SYDNEY BURTIS, originally from Central Florida, is an international performer, educator, and multidisciplinary artist, based in NYC.  She has been mentored throughout her artistic journey by Michelle Dorrance, Sarah Reich, Danny Wallace and more. She was recognized as one of “Tap’s Next Generation” in Dance Spirit Magazine, and was later featured on the cover. Sydney has danced for Dorrance Dance, Max Pollak, Sarah Reich, Anthony Morigerato, Lisa LaTouche, Derick Grant, and Demi Remick. Some other highlights include the Billy Elliot National Broadway Tour, SYTYCD, YoungArts New York Gala at the MET, and Little Island. Sydney shares her passion for choreography as Artistic Director of “Elements of Sound”, presenting works at Choreographer’s Carnival NYC, Battery Dance Fest, Arts On Site, and more. She is a 2017 YoungArts Silver award winner, a 2018 Presidential Scholar in the Arts semi-finalist, an alumnus of the Jacob's Pillow Tap Program, a 2025 A.C.E Awards finalist, a 2025 Choreographers Cup finalist, and co-founder of the Orlando Tap Festival. Sydney is on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and tours with Adrenaline and Revive Dance Conventions. In 2022, Sydney presented her honors thesis: “Tap Dance as a Form of Non-Verbal Communication for Autism Spectrum Disorder,” graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BA from Pace University.

JEEVIKA BHAT is a dancer and choreographer who explores the confluence of her cultures through a contemporary Indian medium. Her background is in Odissi, an East Indian classical dance form known for its nuanced storytelling and graceful fluidity, which she has been studying under the guidance of Guru Jyoti Rout for the past two decades. Academically, she is a graduate of UC San Diego, where she earned a BS in Mathematics with minors in Linguistics and Dance, and UC Irvine, where she earned an MFA in Dance. 

DUAL RIVET is a women-led dance company focused on creating and sharing highly physical contemporary dance to a wide audience. Based in NYC, Dual Rivet creates work for stage and film that exchanges a cinematic and visceral language to influence both platforms. Directors JESS SMITH and CHELSEA AINSWORTH have been making and presenting work since 2017. They have performed and set work at Festival PRISMA (Panama), Centro Cultural Los Talleres (Mexico), Barnard College/Columbia University, Sam Houston State University, Oklahoma International Dance Festival, Austin Dance Festival, Joe's Pub, West End Theatre, Kittery Maine, Musikfest Pennsylvania, Gibney Dance, Peridance Capezio Center, CreateArt, Arts On Site and many more. The company teaches a myriad of classes, throughout the United States and internationally, with an emphasis on contemporary partnering and floorwork. Dual Rivet is currently on faculty at The Juilliard School, Gibney, Peridance, SUNY Purchase, Marymount Manhattan College, and Adelphi University. The company hosts an annual choreography festival, MADE BY WOMEN, highlighting women choreographers and filmmakers from around the globe. For more info: @dualrivet

STARLA EDWARDS (she, her) is a choreographer and performer based in New York City. Her work reflects a deep curiosity about personal history and expression, creating movement that resonates with the collective experience. Her choreography has been presented in spaces across NYC. She was a Spring 2025 Resident Artist with the Baryshnikov Arts Center, where she began developing her current project Thick Salt. The excerpt as the salt thickens was created during her residency and is presented courtesy of BAC and AOS. Edwards previously performed with Camille A. Brown & Dancers and holds a BFA in Dance from George Mason University.

RACHEL LOCKHART (she/her) is a Birmingham, Alabama native who began her dance training at the J. Lockhart Performing Arts Institute under the guidance of her mother. She is an alumna of The Alabama School of Fine Arts and a recent graduate of The Juilliard School in New York, where she earned her BFA in Dance.  Rachel's versatility as a dancer has led her to notable appearances on both stage and screen. She premiered on So You Think You Can Dance Season 17 and appeared in CBS's series East New York. Following her graduation from Juilliard, Rachel performed in the MET Opera's production of The Life and Times of Malcolm X and appeared at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards alongside singer Doja Cat. She went on to make her Broadway debut in the Sufjan Stevens musical Illinoise, directed and choreographed by Justin Peck. Rachel also showcased her talents on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and was nominated for a Chita Rivera Award for ‘Outstanding Dancer In A Broadway Show’. Most recently, Rachel was selected for Dance Magazine’s 2025 “Top 25 to Watch” list and chosen for the cover. Currently, Rachel is on the MJ the Musical National Tour, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. Grateful for the continuous support she receives, Rachel is committed to inspiring others to pursue their dreams with passion and perseverance, believing that anything is possible with dedication and faith.

JOYBOY is an interdisciplinary performing artist, writer, and educator based in Brooklyn, NY who blends physical theater and clowning to create humorously surreal, fantastical, and immersive performances to explore themes surrounding identity, power dynamics, and our emotional lives. For more information, follow them on Instagram @joyboycreation and joyboycreations.com