ELIZABETH LOWE AHEARN, dancer, choreographer, educator and author, is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Goucher College, a permanent guest faculty member at the Virginia School of the Arts and on the faculty of the Carver Center for the Arts and Technology. Originally from Oklahoma, her early training was with Yvonne Chouteau, Larry Clark, Joy Feldman, June Finch, Conrad Ludlow, Bojan Spassoff and Stephanie Wolf.  Continuing her studies in New York she earned her BFA and MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes.  She has performed with the Metropolitan Ballet Company under the direction of Conrad Ludlow and Joy Feldman, Ballet Oklahoma under the direction of Bojan Spassoff and Edward Villella and with Kinetics Dance Theater, Surge Dance Theater, the Ordinary/Extraordinary Dance Theater and the Second Avenue Dance Company.  She has performed works by Agnes de Mille, June Finch, Robert Gladstein, Doris Humphrey, Eleanor King, Daniel Levans, Conrad Ludlow, Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones, Jan Van Dyke, Mel Wong and Arnie Zane and her own work has been presented internationally. Having published an article in the World Book Encyclopedia, her most recent article, “The Pilates Method and Ballet Technique-Applications in the Dance Studio”, was published in the Journal of Dance Education and is an extension of her work as the Director of The Pilates Center of Goucher College. In 2005 she served as Project Curator for The Eleanor King Centennial Concert, staged and directed by Mino Nicolas, and performed several of King’s signature solos.

JAYNE BERNASCONI is the founder and artistic director of Air Dance Bernasconi, Inc., a non-profit dance company based in Baltimore which incorporates aerial apparatus with modern dance. Her award winning choreography has been seen throughout the United States and abroad. She has trained professionally with Hanya Holm, Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais at the Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab in New York City and earned her BA in Dance from the University of Maryland/College Park and MA in Dance Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. Jayne has danced for several post modern choreographers including David Gordon, Bill T. Jones and Stephen Petronio as well as with aerial dance pioneers Robert Davidson and Terry Sendgraff in Boulder, Colorado as part of their Frequent Flyers Productions. She has taught and performed in the Aerial Dance Festival since its inception in 1999 and is the artistic director of Forces of Ability, a mixed ability dance company co-founded with contact improvisation inventor, Steve Paxton. She recently co-authored the book “Aerial Dance” with Nancy Smith tracing the roots of aerial dance through its lineage in the modern dance genre (publishing date Summer 2008 by Human Kinetics). Jayne is currently on the dance faculty at Towson University and Gerstrung where she teaches technique, composition, aerial dance and yoga.

JEANNE BRESCIANI is the protégée of Maria Theresa Duncan, an adopted daughter of Isadora, and is recognized internationally as a solo artist, educator and Duncan scholar of unparalleled authority. Jeanne’s lineage begins with Anita Zahn, chief Duncan pedagogue and inheritor of the Duncan method from the early European schools of Isadora’s sister, Elizabeth. At the invitation of Hortense Kooluris and Julia Levien of the Anna and Irma Duncan schools, Jeanne was an original member and featured soloist with the Isadora Duncan Centennial Dance Company and the Isadora Duncan Commemorative Dance Company. It was her tenure, however, under the tutelage of Maria Theresa that brought her to the forefront in the re-energizing of the Duncan works. In 1977 Maria Theresa founded the Isadora Duncan International Institute (IDII) with Kay Bardsley as a training program to continue the tradition of the Duncan legacy. Now directed by Jeanne, the IDII is housed at Tempio di Danza in High Falls, NY and at the historic Harkness Dance Center of the 92 Street Y in New York City. A Kress and Fulbright Scholar in the history of art and dance, she earned her MA and PhD degrees from New York University.  Her teaching has taken her all over the world directing various training certifications in the Duncan methods. She also directs two professional dance companies and a third through collaboration with Mary Di Santo-Rose and the Skidmore Duncan Dancers. She has performed at New York City’s Lincoln Center, the United Nations General Assembly, as America’s Dance Ambassador to Korea at the pre-Olympic Ceremonies and at the Duncan Center in Greece. She is the Founding Chair of the Committee for Reinstatement of the Delphic Games and in 2005 directed the Festival of the Delphic Games in Greece. Jeanne is hailed as “the foremost interpreter of Duncan’s dance” and as “the keeper of the Duncan flame”.

