Renée Austin (she/her), a Chicago native, began dancing in 2004 at Mayfair Dance Academy under direction of Peggy Sutton, receiving further training with Diverse Elements Dance Studio, Arizona School for the Arts, Velocity Dance Center, and Spectrum Dance Theater’s Academy Program. Graduating from Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in Dance and minor in Psychology (2023), Renée explores connecting dance with other art forms, merging various dance styles, and how human experiences inform her movement. A multifaceted performing artist, she has learned from and worked with many artists and organizations, including Donald Byrd, Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Anthony “Redd” Williams, Cecil Slaughter, David Marchant, Dr. Joanna Dee Das, Christina Morrison, Kyla Kikkawa, Tiala Taylor, MJ Imani, Aaliyah Weston, Ashley Tate, Melanie George, Eva Stone, Keyes Wiley, Erin Morris, Maria Majors, Caroline Gonsalves Bertho, Ryadah Heiskell, Elinor Harrison, Kendra Key, Heather Beal, COCA, Keshon Campbell Films, STL Rhythm Collaborative, Anheuser-Busch, Pack Dance, Utopia Experiences, The Black Rep, and St. Louis Artist’s Guild. She performs and choreographs for RnB artist KBtheSinger, and has worked with music artists Jasmin Savoy, Keshon Campbell, Hana Canhasi, and Faith Miller. Recently, Renée performed at the triennial ELCA Youth Gathering for over 16,000 people at Smoothie King Stadium in New Orleans. This is her second season with RESILIENCE.