Amy Miller is a NYC-based choreographer, educator, administrator and advocate. Originally from Ohio, she spent a decade at the Ohio Ballet and was a founding member of Cleveland-based GroundWorks DanceTheater. With a 30-year performing career including over a decade as a co-director and dancer with Gibney Company, Miller is now Gibney's Creative Director of Learning & Leadership Group Programs building on her long dedication to both artistry and social action by deepening reciprocal exchanges with educational institutions nation-wide. Miller has worked closely with social workers toward facilitating movement workshops with survivors of gender-based violence, conducted international trainings for artists interested in engaging in social action, and facilitated healthy relationship workshops for young people to raise awareness about the role of the arts in violence prevention. Miller has held adjunct positions at Bard College, Marymount Manhattan College and Purchase College, and has facilitated teaching residencies at Bates Dance Festival, Brown University, NYU’s Tisch, and Oberlin College among many others. She has conducted international residencies at Mimar Sinan University and Koc University (Istanbul), University of Cape Town (South Africa), DOCH: School of Dance and Circus (Stockholm), MUDA Africa (Tanzania) and in Gisenyi, Rwanda. 

Stephanie García is a multi-awarded Mexican artist, producer, arts administrator, arts advocate, and independent curator working in the USA and Mexico. Dance, video, choreography, film, and performance art are the mediums García intervenes in the audiences’ realities that witness her work. She is co-founder and co-director of Punto de Inflexión Dance Company and PROArtes México. She has worked with important Mexican and international choreographers, performed in relevant dance festivals and venues in Mexico, and 11 countries in America, Europe, and Africa, and created more than 30 original interdisciplinary pieces presented in the USA, Mexico, Cyprus, Ireland, Peru, Panama, 

Spain, and Cuba. Her work has received grants and funds from Mexican, USA, Spain, Netherlands, and Canadian institutions. Furthermore, since 2016 she has founded, curated, and participated in various video dance festivals, platforms, and events in Mexico and abroad. 

Melissa Younker (she/her) is an artist with a multifaceted dedication to dance; directing, choreographing, teaching, learning, performing and designing costumes. Her interdisciplinary approach to dancemaking blends her experience in performance, choreography, film and costume design to contribute to collaborative centered experiences and productions. Originally from Southern California, Melissa received her BFA from California State University, Long Beach. She has toured to Croatia, France, Mongolia, Poland, South Korea and throughout the USA as a dance artist and educator with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Nikolais Dance Theatre, DanceMotion USA℠, Oriantheatre Dance Company (Paris), Heartland Collective, Spectrum Dance (Kraków), among others. She is a passionate educator, teaching within diverse communities including Dance Church®, Dance Class for Humans, University of Utah School of Dance, and Utah Valley University, where she was honored with the School of the Arts Dean’s Award of Excellence for Adjunct Faculty. Since 2023, Melissa has served as a Board Member for 801 Salon, a non-profit arts organization in Salt Lake City. Her independent projects and durational performances have been presented in Michigan, New York and Utah; in addition to official selections in film festivals in London, Utah and Virginia. Melissa continues to dive deep into her research in movement and its power to bring togetherness – sharing her curiosities and exchanging ideas with a sense of wonder. 

Choreographer Abby Zbikowski created Abby Z and the New Utility in 2012 with dancers Fiona Lundie and Jennifer Meckley to experiment with the potential and choreographic possibility of the body being pushed beyond perceived limits, creating a new movement lexicon that triangulates dancing/moving bodies across multiple cultural value systems simultaneously. In 2016, Abby expanded the company to nine performer/collaborators for her first evening-length commission, as Fiona and Jenn took on the additional roles of rehearsal directors within the company structure and Fiona took on the role of company manager. “abandoned playground” premiered to a sold-out run at the Abrons Arts Center in New York in April 2017, leading to Zbikowski being honored with the Juried Bessie Award and was awarded the inaugural Caroline Hearst Artist in Residence at Princeton University, along with commissions from national and international organizations. Abby Z and the New Utility have been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Boston ICA, 92nd St Y, Movement Research at Danspace Project, Gibney Dance Center, Bard College, New York Live Arts, and the Fusebox Festival in Austin, TX, among others. Most recently their international premiere of “Radioactive Practice” was named the best dance performance of 2024 in London by the Guardian. Currently, they are working out of Columbus and New York City with collaborators locally, nationally, and internationally. 

