CHOREOGRAPHER BIOS
Joe Bowie (Who’s in Charge?, he/him) is an interdisciplinary dance artist. Bowie danced professionally in New York City for over twenty-five years with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Mark Morris Dance Group. He earned his MFA in Dance with a Graduate Minor in Queer Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and holds an A.B. in English and American Literature from Brown University. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction in Northwestern’s Department of Theatre.
Thomas F. DeFrantz (Transfer Agents) Professor at Northwestern University, directs SLIPPAGE: Performance|Culture|Technology, a humanities and creative research lab. Believes in our shared capacity to do better and engage creative spirit for a collective good that is anti-racist, proto-feminist, and queer affirming.
Al Evangelista (At the And, he/siya) Al Evangelista is extremely grateful to Dr. DeFrantz, Dr. Blanco Borelli, and the fantastic cast of interpreters. Al is an Assistant Professor of Dance and Comparative American Studies at Oberlin College and has performed in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, including Movement Research at the Judson Church, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Links Hall, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts at Cornell University, Dance Exchange, and Dance Place.
Rafael Palacios (The City of Others, he/him) is a Colombian choreographer, teacher, and dancer focused on Afro-contemporary dance. His experiences in Africa and Europe led to founding Sankofa Danzafro, exploring social and racial inequality and Afro-Colombian culture. With over 20 years of work, his creations have been showcased globally. Palacios received the 2008 National Dance Award and the 2018 National Prize for Arts. He’s also a social activist, recognized by the UN for his inclusion project, Steps on Earth. He holds a Master in Education and Human Rights, from the Latin American Autonomous University.
ARTIST BIOS
Piter Alexander Angulo Moreno (Interpreter – The City of Others, he/him) was born in Cali, Valle del Cauca. A dancer of folkloric dances, Latin rhythms and urban dance, he has competed professionally in events such as International Hip Hop. He was a member of the professional urban dance company The Nightmare Cali and the SENA modern dance group, in addition to being a former District Councilor of Culture of Cali. Currently, he is a student of Business Administration and a Fellow of the Martin Luther King Jr. English and Leadership program (2023-2025), for young Afro-descendant leaders. Winner of the Cali 2022 Stimuli call with the project “Cali capital of Hip hop”, he also participated in the artistic residency “Dancing to be heard” of the La Licorera Dance Center in the city of Cali, directed by Maestro Rafael Palacios. Since 2022, he has been part of the Sankofa Corporation, participating in national and international tours.
Dr. Melissa Blanco Borelli (Interpreter & Translator – The City of Others, she/ella) is Associate Professor and Director of the Dance Program in the Department of Theatre. She first saw “The City of Others” at the Joyce Theatre in NYC in 2018. She established a friendship with Rafael and Sankofa from 2019 onwards that led to their Kaplan Institute for the Humanities Artist-in-Residency this past winter quarter. She has published about this piece in the journal Theatre History Studies, and is thrilled to be able to dance with Yndira, Piter, Camilo and NU students.
Ryan Burkle (Lighting Designer – Who’s in Charge?, he/they) is a First Year Lighting MFA, and they are so grateful to be designing their first project on the Wirtz Stage! Origionally from Memphis, he has spent much of his career around Texas and Chicago. He has worked on events of all kinds, including theatre, opera, and corporate events. However, dance has always held a special place for him. Thank you to the Wirtz Center, and the Dance Department for this wonderful experience!
William Camilo Perlaza Micolta (Interpreter – The City of Others, he/him) was Born in Tumaco, Nariño. He began as a dancer at the age of 4 at the Tumaco School in Tumaco under the direction of teachers Francisco Tenorio and Laylis Quiñones. This training allowed him to become a specialist in the traditional dance and musical culture of the South Pacific. At the age of 14 he joined Sankofa and has participated as a dancer and trainer in various processes of the corporation both in Medellín and in the Colombian Pacific, he has participated in all tours nationally and internationally, including the artistic internship with teacher Irene Tassembedo in Burkina Faso, Africa in 2009.
