Erika Curry-Elrod
grew up dancing in Denver at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy and got a BA from Beloit College in dance and physics. She first performed with Evolving Doors Dance nine years ago before moving to Telluride, CO, where she danced for Telluride Dance Collective, Telluride Theater, and the Telluride AIDS Benefit Fashion Show. While still being an active company member of TDC, going back when she can to be a part of productions, she has recently moved back to the Big City to continue her dance training. She is so excited to be reunited with EDD!
Hanna Ghadessi
was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She has danced at Fancy Feet Dance Studio and continued her interest in dance to the University of Colorado Boulder. She graduated last May with a BA in dance with dual minors in anthropology and business. Studying these three different areas has allowed her a stronger command of engaging dance as a multifaceted, interdisciplinary experience through the direction of her professors Erika Randall, Gesel Mason, Helanius J. Wilkins, Chrissy Nelson, Larry Southall, and many others. Ghadessi has performed in 11 shows for the dance department while at CU. She was also the scholarship recipient at CU for the Noel and Terry Hefty scholarship program, as well as the Redmond Scholarship. After graduating, she has been focusing on hip-hop dances as well as contemporary and teaching in the Denver area at local dance studios. Ghadessi is also currently training with the prestigious Rennie Harris’ Grassroots Training Group and core member of Moraporvida Dance Company.
Katie Kalamaras
is new to the Denver area as she has began her journey as a trainee of Kim Robard’s Modern Dance Company. She has been dancing since the age of two and has studied all genres of dance. Originally from Chicago, she attended Alma College in Alma, Michigan on scholarship where she received her B.A in dance performance. Along with her passion for dance, she has been teaching and choreographing all over Colorado for the past year. She has also attended ADF in Durham, North Carolina on scholarship where she centrally studied modern dance, improv and hip hop. Kat currently models for several various dance projects and has been involved in many performances around Colorado including Ethereum, Nosilla, Kim Robard’s Modern Dance Company and Millennium Dance Complex Denver. She is also a current back up dancer for Bonnies on Tap, and a current dance company member of In The Wings, Dream Project, Thrive Ballet Company, and Blink Modern Dance Company.
Gretchen LaBorwit
is an inter-media/dance maker and dancer based in Colorado. She is projected to receive her MFA in Dance from CU Boulder in May 2020. She has a BA in Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh under the supervision of Doug Bentz, Judith Leifer-Bentz, and Keisha Llama-White, and as a youth trained at Towson University Children’s Dance Division. She is thrilled to return to Evolving Doors Dance after a three-year hiatus pursuing further studies. She has also danced professionally with Cindy Brandle Dance Company, kNot Dance, and The Pillow Project. In addition to dance she loves photography, live music, hiking, making art, and spending time with her husband Scotty, and dog Thor.
Samantha Lewis
obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Colorado State University in May 2020. In the Fall of 2019, she had the exciting opportunity to perform with Edgar L. Page: Feel the Movement. Along with performing, Samantha loves exploring her choreographic process. She has adjudicated four pieces; all of which were selected by CSU faculty through the adjudication process to be showcased at various CSU fall and spring dance concerts. Currently, Samantha dances as an apprentice for T2 Dance Company. She is thrilled to be collaborating and performing with Evolving Doors Dance!
Alfred Smith
traveled the unorthodox path of dance education by being thrown to the professional dens of dance wolves without formal training. Alfred was originally possessed by the side aching, and relentless soul moving music of West African drumming. He first trained in Hip Hop/Breaking, moved to colorado to join a modern dance company, which led to connections in ballet training. Alfred identifies as just a dancer who loves to absorb as much as possible in dance. In his choreographic works, Alfred always strived for holding a mirror to the human condition. Alfred is the artistic director of CocooLotus Dance. He also free lances for Evolving Doors Dance, Thrive Ballet, Nu World Danse, and In the Wings Dance.
Victoria Stone
grew up in the foothills of Colorado and followed her aspiration of dance and earned her BFA from Colorado Mesa University. Before graduating, she had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Ann Sanders, Melonie Buchanan Murray, Megan Glynn Zollinger and many more. She currently works numerous jobs as well as dances for Claire Kendall Creative Projects and other collectives as they arise. Victoria’s passion of studio art along with studying American Sign Language fuels her motto of ‘never stop learning’. Her favorite animal is a sloth and she believes art can lead you on a journey of happiness.
Kevin Lee
(Guitarist) is a musician & sound engineer residing in Denver, CO. He is best known for his production work through DazzleJazz and Mighty Fine Productions but began his relationship with music as a guitarist and bassist. Kevin graduated from the University of Colorado Denver in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Jazz & Commercial Guitar Performance.
Juli Royster
is a freelance bass player in the Denver-Metro area, playing electric and upright bass. Her current musical endeavors include the band Cuddle with pianist Art Lande, and drummer Amy Shelley. Juli has a Bachelor’s of Music degree from Baylor University and a Master’s of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Carmen Sandim
Over her 30+ year relationship with music, Carmen Sandim eclectic aesthetics have drawn her in many directions, including performances with a Symphony orchestra, playing with rock bands, scoring for independent movies, composing award winning TV and radio jingles, arranging for Big Band, and leading, writing, and arranging for her own Jazz ensembles. Currently, Carmen is a faculty member at MSU and UCD. Her most recent album, “Play Doh” was released via Ropeadope Records in October 2020.
