MEET THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Annie (She/Her) is very excited to dance with Dancekerr & Dancers! Originally from Rochester, NY Annie graduated from Adelphi University with a B.F.A in Dance and a concentration in voice and theater. Annie has performed with many dance companies and choreographers throughout New York: 32nd Pack, The Xavier Theater Company, Linda Diamond +Company, Troy Ogilvie, Marie Zvosec, Orion Duckstein, Juan Rodriguez, Adelheid B. Strelick and others.

Ashley is so excited to be dancing with DanceKerr & Dancers!  Born and raised in upstate New York, Ashley began her endeavor as a life-long dancer at the age of 2 ½.  She continued her dance studies as an undergraduate at The College at Brockport, SUNY where she earned a BFA in Dance, a BS in Psychology and a minor in Music.  After graduation she made the move to the Big Apple to pursue her MA in Dance Education with a PreK-12 Dance Certification from New York University.  Ashley continues to perform in NYC, holds certifications in Zumba, Strong Nation, Mobility Specialization and Yoga, and keeps up to date on dance research and education by attending and presenting yearly at national conferences.  Currently she teaches dance at Poly Prep Country Day School to Middle School students in grades 5 through 8.

Claire is a Brooklyn-based dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist. She completed her dance education at Barnard College under the tutelage of Ashley Tuttle, Robert LaFosse, and Allegra Kent, among others. Claire has choreographed for schools and theaters throughout the tristate area, and is currently a teaching artist at the Mark Morris Dance Center. Performance credits include Columbia Ballet Collaborative and Open Dance Ensemble, and she currently dances with Axons Dance Theater and American Liberty Ballet. Claire is thrilled to be joining DanceKerr & Dancers as a guest dancer. 

Jacob is a dance artist originally from Huntington Beach, California. He began his training at the Huntington Beach Academy of Performing Arts. He is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in dance at Hofstra University and is an apprentice with the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company. Jacob has performed with the Forces of Nature Dance Theater and performed works by Robin Becker, Jannis Brenner, Yoshito Sakuraba, and William Isaac. He is beyond excited to be a guest artist with DanceKerr & Dancers.

Jo (they/them/theirs) graduated from the Dance Theatre program at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in 2022. Wokurka was a competition dancer before the age of thirteen, where they took an interest in the concert world of dance. Some of Wokurka’s pre-professional work included being an ensemble member with The Great Russian Nutcracker at The Fox in St. Louis, MO, opening for The Haygoods in Branson, MO, and being a part of the preshow for Jesus Christ Superstar at The Muny in St. Louis, MO. Before the pandemic, they were training at Common Conservatory, a pre-professional contemporary training program, under the direction of Terrence Marling. Wokurka’s first professional performance was last December in Trap Ist at New York Live Arts. 

Laura is from York, PA, and she recently earned a BFA in dance and a minor in writing from Slippery Rock University in 2021. After graduating, she continued her training through Broadway Dance Center’s Independent Training Program in the fall of 2022. Laura has performed in various student works at Slippery Rock University in addition to works by Pearl Primus, Cameron McKinney, Ursula Payne, Samantha Baker, Jennifer Meckley, and Francine Ott. Laura’s choreography has recently been featured at Broadway Dance Center, Adrienne Theater, Sprout Your Awareness, Artistry Unfolded, and Koresh Artist Showcase. Her short dance film was also featured in the Quarantine Screen Selection of the 2020 92Y Mobile Dance Film Festival. Additionally, Laura has presented her undergraduate research project, "Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences Applied to Choreography" at the 2021 National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and at the Slippery Rock University Student Research Symposium in 2021. Presently, Laura is in rehearsals with Chutzpah Dance and DanceKerr & Dancers, and she is also a faculty member at Alternative Synergy the Studios in Brooklyn, NY. 

Lexi began her training in Calgary, AB, Canada at Dance Explosions and at Central Memorial High School, where she graduated from the Performing Visual Arts Dance program. Lexi also pre-professionally trained with Alberta Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Joffrey Ballet, and Hubbard Street.  She is a graduate of The Ailey School Certificate Program, class of 2021, where she was a member of the Ailey Student Performance Group and participated in the New Director’s Choreography Lab in New York. Since graduation, she has become a member of a few companies around New York.  She has performed in Carnival Choreographers Ball, Fertile Ground, 7MPR, and Licon Center. Lexi is excited to be working with DanceKerr and Dancers.

Lilianne is a dancer, choreographer, dance educator, certified Pilates instructor, and arts administrator. She grew up training on Long Island, New York, and continued her training at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. In 2021, she graduated magna cum laude from Muhlenberg College with a BA in Dance Choreography and Performance, and a BA in Arts Administration. Some of her credits include work with Monica Bill-Barnes, Heidi Cruz-Austin, Jeffrey Peterson, and Shelley Oliver. Lilianne is currently in her second season with DanceKerr & Dancers.