HSDC Artistic Director

Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell is the Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Linda-Denise ascended to this role in 2021, after an extraordinary career as a professional dance artist and educator.

Linda-Denise was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and began her dance training at the Baltimore School for the Arts under the guidance of Sylvester Campbell and Stephanie Powell. She was an apprentice with the Capitol Ballet in Washington D.C. and a full fellowship student at The Ailey School. While a student at The Juilliard School, she was invited by Hubbard Street founder Lou Conte to join the main company at the age of 19, thus beginning her professional dance career.

After three seasons with Hubbard Street, Linda-Denise became a Principal Dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under the direction of Judith Jamison. During her 13-year tenure with the company, Linda-Denise performed all over the world and was featured in the works of Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Talley Beatty, Ron K. Brown, John Butler, Donald Byrd, Ulysses Dove, George Faison, Rennie Harris, Geoffrey Holder, Judith Jamison, Louis Johnson, Alonzo King, Lar Lubovitch, Donald McKayle, Elisa Monte, Jennifer Muller, David Parsons, and Dwight Rhoden.

Linda-Denise was invited to give a number of special performances throughout her career, including the White House State Dinner in honor of the President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, and the 12th Annual Kennedy Center Gala with Nancy Wilson and Liza Minelli.

Linda-Denise has led a distinguished career as a dance educator in her hometown of Baltimore where, since 2005, she has been a Professor of Dance at Towson University and has served on the faculty of the Baltimore School for the Arts. Her research and scholarship in continuing the Ailey legacy within the Towson University and Greater Baltimore community has resulted in the Ailey II residencies from 2011-2019 hosted by Towson University and the establishment of AileyCamp Baltimore at Towson University in 2014 where she served as Director. Ms. Fisher-Harrell holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in dance from Hollins University and is an ABT® Certified Teacher. As a scholar, her entry "Alvin Ailey" has been published by the Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism

HSDC Director of Summer Intensives & Senior Rehearsal Director

JONATHAN E. ALSBERRY (he/him) from Normal, IL is a dance educator, creator and coach focused on inspiring excellence and joy in the study of Ballet, Jazz, and Modern techniques with a constant dedication to the exploration of artistry and the creative process. Currently the Rehearsal Director with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Jonathan began dancing with his mother Lyndetta and went on to graduate from The Chicago Academy for the Arts where he has since been a guest faculty member. In 2006 he received his BFA from The Juilliard School where he met Aszure Barton. Jonathan a.k.a “Jojo” is now dancer, rehearsal director, and creative collaborator with Aszure Barton & Artists and has assisted Mrs. Barton in over a dozen creations including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bayerische Staatsballett and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2007 Jonathan also joined the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and is currently a performer, rehearsal director and teaching artist with the company. He has shared two tours with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s “Hell’s Kitchen Dance” as well as “Evolution” with Alessandra Ferri and Herman Cornejo. Other credits include The Chase Brock Experience, Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Nilas Martins Dance Company, and Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. Since 2007, Jonathan has been teaching, coaching and creating work at various educational institutions including Arts Umbrella, Harvard University, University of California at Irvine, Springboard Danse Montreal, Ballet Hispánico and University of Southern California

HSDC Rehearsal Director
TEEN CREATE Intensive Choreographer

Craig D. Black Jr. (Rehearsal Director, he/they) from San Jose, CA is the Rehearsal Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He was appointed to this role in 2022 for the company’s 45th Anniversary: Sapphire Season. At the age of 10, Craig began dancing at South Bay Dance Center and continued his dance training at Abraham Lincoln High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 2011, Craig received his BFA from The Juilliard School. He obtained additional training at Springboard Danse Montréal, Nederlands Dans Theater, and the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Craig is a recipient of the 2010 Princess Grace Award in Dance as well as the 2011 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence from the School at Jacob’s Pillow. For six seasons Craig performed and toured with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet under the direction of Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty. In 2017, Craig joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago where he danced for five seasons before transitioning into the HSDC Rehearsal Director position. He has had the privilege of dancing works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Cherice Barton, Rena Butler, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Fernando Melo, Robyn Mineko-Williams, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, and Cayetano Soto Ramirez among many others. Craig has had the pleasure of co-choreographing and rehearsal directing Cardi B and Offset’s 2019 BET Awards performance. Craig is a passionate teacher and mentor. He is certified in IMAGE TECH for Dancers™ introductory through advanced level. Craig is on faculty for Dupree Dance and has served as guest faculty for the Hubbard Street Professional Program, Steps on Broadway, Peridance Center, The Joffrey Academy, and New York City Dance Alliance.

