10th Anniversary Season

2017-2018 Choreographers

DANCE CANVAS

AngelaHarrisistheExecutiveArtisticDirectorofDanceCanvas,Inc.,acareerdevelopmentorganizationforemergingprofessionalchoreographersandyouth.Angelaconceivedand

foundedDanceCanvasafterwitnessingthedifficultpathandlackofprofessionalopportunitiesforyoungchoreographers.Additionally,DanceCanvaswasenvisionedtocreaterelatable

professionaldanceexperiencesandnewdancepatronsintheAtlantaarea.Since2008,DanceCanvashaspresentedchoreographyfrom52emergingprofessionalchoreographers,featuredover200professionaldancers,introducedover1500childrenandteenstodancethroughtheDCNEXTyouthprogramcurriculum,andperformedforover15,000audiencemembers.Angelahasdevelopedyouthdance/careerdevelopmentprogramsfortheCityofAtlanta’sOfficeof

CulturalAffairs(CultureClubandArtsCool),recordingartist,Usher’sNewLookFoundation,andtheTupacAmaruShakurFoundation.ShehasforgedpartnershipswithGeorgiaTech’sOfficeoftheArts,theAtlantaBallet,AtlanticStation,RialtoCenterfortheArts,theFrenchConsulateof

Atlanta,NationalBlackArtsFestival&KennesawStateUniversity.ThroughDanceCanvas,Angelahasbeenacatalyst,consultant,andresourcefornumerousnewdanceorganizationsandartiststhroughoutmetroAtlanta.Shereceivedthe2011EmergingLeaderAwardfrom

AmericansfortheArtsandAmericanExpress,andwasselectedtobeinthe2014classofArtsLeadersofMetroAtlanta(ALMA).AngelaservedonthenationalEmergingLeadersCouncilfor

AmericansfortheArtsfrom2011-2014,andisamemberofDance/USA.

Angela Harris

Dana,originallyfromNorwich,VT,beganherdancetrainingwithJosephandVictoriaDeChiazza,professorsofDanceatDartmouthCollege.AfterelevenyearsofstudyingBallet(FrenchTechnique),Modern(LimonBased)andJazz(JackColeBased),DanawentontoAdelphiUniversitytoreceiveherB.F.A.inDance.ShetrainedwithNormanWalker,CarmendeLavallade,LorenHightower,RochelleZide-BoothandReginaLarkin.Aftergraduation,sheattendedNYU’sTischSchooloftheArtstoearnanM.F.A.inDance.She

performedworksbyGusSolomonsJr.,MarkMorris,andAnnCarlsonandtrainedwithJennyWay(TwylaTharp),GwenWelliver(DougVarone),JimMartin,PhyllisLamhut(Nikolais),MarkHaim,JackieVillamil,

DeborahJowittandKayeCummings.DuringhersecondyearatNYU,DanajoinedtheJoyceTrislerDanscompany,performingTrislerworksinNYCandmultiplevenuesintheNortheast.Aftergraduating,sheperformedwithCherylynLavagnino,ImagoDanceTheatre,andformedherowncollaborativecompanycalledGroundFloorDance.SincemovingtoAtlanta,DanahastaughtBalletandModerntechniqueto

dancersofallages.ShehastaughtattheGeorgiaAcademyofDance,TheStudioAtlantaDance,AcademyofBalletinNorcrossandBravoDanceCentreandhasbeenaparttimeprofessorofdanceatKennesawStateUniversitysince2011.DanaservesasProfessionalDevelopmentManagerforDanceCanvas,anAtlantabasedcompanythatpromotesandproduceschoreographers.DuringDanceCanvas’SummerIntensive,DanateachesBalletandModerntechniqueandChoreography.Shehasproducedherown

choreographyintheAtlantaareasince2003.

Dana Woodruff

MarciLefkoffisanativeofAtlantaandbeganherdancetrainingwithRuthMitchell,PatricaBromleyandGaryHarrison.Shehashadextensivetraininginballet,jazz,modern(GrahamTechnique),

lyrical/contemporaryandlatinjazz.MarcireceivedfullsummerscholarshiptoattendtheAlvinAileyAmericanDanceintensiveattheageof16andlaterwentontobecometheAssistant

