Spring Dance 2024
Department of Theatre and Dance
Daniel Gurskis, Dean, College of the Arts
Kathleen Kelley, Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance
Artistic and Cast Biographies
Kyle Abraham (Choreographer - Artistic Director, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham) and his choreography have been featured in Document Journal, Vanity Fair, Ebony, Kinfolk, O Magazine, Vogue, and Vogue UK, amongst other publications. Abraham is the proud recipient of a Dance Magazine Award (2022), Princess Grace Statue Award (2018), Doris Duke Award (2016), and MacArthur Fellowship (2013). In addition to performing and developing new works for his company, Abraham has been commissioned by a wide variety of dance companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The National Ballet of Cuba, New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, and The Royal Ballet. He serves as the Claude and Alfred Mann Endowed Professor in Dance at The University of Southern California (USC) Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (2021-). Abraham sits on the advisory board for Dance Magazine and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the inaugural Black Genius Brain Trust, and the inaugural cohort of the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a partnership between the Prada Group, Theaster Gates Studio, Dorchester Industries, and Rebuild Foundation.
Matthew Baker (Répétiteur - Artistic Engagement Manager, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, he/him) hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received his BFA in dance from Western Michigan University in 2008 and was the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from his Alma Mater in 2014. Prior to his current position, Matthew danced with A.I.M 2011-2019 as well as serving as Choreographic Associate before transitioning to Rehearsal Director in 2019. Before coming to A.I.M, Matthew danced for Mark Dendy, Keith Thompson, and from 2009-2014 with Keigwin + Company under the Artistic Direction of Larry Keigwin and co-founder Nicole Wolcott.
Stefanie Batten Bland (Choreographer) 2023 Dance Magazine Cover Artist, Creative Capital Awardee, and 2022 BAM NEXT WAVE choreographer, Stefanie Batten Bland, a global maker, exhibits a unique blend of African American flamboyance and European sensibility. She situates her work at the intersection of immersive & dance-theatre in live and cinematic settings. Based in New York City, she founded Company SBB in France in 2008 and is a longstanding Baryshnikov Arts Center artist in residence. KOLONIAL, her 2021 dance film, has won 13 film festival awards and was nominated for three Bessies. SBB is Casting, and Movement Director for Emursive's McKittrick productions, serves as Performance and Identity Consultant for Sleep No More, Movement Director for Eve’s Song, Public Theater. SBB was Head Choreographer of the Paris Opera Comique. As a performer, Batten Bland has danced for Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wüppertal, PunchDrunk, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Compagnie Georges Momboye, Compagnie Linga and Pal Frenak. SBB received her MFA in interdisciplinary arts (concentration performance creation) from Goddard College, is an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and lives in SoHo with her family.
Cat Cogliandro (Choreographer - they/them) holds a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from the University of Arizona. They have worked with renowned artists such as Cherice Barton, Phillip Chbeeb, Tyce Diorio, Ian Eastwood, Sonya Tayeh, and more. Cat's education extends across both concert and commercial dance spectrums and continues to evolve. Featured in prestigious publications like The New York Times, Dance Spirit Magazine, and Dance Magazine, they have also been a guest on various podcasts. Beyond their expansive career, Cat passionately engages in education and advocacy work, striving to foster safer and more inclusive spaces in both the dance industry and education at large. As a choreographer, Cat seeks to weave compelling narratives in collaboration with fellow artists, utilizing these stories as catalysts for ongoing advocacy efforts within the dance community and beyond. Currently, Cat is on faculty at the Joffrey Ballet School, Broadway Dance Center, and Steps on Broadway, and is represented by LDC Artist Representation.
Khalid Dunton (Répétiteur Assistant) was born and raised in Washington DC/Maryland. In 2020, Dunton completed his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance as well as a Minor in Business from Montclair State University. Dunton has performed with dance companies such as: Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater(2021), McKoy Dance Project(2022), and Carolyn Dorfman Dance(2021-2023). During 2021, Dunton worked as a professional dancer in the iconic Black Iris Project which received a New York Emmy Award for WILD: Bird of Paradise. Along his dance journey, Dunton had the privilege of performing works by Martha Graham, Stacey Tookey, Juel D. Lane, Bill T. Jones, Carolyn Dorfman, Danial Shapiro and Joanie Smith, Maxine Steinman, Christian von Howard, Earl Mosley, and many more. Dunton has performed in numerous spaces such as the Joyce Theater, Alexander Kasser Theater, Bryant Park, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), UTC Fine Arts Center and more. Showcasing his diversity, Dunton had the opportunity to work with celebrity artist, Todrick Hall, featured as a dancer in his music video WIG. Within the midst of his career, Dunton has trained and worked in the commercial dance industry alongside Dana Foglia, James Alonzo, and Yanis Marshall. Dunton strives to improve his artistry as a performer and is grateful to be succeeding in his career.
