ARTISTIC DIRECTION: Christal Wagner & Gina Laurenzi
LIGHTING DESIGN: Colin Gawronski
Program A runs about 90 minutes in length and Program B runs about 75 minutes in length.
GET IT OUT THERE is a biannual concert series spotlighting the bold voices of emerging and established artists in the greater Milwaukee area and Midwest. From innovative choreography and captivating performances to vibrant music and screendance, this series celebrates new and daring works.
Thank you to sponsorships from the CAMPAC, the Milwaukee Arts Board, The Wisconsin Arts Board, and generous funding from the United Performing Arts Fund.
Program A – 5pm
from what I remember
Choreography and Performance: Natalie Stehly
Music: Voice Memo from Michelle Burns & Lay All Your Love On Me by Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion
Cabinet of Curiosity
Choreography + Performance: Lavanyaa Surendar
Music: Andrew Boysen
GHOSTS
Choreography: Jo Brockway
Performers: Emma Domacinovich, Jade Eitel, Greta Jenkins, Ashley Tomaszewski
Music: Misguided Ghosts by Paramore and Before I Close My Eyes by XXXTENTACION
Give Yourself A Reason
Choreography and Performance: Alecia Corey and Jaime Erickson
Music: Call Your Mom by Noah Kahan
Where the Sun Meets the Water
Choreography: Ashley Ray Garcia
Performers: Emma Becker, Kasey Eckhardt, Kayla Siedlecki
Music: Dance of Death by Andrew Bird
I’ll Wait For You in the Garden
Choreography: Koree Brosig in collaboration with performer
Performers: Anna Stachnik
Music: “Melt” by Boy in the Rain, rain sounds
Notes: based on the poem “I’ll Wait For You in the Garden” by Ashley Ray Garcia
Óid agus Ómós (Ode and Homage)
Choreography: Lia Smith-Redmann
Performers: Elise Leonard, Beck Kimbro, Brooke Allison Parkinson, Rae Zimmerli
Music: Aililiu Na Gamhna by Iarla Ó Lionáird, Caoineadh Na Mara (Lament of the Sea) by Mary McLaughlin & William Coulter, Mighty One by Maire Brennan
Cinematography, video production, & editing: Lia Smith-Redmann
For The Better
Choreography and Performance: Audrey Dudek and Kennedy Schreiter
Music: Repeat Until Death by Novo Amor
Disinhibition
Choreography: Christal Wagner in collaboration with Danceworks Apprentice MKE
Danceworks Apprentice MKE Performers: Rae Zimmerli, Jamie Riddle, Shannon Stanczak, Dianne Kotsonis, Rachel Alford, Katie Speltz, Kayla Siedlecki.
Music: “Take me back” by Jungle
Program B – 8pm
Falling Upward
Choreography + Performance: Katelyn Altmann
Music: Opening Night by Dictaphone
Costumes: Katelyn Altmann
Seed Spell
Choreography: Rae Zimmerli in collaboration with performers
Performers: Jessica Lueck, Jamie Riddle, Maddie Westreich, Rae Zimmerli
Music: Seed Spell by Stef Conner
Dyslexia: Moving Genius
Choreography: Catey Ott Thompson
Performer: Catey Ott Thompson
Music: The text is a collection of conversation responses from dyslexic/neurodivergent geniuses, from a variety of backgrounds, age groups, and identifications, all of whom I care very much about and are absolutely highly successful.
Sound Editing and Actualization of Sound/Text Score: Colin Gawronski
Costumes and Lighting: These ideas were conceived by Xander Ott Thompson, who is also my inspiration. Thanks, too, to Colin Gawronski, for bringing color to the stage for all of us.
