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Company Bios
DAVID DORFMAN (Artistic Director), a native Chicagoan, is the 2007 recipient of The Martha Hill Fund for Dance’s Mid-Career Award and a 2005 Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. He has also been honored with four fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, three New York Foundation for the Arts fellowships, an American Choreographer's Award, the first Paul Taylor Fellowship from The Yard, and a New York Dance & Performance Award ("Bessie") for David Dorfman Dance's community-based project Familiar Movements (The Family Project). Dorfman's choreography has been produced in New York City at venues ranging from the BAM Next Wave Festival to The Joyce Theater, The Kitchen, Dance Theater Workshop, The Duke on 42nd Street, Danspace Project/St. Mark's Church, P.S. 122, and Dancing in the Streets, and throughout North and South America, Great Britain, and Europe, most recently touring underground in St. Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk in Russia and Bytom and Cracow in Poland. His work has been commissioned widely in the U.S. and in Europe. He is at work on a new dance for AXIS Dance Company (Oakland), and has worked with Bedlam Dance Company (London), d9 Dance Collective (Seattle), Eisenhower Dance Theatre (Detroit) among others, and the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia for the musical Green Violin, for which he won a Barrymore Award for best choreography in 2003. An avid fan of collaboration and collective processes, Dorfman is pleased to tour an evening of solos and duets Live Sax Acts with friend and collaborator Dan Froot, which played last year in New York City and at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe. Dorfman has been a guest artist at numerous institutions across the country and abroad, most recently at ImpulsTanz in Vienna, the American Dance Festival, the University of Iowa, Illinois Wesleyan University, Rutgers University, and Knox College. As a performer, he toured internationally with Kei Takei's Moving Earth and Susan Marshall & Co. Dorfman holds a BS in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in Dance from Connecticut College, where he joined the faculty in the fall of 2004, is currently William Meredith Professor of Dance and Department Chair, and where David Dorfman Dance is company-in-residence.
PERFORMERS
KYLE ABRAHAM (performer), professional dancer and choreographer, began his training at the Civic Light Opera Academy and the Creative and Performing Arts High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He continued his dance studies in New York, receiving a BFA from SUNY Purchase and an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Over the past few years, Abraham has received tremendous accolades and awards for his dancing and choreography including Dance Magazine’s coveted 25 to Watch in 2009, a Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant 2008, Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Fellowship in 2002 and The HARLEM STAGE/Aaron Davis Hall, Inc. Fund for New Work Award. As a performer, Abraham has worked with acclaimed modern dance companies including Dance Conduction Continuum, Nathan Trice/Rituals, Mimi Garrard Dance Theater, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Dance Alloy, The Kevin Wynn Collection, Attack Theatre and joined David Dorfman Dance in 2007. Abraham also teaches his unique approach to post-modern dance in various schools and studios throughout the United States. For more information please visit: abrahaminmotion.orgPATRICK FERRERI (performer) is a dancer, teacher, and explorer who enjoys rediscovering life daily. He is eternally grateful to his first and constant teacher, Patricia Ferreri, who taught him how to dance with and in every aspect of life. Patrick has been lucky enough to receive further support and inspiration from Marianne Irwin, Leslie Anderson-Braswell, Douglas Nielson, Melinda Myers, the 2002-05 NYU dance department, his yoga loves Alison Cramer, Keith Borden, Laura Arrington and the other beautiful souls at the Laughing Lotus, Nancy Stark Smith, Gerald Casel, Clare Byrne, Julian Barnett, Omagbitse Omagbemi, and Whitney Tucker. When he is not practicing yoga in San Francisco or traveling with DDD, Patrick can be seen supporting the arts with Jane Weiner’s Hope Stone Dance in Houston, TX and teaching with the Bates Dance Festival’s Youth Arts Program in Lewiston, ME. Patrick wishes to send his love and gratitude long distance to his aunt and grandmother, whose strength and courage paved the path for him to be the man that he is today.