Marlene Hamm (Costume Designer) Marlene Olson Hamm is a dance costumer based out of Rahway, NJ. She has most recently worked with Paul Taylor Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre, Nashville Ballet and New York City Ballet. She spends the summers as the costume director for the Vail Dance Festival collaborating with choreographers such as Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham, Caili Quan, Ephrat Asherie, and Melissa Toogood. Marlene has also designed costumes for Merce Cunningham Revivals as part of the festival. One of her longest collaborators is with Tom Gold Dance, focusing on recycled materials. Her T.V. Work includes the wardrobe supervisor for P.B.S.’ 50th Anniversary of Great Performances, and she can be seen in Disney Plus’ series On Pointe.
Gaspard Louis (Choreographer) Founder/Artistic Director of the Durham based company Gaspard&Dancers (G&D). He received a BFA in dance from Montclair State University and continued his dance studies on scholarship at Gus Giordano's in Chicago and Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab in New York. Following his studies, he joined the New York based company called AllNations where he performed traditional dances from many parts of the world for US troupes across the globe. Subsequently, he joined Pilobolus and traveled worldwide with the company. In 2012, Gaspard received an MFA from the Hollins University/American Dance Festival Program and became the Director of ADF’s year-round creative movement outreach program. Since forming G&D he has created over 25 works, which have been shared with audiences around the world. Additionally, Gaspard has been a guest teacher and choreographer at University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), Duke, Elon and North Carolina Central Universities.
Cameron McKinney (Choreographer) With more than 17 years of Japanese language study,Cameron founded and directs Kizuna Dance with the mission of using contemporary floorwork to create dance works for those who want to connect, and for those who feel we are all already connected, using both the similarities and divergences – linguistic, historical, aesthetic – between the American and Japanese cultures as primary drivers. He was recently selected as a 2019-20 U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellow to collaborate with renowned Japanese choreographer Toru Shimazaki and present work in showcases in Japan. He has also been a Choreography Fellow at The School at Jacob’s Pillow, a Hearst Choreographer-in-Residence at Princeton University, an Alvin Ailey Foundation New Directions Choreography Lab Fellow, and an Asian Cultural Council Individual Grantee. Through Kizuna Dance, Cameron has also presented work and taught in twenty states and in Mexico, France, the UK, and in Japan in the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Tokyo. His commissions include The Ailey School, Princeton University, SALT Link Festival, twice from the Joffrey Ballet School, twice from the Let’s Dance International Frontiers Festival (UK), Slippery Rock University, The Dance Gallery Festival, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Bates College, among numerous others. His teaching credits include Adjunct & Visiting Lecturer positions at Princeton University, Bard College, and Queensborough Community College. He has taught on faculty at Gibney Dance since 2016, and has taught for festivals nationally and internationally. Each year, he organizes Kizuna Dance’s Open Intensive, a week of day-long intensives made entirely free for all participants, featuring high-quality dance education provided by the company artists of Kizuna Dance.
Marsha Guirlande Pierre (Répétiteur - Bronx, New York) is a Haitian-American freelance artist who began her dance training at Knecht Dance Academy (Levittown, Pennsylvania) under
the direction of Elise Knecht. From Montclair State University, she graduated with a BFA
in Dance Performance in 2019. Throughout college, Ms. Pierre has performed works by
Camille A. Brown, Bill T. Jones, Daniel Shapiro and Joanie Smith, and Alwin Nikolais.
Since graduating, she has worked with Gaspard & Dancers as well as Maxine Steinmein & Dancers. She joined Limón Dance Company as an apprentice during their 2019-2020 season. Ms. Pierre also interned for Sidra Bell Dance New York, and was a resident artist of ARTS by the People, a non-profit organization where she coordinated educational art programs ranging from after school programs to senior living activities.
Currently, Ms. Pierre is a Movement Director for The Public Theatre and Hunts Point
Alliance for Children Shakespeare Ensemble. Ms. Pierre was appointed as Rehearsal
Director and Company Manager for Gaspard and Dancers in 2023.
