Natalie Dixon

Natalie Dixon is a senior double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Dance Science from Annapolis, Maryland. She has recently performed in last years production of Dancing in the Landscape, as well as the fall dance concert, Unboxed, and the spring dance concert, Emanation. Natalie also choreographed a piece in this year’s production of Dancing in the Landscape. She is excited for the upcoming season of performances!

Forrest Hershey

Forrest is a dance artist, educator, choreographer, and mentor. They received their MFA from The Ohio State University (OSU). While at OSU they were awarded with the Graduate Associate Teaching Award, the Helen P Atkire Scholarship, the Alumni Grants for Graduate Research and Scholarship, and led the curation team for the international dance film festival DANCE@30FPS.

Prior to attending OSU, Forrest was a member of the West Virginia Dance Company (WVDC) for five seasons, touring throughout West Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region. With WVDC, they danced in multicultural STEAM performances, taught arts-integrated workshops for over ten thousand students in K-12 schools annually, and assisted with the company’s marketing.

Forrest has been teaching dance classes in Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Movement Analysis, Stretch & Conditioning, and Improvisation. Forrest has been on faculty at Elon University, The Ohio State University, American Dance Festival’s Samuel H. Scripps Studios, Hillsborough Cheer Dance & Gymnastics, Starpath Dance Academy, Heartfelt Pole Studio, Valley Dance Studio, and the Academy of Arts at January’s.

Forrest’s award-winning choreography has been presented at Elon University, Florida State University, Valencia College, the West Virginia Dance Festival, the Huntington Dance Festival, and at various dance competitions. Forrest has performed works by renowned choreographers including Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Jon Lehrer, Talley Beatty, David Parsons, Pearl Primus, Bebe Miller, Gerri Houlihan and Doug Varone. They have appeared as a guest performer with Carolina Dance Center, Ballet and Performing Arts Center, Beckley Dance Theatre, Huntington Dance Theatre, Legacy Dance Company, Valencia College and appeared on Season 16 of So You Think You Can Dance.

www.ForrestHershey.com

Lisa M. Hines

Lisa M. Hines, based in Greensboro, NC, is a choreographer, artist, and Latin social dance instructor originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. She holds an M.F.A. in Choreography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has choreographed musical theatre productions, including Spring Awakening and Lucky Stiff, along with directing her own installation, Enroachment. Lisa has danced with Dance Theatre of the World, K’Lokoe Salsa Project, and Rock City Ritmo Salsa, and founded Gate City Latin Dance to advance Latin dance in her community. Currently Adjunct Faculty at Elon University, her work explores interdisciplinary, site-specific performance and fosters inclusive community engagement through dance.

Jasmine Powell

Jasmine Powell, a Creative Expressionist from Hillsborough, North Carolina, offers embodied dance artistry and connection. Locally trained, she continued her artistry at Philadanco and beyond, studying, performing, and choreographing, and is a resident dancer with KT Collective and Moving Spirit Inc. dance companies. Jasmine consistently studies in Africa, South America, and Europe, holding an Oberlin College B.A. and a Hollins University M.F.A. in collaboration with ADF, and Frankfurt University Music and Performing Arts. Currently a professor at Elon University, Jasmine also connects with her community through her choreographic premieres and international dance films and festivals, highlighting Approximation of a Woman, Flightless Doves, and Self Un/En Titled, performed at the Carolina Performing Arts, Commons Festival as co-curator. As a creative director, Jasmine has learned the value of diasporic cultural history found in the body’s personal story and acknowledges the validity of the work she engages with through a creative expressionist lens.

Myah Shepherd

Myah Shepherd is a Junior originally from Coral Springs, Florida. Pursuing a double major in Dance Performance and Choreography and Arts Administration with a minor in Business Administration. Last year she performed in Fall Dance Concert and Spring Dance Concert. This is her first time choreographing for an Elon University production and is so excited to be co-choreographing alongside Lila Snodgrass. This has been such an amazing experience and she hopes you enjoy the show.

Lila Snodgrass

Lila Snodgrass is a senior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pursuing a double major in Dance Performance and Choreography and Mathematics. This semester, Lila is choreographing for Dancing In The Landscape and choreographing for and performing in the Fall Dance Concert. Additionally, as a Lumen Scholar, Lila is developing a concert to highlight her research on the intersection between math and dance through knot theory under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Scherich. Lila is honored and excited to be part of this performance!