Justin Cavazos (Sound Design Supervisor, he/him) is a Latino composer, producer, sound designer, and songwriter from Harlingen, Texas. Justin is the co-founder of Spit It Out! Audio and an alumnus of Northwestern’s MA in Sound Arts and Industries program. He performs and records with his band, Justin Cavazos & Los Mundanos in Chicago. Wirtz Center credits: The Wong Kids in The Secret of the Space Chupacabra, Go! (Composer, Sound Designer), The Oregon Trail (Sound Designer), The Tempest (Composer).
Michele Epps (Sound Designer – Who’s in Charge?, she/her) is a Chicago-based music producer, sound designer and songwriter/composer who loves sculpting sound into something that makes people feel. A grad student in Northwestern’s Sound Arts & Industries program, she’s engineered recording sessions, scored films, and even performed as a talking fly in an animated short. Whether crafting lush sonic textures or obsessing over the perfect reverb tail, she’s happiest when bringing music and sound to life.
Mack Finklea (Deck Stage Manager) is a stage manager and director that has been based in Chicago after graduating with a BFA in Directing from the Webster Conservatory for Theatre Arts. Some recent stage management credits include “Three Little Birds” (Young People’s Theatre), “Becky Nurse of Salem” (Shattered Globe Theater), “The Polar Express” (Rail Events Inc.), “Toddler Hiking Club” (Kerfuffle), “The Tempest”, “Dracula”, “Heroes of the Fourth Turning”, “Lyle Lyle Crocodile” (Wirtz Center), “Not Not Not Not Not Enough Oxygen” (Haven Theatre) and “Arabia, Arabia!” (The Plagiarists).
Andres Fiz (Projection Designer – Who’s in Charge & At the And, they/them) is a Chicago-based projection designer. Their credits include Wipeout (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble), Il Prigioniero (Chicago Opera Festival), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (Oakton College), Orfeo Ed Euridice (DePaul Opera Theatre) and Les Miserables (TUTS Houston). Andres has assisted on shows at the Goodman Theatre, Time Line Theatre, Chicago Opera Theater, Drury Lane Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. They received a BFA in projection design from The Theatre School at DePaul University. www.andresfiz.com
Olabanke Oyinkansola Goriola (Interpreter – The City of Others, she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist-scholar, an Edward A. Bouchet scholar, and a 4th-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Performance Studies. Her research explores the intricate intersection of Colorism, Gender, and Performance in Nigeria and critically analyzes how societal pressures shape self-representation and embodiment and how identities and bodies become sites of negotiation and resistance.
Maximo Grano De Oro (Lighting Designer – The City of Others, he/him) is a Lighting Designer for theater, opera and dance originally from New Jersey. He received his BFA in Lighting Design from Rutgers Mason Gross and his MFA from Northwestern University. Chicago credits include A Raisin in the Sun (Court Theatre); Dear Elizabeth (Remy Bumppo); Selling Kabul (Northlight Theater); Everybody; Sweat; As You Like It; Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo; In His Hands; Resiliencia (Northwestern Wirtz Center); The Magic Flute; The Medium (Northwestern Opera). Regional credits include: Prelude to a Kiss, a Musical (Milwaukee Rep); Far Away (Villanova Theatre); The Winter’s Tale; Macbeth; Much Ado about Nothing; The Tempest (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company). Web: Maximolightingdesign.com Instagram: max.gdo_ld
Jeffery Hancock (Costume Designer – Transfer Agents & The City of Others, he/him), an Associate Professor at Northwestern, is a collaborative interpreter with the Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak ensemble and founder of -ish design. He investigates performance, movement, power, and identity, at the intersection of function and expression. Synthesizing fundamental patterning, improvisation, and various embodied techniques, he creates performance, clothing, costumes, and sound and light environments for dance. Hancock draws inspiration from curiosity, humans, time, space, materials, joy, queerness, anxiety, his cat, and partner Joe.