KIM GIBILISCO is an Assistant Professor of Dance, the Pilates Program Coordinator and the Director of the Touring Ensemble at Shenandoah Conservatory. She teaches all levels of modern dance technique in the Nikolais/Louis tradition, composition, ensemble, Pilates Mat and Pilates Mat Teacher Training. After graduating cum laude from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University with a BFA in Dance, she later earned her MA in Dance at New York University's School of Education and received the Outstanding Graduate Achievement Award. Kim is currently in pursuit of her second Master's degree at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee where she studies as a Chancellor's Award recipient.  In 1994 she was invited by Mr. Louis to join Murray Louis and Nikolais Dance where she performed as soloist until 1999, traveling across the U.S. and Western Europe. During her tenure with the company, she performed seminal works of Nikolais and originated leading roles in Mr. Louis' new choreography. Kim’s performances with the company received critical acclaim from the New York Press. Jennifer Dunning has duped her "a firecracker of a dancer" and Elizabeth Zimmerman noted that she is "Louis' most accomplished dancer”. She has also performed as free-lance artist with various choreographers in NYC including: Douglas Dunn, Claudia Gitelman, Lorn MacDougal, Tamieka McCloud and Kathleen Dyer.

MATHEW HEGGEM began his dance training with Pacific Dance Company in Bellingham, Washington under the tutelage of Eliese Kerman, training in classical and contemporary ballet, modern, jazz, flamenco and Middle Eastern dance. In 2003 Mat moved to Baltimore to pursue his undergraduate studies at Goucher College where he will earn his BA in Dance and a minor in religious studies by year-end.  He has performed in a host of works by fellow students, faculty and guest choreographers such as Adrienne Clancy, Charla Genn, Robert Moses, Ricki Weiss, Paul Taylor and as part of the Bournonville Project. Mat currently performs with ClancyWorks and, as intern, acts as assistant to the director, Adrienne Clancy. He is the editor and a contributing writer for the Goucher Dance Newsletter and is one of the college’s student representatives to the American College Dance Conference (formerly ACDFA). This year Mat was awarded the 2006 ACDFA/Dance Magazine Award for Outstanding Student Performer.

PETER KYLE has performed internationally with the companies of Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais, Mark Morris, Eric Hawkins, Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, Gina Gibney, Works/Laura Glenn and the Chamber Dance Company among others.  Currently he is the artistic director of Peter Kyle Dance, a contemporary dance company dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration which engages in public performances, creative residencies and educational programs with the goal of expanding the reach and vitality of the arts. Since 1993 Peter’s choreography has been presented across the country including commissions for the Kaatbaan International Dance Center, Symphony Space, The Dancenow/NYC Festival, Cornish College of the Arts, Kent State University UW Summer Arts Festival and the Museum of Glass: International Center for Contemporary Art. As a highly regarded teacher Peter has taught at numerous colleges, schools and workshops in this country and around the world. He has served on the faculties of the University of Washington and Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and currently serves on the faculty of Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. Peter holds an MFA from the University of Washington and earned his BA from Kenyon College.