HSDC Manager of Training Operations
CREATE Intensive Choreographer
TEACHING: Hip Hop

Krista Ellensohn graduated from the University of Iowa with a BBA in Business Management, Dance Minor, and a Performing Arts Entrepreneurship Certificate. Following graduation, she moved to Chicago to pursue a professional career in Arts Administration. She has been employed at Hubbard Street since 2011.

Her love for business extends beyond the bounds of my administrative career and into my artistic pursuits. Krista is the Artistic Director of BANG BANG! Dance Company, the Assistant Artistic Director of BOOM BOX Dance Company, and is a long-standing choreographer and performer of BOOM CRACK! Dance Company. She is a passionate educator, teaching classes and workshops across the Midwest, including Flux Dance Convention, Reveal Dance Chicago, and Hubbard Street's Summer Intensive Programs. Krista has been a guest choreographer at BTWHSPVA, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Whitney Young HS, Central Dance Academy, Extensions Dance Center, and for the Chicago Luvabulls Dance Team. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Business from the University of Iowa.

CREATE Intensive Choreographer

Alexander Anderson is a South Florida native where he attended the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Class of 2010. Upon graduation,  Alexander was accepted to The Juilliard School. During his time at Juilliard, Alexander performed works by renowned choreographers such as Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Pina Baush and Jiri Kylian among others. Alexander’s early choreographic creations were selected for “Choreographic honors” and featured at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater.  In that time frame, Alexander was also the recipient of the Dizzy Feet Foundation Scholarship Award and the recipient of the 2013 Princess Grace Foundation Scholarship Award. Upon graduating from The Juilliard School with a bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance in 2014, Alexander joined Nederlands Dans Theater 2, followed by the esteemed Nederlands Dans Theater 1 in 2017. In 2019 Alexander won critical acclaim for his performance in Crystal Pite’s “Solo Echo”, Dance Europe Magazine’s critic’s choice for 'Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer'.  In 2020,  Alexander joined the Gibney dance company as an Artistic Associate. In his final year with the organization in 2022, Alex was named Inaugural Choreographic Fellow and provided resources to premiere a choreographic work for the company’s “Gibney Fellow” program. While currently residing in New York City, Alexander has served on the faculty of the Ailey Fordham BFA (Professional Division), Peridance, Steps On Broadway, Gibney Dance and ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Most recently, Alexander received choreographic commissions at Earl Mosley’s Diversity of Dance, Peridance (Youth Ensemble), Ballet Austin II, Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Buglisi Dance Theater, SFDanceworks and Alvin Ailey BFA Fordham.

Photo by Sunny Jagesar

CREATE + TEEN CREATE Choreographer 

Gianna Burright (She/Her) is a Choreographer, Dancer, and Educator, who explores the juxtaposition and nuances of emotional extremes: happiness and sadness, grief and euphoria, rage and mindfulness, nightmares and dreams. A self proclaimed late bloomer, she is a 2024 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago summer program Create choreographer, 2023 Carmel Dance Festival Choreography Fellow, 2022 Jacob's Pillow Choreography Fellow and 2022 Dance Gallery Festival Choreographer in Residence. Gianna has presented choreographic work in fifteen countries including at iconic venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, The Bonnie Byrd Theater, The Place, Turner Contemporary Gallery, Waterloo East Theatre, STEPS, Opendoors North America, the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival, LA Theatre Center, and LA Dance Project. She has been mentored by some of the most acclaimed figures in the world of dance including Lillian Barbeito, Peter Chu, Alex Ketley, Dianne McIntyre and Risa Steinberg.

Gianna is an educator who works with dancers and movers of all ages and abilities. She aims to create artistic understanding through sensory experiences, articulation & vocabulary (verbally and physically), awareness, pleasure, joy, sadness, happiness, connection, touch, listening and partnering.  Gianna holds a BFA in Dance from UCSB and an MFA in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance.