Fiona Lundie (she/her) is a movement artist and cognitive scientist interested in what is vital about how and why we move: what form it takes and how it shapes our perspective. She has explored movement on land, air, fluid water, and frozen water all her life through dance from 3, skiing from 5, synchronized swimming from 8, flying trapeze, springboard diving and snowboarding. Fiona holds a BA in Cognitive Science (Dartmouth College) and MFA in Dance (The Ohio State University). She’s a founding member of Abby Z and the New Utility and performed with the STREB Extreme Action Company. She has helped Abby create commissioned work for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Texas Christian University, Montclair University, and the Irish Modern Dance Theatre. She and Benjamin have created work together for Webster University and now Utah Valley University as representatives of Abby Z and the New Utility. 

Benjamin Roach (he/him/she/her) is a movement research artist and educator exploring the reanimation of cultural expulsions not honored in our everyday life. She engages with the scraps on the fringe asking, how can the fruits hidden in our taboos be harvested, specifically through the transmutation of the body? When the body is actively mobilized through realms of totality, what liberation and agency await us on the other side? He received her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Ohio University in 2018. As a performer, Benjamin has worked with Dance the Yard, Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre, JACKS, DZ Maciel, David Dorfman, Gladys Balin-Stern, and since 2019 has been a company member/collaborator with Abby Z and the New Utility. Additionally, she is fortunate enough to be in ongoing creative collaboration with Ani Javian performing their theatrical and absurdist duets in venues across the country. Benjamin is currently a graduate fellow at The Ohio State University receiving their MFA in Choreography. Benjamin would like to thank her sister Maggie and mother Annie for being his first teachers of movement. 

Leah Ahlander is a sophomore at UVU, pursuing a BFA in Modern Dance. Leah attended South Valley Creative Dance from the age of 2 to 18, where she trained mainly in modern dance. She also danced on the Hillcrest Dance Company all four years of high school, choreographed 4 dances, and served as their president her senior year. She is hoping to be in a professional company after she graduates and be a freelance choreographer. Leah is super happy with her time at UVU so far and is so grateful for the opportunities CDE has given her this year! 

McKayla Browning, a Senior at UVU, is pursuing a BFA in Modern Dance with a Minor in Nutrition. She has been awarded four Performance Scholarships, dancing with UVU's Synergy Dance Company in 2019 and 2022, and with CDE for the past two years. Recently, McKayla has been privileged to perform works by accomplished artists such as Brian Gerke, Kellie St. Pierre, Melissa Younker, and Nichele Woods. With a deep love for movement in all its forms, McKayla values dance as a unique means of expressing gratitude for her body and experiences.

Kaarina Garlick is in her senior year here at UVU and will be graduating with a BS in Dance Education in Fall 2025. This is her first season with CDE and previously performed and choreographed with UVU’s Synergy Dance Company in 2022. Throughout her time at UVU, she has had the opportunity to participate in several professional conferences, residencies, and workshops, some of which include the American College Dance Association, Abby Z and The New Utility, Gibney Dance, Ailey II, and Emerge with Repertory Dance Theatre. 

Lilly Harmer hails from Saint George, Utah where she began developing her artistry from a young age. She received the Region Sterling Scholar Award in Dance, allowing her to attend UVU. During Lilly's first year at UVU, she performed with Synergy Dance Company. Now a junior in the Modern Dance program, Lilly is finishing up her second season with CDE. She has worked with choreographers Ricky Maalouf, Brian Gerke, Kellie St. Pierre, and Nichele Woods. Lilly has been a guest artist with Odyssey Dance Theatre and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, performing in Monica Bill Barnes’ work, It’s Great to be Here. 