Riley Rienert (Répétiteur Assistant) is a freelance artist, choreographer, and teacher born and raised in Hooksett, New Hampshire. She began her dance training at her mother’s studio, New Hampshire School of Ballet. In 2023, Riley earned her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Montclair State University, graduating summa cum laude. She has had the privilege of performing works by Ohad Naharin, Stefanie Batten Bland, Paul Taylor, Urban Bush Women, Roderick George, TweetBoogie, Brice Mousset, and many others. She has performed at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with K&M Dance Collective, she's also co-curated her own summer intensive with her sister for the past five years. This is Riley’s second season with Gaspard & Dancers.
Maxine Steinman (Rehearsal Director) a performer, teacher, and choreographer, has presented her choreography in numerous festivals and theaters in the US and abroad. She has traveled to Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, France, Japan, Italy, Germany, Lebanon and Cyprus to teach, choreograph, and perform her work and has taught and created works for students at Montclair State University, Hofstra University, Marymount Manhattan College, the Ailey School and for conservatories and companies around the world. Maxine (Associate Professor) holds a BFA (Adelphi University), an MA (Teachers College Columbia University), and an MFA (UWM Peck School of the Arts), and is Program Coordinator for the BFA Dance Division at Montclair State University.
Nattie Trogdon + Hollis Bartlett (Choreographres) are partners in both life and their creative endeavors. Based in Brooklyn, NY, they construct dance works, films and research based practices aimed to disrupt assumptions of performance and personhood. Their collaborations have been presented at venues such as Gibney, CPR, Coffey Street Studios, Snug Harbor, Duo Multicultural Arts Center, SCDT, and the Future Dance Festival at the 92nd Street Y and have been commissioned by SUNY Purchase, Roger Williams University, University of Maryland, and Salem State University. They’ve received support from artists residencies at Marble House, The Atlantic Center for the Arts, Mana Contemporary and the New Directions Choreography Lab at The Ailey School. Their performing and teaching practices are deeply tied into their dance making. As performers, they’ve worked with Kathy Westwater, Brian Brooks, Joanna Kotze, David Dorfman and Doug Varone. Nattie + Hollis are graduates of SUNY Purchase and NYU Tisch respectively, and are currently artist-in-residence at the 14th street Y, adjunct faculty at SUNY Purchase and Montclair State University and co-lead the artist-run class and performance platform - skewl. www.nattieandhollis.com
Christian von Howard (Artistic Director | Choreographer) is the Artistic Director of the VON HOWARD PROJECT, a contemporary dance company based out of New York City. As an international artist, he has worked with many dance artists such as Doug Varone, Fernando Bujones, Douglas Becker, Germaul Barnes, Daniel Gwirtzman and various others. Christian is a Fulbright Specialist (2019-2021) and a NJ State Council of the Arts Choreographic Fellow (2006) and his choreography has been produced in various venues across the globe including Germany, Japan, Bulgaria, Colombia, Chile, South Korea and in the states at Dance Theater Workshop (now New York Live Arts), Joyce SoHo, Dixon Place, the Ailey Citigroup Theater amongst others. His guest artist teaching/residency highlights include the American Dance Festival, Dance It! Festival (Bulgaria), Peridance Dance Center, and the Korean Dance Festival. Christian is a 2013/2014 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Teaching Award from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts where he was part of the teaching faculty in the Department of Dance & Choreography from 2008 to 2014. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance at Montclair State University and part of the teaching faculty of the Alvin Ailey School and Peridance Center. Christian is the former Northeast Regional Director of the American College Dance Association (2016-2023). He holds advanced degrees in Performance and Choreography from the School of Classical and Contemporary Dance at Texas Christian University and from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Alexa Tabbacchino (Sound Designer) is a senior Recording Arts & Production student at the Cali School of Music. She is so excited to work on her first THDN production! When not sound designing or mixing, you can find Alexa presiding the Audio Production Club, performing with the MSU choral and vocal jazz programs, or playing guitar in her band, girlband. (IG: @alexatabbacchino - @girlbandisreal).
Giulianna Nasta (Costume Designer) is currently a graduate student at Montclair in the MA Theatre Studies program. She has a BA in Theater Design/Technology from Ramapo College, with a concentration in Costume Design. She currently teaches elementary level sewing and works as a designer, seamstress, and researcher on various theatrical and music productions in Northern New Jersey and New York City.
Samara Lee (Production Stage Manager) is a current sophomore at Montclair State University majoring in Design Technology and Management. She’s delighted to be working on her 6th production at the Alexander Kasser Theater. Her previous works as an Assistant Stage Manager have been Blind Injustice (2024), Dialogues des Carmelites (2024), Anna in the Tropics (2023), Elephant’s Graveyard(2023) as well as Black Snow (2022).