24/25 Season Choreographers
Learn about RDC's 2024/25 Guest Choreographers, who will be creating new works alongside six original premieres by RDC Company Dancers for Collective Realities, and an original evening-length work choreographed by Artistic Director Emily Haussler.
See Annie's work in Entry Points, Nov. 8th - 9th at Berges Theatre
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Sign up for her Gaga Master Class on August 24th at Webster University
Annie Rigney
New York City, NY
Annie Rigney is a New York based dancer, choreographer, Gaga teacher and Ilan Lev Method therapist. Her choreographic interest and movement research lies in the intersection between extreme physicality and healing; In the conflict between the need for art to challenge and destroy and the simultaneous healing and uniting power of movement. Annie is an Alumnus of the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. She danced with the Batsheva Ensemble under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin, toured internationally with Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company and was a cast member of Punchdrunk's immersive theater production, Sleep No More, from 2015-2019. In April, 2023 Annie premiered a new choreographic work, "Get Up, My Daughter," commissioned by and created for the Martha Graham Dance Company and presented at the Joyce Theater. Her choreographic work, “Galithea" was featured as a part of the 92nd Street Y’s Future Dance Festival and performed at the Joyce Theater. Annie was a guest choreographer for the Fall Concert at SUNY Purchase 2021, a recipient of the Moving Women Residency from Gallim Dance, a 2023 CUNY Grant recipient, and a choreographic fellow for Robert Battle's New Directions Choreographic Fellowship program at the Alvin Ailey School. Annie is a current Artist in Residence at the 92nd Street Y and premiered her recent evening-length work entitled, "...she was becoming untethered." at the newly renovated Buttenweiser Hall. She is an adjunct professor at the Alvin Ailey School and the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance and teaches Gaga at Gibney Dance Center, and Mark Morris Dancer, among others. She has been an Ilan Lev Method practitioner for 12 years and runs a private practice treating dancers and musicians for injuries and functional limitations.
See Kia's work in Entry Points, Nov. 8th - 9th at Berges Theatre​
Kia Smith
Chicago, IL
Kia S. Smith is a Chicago native and is the Founder/Director of Vision and Strategy for South Chicago Dance Theatre. As a freelance choreographer, her recent and upcoming commissions include Madison Ballet (2021), Chicago Repertory Ballet (2022), Houston Contemporary Dance Company (2023), Chicago Opera Theater (2022, 2023), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2023), Giordano Dance Chicago (2023), Western Michigan University (2023), New Dance Partners (2024), James Madison University (2024), Columbia College Chicago (2024) and Opera Laguna (2024). Her works have been presented at the historic Auditorium Theatre of Chicago, the Harris Theater For Music and Dance, at Sons D’Hiver Jazz Festival in Paris, France, Art Ez University in Arnhem, Netherlands, in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia, Grand Valley State University, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and others. Kia’s first evening length work Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley was lauded a “tour de force” by See Chicago Dance and she was recently named a “rising star” by Chicago Magazine and one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch for 2024. Kia is grateful to Emily for the opportunity to create a new work for Resilience Dance this season!