Abigail Jenson is a dancer from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Her dance journey began at the age of two. At the age of nine, she started training more seriously. She grew up competitively dancing with a pre-professional company, Sweatshop Dance, from age 9-18. She traveled to New York to compete at NYCDA twice during her time at Sweatshop. At age 17, she danced on her high school’s varsity poms team. She is currently studying at UVU and began her first season dancing with Contemporary Dance Ensemble in 2024. This has brought her the wonderful opportunity of collaborating and working with other talented dancers and choreographers. 

Zachary Marshall, a dance artist from Riverton, Utah, is a Senior in the Department of Dance and in his third year on CDE. Zachary has performed with RDT’s Emerge and Regalia, as well as the ACDA national conference. He has also enjoyed working with artists such as Anne-Marie Browning, Ariana Castaneda, Brian Gerke, Brynn Perkins, Holly Perkins, Kellie St. Pierre, Melissa Younker, Nichele Woods, and Yoshito Sakuraba. This year Zachary has served as the department of dance student representative in UVU’s Government. As Zachary prepares to graduate, he plans to continue performing Professionally locally and throughout the country 

Grace Messenger is a Junior at UVU, majoring in modern dance and this is her first year on CDE. She started her dance training at South Valley Creative Dance where she gained experience in Modern dance and choreography. She then went on to become a member of Hillcrest Dance Company, where she served as president her senior year. After high school, Grace attended the University of Oregon pursuing a BFA in Dance. She later transferred to UVU. Grace is also on UVU’s hip hop company, Esprit. She has loved dancing at UVU and is excited for what the future holds. 

Antonella Miles, a passionate dance artist from Provo, Utah, grew up training at Wasatch Ballet Conservatory. She is currently a junior in the Dance Education program at UVU. In her first year at UVU, Antonella danced with Repertory Dance Ensemble, performing works from the Arpino repertoire under the guidance of Cameron Basden. This year marks her debut with UVU's Contemporary Dance Ensemble (CDE). Beyond performing, Antonella has choreographed and taught dance at studios and high schools across Utah, sharing her artistry and expertise with the next generation of dancers and hoping to continue to do so in the future. 

Heather Morley, a dance artist, is a Senior in the Modern Dance Program. This is her 4th and final season with CDE. During her time on CDE, Heather has had the privilege of performing works by UVU's esteemed faculty as well as Courtney Mazeika, Yoshito Sakuraba, Kellie St. Pierre, and WHYTEBERG. This year, Heather was honored with the role of Rehearsal Assistant. She has been able to guest perform in works by Martha Graham with Repertory Dance Theatre, Shapiro & Smith and Monica Bill Barnes with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Heather hopes to continue dancing professionally upon graduation. 

McKenzie Olson is a dance artist and choreographer, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Dance Education. She is from St. George, Utah and began her dance journey in her youth. McKenzie has received awards from Sterling Scholar Association, Southern Utah Performing Arts, and multiple dance scholarships through UVU. The past two years, she's chosen to be a part of Synergy Dance Company, which gave her opportunities to choreograph and attend American College Dance Association. She's worked with many choreographers including Jocelyn Smith, Joshua Manculich, Daniel Charon, as well as WhirlWind Dance Company, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and Odyssey Dance Theatre. 

Manny Santos is a dance artist from Magna, UT, currently in his junior year pursuing a BFA in Modern/Contemporary dance. This is his second season with CDE. While at UVU, Manny has had the privilege to perform with not only CDE, but with the hip hop company Esprit D.C as well. Manny has performed works by Brian Gerke, Kellie St. Pierre, Nichele Woods, Melissa Younker, and many more. He has performed for Playground Dance project, with choreographer Constance Anderson, and Monica Bill Barnes with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. He enjoys aspects that challenge his dancing, creativity and performance ability. 

Ashley Wilcox is a dance artist from Farmington, Utah. She trained at Creative Arts Academy and received the Sterling Scholar in Dance from Farmington High. Ashley is in her third year pursuing a dual major in Modern Dance and Statistics at UVU. During her time there, she has developed a love for the creative process, collaboration with peers, and learning about various production elements. CDE has provided Ashley with amazing opportunities to work with talented choreographers such as Kellie St. Pierre, Nichele Woods, Melissa Younker, and Brian Gerke. She recently performed Monica Bill Barnes's choreography with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company.