Notes: The creation of this piece was made possible with a UWM PSOA Alumni Research Incubator Space Grant and Li Chiao-Ping’s SEED process and performance. Thanks, too, to Danceworks and Christal Wagner for this opportunity to grow and share work. Thanks to Mitchell Shiner for the use of the wonderful music for the original incarnation of this piece. Thank you, Jeff, for all of the patience and support you give to us.
two women
Performer: Casey Joan Kollman
Piano: Anne Van Duesen
Music: “Don’t Wanna Be Here” from Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon; “There Won’t Be Trumpets” from Anyone Can Whistle by Stephen Sondheim
Einarr
Choreography + Performance: Jessica Lueck
Music: Glimmer by Son Lux, Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley
Get In Line, Wait Your Turn
Choreography + Performance: Kasey Eckhardt and Ashley Ray Garcia
Music: miro by berlioz, Ted Jasper
Concept: Kasey Eckhardt
on the threshold
Choreography and Performance: Gayle Rocz
Music: “Born, Never Asked” and “Big Science” by Laurie Anderson
Costume: Gayle Rocz
closer, still
Choreography + Performance: Zoe Mei Glise
Music: Christian Löffler, Peter Sandberg
to live or to survive
Choreography + Performance: Janiya (Jay) Carter
Music: Baby Boy by Childish Gambino (Instrumental ver.)
Tic Tic Tic
Choreography: Maya Paletta in collaboration with performers
Performers: Shanira Delgado, Jessica Luek, Emily Leahy, and Charlotte Reynolds
Music: S3NS by Ibrahim Maalouf
Artist Bios
KATELYN ALTMANN (SHE/HER)
Katelyn Altmann (she/her) is a movement-based artist, choreographer, and improvisor from Milwaukee, WI. She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance and Choreography from the UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts and currently serves as adjunct faculty for the UW-Milwaukee Department of Dance. Her choreographic work has been shown at Velocity(WA), Gibney(NY), Danceworks(WI), MYARTS(WI), Milwaukee Fringe Festival(WI), Dance Masters of Wisconsin(WI) and the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters(IL). Her work, “soft ground, stiff shoulder” was selected to be presented at the 2019 ACDA conference. She is a current performance and collaborative artist with Wild Space Dance Company, Danceworks Performance MKE, Li Chiao Ping Dance, Gina Laurenzi Dance Project and Hyperlocal MKE. Katelyn’s work lives in embodied study, tested and realized through creation processes, improvisational strategies and performance. This takes shape through porous embodiment, visceral play, collaboration and radical attunement.
JO BROCKWAY (SHE/HER)
Jo Brockway (she/her) is originally from Wisconsin, where she danced in Water Street Dance Milwaukee’s trainee program for the 2021 to 2022 season. In the summer of 2022 she moved to Chicago for a year dancing with Common Conservatory. In March of 2023, She performed in MashUp Contemporary Dance’s 7th annual International Women’s Day Festival, with choreography by Ashley Tomaszewski. Since 2023 Jo has been a company member and now rehearsal director of Three Point Project, which is under the direction of Ashley Tomaszewski. With Three Point Project, Jo had the opportunity to return to LA and perform in Geometry Dance’s show “WALK ON”. Jo believes that every artist can be their unique selves and that is what creates the real magic.
KOREE BROSIG
Koree Brosig is a dancer, choreographer and artist based in Wisconsin. She started dancing at two years old when her mom noticed she loved music and couldn’t sit still. She started her training at Shirley Vans Dance Studio in Green Bay and eventually joined The Dance Company until she graduated high school. Koree gained a love for show choir and performing arts in high school and worked as a choreography assistant under the Performing Arts Doctor for these art forms. Koree is now pursuing a BFA in dance with a Pilates Certificate at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She has collaborated with many choreographers and dancers such as Maria Gillespie, Mair Culbreth, Dawn Springer, Carmit Bachar and Menina Fortunato.
Jay Carter
Jay (Janiya) Carter is currently a junior dance major at UWM and comes from a contemporary modern background. Jay studies street styles and African Dance while also serving as a member of the Kpop dance team and UWM student org, Komet. Komet executes covers of Kpop songs where the goal is Kpop appreciation and having fun in exploring the style. Jay is studying solo Kpop covers and broadening her knowledge of dance in general through curiosity and choreography.