See Vim Vigor's new work in Entry Points, Nov. 8th - 9th at Berges Theatre​
Shannon Gillen - Vim Vigor
Ann Arbor, MI
Shannon Gillen is the artistic director of VIM VIGOR (US). Her creative work has been commissioned across the USA, Canada, Central America, South America, Nordic countries and Europe. Projects include commissions by L.A. Dance Project, fashion label PHELAN for NY Fashion Week, DANCEworks at the Lobero Theatre, Hubbard Street 2, Gibney Dance Company, Over het lj in the Netherlands, Jacob's Pillow Festival, ICA in Boston, Ruvuelo in Chile, Boston Dance Theater, Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, the International Solo-Tanz Theater Festival in Stuttgart, the TIF theater in Kassel, de Danseurs in NL, as a THINK BIG choreographer-in-residence at Staatsoper Hannover and at Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton where she was a choreographer in residence; notable festivals and venues where her work has been seen include Springboard Danse Festival in Montreal, New York Live Arts, Prisma Festival in Panama, Judson Church, PULSE Art Fair/Art Basel, Bryant Park, NYC's River to River Festival, Perry Mansfield, and The Joyce. Gillen's latest work PUNCHLINE premiered at dock 11 in Berlin, before touring to the Arthur Miller Theater in Michigan, and with Gibney Presents at the Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center in NYC. She was recently commissioned to create work at the IUA in Reykjavik, Iceland that premiered in May 2024. 2024 / 2025 commissions include b12 Festival, the The University of Limerick, and the IAB in Spain. Dedicated to educating and learning from the next generation of artists, Gillen is an Associate Professor of Dance at The University of Michigan and via her company VIM VIGOR offers physical dance theater training in the USA, with annual winter and summer programming. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School and earned her MFA from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. www.vimvigordance.com
See Vim Vigor's new work in Entry Points, Nov. 8th - 9th at Berges Theatre​
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Sign up for Jason's Master Class on September 14th, 3:30 - 5pm at SLAD
Jason Ciancuilli - Vim Vigor
Ann Arbor, MI
Jason Reese C. is a Psycho-Physical Theatre Artist whose research is grounded in Floorwork, Partnering and Physical Theatre Methodology. He is a founding member and co-choreographer of VIM VIGOR and has taught at various institutions including The Juilliard School, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, the University of Michigan, Barnard College, the IUA in Reykjavik, and Columbia University. Additionally he has collaborated with Shannon Gillen on creations for LA Dance Project, Gibney Dance Company, Boston Dance Theater, b12 Festival and Springboard Danse Montreal. Jason received his BFA at SUNY Purchase and returned to the school to teach as an Adjunct Professor. Jason received his MFA from U-M and now serves as a LEO in U-M’s dance department. Jason previously was a Performer and Rehearsal Director with Sleep No More NYC.
See Victoria's new work in Entry Points, Nov. 8th - 9th at Berges Theatre​
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Sign up for Victoria's Master Class on October 5th, 3:30 - 5pm at SLAD
Victoria Awkward
Boston, MA
Victoria Lynn Awkward is a multi-hyphenate creator, administrator, educator and the Director of VLA DANCE. She pursued her multiple interests at Goucher College and graduated with high honors in Dance, Visual Art and Secondary Education. As the Director of VLA DANCE she is researching how to lead with joy, pleasure, and breath in and outside of art making practices. This work is guided through the lineage of Black and queer liberation practitioners. Under VLA DANCE she is currently creating, For Nina and In The Space Between. Alongside directing VLA DANCE, Victoria is a freelance artist, who most recently choreographed for Huntington Theater, Company One Theatre, Boston Lyric Opera, and Commonwealth Shakespeare. Victoria is also an educator having worked at Salem State University, Brown University, West End House, Middlesex School, and Urbanity Dance. She continues to deepen her teaching practices as a mentee with Midday Movement Series. Victoria is currently a Brother Thomas Fellow, and recipient of the Next Steps for Boston Grant Dance Program as well as a recipient of the Queer (Re)public Theater Offensive Residency. Through her work she aims to inspire people to pause and reflect on their actions towards themselves, their community and their environment.
See Rosanna's 2023 work, deluge, Nov. 8th - 9th at Berges Theatre
Rosanna Tavarez
Los Angeles, CA
Rosanna Tavarez received an MFA in Choreography from The Ohio State University and a BFA in Choreography from University of Michigan. She has a diverse background as a performer/entertainer and has had the honor of working with Marina Ambramovic, Ryan Heffington, Travis Payne, Tony Michaels and Rosanna Gamson/Worldwide. She also toured with N’SYNC and Jessica Simpson as one-fifth of the girl group Eden’s Crush and covered the Emmys, Grammys and Oscars in addition to hosting her own shows as a television personality for FOX, E!, TVGuide Network, and Telemundo/NBC.
As a dance educator, Tavarez is on faculty at CalArts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance. She has taught as faculty and guest artist at numerous institutions including USC Kaufman School of Dance, University of Michigan, Loyola Marymount University, Scripps College, CalState Long Beach, Studio School, University of Southern Mississippi, Texas State University and Cal State LA.
She also creates her own work under the moniker LA DANSA DANSA. This work has been presented at The Broad Museum, ODC Theatre, REDCAT, Dance Camera West, The Odyssey, Breaking Ground Dance Festival, LA Department of Cultural Affair’s LA Dance Platform, Sarasota Contemporary Dance and Highways Performance Space.
See Will's new work in RDC's Spring Concert April 11th - 13th at Intersect Arts Center.​​
Will Brighton
St. Louis, MO
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