Nicole Assanti
(Teaching Associate) is a Brooklyn-based dance artist and yoga instructor. With her dance company, Nikki and The Noise, Nicole creates nostalgic, anxious, and theatrical dance works. Her work has been shown in venues such as Cora Dance, Center for Performance Research, Triskelion Arts, and the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She has co-directed, choreographed, and performed in music videos for artists such as Corina Corina and Theo Lawrence. In 2019, Nicole was invited back to her Alma Mater, University of Florida, as a guest artist to teach and restage her work “When the lights go out, will you take me with you?” and to Cora Dance as the guest artist for the Cora Youth Company. From 2017 – 2020, she worked closely with Cora Dance’s professional company and Artistic Director, Shannon Hummel, as Company Assistant, Project Manager, and Production and Creative Support Manager. Since living in New York, Nicole has performed works by JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Brit Falcon, Raja Feather Kelly, and JACKS. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Florida and is a 200 Hour certified Power Yoga instructor.
Cristina Michaels
(Teaching Associate) is a queer, trans ballet teacher of 20 years, with a 12-year professional ballet career. Cristina integrates her extensive training as a medical practitioner with her love for dance to offer the LGBTQIA community classical arts training. Cristina is owner of Queer Dance Project providing virtual and online content to her community. More about Cristina’s work with QDP can be found at https://queerdanceproject.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/queerdanceproject/.
Danielle Hendricks
NPCP Certified Pilates Instructor, Danielle Hendricks, moved to Colorado from California in 1994, and graduated from CU Boulder with degrees in Kinesiology and Dance in 1999. She completed her comprehensive Pilates Certification Training in 2001 at the Pilates Center in Boulder, toured the States teaching, and found her home in early 2003 at Cara Reeser’s Pilates Aligned in Denver. “Dani” was fortunate to be able to study several times with Reeser’s mentor, first-generation Pilates teacher, Kathleen Stanford Grant. She completed Reeser’s “Kathy Grant Heritage Training” in 2014. In addition to her Pilates teaching, Danielle danced professionally for the last two decades in both modern and aerial dance companies in the Denver/Boulder area; most notably with Evolving Doors, 3rd Law, and Frequent Flyers. Dani’s teaching is highly influenced and informed by the nuances of dance technique and the rigors of aerial training. She recently returned to California and teaches online group and solo classes from home.
Vivian Kim
Vivian Kim is a choreographer, performer, and dance educator based in Westminster, CO. She teaches at various studios and teaching institutions in Denver, Boulder, Golden and Lakewood. Vivian has been training in Street Dance styles, specifically Hip-Hop and House for five (5) years with Rennie Harris, Larry Southall, and Kevin “KO” O’Keefe in Rennie Harris’s Grassroots Project. More recently, Vivian is training in Popping with Dassy Lee (Femme Fatale and So You Think You Can Dance).
Lucy Vurusic Riner
Lucy Vurusic Riner, MEd, BS is the Executive Director of RE|dance group. She completed her undergraduate studies at Illinois State University and her graduate studies from National Louis University. Lucy danced with Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak, RTG Dance and the community casts of White Oak Project and David Dorfman Dance. She has also collaborated on projects with Chicago Danztheatre and The Poetry Center of Chicago. In 2005, Lucy was AAHPERD’s Midwest Dance Teacher of the Year. In 2016, Lucy presented her work internationally at the New Dance for Asia Festival in South Korea. She continues to direct, choreograph and perform with RE|dance group.
Amy Shelley
(Drummer, Composer, Music Director) has worked with Evolving Doors Dance since it’s inception in 2006 as a sound score designer, artistic consult, live musician and composer. She is a multi-faceted drummer with an eclectic background and training. She brings depth, nuance, and color to projects as she works and collaborates with artists in various genres. She currently plays with Cuddle (with Art Lande, Juli Royster), High Fiction (with Gary Grundai), and Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene (with Kerry Pastine, Paul Shellooe and Troy Robey). She has also played with ACE Trio, Ron Miles, Lesley Kernochan, Carmen Sandim, and Janet Feder, among others. Amy is also a seasoned music educator for adults and youth. She has taught in studio, for community classes, and in university masterclasses. Amy earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Colorado in 2002. Amy is proud to continue to create and share work with Angie, and is grateful to her friends and family for ongoing love and support.
Angie Simmons
(Artistic Director / Choreographer / Dancer) has been part of the dance community in the Denver Metro for 20 years. She is Artistic Director for Evolving Doors Dance and has taught in schools, studios, colleges, and communities in various parts of the state. She has worked professionally in New York, Colorado, Mississippi, and throughout the Midwest, and was the first featured choreographer in Presenting Denver’s In the Spotlight. Moving Through is Angie’s ninth evening-length work created for EDD. She has been a guest artist for Middle Tennessee State and Iowa State Universities, as well as for Centennial State Ballet. Her work has been presented at RAD Fest in Michigan, Denver Independent Choreographers Project, American College Dance Festival South in Mississippi, Links Hall in Chicago, Redline in Denver, Central Wyoming College, and as a commission for University of Denver’s Center for Judaic Studies, among others. Her work with EDD has been awarded grants from the Aurora Arts District, the Open Door Fund, Boulder County Arts Alliance, and Boulder Arts Commission. Angie also choreographs for Miners Alley Playhouse. Recent shows include Once, Cabaret and Fun Home. Angie holds an MFA from the University of Colorado-Boulder and a BS in Dance Education from Illinois State University. She is currently Adjunct Faculty at Red Rocks and Pikes Peak Community Colleges and teaches professional and community classes in the area.