DANA MARTIN has been teaching, performing and choreographing in the Baltimore area for 20 years. She is currently a faculty member of the Department of Dance at Towson University and the Director of Upper School Dance at Roland Park Country School.  In addition Dana teaches ballet and modern dance at the Nicole Gait Center for Performing Arts and for the Towson University Children’s Dance Division (CDD) Summer Camp. Dana earned her MA in Dance from New York University and subsequently studied and performed with Haynes Owens, Fred Mathews, Marcus Shulkind, The Consort Dance Ensemble, Leon Felder, Emily Frankel, Miller Dance Company, Frank Ashley Dance Company and Gus Solomons Jr. In Baltimore, Dana has performed with many area companies including The Naked Feet Dance Company, The Forrest Collection, Towson Ensemble Dancers, and Nancy Romita and the Moving Company. She has also performed works by Scott Rink, Peter Pucci, Art Bridgeman and Myrna Packard, Stuart Pimsler, Susan Mann and Vincent Thomas. Dana has choreographed for The Towson Ensemble Dancers, The Moving Company, Oldfields School Dance Company and Towson University’s CDD Troupe and has collaborated with David Miller to create duets that have been performed in the Baltimore area.

LAURA SCHANDELMEIER grew up in Washington, D.C. next door to Pola Nirenska who encouraged her at age four to study with Wigman teacher Erica Thimey. She later studied at the Washington School of Ballet and high school at both the Duke Ellington and North Carolina schools of the arts. Earning her BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University, she returned to D.C. to apprentice with Nirenska before moving to New York City where she was the artistic director of her own company, creating many commissioned works produced at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church and Dance Theater Workshop where she was also Associate Producer. Returning to D.C., her work has been produced by the Kennedy Center, Dance Place and in the Washington Performing Arts Society’s production Martha@Dance Place curated by Richard Move. She was one of ten choreographers selected to participate in the American Dance Festival’s Franco-American Bilateral Exchange Program and has received various grants  for her choreography from the Harkness Foundation for Dance, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Suitcase Fund. Most recently Laura was one of nine artists from all disciplines to receive a commission from the Creative Communities Fund for the National Capital Region for Portals created in collaboration with her husband, dance-theater artist Stephen Clapp. A master teaching artist for the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, she also serves as the director of The Field/DC.

JESSICA STEPHENSON began her early dance training in Austin, Texas where she was a member of the Texas Youth Ballet and apprentice with the Austin Contemporary Ballet. After relocation to Maine, she participated on full scholarship in CORPS (Collaborative Recognition Performance Scholars) and joined the Portland Ballet Company as soloist and member of the corps and with the Ram Island Dance Company. Eventually she moved to New York to study professionally at the Joffrey Ballet/New School University’s BFA Program. While there she studied with Rachel Berman, Eleanor D’Antuono, David Howard, Kathryn Posin and Trinette Singleton among others. Moving to Maryland to pursue her BA in Psychology, she was an active member of Goucher College’s Dance Department where she had the opportunity to work with such notable artists as Robert Moses and Paul Vasterling. After graduation Jessica moved back to New York to obtain her Pilates certification under master Pilates instructors Romana Kryzanowska and Sari Mejia-Santo. Jessica has performed with New York Dance Theater, VanDance Inc., ClancyWorks Dance Company and as free-lance artist on numerous projects. Currently Jessica teaches at Goucher College, the Peabody Preparatory School and the Maryland School of Ballet and Modern Dance.

CYNTHIA WORD is a Washington, D.C. performer, choreographer, educator and the Founder/Artistic Director of Word Dance Theater and has taught and performed extensively in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Born and raised in Abilene, Texas, her early training was at the University of Illinois with Mary Anthony, Beverly Blossom, Sara Rudner and Chester Wolenski. She was awarded a full choreographic scholarship to George Washington University whereupon completing her MFA degree was invited to join the faculty. She has also served as Director of Dance at the inner-city School Without Walls and continues her relationship as Dance Education Consultant with the Kennedy Center Department of Education and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. As a solo artist, she has performed to great review and was privileged to have worked with late modern dance pioneer Eleanor King on revivals of her signature solos and those of her mentor, Doris Humphrey. Most recently, Cynthia was selected as a finalist for “Outstanding Emerging Choreographer” by the DanceMetroDC Awards and was one of ten women to be honored with the “Tribute to Working Women Award” sponsored by ABC-TV and Toyota for her community outreach work.

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