Alecia Corey and Jaime Erickson
Alecia Corey and Jaime Erickson are a dancing duo who met in college and have been inseparable since. This is their 3rd duet that they have presented together. They enjoy working with each other because of their friendship but also for the collaborative creative process they have. When working on choreography they can almost read each other’s minds of what should happen next. They appreciate this opportunity to showcase their dance.
AUDREY DUDEK
Audrey Dudek is a dancer, and choreographer based in Milwaukee where she is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Arts in dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Throughout her time at UWM she has had the opportunity to create her own choreographic works and collaborated with faculty choreographers Simone Ferro, Daniel Burkholder, Dawn Springer, Mair Culbreth and Gina Laurenzi. She has studied and trained in multiple styles including ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Audrey also worked alongside MFA dance student, Sarah Holmes, as an assistant choreographer for her work in UWM’s MFA concert, Upstart. She recently premiered choreography for Danceworks Get It Out There concert, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Dance Student Organization’s Dance Collective concert. Audrey is passionate about choreographing, and performing and is excited to gain more experience through exploration and collaboration.
Kasey Eckhardt
Kasey Eckhardt is a BFA dance major in contemporary performance and choreography at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While at UWM she has performed in works by Maria Gillespie, Gina Laurenzi, Aysha Upchurch, and Daniel Burkholder. Kasey has previously performed in two pieces by Ashley Ray Garcia which were shown at Danceworks’ “Get it Out There”. Other performances she has done include many student choreographed works at UWM such as New Dancemakers and the student organization run concert, Dance Collective. Last spring she performed in Ashley Ray Garcia’s For The Wolves concert. This is her first time choreographing for Get It Out There and she hopes to showcase more work in the future.
Ashley Ray Garcia (SHE/HER)
Ashley Ray Garcia (she/her) is a dancer and choreographer from Michigan. She received her BFA in Dance-Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Through her love of traveling, she has had the opportunity to perform in France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. Garcia has shown work at Central de La Danse (Paris, France), Get It Out There MKE (Wisconsin), Collage Dance Festival, and RAD Fest (Michigan). She is currently a company member of Wild Space Dance Company and Danceworks Performance Company while choreographing independently. Garcia enjoys choreographing, performing, and improvisation and looks forward to gaining knowledge through both exploring and experience. She also is a published author of her poetry book, Forget-Me-Not.
Colin Gawronski
Colin Gawronski is a lighting designer and theatrical technician native to Milwaukee who has worked extensively with Danceworks, Inc, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sunstone Studios and Black Arts MKE/Bronzeville. They have worked with other local companies such as Renaissance Theaterworks, Wildspace, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, and In Tandem Theatre. Colin has also worked with Theatre Lila, Third Avenue Playworks and Forward Theater. Favorite productions include: Stew, Out of Many One, ‘Neath the Hills of Bastogne, /maskəˈrād/, Dutchman, Black Nativity, Romeo & Juliet: A Theatre Lila Invention, Secrets From the Wide Sky, Daddy Long Legs, Spalding Grey: Stories Left to Tell, Stories From a Life, The Glass Menagerie, Serendipity, Birds of North America, My Fair Lady, Lamps For My Family, and Vagabondare.Give Love Always.
Zoe GLISE (She/Her)
Zoe Glise (she/her) is a performer, and movement-based artist born in China and located in Milwaukee, WI. She is a company member with Danceworks Performance Company, Wild Space Dance Company, and the Gina Laurenzi Dance Project. Previously, Zoe danced as a company member with Madison Contamporary Dance, and was Nova Linea Contemporary Dance’s first company apprentice. Zoe received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Performance and Choreography at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2022. In 2019, with the National Endowment for the Arts grant, Zoe collaborated with Joe Goode and other students to create a dance film; presented at the North Central American College Dance Association. In 2022, Zoe was selected to travel to Paris, France to attend the Camping Residency at the Centre National de la Danse, where she trained, taught, and performed. Most recently, Zoe created her own evening length performance, Uncommon Ground, presented at Adventure Rock MKE.