Choreographer/dancerfortheAtlantaHawksDanceTeam.Marci’suniqueenergeticstyleofjazz,LatinInfusionJazzandheremotionalpassionatestyleoflyrical/contemporaryhavebeentaughtaroundtheMetroAtlantaAreainnumerousstudiostopeopleofallagesandalllevels.SheisaresidentchoreographeranddanceteacherattheDeKalbSchoolofPerformingArtsaswellas

numerousmetrohighschools.Marcihaschoreographed“Footloose”and“Hairspray”themusicalsforSuwaneePerformingArtsandwasaselectedchoreographerforDanceCanvas’2010FallPerformanceSeriesaswellasafacultymemberforDanceCanvas’DCNextSummerIntensive

program.In2005becameacertifiedPersonalTrainerthroughNationalPersonalTrainingInstitute(NPTI)andiscurrentlyteachingatTheAtlantaDanceAcademy(TADA)andatInterfusionFitness.Marcienjoyssharingherknowledgeofdanceandfitnesstothepeoplewhosepathscrosshersand

hopestocontinuetogrowandlearnherself!

Photography by: Julie H. Grant

Marci Lefkoff

JenniferDaviswasraisedinAtlanta,GAwhereshebeganhertrainingwithhumblebeginningsatalocaldanceschoolinDecatur.Shecontinuedtopursueherpassionafterbeingacceptedon

scholarshiptoboththeAtlantaBalletandTheAlvinAileySchoolwhereshepursuedherprofessionaltraining.Afterward,JenniferreceivedherBFAindancefromTheFloridaStateUniversityandwasblessedtoworkundersuchinstructorsanddirectionofSuzanneFarrell(NYCBallet),JawoleZollar(UrbanBushWoman),andAnjaliAustin(DTH).Jenniferthenpursueddanceinseveraldifferent

avenuesfromasoloistwiththeUniversalCircus,tomorecontemporaryworkwithDanceIquail(NY)andSurfscapeContemporaryDanceTheater(FL).SheperformedmoreclassicalworkswithUrbanBalletTheater(NY),aswellasBallethnicDanceCompany.JenniferisanInstructoratEaglesLandingDanceCenter,SugarloafPerformingArts,andresidesastheExecutive/ArtisticDirectorofCityGate

DanceTheater!

Photography by Crystal Powers

Jennifer Davis

AtlantaNative,JuelD.LanereceivedhistrainingfromTri-CitiesVisualandPerformingArtshighschool,TheYouthEnsembleofAtlanta,andearnedaBFAfromtheUniversityofNorthCarolina

SchooloftheArts.HehasperformednationallyandinternationallywithRonaldK.Brown/Evidence,andcurrentlydanceswithBessieAwardwinningCamilleA.Brownanddancers.

In2012,LanebecamethefirstblackindependentAtlanta-basedchoreographerevertobecommissionedbytheAtlantaBallet,choreographingMomentsofDisforthecompany.HewasfeaturedinDanceMagazine’s“25towatch”in2013andappearedonthecoverofDanceStudioMagazinein2015.Lanehasalsoreleasedthreedancesonfilmprojects:“JustAnotherDay”,“HowtoKillaGhost”,and“WhentheBeatDrops”.LanecurrentlyhasacommissionedworkonAileyII

andDallasBlackTheatre.

Photography by: Shocphoto

Juel D. Lane

Photography by Lizzie Baker

Brittany(Whitmoyer)FishelwasborninLancaster,PennsylvaniawhereshestudiedCecchettifromanearlyage.SheattendedEastCarolinaUniversityandupongraduatingwithaBFAinDance,BrittanymovedtoNewYorkCityandpursuedperformingandchoreographingprofessionally.There,shejoinedMarianaBekerman

DanceCompany,butleftin2009inordertoestablishanddevelopbnw:dance.Asartisticdirectorofbnw:dance,BrittanyledcompanytoursthroughoutNewYorkCity,Richmond,WashingtonD.C.,Philadelphia,andChicago.In2010,thecompanywasselectedforasummerresidencyinLondon,England,andcreatedandpresented"Interrogation"withthehelpofLondonlyricist,JamesReindeer.BrittanywentontoreceiveherMFAinDance(Screendance)fromtheUniversityofMichigan,in2014.Herscreenworkhasbeenseenin

GreensboroDanceFilmFestival,Y'allywoodFilmFestival,DetroitDanceCityFestival,EnCoreDanceonFilmFestival,aswellasseveralgalleryexhibitionsacrossthecountry.Describingherwork,ArtsATLreviewed

stating:"Thefinalmomentsofsite.,whichenmesheddanceandvideo,werestunning."ShecurrentlylivesinAtlanta,wheresheisthecreatorofOpineDanceFilmFestival,andafoundingmemberofAtlantaDance

Collective.ADCstrivestoprovidegrowingopportunitiesforcollaborationinchoreographyandinvolvementforartists,bothlocallyandnationally,thoughguestartists,guestresidencies,anddancetechnologyopportunities.