Ella Stewart

Ella Stewart is a Junior at Elon University pursuing a BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography and BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration. She is from Columbia, South Carolina. This past summer, Ella attended American Dance Festival, where she performed in a Cunningham piece in ADF’s Repertory Showcase and presented choreography in the Student Choreo Showcase. On campus, Ella is also involved in College Fellows, Student Union Board, and New Student Orientation. This fall, she is very excited to present choreography in Dancing in the Landscape and perform in Fall Dance Concert!

Anaya Agard

Anaya is a Senior Dance Performance & Choreography and Arts Administration double major from Norwalk CT. She trained in ballet at The New England Academy of Dance starting at 5 years old. At Elon, Anaya has studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where she performed at the Florence Dance Festival. She has professional performance experience including a featured solo in a piece presented on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Live Show. This year, she will be performing in Dancing in the Landscape, the Fall Dance Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert. She is so excited to share her love of dance with you!!

Blakely Boles

Blakely Boles, originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, is pursuing a double major in Dance Performance & Choreography and Arts Administration. She trained at the Academy of Dance Arts for fifteen years before continuing her education at Elon. She has previously been a part of Dancing in the Landscape and Spring Dance Concert, and is excited for more performance opportunities at Elon!

Izzy Carl

Izzy Carl is a First-Year BFA Dance Performance and Choreography major from Pennsylvania. Her favorite performance opportunities so far were dancing at the Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival at Drexel University and in the Philadelphia Performance Garage for Nickerson Rossi Dance Company. During her time in high school, she directed and choreographed three Choreography Concerts and used the proceeds for multiple mental health and animal charities. She is so excited to be dancing in her first performance at Elon!

Laila Cottman

Laila Cottman is a sophomore currently majoring in Strategic Communications with a minor in Dance. Prior to her commitment to Elon, she trained for over a decade at her home studio in Delaware, Dance4Life School of the Arts and Training Institute. Laila had the opportunity to train during the summer at PHILADANCO! and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She has had the honor of performing in local and nationally televised events like Le Dîner en Blanc Wilmington and The National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. Laila has proven to be an impactful performer and hopes to touch every audience she meets.

Maddie Fuller

Maddie Fuller is a First-Year Dance Science major from Parker, Colorado. She dances a variety of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary. She has performed in many roles over her 15 years of dance experience but her favorites have been Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and the Russian Soloist in The Nutcracker. She is eager to merge her loves for dance and science through the program here at Elon and looks forward to the opportunities that are yet to come!

Simone Goldenberg

From Vienna, Virginia, Simone Goldenberg is a Sophomore pursuing the Dance Performance and Choreography BFA. She has performed in Dancing In The Landscape, Dance Composition ll & lll Showing, Elon’s Finest Fall Showcase, Elon Cares Benefit Cabaret, Emanation, Spring Dance Concert, and Elon’s Finest Spring Showcase in her time at Elon University so far. Between her first and sophomore year, she trained at intensives with Motion X Dance Company, CLI Conservatory, and the 312 Intensive in addition to performing at the A.C.E. Awards. Inspired for her sophomore year, Simone is excited to dive deeper into her favorite art form.

Lulna Ghirmai

Lulna Ghirmai is from Fulton, Maryland and is a first-year here at Elon University. She is a well trained dancer with a background in all styles. Some of her highlights include dancing with the All-County and All-State Dance Ensemble, dancing with two companies, and performing in the Maryland Public High School Dance Showcase. She also enjoyed her countless years dancing competitively with her home studio. Lulna is beyond excited to begin her dance journey at Elon and for the many years to come!

Alyssabelle Lasecki

Alyssabelle Lasecki is a part of DanceWorks and Elon’s Finest HipHop Team. She has been in the fall and spring showcases for DanceWorks, and the fall and spring showcases for Finest. Alyssabelle is a double major in Statistics and Dance and she is hoping to blend the two fields together in her Honors research project.

Hannah Louis

Hannah Louis is a First-Year from Northern Virginia and is majoring in Dance Performance & Choreography as well as Psychology. She trained for 14 years with Ashburn Academy of Dance, and competed for 9 years with the Edge Performance Company. Hannah can’t wait for the upcoming year, and is so thrilled to be at Elon continuing her dance and choreography journey!

Carlyn Moore

Carlyn Moore, from Bainbridge Island, Washington, is a first-year Dance Performance and Choreography Major. Her recent roles include Diana in Sylvia and Sugarplum in The Nutcracker with Sunny Hsieh (Canyon Concert Ballet). She received her training at Bainbridge Ballet where she also performed tap, contemporary, jazz, and self-choreographed pieces. In addition to performing, she enjoyed teaching classes at Bainbridge Ballet and acting as the student liaison on Bainbridge Ballet Performance Group’s board, where she organized several community outreach fundraisers and directed, choreographed, and performed for their student choreography showcase. Carlyn is excited to pursue dance at Elon!