Jessica Lueck (SHE/HER)
Jessica Lueck (she/her) is a dancer currently based in Milwaukee, WI. Through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee she has attained two degrees, one in Dance Performance and Choreography and the other in Information System and Technology. Through the duration of her time at UWM, she has studied modern, ballet, jazz, improvisation, composition, Alexander technique, laban movement analysis, applied anatomy, and numerous other master classes. She has also performed in works created for several UW-Milwaukee Faculty Shows, working with Artists such as Emma Draves, Daniel Burkholder, Maria Gillespie, Deb Loewen, Parijat Desai and Dawn Springer. Jessica has also studied abroad in 2022 through the Centre national de la Danse in Paris, France. In 2023, she attended SALT Link dance festival in Utah, working with Christian Denice and Nicole Von Arx. Before attending UWM, she has had training from the Milwaukee high school of the Arts, where she studied modern, ballet, pointe and composition under Sandra Jordan and Dean Drews, with additional instructors such as Amie Ferrante and Petr Zahradníček assisting in her training. She has also had numerous Master classes during this period with companies such as Milwaukee Ballet, Alvin Ailey II Company and more. Jessica currently performs with Wildspace Company as a Freelance artist and will be starting her third season with Danceworks Performance MKE.
Casey Joan Kollman
Casey Joan Kollman is a singer, dancer, actor, songwriter and voice teacher who recently graduated from Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music with two performing arts degrees. Their passion for both music and performing arts can be found amongst all of her projects; such as directing the Vocal Jazz ensemble in college, teaching voice locally, or sending demos to her sound engineer & music producer friends. Casey Joan has also won several awards for her singing, namely the Schubert Club Thelma Hunter award. She also has had the privilege of being a finalist in many NATS competitions and the Mississippi Opera Musical Theatre Young Artist competition. Casey Joan has always been a collaborative performer, who values collective creation due to her choral roots. Passionate & ambitious, Casey Joan continues to strive for a professional career as a singer, actor & dancer.
Catey Ott Thompson
Catey Ott Thompson, director of Catey Ott Dance Collective since 2005, has a BFA and MFA in dance from UWM. Catey resides in Milwaukee after dancing in NYC for 14 years with Soundance, Heidi Latsky, Allyson Green, Sean Curran, Bill Young, Li Chiao-Ping, Eun Jung Choi, and as well as having CODC presented all over NYC. In Milwaukee, CODC regularly performs at Danceworks Studio, MKE Fringe Fest, UW-Madison, UWM, Marquette University, Milwaukee Ballet, Wisconsin Dance Council, and others. Catey was a faculty member at Marquette University for 9 years and is currently teaching a wide range of classes at Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy, Pre-Pro Program, and MBII.
Maya Paletta
(She/Her)
Maya Paletta (she/her) is thrilled to be making her Milwaukee choreography debut with Danceworks! This past spring she graduated with her BFA in Acting, minor in Dance from Northern Illinois University. Favorite NIU credits include She Kills Monsters (Agnes Evans) and Big Love (Olympia). For the last three months Maya has been working as a Trainee with Water Street Dance MKE under the direction of Morgan Williams. There she had works set on her by Kate Alava and Shanira Delgado. This summer she also danced with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in their Create Intensive where she had works set on her by Cyrie Topete, Krista Ellensohn, Gianna Burright, and Alexander Anderson. She has also done intensives with Deeply Rooted Dance Theatre performing works by Nicole Clarke-Springer, Gary Abbott, Kevin Iega Jeffs, and Tracey Franklin. Thanks to her family, friends, and all who support the arts! Instagram @mayapapaya5678
Gayle Rocz
(she/her)
Gayle Rocz (she/her) is a dance artist, scholar, and educator currently based in Omaha, Nebraska. Gayle graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Gayle is a company member of tbd. dance collective, and has danced with them since 2021. She has worked with many nationally and internationally recognized choreographers both during and after college, including: Jenna Riegel, Jennifer Nugent, Kayvon Pourazar, Lauren Simpson, Haley Koastas, and Alexa Capareda. Gayle regularly contributes choreography for tbd. dance collective, and recently premiered a work at the Iowa Choreography Festival in August of 2024. She is an educator and choreographer at Dedication Dance Co. in Omaha, which is a local youth dance studio for emerging artists.