LUKE GUTGSELL (performer) was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky where he began his early movement training in gymnastics. In 2004, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a BFA in Dance Performance. Luke also attended the Naropa Institute. Upon his arrival in New York City in 2004, he trained on scholarship at the Merce Cunningham studio and apprenticed and performed with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Shen Wei Dance Arts. Since then he has had the great fortune to perform in the companies of Chris Elam, JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Tiffany Mills, Jody Oberfelder, Risa Jaroslow, Christopher Williams and Michou Zsabo. Through his work with these companies, he has had the unique pleasure of teaching and dancing along side various populations including equestrians, GLTB youth, Bronx high school students, and professional and pre-professional dancers. Currently, he is also teaching gymnastics to students at the Little Red School House in the West Village. Luke is thrilled to be dancing in his first season with David Dorfman Dance.
RENUKA HINES (performer) hails from Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Columbia University in May 2008 where she had the opportunity to perform in the works of Colleen Thomas, Donna Uchizono, Sean Curran, Twyla Tharp, and Bill T. Jones. In 2008 Renuka received the Louis Sudler Prize for the Arts and was also nominated for the ACDFA/Dance Magazine award for Best Student Performer. Renuka is grateful to be working with David Dorfman Dance and would like to thank her family and friends for their unwavering support.
TANIA ISAAC (performer), a self-described kinesiophile and lover of information, both physical and verbal, was born in Castries, St. Lucia. She has taught, lectured and performed throughout St. Lucia, the USA, and internationally as the founder/choreographer/artistic director of Philadelphia based TaniaIsaacDance. She is a graduate with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received her MFA from Temple University. A former member of Rennie Harris Puremovement, Urban Bush Women, and Li Chiao-Ping Dance, Tania was one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2006. She recently made her debut with David Dorfman Dance during September’s engagement at The Dance Center of Columbia College.
HEATHER McARDLE (performer/costume designer) is a native Californian who began her movement career with gymnastics. She graduated from Cal State University at Long Beach with a BFA in dance. Her most influential early mentors include Keith Johnson, Jacques Heim and, most notably, Bella Lewitzky. Heather joined the professional world of dance with the hyper physical dance troupe Diavolo Dance Theater. She then spent six years traveling around the world with Bill Young and Dancers. Heather has been working for David Dorfman since 2003. Heather teaches at Dance New Amsterdam and 100 Grand. She has had numerous artistic residencies around the country including George Mason, George Washington, Bates, and Barnard. Her work has been presented at DTW, Abron Arts Center, DNA, and various loft shows throughout in Manhattan and Brooklyn spaces. She looks forward to continuing to find her way through the dance world while finding other aspects of life that thrill her.
MOLLY POERSTEL (performer) has been fortunate to work with choreographers Mark Jarecke, David Grenke, and Susan Rethorst, as well as visual artist Terry Rosenberg. Additionally, Ms. Poerstel collaborates with choreographers Jeanine Durning, Hilary Clark and Larissa Valez. She has participated with David Dorfman Dance on two projects to date (underground and Disavowal), and she is thankful to be working alongside such inspirational and generous collaborators. Ms. Poerstel studies anatomy with Irene Dowd and teaches both yoga and modern dance technique throughout the city. She is currently on dance faculty at the Dalton School, teaches as a guest artist at Dance New Amsterdam and 100 Grand and will be teaching technique at Rutgers University in the fall.
JOSEPH POULSON (performer) is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa and relocated to New York City in 1999. He is currently working and performing with Susan Marshall Company, Creach/Co., Bill Young and Dancers, Jeanine Durning and, since 2001, with David Dorfman Dance. He has also worked with many other choreographers in NYC including Alexandra Beller, Gerald Casel, Lar Lubovitch, Mark Morris, Melinda Ring and Peter Schmitz, to all of whom he is very thankful.