Photo by Harper Point Photography

Hubbard Street Company Dancer
CREATE Intensive Choreographer

MORGAN CLUNE graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2018. She was recognized as a National YoungArts Winner in New York for Contemporary dance in 2018 where she performed solo at Baryshnikov Arts Center. Upon graduation from Juilliard, Morgan was awarded the Martha Hill Prize for her achievement and leadership in Dance as well as a Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship for her promise as an entrepreneur and engagement in the arts. She is an emerging choreographer, recently choreographing at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s CREATE summer intensive and The Juilliard School in 2023. Morgan is currently entering her second season with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago under the direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer
CREATE Intensive Choreographer

ABDIEL FIGUEROA REYES was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, before moving to the U.S. in 2011. Training: The Rock Center for Dance, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, The Joffrey Ballet summer intensive, Complexions summer intensive, Contemporary West Dance Theater (under Bernard H. Gaddis). In 2017, Figueroa Reyes became a member of Hubbard Street’s Professional Program, HS Pro (under Alexandra Wells with mentorship from Peter Chu, Claire Bataille, Glenn Edgerton, Jonathan E. Alsberry, and more). In 2018, he became an HSDC Apprentice and in 2019, joined the main company. Dance Magazine named him a Top 25 to Watch and recognized him as 1 of 4 LatinX Dancers Breaking Boundaries in 2020. Starting his fifth year as a company member, Figueroa Reyes is delighted to be a 2022 Princess Grace Award Winner and was recently recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30 Local Chicago. He is grateful to continue his growth and development with HSDC and the Chicago community. 

Hubbard Street Company Dancer
CREATE Intensive Choreographer

CYRIE TOPETE is from Peoria, Arizona, where she trained in competitive dance starting at the age thirteen. She then moved to New York City and received her BFA at The Juilliard School, class of 2022. During her time at Juilliard, she was given Juilliard’s FENDI Vanguard Award and attended programs including Springboard Danse Montreal, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, B12 in Berlin, Germany, Youngarts LA, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and more. She was also recognized for choreographic opportunities including Juilliard’s Choreography and Composers in 2021, National Sawdust’s Blueprint Fellowship in 2019, and Juilliard’s Choreographic Honors in 2019. Cyrie has had the opportunity to perform works by Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Alan Lucien Øyen, Kyle Abraham, Bobbi Jene Smith, Rennie Harris, Peter Chu, Justin Peck, Aszure Barton, Rena Butler, Jenn Freeman, and Jamar Roberts. During her first season with HSDC, she was featured in Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise”. 

Hubbard Street Company Dancer
CREATE Intensive Choreographer

MATT WENCKOWSKI is from St. Charles, Illinois, where he received his early training at Moves Dance Studio in North Aurora and trained as a competitive dancer with Excel Dance Productions. In 2009, he joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s pre-professional and trainee programs under the direction of Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik, performing with the Joffrey in The Nutcracker as well as in pieces created for the Joffrey Academy. He also studied on scholarship at Lou Conte Dance Studio under the guidance of Claire Bataille and shortly after joined DanceWorks Chicago in 2013 under the direction of Julie Nakagawa. In 2015, he joined the Grand Rapids Ballet performing soloist roles in classical and contemporary works. He had the privilege of performing pieces by Alejandro Cerrudo, Trey McIntyre, Ben Stevenson, George Balanchine, Yuri Possokhov, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Val Caniparoli, Robyn Mineko Williams, Penny Saunders, and many more. 

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

ALEXANDRIA BEST is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina where she began her pre-professional dance training. During this time, she acquired knowledge from instructors across programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Arts Umbrella, Carolina Ballet, DamianiDance, French Academie of Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is a 2021 graduate of Pace University where she earned her BFA in dance, with a concentration in performance and pedagogy, and a minor in business. Immediately following post-grad, Alexandria joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a company dance artist under the new direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Now going into her third season, she has had the opportunity to perform many great works by many great-minded artists alike. She is thrilled to be announced as a 2023 Princess Grace Foundation Award winner in Dance and to be joining its community of artists, including many past and present HSDC members as well.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