Lia Smith-Redmann (She/Her)
Lia Smith-Redmann is a Wisconsin-based artist, dancer, and writer. She studied dance and theatre throughout the Five College Consortium in Massachusetts and is currently pursuing her BAs in Dance and English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she is an Undergraduate Research Fellow under the direction of Maria Gillespie. She is a collaborating artist with Hyperlocal MKE and a former member of Ballo Dance Company and Laughing Tiger Tai Chi in Door County, where she also provides production support for Death’s Door Dance Festival and the Door Community Auditorium. She has had the privilege of performing the works of choreographers such as Alfonso Cervera, Maria Gillespie, and Daniel Burkholder. Her work has been performed at Hampshire College, the Peck School of the Arts’ Dance Collective Showcase, Danceworks’ Get It Out There, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Theatre Festival, and the New Dramaworks Short Play Festival.
Natalie Stehly (She/Her)
Natalie Stehly is a dancer, maker, and educator. She graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earning her BFA in Dance. During her time in Urbana, she had the pleasure of performing in works by Kendra Portier, Mauriah Kraker, Leah Wilks, Charli Brissey, Renée Wadleigh, Nico Brown, Linda Lehovec, Paige Cunningham-Caldarella and Rachel Rizzuto, and additionally working with faculty members Jennifer Monson, Abby Zbikowski, Kirstie Simons, Sara Hook, Tere O’Connor among others. Natalie is passionate about dance education and notably has taught at Dancewave, School at Peridance, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and La Crosse Dance Centre. She currently teaches at Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy and Tamarack Waldorf. In addition to teaching dance, Natalie is a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher and certified Children’s Yoga Instructor. Her choreography and teaching practices are interwoven with her love for improvisation and somatic practices, such as the Alexander Technique. Her choreographic work has been presented at Current Showcase (Current Take.5 and Current Take.3 in Brooklyn, NY), Green Space’s Fertile Ground Showcase (Queens, NY), Dancewave Community Showcase (Brooklyn, NY), through Dancewave Company Program at New York Live Arts (New York, NY), and her recent work “where you go” was selected to be performed at Wisconsin Dance Council’s Mini Dance Festival.
Lavanyaa Surendar
Lavanyaa Surendar Bharathanatyam Dancer/ Curator/ Arts & Cultural Director/ Committed to developing a happy community through Arts. Ultimately to contribute to shaping the future of arts + culture, creating space for new creative processes, new ways of storytelling, new voices and developing artistic talent in the community, Lavanyaa is committed to innovation and revolution of the arts sector for the benefit of all.
Having a certification in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, Lavanyaa specializes in ‘Neuroaesthetics’. She is a Midwest Emmy award nominee under the category of ‘Outstanding Instructional Content’ for her work with PBS and she has written several articles among which,”” while-we-experience-art-sports-do-we-feel-connected-to-something-large-why?“” has been featured in Neo narthaki.