Caitlin A. Kane (Dramaturg – At the And, they/she) is an Assistant Professor of Theatre History and Dramatic Criticism at Kent State University. As an artist-scholar, Kane’s research centers on feminist, queer, and trans approaches to staging history that deepen and complicate our understandings of contemporary social issues. Their scholarly work on dramaturgy includes co-editing Dramaturgy and History: Staging the Archive (Routledge) and “Dramaturgical Interventions into Contested Histories” (forthcoming in Theatre and Performance Notes and Counternotes).
Michael Landez (Interpreter – At the And, any pronouns) is an artist, dance maker, educator, and scholar moving at the intersection of artistic and intellectual inquiry. With a devotion to active curiosity, he works to blur the line between practice, theory, aesthetics, educational efforts and the pursuit of social justice. He holds an MFA in dance from the University of Iowa and is currently pursuing a PhD in Performance Studies at Northwestern University.
Jayce Lewis (Production Stage Manager, he/they) is happy to be returning to Northwestern University for Danceworks Signal::Transfer! Previous Credits: Tipi Tales From The Stoop, The Tempest, Everybody (Wirtz), Lyle the Crocodile (ImagineU), La Boheme (Cahn), and 5&Dime (AMTP). Selected Chicago Credits: House of the Exquisite Corpse ‘23 and ‘24 (Rough House Theatre), Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Junie B Jones (YPT), Same Sects (Haven), and Jungle Jim (CPA Theatricals). https://www.msf.org/palestine
Palima Lukins (Interpreter – Who’s in Charge?, she/her) is a sophmore theatre and cognitive science major with a dance minor. She is so excited to be part of this years production of Danceworks. She would like to thank her family and friends for their endless support and hope you enjoy watching Danceworks as much as she’s enjoyed being part of this process.
Marsae Lynette (Interpreter – The City of Others, she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, activist, and scholar pursuing a PhD in performance studies with a focus in environmental policy and culture at Northwestern University. Her research and creative practice center Afro-diasporic and Indigenous ecological performance practices through the lens of ritual, cultural memory, environmental justice, and the choreopoem form. Marsae also earned an MFA in dance from the University of Michigan. As an interdisciplinary creator, Marsae’s choreography and movement cinema have been featured in academic conferences, festivals, and theaters, including Hastings Street at the Detroit Music Hall, Magnolia Ballet at Williamston Theatre, and Reflect. Black. Times in IABD’s TimeKeepers Magazine. She has also choreographed and taught for institutions such as Interlochen Center for the Arts.A committed advocate for social change, Marsae’s work bridges performance, pedagogy, and activism. She is the current graduate assistant for the Black Arts Consortium in Chicago, a member of the NU Abolitionist Lab, and founding member of the Aarcc Coalition. Marsae has received numerous accolades, including the Kresge Gilda Snowden Award, Rackham Merit Fellowship, and Saltwater Road Artist Residency.
Sarah Marks Mininsohn (Interpreter – At the And, she/her) is a dance artist, educator, and dramaturg from Baltimore, Maryland. She is currently a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Theatre with focus in Critical Dance Studies at Northwestern University. Before moving to Chicago this past September, she worked on choreographic and scholarly projects in Italy, where she also developed a love for Argentine tango. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a BA from Wesleyan University.
Lina Morhai (Interpreter – Who’s in Charge?, she/her) is a sophomore from Ukraine studying Neuroscience, Mathematics, and Dance. While her interests may seem all over the place, she sees them as deeply interconnected. She views dance in a broader context – not just performance, but movement itself. To her, life is a dance of moments, while science and math are a dance of axioms and facts. Outside of academics, Lina is involved in computational and theoretical neuroscience research, makeup, and Ukrainian club activities.