JENNA RIEGEL (performer) holds an M.F.A. in Dance Performance from the University of Iowa. She has performed in works by Tatiana Baganova, Michel Kouakou, Gabriel Masson, Donald McKayle, Jennifer Nugent and Paul Matteson and Bill Young. Jenna has previously danced for Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Kayle + Company, Deanna Carter Dances, Charlotte Adams and Dancers and Inaside Chicago Dance. In addition to David Dorfman Dance, Jenna also currently dances with Alexandra Beller/ Dances, Tania Isaac Dance and johannes weiland. Jenna would like to thank her New York family, Edward Rice and Anna Adams Stark, as well as her actual family for their unconditional love, laughter and support.
KARL ROGERS (performer), originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, defected to the Midwest, where he graduated with a degree in Educational Studies and Theatre from Knox College, and then trained at the Dance Center – Columbia College, simultaneously serving as its Academic Program Coordinator. He completed an MFA in Choreography from the Ohio State University in 2003, where he was the first artist to receive the University’s top award, a Presidential Fellowship. After 6 years in Brooklyn, Karl has returned to Columbus, OH to begin pursuing a PhD in Dance. He also continues to make dances, perform and teach. Last year, he was the Postgraduate Fellow in Dance at Dickinson College; he has also been a guest teacher at colleges, universities and festivals around the world. Most notably, Karl is on faculty and serves as the co-director of the Young Dancers Workshop at the Bates Dance Festival. He has danced in projects for Nugent + Matteson, Colleen Thomas, Terry Creach, Melinda Ring, Heidi Henderson, Tami Stronach. Hoi Polloi, and many others. Karl is a certified yoga instructor.
FRANCIS A. STANSKY (performer), originally from Worcester MA, is a graduate of Connecticut College, currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to NY in 2003 he has been fortunate to work with many great artists and study under the direction of Barbara Mahler. He continues to work with Jeremy Nelson, Luis Lara Malvacias, Wally Cardona, and David Dorfman Dance. He has performed with David Dorfman Dance since 2005 in LightBulb Theory, Older Testaments and Underground.
WHITNEY LYNN TUCKER (performer), a southern Illinoisan, graduated from Arizona State University with a BFA in Dance Education. An eclectic lover of movement, she has studied capoeira, contact improvisation, boxing, and various lineages of yoga. She draws from experiences as a public school teacher (Vancouver, WA) and from those as the creator/facilitator of a movement-program for women who were recovering from prostitution (Phoenix, AZ). Settled since 2006 in various parts of Brooklyn/NYC, she dances professionally with David Dorfman Dance and Tiffany Mills. She has danced with Nita Little, Wire Monkey Dance, Heather McArdle, and collaborated with various peers. She is a teacher-trainer at the Kane School for Core Integration, a DONA-trained Birth Doula, and will cut your hair. Thank you to all who urged me supportively onward till this point!
RAJA KELLY (apprentice) is a recent Honors graduate from Connecticut College. Having Received his BA in Dance and English, Raja is electric giggly to start his professional dance career with DDD. In the past four years, Raja has been lucky enough to perform works by Jeremy Nelson, Doug Varone, Alexandra Beller, Paul Taylor, Tania Isaac, Daniel Nagrin and Richard Siegel. Internationally, Raja has worked with the Susan Healy Dance Company and the PACT Theater in Sydney, Australia and Dairakudakan from Tokyo Japan. Raja is looking forward to future fun with Race Dance, Colleen Thomas and Dancers, and IsadoraNow. Raja is also very excited to have been selected as a DanceWEB scholarship recipient for the 2009 Impulstanz Dance Festival in Vienna, Austria. Raja would like to send a HUGE hug to his family; a WARM EMBRACE to the DDD team and 4 HIGH FIVES to Vincent Borelli, Megan Loguidice-Ruland, Cassie Robertson, and to Laura Snow and the big bad world.
underground in Los Angeles
Tisch Summer Dance Residency