She also developed a dance based workout ‘Art & Anatomy’, that premiered in Lawrence University, Appleton. She was also an active member of ‘The New york Dance Talks’ and has presented ‘Abigyan Shakuntalum’ at the conference. She works closely with the American Mental Health Organization to use Arts as interventional treatment. She also developed a dance based workout ‘Art & Anatomy’, that premiered in Lawrence University, Appleton. She was also an active member of ‘The Newyork Dance Talks’ and has presented ‘Abigyan Shakuntalum’ at the conference. She works closely with the American Mental Health Organization to use Arts as interventional treatment.
Rae Zimmerli (she/her)
Rae Zimmerli (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and photographer from Overland Park, Kansas. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee earning a BFA in contemporary performance and choreography. Her choreographic work engages with fables, folklore, and mythology, told through a feminist perspective. Her choreographic work has been presented at Milwaukee Fringe Festival, American College Dance Association, Camping Dance Festival, Chicago Danztheatre, and more. She has performed work by Kia Smith, Katy Pyle, YNOT, Simone Ferro, Dawn Springer, Maria Gillespie, Dan Schuchart, Gina Laurenzi, Jaclyn Brown, and others. As a photographer, Rae specializes in dance photography and portraiture and has been hired by Danceworks MKE, Wild Space Dance Company, Fly Dance Competition, and others. Her fine-art photography has been featured at UWM’s Union Art Gallery, Leenhouts Art Gallery, Focus Art Gallery, La Gente Art Gallery, and the Tim Murphy Art Gallery.
Danceworks Apprentice MKE
Rachel Alford
Rachel Alford is a dancer and registered dance/movement therapist currently working in the Milwaukee area. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Western Michigan University in 2020. While studying at WMU, she was introduced to the practice of Authentic Movement and the field of dance/movement therapy. Rachel has always been drawn to dance and movement as a door to explore, express, and process emotions and make meaningful connections within the self and with others through the embodied experience. Her passion and belief in the power of dance to heal and desire to share this with others led her to move to New York in 2021 to study dance/movement therapy at Sarah Lawrence College. During her time at Sarah Lawrence, Rachel had the opportunity to develop skills in movement observation and assessment and facilitate dance/movement therapy sessions for children in an early childhood program, as well as adults on the forensic and geriatric units of a state psychiatric hospital. She graduated with her M.S. in Dance/Movement Therapy in 2023 and accepted a position as a dance/movement therapist at a behavioral health hospital in southeast Wisconsin. She began taking classes at Danceworks in 2024 as a self-care practice and to find a sense of community while living and working in a new city. Rachel is excited to join the brilliant community of artists in Danceworks Apprentice Company this season to continue to explore new ways of moving and to share her love of dance through performance.
Anya Kluesner
Anya Kluesner is a Milwaukee based Artist currently studying Studio Art, Art History, and Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dance has always been a part of Anya’s life, growing up at a studio in their hometown, Madison, WI. They have experience performing, teaching, and choreographing a variety of styles and ages; most notably working with Ultimate Leap Dance Center as a guest choreographer for both the 2023, and 2024-25 competition seasons. Anya has also performed with the University of Oregon Dance Department (2022-23), under choreographers Hannah Victoria Thomas, Zoe Vander Hyde, and Shannon Mockli. After attending Water Street Dance Festival in 2023, Anya has found joy in the community at Danceworks, and is excited to be a part of their Apprentice Company.
Dianne Kotsonis (She/they)
Dianne Kotsonis (She/they) is an artist living in the Milwaukee area. Graduating in 2019, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in dance from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, along with certificates in Pilates and business. After graduation Dianne joined Li Chiao-Ping Dance as a performer and Special Projects Manager for two years, during which time she also taught Pilates in the Madison area. After a short hiatus from performing and reestablishing her relationship to art through the animation program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Dianne is ready to take the stage once again with the Danceworks Apprentice Company.