Yndira Perea Cuesta (Interpreter – The City of Others, she/her) was born in Quibdó, Chocó. She began her apprenticeship in traditional dances with her grandmother Ramona García. She is co-founder and principal dancer of Sankofa Danzafro, she has also studied traditional Afro-Cuban dance techniques, with the National Folkloric Ensemble of Cuba (Folkcuba) Havana – Cuba; Training Workshop Mandingue, Mafila Kouyate and Mito Cámara de Guinea (Africa). She was part of the artistic internship with teacher Irene Tassembedo in Burkina Faso, Africa in 2009. She is currently the director and founder of the Afro-contemporary dance company Wangari.
Sofia Sciacca (Interpreter – The City of Others, she/her) is a multicultural dancer from the suburbs of Chicago. Having trained in numerous dance styles since childhood, she developed a deep passion for movement. Now continuing her dance career in college, she explores her expressive intent while cultivating an environment for trauma healing and celebrating personal identities.
Erin Soko (Transfer Agent, she/her) is a passionate dancer, maker, and dog-lover. Recently, she has trained with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Gus Giordano Dance School, Joffrey Ballet School, and Flockworks Dance. At Northwestern, she is studying Dance and Business Institutions and is a proud member of New Movement Project and TONIK Tap. She is beyond excited for her third and last Danceworks!
Ludmila Stoffel (Interpreter & Translator – The City of Others, she/her) is a sophomore Theatre Major and Dance Minor. At Northwestern, she is actively involved with the dance community. This is her first Danceworks production, and she is also a member of New Movement Project. With this company, she performed Jazz Nutcracker 2023 & 2024, and Senior Dance Concert 2024. Other performing credits are: The Beyond Workshop (Writer’s Theatre), How To Know The Wildflowers: A Map (Wirtz Center), and Fly Away Home (Playground Festival).
Chelsea Strebe (Lighting Design Supervisor & Designer – Transfer Agents, she/they) graduated with a BA in Theatre Arts from University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Her educational credits from Northwestern include Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery (Lighting Designer), The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl (Lighting Designer), How to Know the Wildfowers: A Map by Julie Marie Myatt and Jessica Thebus (Lighting Designer), The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra, Go by Lloyd Suh (Lighting Designer), and February House by Gabriel Kahane and Seth Bockley (Lighting Designer).
Mary Kate Tanselle (Signal Transfer Agent, she/her) is a third year pre-med Neuroscience major and dance minor passionate about tap artistry. MK would like to thank Professor Thomas DeFrantz and Erin Soko for being such wonderful collaborators. Cheers to Shim & Sham!
Lia Wallfish (Costume Designer – Who’s in Charge? & At the And, she/her) is a Chicago-based costume designer and visual artist. She was born in Israel and moved to the United States in 2015 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Theater at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Lia has worked professionally in costume design and costume departments in various fields, including theater, opera, dance, television, and film. She holds an MFA in Stage Design from Northwestern University.
Qianni Wang (Interpreter – The City of Others, she/her) is a third-year PhD candidate in Transportation at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Born and raised in Jinan, Shandong, China, she started training in Chinese dance at the age of three and later explored modern and contemporary during her undergraduate years. Passionate about choreography, she enjoys creating movement that reflects cultural heritage and artistic expression. Beyond dance, she is deeply interested in the cultural spirit and traditions that shape its evolution and transmission.
Yitong Zhang (Interpreter – The City of Others, she/her) is a sophomore from Chapel Hill, North Carolina studying Dance and Political Science. Her dance background includes training at the Ballet School of Chapel Hill, as well as summer programs at the American Dance Festival, UNC School of the Arts, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. On campus she serves as the Artistic Director of Reflections Repertory Company, and performs with various other student groups. She is excited for her second Danceworks this year!
Lily Zhao (Sound Designer – Transfer Agents, she/her) is an MA student in Sound Arts and Industries at Northwestern University, specializing in multimedia sound design for video games, film, theater, museums, and contemporary composition. Perviously, she sound designed “Wink” at the Wirtz Center. She is thrilled and grateful to be working on her first dance project.