TofindoutmoreaboutAtlantaDanceCollective,visitwww.atlantadancecollective.com.

Brittany Fishel

Mr.DavisreceivedsomeofhisformaltrainingattheOhioUniversityandwhileonscholarshipattheAmericanDanceFestivalandtheAileySchool.Davishasspentthelast12yearsteachingmoderntechniqueatCCCEPAatPebblebrookHS.HeiscurrentlyonfacultyattheAtlantaBalletCentreforDanceEducationandtheAtlantaDanceTheatre.Davisisahighlysought-afterinstructor/choreographer,teachingallovertheU.S.andabroad.Someengagementsinclude:2017AlabamaDanceFestival,EmoryUniversity,KennesawStateUniversity,MelbourneAustralia,Atlanta’sDanceCanvas,TheLandingDanceCentre-VancouverBC,GeorgiaBallet,GainesvilleBallet,DanceALIVENationalBallet,UniversityMissouriKC,BrenauUniversity,OhioUniversity,ProjectDanceNYC-ATL,AlabamaStateUniversity,Ruth

MitchellDanceTheatre,RefugeDanceCompanyandGeorgia’sGovernorsHonorsProgram.Lonniehadthepleasureofcreatingnewworksforhis“dancehome”,KansasCitybased-WylliamsHenryContemporaryDanceCompany.Lonniealso,traveledtoLeedswherehewasinvitedtoteachamasterclassesforEngland’spremierecontemporarydance

company-PhoenixDanceTheatre.AsaperformerLonniehasdancedandtrainedwithDaytonContemporaryDanceCo,GusGiordanoDanceChicago,Wylliams/HenryContemporaryDanceCompanyandRoyalCaribbeanProductionstonameafew.Mr.Davishasdancedworksbyseveralnotablechoreographers.Someinclude:GusGiordano,Margo

Sappington,JamesTruitte,RodRodgers;KevinIegaJeff;SeanCurran;TalleyBeatty,LeniWylliams;andLesterHorton.Mr.Davisrecentlyreturnedtothestage,inalabanotationreconstructionoftheLesterHortonclassicmodernduet

“TheBeloved”.Summer2017Daviscompletedatwo-weekHortonPedagogyteacherstrainingattheAileySchoolwithHortonMasterTeacherMrs.Ana-MarieForsythe.LonnieisthrilledtobepartofDanceCanvas’10thAnniversary

season.

Photography by John Ridings

Lonnie E. Davis Jr.

AnnaleeTraylorisafreelancecreator/choreographerandteachingartistoriginallyfromHuntsville,AL.SheisahighschoolgraduateoftheNorthCarolinaSchooloftheArtsandobtainedherBFAfromPointParkUniversity.DuringhertimeinPittsburgh,shebecameafoundingmemberoftheAugustWilsonCenterDanceEnsemble(top25inDanceMagazine)wheresheestablishedherprofessionalroots.Herworkhas

beenpresentedatvariousvenuesandcuratedshowcasesaroundthecountryandabroadincludingHighwaysPerformanceSpace(LosAngeles),HudsonGuildTheatre(NYC),Maaspoduim(RotterdamNLD),TheDanceAlloy(Pgh),DanceCanvas(Atl),newMovescontemporarydancefestival(Pgh),LosAngeles

DanceFestival,andTheYoungChoreographer'sFestival(NYC)amongothers.Herdancefilm“theninety9”receivedthirdplaceattheFrontandMainFestivalinTemecula,CAandhasbeenshowninSeattle,

Brooklyn,Rome,BattleLake,MN,andattheAmericanDanceFestival.ThispastJune,shewaschosentoparticipateinasix-weekchoreographicresidencyunderesteemedchoreographerRosannaGamson.

CommissionsincludeTextureContemporaryBallet,InfraDanceCompany,anda45-minuteworkforREEDDANCE.InNovember,shebeginsamonth-longresidencywithREEDDance2.Annaleefeelsapersonalresponsibilitytoshareherpassionandknowledgewithyoungergenerations.Shehastaughtmaster

classes,beenonfacultyatnumeroussummerintensives,andbeenaresidentteachingartistatschoolsontheeastandwestcoasts.