Abigail Mulvaney

Abigail Mulvaney is a Junior majoring in Accounting and Economics and minoring in Dance. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Abigail grew up dancing at multiple studios including West End Academy of Dance. Abigail has enjoyed furthering her passion and artistry while at Elon through participation in classes, student choreography, and extracurricular involvement.

Madelyn Neal

Madelyn Neal is a first-year BFA Dance Major and is so excited to be a part of her first Elon University production! Her favorite roles include Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker) and the Fall Fairy (Cinderella). Madelyn is a choreographer for her home studio, Design In Motion, and for her high school dance company. She is so grateful to be a part of the Elon Dance community. Madelyn would like to especially thank her family for all of their unwavering support through her artistic journey. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Benta Owino

Benta is a lifelong dancer trained in classical ballet, tap, contemporary, and pointe. She studied at The Ballet Theatre of Maryland’s Conservatory, performing in professional productions including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Passionate about sharing dance beyond the stage, she has choreographed and performed original works for high school plays and cultural outreach events, bringing movement and joy to her local community. As an Arts Angels Ambassador and Rob Sutton Young Artist Award recipient, Benta brings dance to diverse audiences with joy and purpose.

Ashley Rossignol

Ashley danced with Franklin School for the Performing Arts and appeared in shows such as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. She also trained with The Carolina Ballet, Butler Ballet, and The Rock School of Dance.

Hannah Rouse

Hannah Rouse is a first-year in the Dance Performance & Choreography BFA. She’s been a dancer for sixteen years and has attended competitions all over the east coast. Hannah is also an award-winning, published writer of poetry and creative nonfiction essays. When she’s not dancing or writing, you can find Hannah collecting stuffed dinosaurs and lip gloss.

Sophie Sanchez

Sophie Sanchez is a first year student majoring in Dance Science. She has been dancing for 16 years and her favorite styles of dance are ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and jazz. She is so happy that she is able to keep dancing in college and is really excited to be a part of Dancing in The Landscape and to be performing on campus. Sophie would like to say thank you to her family and friends for supporting her love for dance and for coming to watch this performance. She hopes you enjoy Dancing in The Landscape!

Summey Satterfield

Summey Satterfield is a first-year from Gastonia, North Carolina. She is double-majoring in Dance Science and Public Health. Summey is looking forward to progressing and growing in dance here at Elon.

Lilly Sears

Lilly Sears is currently a Senior at Elon University. She is pursuing a major in Dance Performance and Choreography with two minors in Psychology and Expressive Arts. At Elon University she has participated in their shows Dancing in the Landscape, Fall Dance Concert, Black History Month Concert, and the Spring Dance Concert. Lilly is from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina where she was trained in ballet, modern, and jazz. She is excited to be a part of this amazing show.

Max Stavnezer

Max Stavnezer is a first-year Dance Science major from Ohio. He was trained at Tamala Taylor Academy of Dance in the styles of contemporary, jazz, ballet, and tap. He has passed 5 levels of Cecchetti ballet exams. Max was an assistant teacher at his studio for 3 years. One of his greatest dance accomplishments is winning the title of Mr. Dance of Ohio in 2024, and competing at the Dance Masters of America national competition. He has also attended the Point Park International Summer Dance Intensive 2 years in a row. Max is very excited to continue dancing at Elon.

Gianna Stedjan

Gianna Stedjan is a First-Year BFA Dance Performance & Choreography major from New York. Gianna is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and actress. Her favorite performances includes a piece called “Rely on Time To..” by Maya Redding and The Music Man as Marian Paroo! Her favorite things that she has choreographed are Rock of Ages and a solo called “Movement”. She is very excited to participate in her first performance at Elon!

Ellie Weston

Ellie Weston is a First-Year at Elon University, double majoring in dance and professional writing. She comes from a competitive dance background, where she trained in many different styles and techniques. Furthermore, she has been in many theatre productions and thoroughly enjoys the stage. This is her first performance with Elon, and she is excited to continue with more.

Katie Williams

Katie is an Arts Administration major with a minor in dance. She currently has been training and working at Dance Project NC along with her studies at Elon.

Alydia Wheeler

Alydia Wheeler, a Junior from Locust, North Carolina, has a passion for dance and performance. She has trained in multiple styles and enjoys expressing creativity through movement. This fall, she will perform in Echoes and Currents, Elon University’s Fall Dance Concert, and is excited to be part of this years Dancing in the Landscape.