JESS SMITH (she/they) is a New York City based dancer from New Orleans, Louisiana. She studied at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, London Contemporary Dance School, and received her BFA in dance from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. She has performed with companies such as Punchdrunk's Sleep No More NYC, Vim Vigor Dance Company, ZviDance and Kizuna Dance. She continues to teach and set work at schools, festivals, and training programs throughout the U.S. and internationally. Jessica was one of eight choreographers chosen for The Jacob's Pillow Ann and Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellowship in 2022. She was the Associate Director of Arts On Site NYC, a non-profit arts organization, for 4 years. Jessica is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Dual Rivet, a highly physical contemporary dance company based in NYC. Jessica is currently on Faculty at The Juilliard School, Purchase College, Gibney, Peridance and STEPS.

CHELSEA AINSWORTH is a graduate of the Dance Department of The Juilliard School.  After graduating she worked with Johannes Wieland/StaatstheaterKassel in Germany, Lorena Egan, Flexicure, Amber Sloan, Bryn Cohn + Artists and was on the modern/ballet dance faculty at Cap21 musical theater school and Chen DanceCenter. Currently she is dancing with The Bang Group, as well as ZviDance. She’s also the co-founder and Executive Director of Arts On Site, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists of all disciplines by offering affordable studio space and hosting monthly events to encourage community collaboration.  She also built and curates residencies at a retreat and residency center in the Shawangunk mountains in upstate New York. In 2020 she joined the Dance Advisory Board of Marymount Manhattan College.

ANYA CLARKE-VERDERY (they/she) Born and raised in Brooklyn, with roots hailing from Trinidad & Tobago, Anya Clarke-Verdery is a queer choreographer, dance artist, and educator. They received their BFA in Dance from Long Island University where they began their choreographic career choreographing for the American College Dance Association. In 2016, they won 1st prize for Choreographic Excellence in the 11th International REVERBDance Festival. Described as movement that “moves between lucid and fluid to downright jarring in the most effective way,” Anya’s work has been presented at venues such as the Andy Warhol Museum, Gelsey Kirkland Theater, Dixon Place, and more. As a dance artist Anya has worked with choreographers such as Matthew Rushing, Sidra Bell, Earl Mosley, Clifton Brown, Holly Blakey, Alex Ketley, Staycee Pearl, among others. Alongside partner Mitsuko Clarke-Verdery, they were selected as the 2019 Guest Lecturer and Resident Artist at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Art & Drama, and a 2018 PearlDiving Movement Resident Artist at PearlArts Studios. Anya’s love for dance permeates through their teaching. Their expertise with both children and adults has led them to teach at schools and organizations such as Point Park University, Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, UC Santa Barbara, Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, A BroaderWay Foundation, Excellence Community Schools, and more. With MICHIYAYA, Anya is the lead choreographer creating highly physical and visceral choreography that melds with each dance artist’s voice.

MITSUKO CLARKE-VERDERY (she/her) is a queer visual, performance, and dance artist from New York City. As a woman of European and Japanese descent, and coming from a family of artists of many genres, Mitsuko’s influences have always stemmed across mediums. She is a visual arts alumni of LaGuardia High School and the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance. She received her BFA in Visual Art from Carnegie Mellon University along with completion of the Independent Study program at the Alvin Ailey Dance School. Mitsuko is a National Silver Medal Winner in Excellence in Photography from Scholastic, and a recipient of Carnegie Mellon’s Emily Phyllis Howard and Wilfred Readio Awards. She has shown her visual and performance work at the Brooklyn Museum, Miller Gallery, BRIC Arts Media Gallery, Heath Gallery, among others. As a dance artist, Mitsuko has performed in works by Ronald K. Brown, Francesca Harper, Sidra Bell, Earl Mosley, and more. Alongside partner Anya Clarke-Verdery, she was selected as a 2021 guest resident artist at UC Santa Barbara, a 2019 Carnegie Mellon University School of Art & Drama Guest Lecturer & Resident Artist, and a 2018 PearlDiving Movement Resident Artist at PearlArts Studios. With a passion for supporting the next generation of artists, Mitsuko has taught at and led panel discussions at schools and organizations such as Montclair State University, Gibney, Peridance Capezio Center, A BroaderWay Foundation, and more. As an Artistic Director of MICHIYAYA Dance, Mitsuko creates visual and contextual landscapes for the dance artists to engage with—taking form as character development, sculptural/visual elements, technology, text, and more.

MONICA NYENKAN - Currently based in NYC, Monica Nyenkan (rotating pronouns) is an artist, arts administrator, curator, and producer from Charlotte, NC. Graduating from Marymount Manhattan College, Monica received her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, concentrating on administration for the visual & performing arts. Monica has worked with Rachel Uffner Gallery, Gallim Dance, Ballet Tech Foundation, Movement Research, 651 ARTS, Gibney Dance, Elsewhere, and Bloom Arts Strategy. Independently, Monica has curated and produced community-based engagements and art events throughout the city. Monica is committed to creating and curating work that centers and challenges society's view of marginalized communities.

KE’RON WILSON (they/she) is a healing-centered movement artist, choreographer, model, actor, musician, and poet currently based out of New York City. Born in Lakeland Florida, Ke’ron began their dance training at Harrison School for the Arts and Florida Dance Theater. After graduating with a BFA from Sam Houston State University, her career began as a founding member of Elijah Alhadji Gibson’s Social Movement Contemporary Dance Theater and as a recurring guest choreographer for Pilot Dance Project. Ke’ron is now receiving support through the Movement Research Van Lier Emerging Artist of Color Fellowship, which is supported by the New York Community Trust through the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund.