Artists
Edgar Aguirre
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency,Table for One by Iker Karrera and Dancing in Snow by Roderick George
Edgar Aguirre is originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala and was raised in Redwood City, California. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2019 with a BFA in Dance Performance. Edgar is most proud of having danced in Donald McKayle's Étude Ensemble and having been awarded the Donald McKayle Scholarship. Upon graduation, Edgar danced with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Denver, Colorado. He toured nationally and internationally, choreographed original works and was a restaging assistant for Donald McKayle’s repertory.
Edgar is now based in Los Angeles, California and is a company member and teaching Artivist with CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater, and has worked as a freelance dance artist and choreographer between San Francisco and Los Angeles. He has danced as a Guest Artist with Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Robert Moses’ Kin, Bernard Brown BBMoves, David Herrera Performance Company and Heidi Duckler Dance. Edgar has performed works by Donald McKayle, Katherine Dunham, Lar Lubovich, Michaela Taylor, Ray Mercer, Stephanie Martinez, Roderick George and more. Edgar has performed in New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Irvine CA, Denver CO, Raleigh NC, Mexico, Italy, Scotland and China.
Edgar has taught online dance classes for Maui Academy of Performing Arts in Maui, Hawaii and the Non-Profit Organization, Tiempo de Juego in Bogotá, Colombia. Edgar has also traveled to Panama with the Non-Profit Organization, Movement Exchange to teach dance classes and foster an environment of creativity for youth at Hogar San José de Malambo and Aldeas Infantiles SOS Panamá. Edgar has also given lecture demonstrations and has taught Donald McKayle repertory at La Universidad de Panamá in Panama City, Panama.
Edgar choreographs contemporary dance work that is reflective of his personal experience as a Guatemalan-born Latin American, examining his cultural heritage, ancestry and his connection to the Indigenous traditions and folklore of Guatemala. Edgar feels a cultural responsibility and desire to create work that highlights the voices and experiences of the Latine community; furthermore, uplift the voices of the BIPOC community. Edgar has presented his choreography in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Irvine CA, Denver CO, Orlando Fl and Italy. Currently, Edgar has been commissioned as a Guest Teaching Artist and Choreographer at the California State University, Fullerton for the Fall Semester of 2023. In conjunction with his dance career, Edgar has also embarked on the field of body work. Edgar is passionate about fitness and wellness and is certified to provide one-on-one assisted stretching and is also a certified Pilates instructor. He enjoys working with his clients and providing them with the support that they need in order to improve their bodies and achieve their goals.
- @eaguirre_reyes
- *Headshot by Ulises Morales
Colleen Loverde
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency
Colleen Loverde is a dance artist, creator, teacher, explorer and questioner. She was born and raised in Lake Zurich, IL and received her B.F.A. in Modern & Jazz Dance at Point Park University where she was awarded Outstanding Senior Dance Artist in 2017.
Colleen’s work is informed by the recognition that everything is connected and there is infinite wisdom to be uncovered within these connections. The intention of building awareness and cultivating balance between the interplay of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies is inherent in her process. She is committed to expansion on all fronts through curiosity in partnership with a long-term, sustainable mindset.
Colleen has performed with LED Boise, Heidi Duckler, Open Space, Post:Ballet, Northwest Dance Project, and on a variety of multidisciplinary projects. In addition to dancing with LED Boise, she is also acting rehearsal director under the artistic directorship of Lauren Edson.
She has had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers Ihsan Rustem, Wen Wei Wang, Felix Landerer, Patrick Delcroix, Lauren Edson, Heidi Duckler, Luca Veggetti, Franco Nieto, Noelle Kayser, Johannes Wieland, Michaela Taylor, Shannon Gillen, Ryan Mason, Alice Klock, Luke Murphy, Gregory Dolbashion, MADBOOTS, Garfield Lemonius, Alexandra Damiani, Patrick O’Brien and herself.
In addition to her dance career, she loves to write, read, learn, explore and PLAY. She is currently working on a series of personal essays, dabbling in live storytelling, revisiting her love of singing, collaborating with a dear friend on an upcoming music video series and exploring the ways in which comedy and storytelling may fuse with dance.
- *Photo by Anthony Hou
Lily Massie
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency
Lily Massie has been dancing her entire life, beginning her formal training at the age of six. She participated on a competitive dance team, while pursuing advanced classical ballet training in addition to training in jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and tap. Over the next eight years she was selected to perform solo and group ensemble works choreographed by Missy Lay Zimmer and Andrew Hubbard, Chris Jacobsen, Caroline Lewis-Jones, Dee Caspary, and Brooke Pierotti. Working with these amazing choreographers and artists inspired Lily to pursue her ambition to become a professional dancer.
In 2017, Lily was accepted into the Contemporary Dance program at Boston Conservatory at Berklee on merit scholarship. Her time at the conservatory consisted of rigorous training from esteemed faculty and performances choreographed by Maleek Washington, Ruka White, Lindsey Farber, Kate Weare, Adia Holist, Jarek Cemerek, and Robert Moses. Through the years, Lily has had many distinguished performances in large and small venues, as well as teaching experience and a true love for collaboration and choreography. She was named the 2021-2022 Lizbeth Krupp Dance Scholar at Boston Conservatory and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2022.
