awards from Concours Internationale de Danse de Paris, Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities and the Washington State Arts Commission, among others. http://www.peterkyledance.org/home.htm

Jodi Melnick graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance. She has been a featured dancer with Twyla Tharp, and Irene Hultman.

Jennifer Archibald is the founder and artistic director of Arch Dance company. She graduated from the Alvin Ailey School and has performed across the U.S. at major venues including the John F.

Seàn Curran began his dance training with traditional Irish step dancing as a young boy in Boston. He went on to make his mark on the dance world as a principal dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. A graduate and guest faculty member of New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Curran was an original member of the New York City cast of the Off-Broadway percussion extravaganza "STOMP!" performing in the show for four years. He has performed his solo evening of dances at venues throughout the U.S.

Carlos Ovares, director of the National Dance Company in San Jose Costa Rica, is renowned internationally as a choreographer, actor, teacher, and dancer. He began his dance career while getting his degree in Dramatic Arts from The University of Costa Rica. Mr. Ovares’ choreography has been featured in Europe, Canada, Israel, and Central America.

Kwame Azalius Ross is the founder and artistic director of Prophecy Dance Company and former associate artistic director of Urban Bush Women. He has studied several African Diaspora dance forms (Caribbean, Western and Central African) since the age of nine. His choreographic works encompass productions with Children of Dahomey, Ballet Hispanico, S.D.R. Films, Sylvia Del Villard Dance Company, National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique, Urban Bush Women and The Ailey School.

Larry Keigwin has choreographed and performed for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and numerous Dance Companies. He is the Artistic Director of Keigwin + Company and the Creator of Keigwin Kabaret. From 1997-2000, he was the Associate Artistic Director of Dendy Dance & Theater, and received a Bessie Award for his performance in “Dream Analysis”.

Alison Oakes holds a BA in Anthropology and a Secondary Concentration in Russian Language from Bates College and a MA in Dance and Dance Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a faculty member at Iona College, where she is also the resident guest artist for the Iona Dance Ensemble. She is a teaching artist for New York City Ballet's Education Department, bringing ballet, creative movement and choreography to public school children. Alison is the co-founder and director of Summerdance Intensive in New Jersey, which is a two-week dance program for high school students.

SHAMOU has been teaching music to people of all ages and abilities since 1990. Trained at Berklee College of Music, he teaches group workshops and individual lessons in the hand drumming techniques of the African Diaspora and the Middle East; stick technique for Latin and jazz percussion and drum set; rhythmic studies in world music, music theory and vocal music.

Jennifer Nugent is originally from Miami, Florida, where she had the pleasure of performing with Gerri Houlihan & Dancers and Mary Street Dance Theatre. She shared artistic direction with Barbara Sloan in Duo Da Da Dance Theater. While in New York, she has worked with Shen Wei, Lisa Race, Nina Winthrope, Yin Mei and Daniel Lepkoff. She has been working with David Dorfman Dance since 1998. Her own work has been presented at Danspace Project's Food for Thought at St.