JACQUELINE BURNETT (she/her, Pocatello, ID) received her formative classical ballet training in her hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, from Romanian Ballet Master Marius Zirra. She moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue the Ailey School/Fordham University joint BFA degree, graduating magna cum laude with departmental honors in 2009. She joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in January 2008 as a Center Apprentice while completing her degree and became a member of the main company in August 2009. She received a 2011 Princess Grace Honorarium for Dance and was a member of the HSDC contingent for DanceMotion USA 2013, a U.S. State Department/Brooklyn Academy of Music cultural diplomacy tour in Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. In addition to dancing with HSDC, she has served as an Artistic Lead and teacher for Hubbard Street Summer Intensives, a repetitor for choreographies by Penny Saunders (Ballet Idaho, Seattle Dance Collective, Royal New Zealand Ballet), and a freelance dancer with Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists and Seattle Dance Collective. She recently choreographed for Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s production of Murder on the Orient Express under the direction of Annika Boras and premiered a new work, co-choreographed with David Schultz, for Danza Visual in Mexico City.

TEACHING: Pilates

Nara Carman is a certified Level 5, Romana’s Pilates International. A former apprentice of Rhonda Celenza and Juanita Lopez, Nara has been classically trained in traditional Pilates technique. She has continued her training by attending workshops with Marjorie Oron, Juanita Lopez, and lessons with Janice Dulak. Nara’s connection with Pilates is personal as well as professional. While a professional dancer she suffered a neck and spine injury that hampered her movement and caused her pain for many years. Pilates has restored her body and freed her from the restrictions of her injury.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer
TEEN CREATE Intensive Choreographer

AARON CHOATE is a graduate of The Juilliard School class of 2022. After studying at Diana Evan's School of Dance in Kentucky, they were named a 2018 Presidential Scholar in the Arts. They have performed the works of renowned choreographers, such as Aszure Barton, Ohad Naharin, Justin Peck, Jamar Roberts, Bobbi Jene Smith,  Rennie Harris, Spencer Theberge,  Lar Lubovitch, and Ted Shawn. They are also an avid choreographer. Most recently, they had a process at Gibney Dance called the Moving Towards Justice Fellowship, created by Scott Autry.  In 2022, they presented a work at 92nd Street Y as a part of the Future Dance Festival. In 2021, they received the George J. Jakab Grant Award from Juilliard to create a dance film, and upon graduation they were awarded the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship. 

Hubbard Street Company Dancer
TEEN CREATE Choreographer

Michele Dooley is a dance artist and teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She began her dance training at The Institute of the Arts, graduated from The High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and later earned her BFA in Dance from The University of the Arts. Michele has completed programs with Bates Summer intensive, BalletX Summer Program, and DCNS Summer Dance Intensive and has worked with choreographers Gary Jeter, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Dara Meredith-Stevens, Milton Myers, and Nora Gibson. She has had the privilege of working with Eleone Dance Theatre, and Spectrum Dance Theater.

TEACHING: Yoga

Originally from Cary, IL, Kimberly graduated high school from North Carolina School of the Arts with a major in ballet and was recognized as a NC Scholar. Upon graduation, she joined The Joffrey Ballet and danced for two years under the direction of Gerald Arpino and Mark Goldweber. She danced with Luna Negra Dance Theater for the 2007-2008 season and was a principal guest artist for State Street Dance Studio's Nutcracker before joining Danceworks Chicago in August 2008 and had the opportunity to perform throughout Europe as part of the Love Hurts....Petrushka production. She moved to Los Angeles to dance with Los Angeles Ballet for their 2011-2012 season and started working for the Walt Disney Company in May 2012. She joined the entertainment team at Universal Studio’s Orlando Resort in Winter 2013 and performed in Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue and The TriWizard Tournament in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. As a proud member of Actors Equity Association, she performed at Walt Disney World in the cast of Festival of the Lion King as a principal dancer and aerialist and was the Equity Lead for the cast in addition to performing in Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire and A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas. In 2019, she was awarded the Quarterly Award at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Park. She was a back-up dancer for Sofia Carson’s “Rotten to the Core” music video featured on Univision’s New Year’s Eve special 2016 as well as the Disney Channel and danced in Disney’s primetime Christmas specials on ABC in 2017 and 2018 choreographed by NappyTabs. She has performed with various production and entertainment companies at events and for film and tv and has taught at many schools and intensives, including the Joffrey Academy of Dance and Hubbard Street. Kimberly graduated Summa Cum Laude in May of 2020 with a B.A. in Organizational Leadership and an Undergrad Certificate in Paralegal. She is a 500-hour certified yoga teacher and registered with the Yoga Alliance and Yoga Alliance International. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to be a performer, choreographer, stage manager, dance captain, office manager, production manager, company manager, and instructor.