Formoreinformationpleasevisitwww.annaleetraylor.com

Photography by Alfred Oliver

Annalee Traylor

OriginallyfromColumbus,OhiocurrentlylivinginAtlanta,GA.BeganhertrainingatPinnellDanceCentreinGahanna,Ohiofortenyears.ShelaterattendedandgraduatedwithaBAdegreefromTheUniversityofAkronmajoringindance.AttheUniversityofAkron,VanessatrainedtechniquessuchasBallet,Grahammoderntechnique,Jazz,Tap,Choreography,DanceHistoryandMusic.In2002,shedecidedtochaseherdreamsandmovetoAtlanta.ShestartedteachingatTazzSchoolofDanceandafterschoolprogramsandworkedherwaytochoreographingforseveralcompetitivedance

studios.ShecurrentlyteachesatStudioAtlanta,ADWest,AcademyoftheArtsandNorthGADanceandMusic.Forthelastthreeyears,shetaughtTapandJazzwithDanceCanvasfortheCityof

AtlantaMayorReed’sArtscoolSummerProgram.Shealsoperforms“BringinTapBack”aroundtheAtlantametroareafortelevisionshows,communityfestivalswithlivebands.Shecurrentlyteaches

TapMasterClassesforSteppStewart’sDanceConvention,judgesforhisdancecompetitionDynamiteandassistswithTheChocolettes.Shestrivestodoevenmorethroughoutthecommunity

withhertalentandmakeotherchildren’sdreamscometrueindance.

Photography by: John James

Vanessa Chisolm

Lara Davis

LaraDavisisarecentgraduateoftheUniversityofGeorgiawithdegreesinDanceScienceandPsychologyandaminorinDance.ShebeganherdancetrainingatagefourattheTolbertYilmazSchoolofDanceinRoswell,GeorgiawhereshewasamemberoftheRoswellDanceTheatrestudentcompanyforeightyears.LarahasattendedsummerdanceintensivesacrossthecountryincludingAmericanBalletTheatreinOrangeCounty,TheRockSchool,JoffreyBalletSchool,DanceCanvas,theNationalChoreographyIntensive,andtheGeorgiaGovernor’sHonorsProgram.In2013,herchoreographywaspresentedattheSoutheasternRegionalBalletAssociationFestival.In2016,shechoreographedforthestudentfilm“Capriole”,whichwasawardedtheDean'sHorizonAwardatthe2016EMSTFilmFestivalattheUniversityofGeorgiaandwasselectedtobepresentedatthe2016River'sEdgeInternationalFilmFestivalinPaducah,KY.ShehasperformedwithRefugeDanceCompanyinMariettaandDance

CanvasinAtlanta.Currently,LaradanceswithTheGeorgiaBalletinMariettaandteachesinthemetro-Atlantaarea.LarabeganherjourneywithDanceCanvasbackin2009afterviewingtheveryfirstDance

CanvasAnnualPerformanceSeries.Thefollowingsummer,sheattendedtheinauguralDCNextSummerChoreographicIntensivewhereherchoreographywasselectedtobeperformedatthefinalshowcase.ShelaterreturnedtoDanceCanvasasaninternduringthesummerof2014andasadancerin“BetweenWorlds”byTracyVogtinthe2012PerformanceSeries,piecesbyLonnieDavisandTracyVogtinthe2013CocktailsandChoreographyShowcase,and“OutofDarkness”byLindsayFritzinthe

2017PerformanceSeries.SheishonoredtobewearingmanyhatsduringtheDanceCanvas10thAnniversarySeasonasanAdministrativeAssistant,dancer,andchoreographer.

Photography by: Haena Choi

Lindsay Fritz

LindsaybeganhertrainingintheMetroAtlantaareaattheageof3inballet,tap,jazzandcontemporary.AmajorityofherearlytrainingcamefromtheGreatgigDanceCo.whereshestudiedwithTammyEverhartandDawnParker.Inthesummerof2003LindsayperformedintheshowBreaktheFloorinNYC.Sheisagraduateofthe

UniversityofGeorgiawithaB.SinPsychologyandaminorinDanceEducationtakingrelatedcoursesin:Ballet,Modern,Tap/Rhythm/Analysisanddancepedagogy.WhileattheUniversity,shewasabletotrainwithBalaSarasvati,RebeccaGoseandMark

Wheeler.Aftergraduating,LindsayreturnedtoKennesaw,Gatobeginteachingdance.ShenowteachesclassallovertheMetroAtlantaarea.Inthesummersshereceives

supplementaltrainingfromBroadwayDanceCenterTeacherworkshopandtheDanceTeacherSummit.Lindsayhaschoreographedmanyawardingwinningpieces.Her

pieceshaveperformedalloverthesoutheastatfestivalsincludingPiccoloSpoleto.Shewasa2017DanceCanvasemergingchoreographerparticipate.