Jamie Riddle (she/her)
Jamie Riddle (she/her) is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and massage therapist based in Milwaukee, WI. Jamie currently dances with Wild Space Dance Company, Danceworks Apprentice Company, and Fable Dance Company. Jamie graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance Performance and Choreography with minors in Somatics and Business in December 2023. During her time at UWM, Jamie performed in works by Debra Loewen, Simone Ferro, Maria Gillespie, Ari Christopher, Rae Zimmerli, Lia Smith-Redmann, McKenna Coartney, and more. Jamie has also had the opportunity to perform with DPMKE, DanceCircus, and Studio K Flamenco.
Kayla Siedlecki (she/her)
Kayla Siedlecki (she/her) is a Milwaukee-based artist originally from West Chester, PA. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022 with degrees in Actuarial Math and Finance. At the University of Pittsburgh, she continued her dance studies through classes at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and as a performer and choreographer in student-run clubs. Kayla has become involved in the Milwaukee dance community through classes at Danceworks and Milwaukee Ballet Theater as well as performing in UWM’s Upstart, Kim Miller’s Social Choreography, and Danceworks’ GIOT. She is excited to start her journey with the Danceworks Apprentice Company.
Katie Speltz
Katie Speltz is a Milwaukee-based dancer and choreographer originally from Winona, MN. She is currently pursuing her BFA in dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has traveled throughout the United States assisting Celebrity Conventions. Additionally, she has attended events across North America with Intrigue Dance Intensive as a senior “True Performer,” performing with the faculty.
At UWM, she has performed in the works of guest artists Aysha Upchurch, Alfonso Cervera, Kia Smith, as well as numerous faculty. She has also performed with Gina Laurenzi Dance Project, and in shows under the direction of Jasmine Uras, Ashley Ray Garcia, and Zoe Mei Glise. Her choreographic work has been presented in UWM’s Dance Student Organization’s Dance Collective, and has won awards at competitions around the country.
Shannon Stanczak
Shannon Stanczak is a Milwaukee based dancer and choreographer who attended University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, graduating in 2021 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in contemporary dance performance and choreography, with a minor in studio art. At UW-M, she had the opportunity to perform under Simone Ferro, Dan Schuchart, Andrea Burkholder, Mair Culbreth and many others. Shannon had the privilege to work with the Flockworks and with Symbiosis in their SANCTA performance. She is currently dancing with WildSpace Dance Company and the DanceWorks Apprentice Company.
Rae Zimmerli (she/her)
Rae Zimmerli (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and photographer from Overland Park, Kansas. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2024, earning a BFA in dance and minors in photography and geography. Her choreographic work engages with fables, folklore, and mythology, told through a feminist perspective. Her choreographic work has been presented at Milwaukee Fringe Festival, American College Dance Association, Camping Dance Festival, Chicago Danztheatre, and more. She has performed work by Kia Smith, Katy Pyle, YNOT, Simone Ferro, Dawn Springer, Maria Gillespie, Dan Schuchart, Gina Laurenzi, Jaclyn Brown, and others.
LAB RAT PASS $45 (a $70 Value)
Become a Lab Rat passholder to the 3 of the 4-show DanceLAB season featuring the top established and emerging artists in Milwaukee. Subscribers receive:
+ Premiere reserved seating at each performance of the season
+ A courtesy reminder to secure their seats online or over the phone 1 month prior to each performance.
+ A complimentary beverage at each show
OCT 5, 2024
GET IT OUT THERE FALL
presented by DanceLAB
APR 5, 2025
GET IT OUT THERE – SPRING
presented by DanceLAB
JULY 2025
RHYTHMWORKS 2025
presented by DanceLAB
AUGUST 2025
DANCEWORKS ON TAP 2025
presented by DanceLAB
DanceLAB MISSION
The focus of DanceLAB is on collaboration, fusion of forms and current trends in the field. Many DanceLAB events include educational components to encourage artist-to-audience dialogue and participation. Danceworks DanceLAB honors and nurtures the development of new works by dance artists by offering year-round opportunities in the form of performances, internships, mentorships, space access and advocacy for artists serving the Milwaukee community. We stay on the lookout for talented emerging or established dance artists.