Veronica Guadalupe was certified in the Pilates method by Romana Kryzanowska, the protege of Joseph Pilates, in 2002 and is the owner of True Pilates Chicago, located in River West.  She is considered a "second generation teacher," just one generation away from Pilates himself.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

ELLIOT HAMMANS began his formal dance training in 2008 with Robert Sher-Machherndl and continued his ballet and modern dance education with Moving People Dance in Santa Fe, NM, under the direction of Curtis Uhlemann. Hammans joined Moving People Dance Company as an apprentice in 2010, trained on full scholarship at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center in San Francisco, and attended Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 2011 and 2012 Summer Intensives. Following one season with Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance and studies abroad at Austria’s Tanzzentrum SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), Hammans earned his BFA in Dance in 2014 from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. Hammans joined Hubbard Street 2 as a full company member in August 2014 and was promoted to Hubbard Street’s main company in August 2016.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

JACK HENDERSON (he/him) grew up in Livermore, California where he began dancing at his local dance studio, Tiffany's Dance Academy. He attended summer intensives and workshops during this time, including San Francisco Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, and Hubbard Street intensives. In 2017, he moved to Vancouver, BC, to attend Arts Umbrella's pre-graduate program under the direction of Artemis Gordon. In 2018, he joined the graduate program at Arts Umbrella, performing repertoire and new creations by Crystal Pite, Lukas Timulak, Amos Bental, Ihsan Rustem, and Jonathan E. Alsberry, to name a few. 

TEACHING: Horton

ETHAN KIRSCHBAUM graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors in Dance Performance from the Ailey School/Fordham University B.F.A. Program. Since then he has danced with Hubbard Street 2, River North Dance Chicago, Lucky Plush Productions, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, and the Saarlandisches Staatstheater. He has been on faculty at the Ailey School, Joffrey Academy, and Lou Conte Dance Studio and was recently certified by the Ailey School to teach all levels of Horton. In 2020, Kirschbaum founded Chicago Movement Collective; a new home for dancers of all backgrounds to train and grow.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

ALYSIA JOHNSON was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She first found dance at Dallas Black Dance Theatre and later went on to graduate from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she studied ballet, modern, and composition. A graduate of The Juilliard School and a two-time recipient of Juilliard's Entrepreneurship Grant she has served the Dallas dance community by founding and directing programs that cater to young artists in the DFW metroplex since 2015. Recently, Alysia was awarded the Princess Grace Honoraria Award for dance and is endlessly thankful for the dance community at large for their support and unmatched creativity.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

SHOTA MIYOSHI, a native of Japan, started to train in jazz and ballet at Nakura Jazz Dance Studio. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from SUNY Purchase college in 2022. He has performed works by Norbert De La Cruz Ⅲ, Jamar Roberts, Martin Løfsnes, Doug Varone, George Balanchine, Martha Graham and José Limón. Additional training includes MOVE|NYC|’s S.W.E.A.T and Paul Taylor Summer Intensive. He hopes to become a versatile dancer who is able to collaborate with a variety of musicians in order to create something the world has never seen before.

TEACHING: Graham

ANNE O’DONNELL PASSERO is a free-lance performing artist based in Chicago and New York City. Recently completing a decade long career with Martha Graham Dance Company as a Soloist, Anne toured internationally performing Grahams’ original principal roles as well as original works by renowned choreographers Mats Ek, Hofesh Shechter, Bobbi Jene Smith, Pam Tanowitz, Lar Lubovitch, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sonya Tayeh to name a few. Anne studied on full scholarship at The Ailey School and was invited into Ailey II under the direction of Sylvia Waters. She dances for Buglisi Dance Theatre and Chicago Lyric Opera and was accepted into Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, Glimmerglass Opera Festival, and SpringboardDanse Montreal. Anne graced the cover of Dance Spirits' Issue “Young and Modern” and enjoys a range of commercial modeling jobs and teaching the next generation of dancers currently on faculty at The Joffrey Academy.