After graduation, Lily moved to Los Angeles where she continues to pursue her dream. She is currently a member of LA Contemporary Dance Company and Geometry Dance Company. In addition to dance, Lily is represented by State Management for modeling and HRI Talent for acting. She is currently training with acting coaches Zak Barnett and Brad Heller.
Lily’s experience during the pandemic required added creativity to keep dancing and performing every day. Utilizing videography and focusing on site-specific work sparked a new love for dance on film, which has added diversity to her repertoire. Most recently, Lily’s film “Coconut-Island” premiered in the New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles. She will continue to be curious and push the boundaries of dance while using multi media to capture the ever flowing emotion of ones self experience. Lily believes there to be endless possibilities and extreme exploration within the current world. She is highly optimistic, which gives her strength to trust the process and hold space for all that presents itself.
- @lily.massie
- www.lilymassie222.com
- *Headshot by Sam Lehto
Kelle Meschede
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency
Kelle, a multifaceted artist, embarked on her professional dance training in 2012 as an Edge Performing Arts Center scholarship recipient in Los Angeles. Her training continued as she joined Jaci Royal's Royal Flux and Cat Cogliandro's CATASTROPHE! She has since worked with some of the commercial industry's leading choreographers, including Mandy Moore, Ryan Heffington, Nappytabs, Jillian Meyers, and Dominique Kelley. Kelle is represented by Go 2 Talent Agency, and her credits include Sia, M83, Louis The Child, Disney Fairytale Weddings, and The Ellen Show.
With experience in various creative endeavors, Kelle's artistry extends beyond the dance world. She continues to explore visual arts through set design, prop making, site-specific installations, and arts education. Kelle is currently pursuing a B.S. in Human Services and is enjoying her quest to combine dance with visual arts to be utilized as a form of healing.
- @kelle_meschede
- *Photo by Tomas Protivinsky
Iyana Monet
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency
Born and raised in Montana, Iyana took the only opportunity to expand beyond small town life by the path of artistry. After moving to Los Angeles she achieved her BFA in Commercial Dance. This is where she found her purpose in dance cinematography. She has extensive experience both in front of and behind the lens ranging from experimental music videos to the commercial world. Iyana amplifies an ever-shifting artistic voice through studies in fine art, contemporary, and street styles.
Across her solo efforts as a performer, Iyana has debuted her movement in both film and stage working with musicians such as Zeinapur and About You. Directing, styling, and starring in her own production is the focus of the artist with her most valued project SUTURE being a screening selection at the Dare 2 Dance in Public Film Festival.
Working as a choreographer and dance teacher, Iyana has taught extensively in the west spanning from Millennium SLC Boom Crew, Olympia High School Performing Arts Program in Utah, Battery Acid at AMDA to her current slot at Eighty Eight Studios. She assists closely alongside Zoe Rappaport on projects for commercial, music videos as well as site specific pieces.
Through poise and vulnerability, she exposes her innermost feelings, offering full transparency for cast members and audiences alike. She explores ideas of deep cut, interpersonal connections for an observer to find themselves portrayed. In her work, she exaggerates the spectrum of movement quality and embraces every part that is odd, ugly, and delicate.
- Representation: Clear Talent Group
- @iyana.monet
- *Headshot by Rhea Wolpoe
Melody Morrow
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency
Melody began her formal dance training at the Academy of Dance and Fine Arts in North Carolina. She attended Visual Performing Arts Center, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude while earning her Associate Degree in Science. To refine her technique and further her studies, Melody attended Boston Conservatory at Berklee under the direction of Cathy Young and Tommy Neblett. She supplemented her training by attending summer workshops, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Bates Dance Festival, Bodytraffic, Countertechnique’s One Body One Career in Amsterdam, and Springboard Danse Montréal.
In December 2019, Melody completed her BFA at Boston Conservatory at Berklee while dancing with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Professional Program (2019-2020). Melody also received her Royal Academy of Dance Teacher Certification in 2020. In her recent years of work, Melody has had the opportunity to study and perform works by William Forsythe, Doug Varone, Kyle Abraham, José Limón, Fernando Melo, Adam Barruch, Rena Butler, Brian Arias, and Ryan Mason. In 2020, Melody joined Aszure Barton & Artists, performing Where The Form (WTF) and the opera Tannhauser at LA Opera. Melody is incredibly excited and grateful to join Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company.
- @melmorrow88
- *Photo by Melody Morrow
Dawson Walker
Artist
Fall 2023 Creative Residency
Dawson Walker, is a dedicated professional with a passion for contemporary movement, creation, and theater performance. With 17 years of training, he has honed his expertise in contemporary, ballet, jazz, and modern. After completing his education at Orange County School of the Arts he studied abroad at Nuova Officina de la Danza in Italy. Since being overseas, Dawson has been teaching, choreographing, and performing all over Southern California. Beyond being a dance artist, Dawson also pursues acting, photography, guitar, and bouldering.
- @dawsonwalkurr
- *Headshot by Megan Guise