TEACHING: Countertechnique

Born in Salzburg, Austria, Verena studied contemporary dance (BA) at Codarts in Rotterdam and earned a Master's in movement research (MA) at Anton Bruckner University in Linz. From 2015 to 2019, she served as a full-time ensemble member of the Swedish dance company Norrdans, touring works by Mari Carrasco, Peter Svenzon, Lenka Vagnerova, and Fabio Liberti, among others.

Since 2018, Verena has been a certified instructor in the movement system Countertechnique, developed by Anouk van Dijk. In addition to leading international workshops in Stockholm (Danscentrum), Berlin (Tanzfabrik, Marameo), and Amsterdam (HJS), she has shared Countertechnique at companies such as Norrdans, Tanz Linz, and Volkstheater Rostock. In 2020, she assisted Anouk van Dijk & Falk Richter at the Munich Kammerspiele. Furthermore, she has shared her expertise with undergraduates at Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität in Linz, Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (HfMDK) in Frankfurt, and Codarts in Rotterdam.

Beyond her roles in performance and education, Verena holds extensive experience as a production manager for the Sommerszene Festival and the Flavourama Hip Hop & House Dance festival in Salzburg. Co-founding the dance company "Selva" with choreographer Rosana Ribeiro in 2021, she now works as a dramaturg. Currently based between Salzburg and Chicago, Verena, starting in 2024, will assume the roles of Artistic Director and Curator for the Salzburg-based PerformDance Festival. Her research is focused on the topic of kinaesthetic empathy and the role of the dancing body as a communicator in an increasingly digitalized world.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

DAVID SCHULTZ (he/him, Grand Rapids, MI) began his training in Michigan with the School of the Grand Rapids Ballet, where he then performed for four seasons with its company, the Grand Rapids Ballet. He joined Hubbard Street 2 in 2009 and was promoted to the main company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, in 2011 where he has worked with many of the world's leading contemporary choreographers.  He is a recipient of a 2012 Princess Grace Award. As a choreographer he has had the honor of creating works for DanceWorks Chicago, Chambered Squared, Boston University, and a Co-choreographed piece with Jacqueline Burnett for Danza Visual in Mexico City. When he is not dancing, or choreographing, he has spent many years studying music and has performed and scored many pieces for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as well as for his own works.

KEVIN J. SHANNON (he/him) was born in Baltimore, Maryland and is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts. He received additional training from the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Paul Taylor, and Springboard Danse Montréal. After receiving his BFA from The Juilliard School, Kevin was invited to join Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. While a company dancer with Hubbard Street from 2007 to 2022, he had the privilege to perform works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Twyla Tharp, Robyn Mineko Williams, among many others. As an educator, he has led and programmed the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Intensive and is currently a guest teacher for Hubbard Street’s main company, José Limón Dance Company and Gibney Company. He has been a visiting artist for the School of The Art Institute of Chicago and has served as faculty for The Joffrey Ballet School, Gibney Dance NYC, Chicago Movement Collective, Youth America Grand Prix, and Peridance Center. Kevin is a certified IMAGE TECH for dancers™ teacher. He is on faculty for the Gibney Pro professional certificate program under the direction of Alexandra Wells. Currently he is a freelance artist dancing with Flockworks Dance, Brian Brooks/Moving Company, KNONAME and Danielle Russo.

Hubbard Street Company Dancer

SIMONE STEVENS received her dance training in her hometown of Stone Mountain, GA at En Pointe School of Dance before graduating from Kennesaw State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Minor in Anthropology. Upon moving to Chicago in 2018, Simone studied on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio while simultaneously performing as a freelance artist throughout the city. Since joining the company in 2021, Simone has been recognized as one of Dance Magazine's 25 To Watch. Simone has also actively sought to further expand her community as an instructor, both regionally at The Rooted Space and Chicago Movement Collective, as well as familiarly at her alma mater. Simone is forever grateful for the spaces that continue to welcome her and the communities that continue to uplift.

TEACHING: Flamenco

José Torres was born and raised in Chicago and started his formal Spanish dance training with Dame Libby Komaiko in 1995, as part of the Ensemble Español’s Youth Company. He has performed nationally and internationally in principal roles with the company, and has traveled to Spain for intensive study.

He was trained at the Amor de Dios Spanish Dance Academy (Madrid), and has trained with such instructors as Carmela Greco, Juan Mata, Ana Gonzales, José Barrios, Paloma Gómez, and Raquel Gómez. He was a guest artist and choreographer of Danza Viva Spanish Dance Company in Perth, Australia, under the direction of Deanna Blacher OAM in 2007, 2011, and 2013.

He choreographed Flamenco Pas de Deux with fellow first dancer, Claudia Pizarro, as well as numerous solos. He was featured in Dereque Whitur’s Cicatrices, with fellow Ensemble Español dancer, Juan Carlos Castellón. José also danced a principal role in Mil Clavos by choreographer, Ron de Jesus.

José was appointed as repetitore in 2021 and in 2023 was promoted to Rehearsal Director for the Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater.  In his current role he has collaborated with celebrated choreographers such as Antonio Najarro, La Lupi, and Isaac Tovar.

TEACHING: Hip Hop

TRAE TURNER is the founder and Artistic Director of BOOM CRACK! Dance Company and BOOM BOX Dance Company, as well as the founder and Creative Director for BANG BANG! Dance Company. He serves as an adjunct Hip Hop Professor at Columbia College, is on faculty at Visceral Dance Chicago, and was a former faculty member at LCDS for over 15 years. He has completed choreography and artist development for recording artists including Kelis, Phenix Phenom, Andre McCray, Jess Godwin, R&B singer Kam, and teen sensation Yemi Marie. Over his 13-year career as a performer he has opened for Ne-Yo, Rod Stuart, Janet Jackson, and many more. Trae continues to change the perception of hip hop dance by pushing its boundaries and showcasing hip hop on professional platforms.

 Summer Intensive Accompanist

JOYCE LINDSEY is a Chicago native. She received her BA from Denison University in 2014 and her MM in Music Production, Technology and Innovation at the Berklee College of Music in 2019. She has dedicated twelve years of her life studying and practicing live performance, music production, sound design, and multiple world percussion instruments such as djembe, dunduns, congas, and doumbek. Joyce started her training as a dance accompanist as a student musician at the Doane Dance Department at Denison University. She also attended the American Dance Festival as a music intern for four consecutive summers between 2011 - 2014. Since 2015, Joyce has simultaneously built her career as an educator, dance accompanist, live performer, and music producer/sound designer.  She has been a resident teaching artist at Discover Music Discover Life for seven years.  Joyce has worked as a professional dance accompanist providing live percussion for multiple dance studios, universities, and art schools in Chicago such as the Lou Conte Dance Studio, Columbia College, Northwestern University, ChiArts, Chicago Academy for the Art and DanceWork. Joyce continues to provide live percussion for modern and ballet dance classes at Columbia College, Hyde Park School of Dance, and the Chicago Movement Collective. Finally, Joyce is also an active member of Ayodele Drum and Dance, which is a Chicago based, all-female dance and drum company that studies and performs dances and music from the African diaspora.

Summer Intensive Accompanist

From the age of four years old, Jonathan Schang has been devoted to the pursuit and creation of original music. After studying percussion and music theory extensively throughout his education in Oak Park, IL, Jonathan spent his freshman year of college in 2002-2003 at Boston’s illustrious Berklee College of Music. He returned to Chicago to study jazz drumset with Paul Wertico at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, whereupon he graduated with a BA in Jazz Studies in 2005. Shortly thereafter, he founded the world-renowned progressive rock band District 97. Jonathan and his bandmates regularly record and tour the world. In 2016, Jonathan was named one of the Top 5 Prog Rock drummers in the Modern Drummer Magazine Reader's Poll. 

In addition to his activities with District 97, Jonathan is one of Chicago’s busiest and most in-demand Modern and Ballet dance accompanists. He works regularly at Hyde Park School of Dance, Joffrey Ballet, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago Academy for the Arts,  Intuit, and is thrilled to join HSDC for their Summer Intensives.