Shannon Hummel [email] [bio] Artistic Director
Kelly Bartnik [bio] Dancer
Sarah Burke [bio] Dancer
Xan Burley [bio] Dancer
Galois Cohen [bio] Dancer
Katie Dean [bio] Dancer
Calia Marshall [bio] Dancer
Cynthia Thompson [bio] Guest Performer
Nadia Tykulsker [bio] Dancer
Board of Directors
Danielle Vidals, President
Ellen Vaz, Secretary
Shannon Hummel, Artistic Director
Vanessa Adato, Treasurer
Alison Hockenberry
Stephanie Batchelder
Launa Schweizer
SHANNON HUMMEL
Shannon Hummel (Choreographer/Artistic Director) is a choreographer, arts educator and the Artistic Director of Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance and Cora School for Dance. Beyond pursuit of her artistic vision, Hummel is driven to create access to the arts for all people, believing that everyone should have high-quality arts experiences through performance and education. Hence, her professional work both as choreographer and educator has been experienced as much in school gymnasiums, church basements and public parks as on the formal stages of major theaters and universities across the country.
A teacher and choreographer in rural Virginia since 1989, Hummel completed a degree in dance in 1996 from James Madison University and relocated to NYC. There, established the professional company, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance in 2001. She has been commissioned across the nation by such institutions as Dance Theater Workshop/NY State Dance Force (NY), Dixon Place/Mondo Cane! Commissioning Program (NYC), University of Maryland/College Park (MD), Marlboro College/Vermont Performance Lab (VT), Rhode Island College (RI), among many others. Hummel’s choreography has been presented by over 30 NYC venues including the 92nd Street Y, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, Dance Theater Workshop, Danspace Project, La MaMa, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, among many others. Her work has been widely acclaimed by many critics, called “finely wrought, poignant and sophisticated,” and “as vivid and true as a Eudora Welty story” (The New York Times); “quivers with subtle emotions like the writing of Virginia Woolf” (The Village Voice). Growing up in an isolated rural community, bringing Cora’s work to under-served areas as well as prestigious venues became of equal importance to Hummel early on. Hence, in 2002, Hummel and Cora developed “The Crossroads Project.” Crossroads created accessible performing arts experiences for those living in isolated rural areas with little or no exposure to dance. Since its inception, Hummel and her company have worked with over 2000 “non-dancers,” in small communities in
KY, OK, VA, WV, VT and NY.
A career arts educator as well as choreographer, Hummel has been on the faculty of a plethora of NYC dance education organizations, teaching through social service programs, public and private schools, formal dance studios, colleges, universities and even city parks. Most notably, Hummel was a faculty member at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange for 11 years, assisting in the development of many of their award winning programs and since 2002 she has been the Dance and Movement Specialist at the Poly Prep Lower School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She has been a professor at James Madison University (VA) and Queensborough College (NY) and has taught and lectured at such notable institutions as The American Dance Festival (NY Intensive), ACDFA (Mid-Atlantic Region), Dance Theater Workshop (NY), Rutgers University (NJ), The College of William & Mary (VA), Marlboro College (VT), Henrico Center for the Performing Arts (VA), among many others. In 2009, Hummel established The Cora Studio in Red Hook Brooklyn as a home-base for her teaching philosophy, choreography and community outreach. Offering professional dance training to youth and adults regardless of their ability to pay, to date, Cora has served over 400 students through their studio and in-school programs.
Hummel has received numerous honors throughout her career. Most recently, she was nominated to the Brooklyn Community Foundation as a “Brooklyn Do Gooder” for her establishment of The Cora Studio. Her work has received significant support from BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange’s Artist-in-Residence Program; Vermont Performance Lab’s Artist-in-Residence program; The Department of Cultural Affairs, Copper-Beech Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, among others. She curates, speaks, and sits on guest panels at numerous venues throughout the country. She is wife to actor Greg McFadden and mother to a lively boy named Henry.
KELLY BARTNIK
Kelly Bartnik (Dancer) is a graduate of James Madison University where she earned her BA in Dance and BBA in Computer Information Systems. Since moving to New York, she has performed with the Wright Now! Performance XPerience, Melissa Briggs Dance, Shannon Hummel / Cora Dance and Carl Hancock Rux. Her own choreography has been presented at Dixon Place, Williamsburg Arts Nexus, the Publick Playhouse in Maryland, James Madison University, Brooklyn Arts Exchange/BAX, Joyce Soho, BRIC Studio, Dance Theater Workshop and Arena Stage in Washington DC. Kelly is a founding member of Forum, Inc., a multidisciplinary arts organization based in Washington D.C., as well as a video production company, Gk1 Productions. She is currently the co-director of BAXco, the teen repertory company in residence at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange.
SARAH BURKE
Sarah Burke (Dancer/Teacher) received her BA in Dance as well as a minor in French and a Pre-Concentration in Physical Therapy from James Madison University in May of 2010. She student co-directed the ensemble for new dance majors, which included teaching and choreographing. During this time, Sarah also held residencies with St. Catherine’s School and zMullins Dance Collective in Richmond, Virginia. Upon graduation, she received the Choreography Award. In August of 2010, Sarah moved to New York from her home in Richmond.
XAN BURLEY
Xan Burley (Teacher/Dancer), a native of Youngstown, OH, graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 with degrees in Dance and English. She joined Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance as a performer in 2008 and as a teacher in 2009. In addition, she enjoys continued work with Elizabeth Dishman/Coriolis and Shannon Gillen and Guests and has worked on projects with artists Nancy Bannon, Daniel Charon, Doorknob Company, and Leyya Tawil/Dance Elixir, among others. Her work with husband Alex Springer has been presented at various festivals and venues in NYC, Michigan, and Chicago and they are recipients of a 2011/12 BAX Space Grant. Together they have taught master classes in partnering, technique and improvisation at Albion College, Grand Valley State University, the University of Michigan, Emory University, Ballet Western Reserve Summer Workshop, and the MOVE Festival. They also create dances for the camera and received the silver award in DFA’s 48-Hour Challenge for their film daylighting. Xan is the Producer of WAXworks and is also on faculty at the 92nd Street Y and Brooklyn Arts Exchange/BAX. For more information go to www.alexandanceperformance.com
GALOIS COHEN
Galois Cohen (Dancer/Performers’ Liaison) was born in New York and attended LaGuardia High School. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst she danced with the New York Dance Collective, Leap of Faith, Room Eleven Dancers and Rosa Mei Dance. She has been with Cora Dance since 2000.
KATIE DEAN
Katie Dean (Dancer/Education Manager) is a dancer and choreographer originally from Virginia, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Since moving to New York, she has danced for Courtney Cooke, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance, Rebekah Windmiller, and Inimois Dance. Her own choreography has been shown at theaters, galleries, and tiny corners on the East Coast. Katie Dean is currently a member of Inimois Dance headed by Megan Harrold. This is her second year with Shannon Hummel/ Cora Dance.www.katiedeandance.com
CALIA MARSHALL
Calia Marshall (Dancer) is a dancer, choreographer, yoga instructor, dance teacher, Reiki practitioner, and singer. She has been performing and teaching in NYC since 2000, after receiving her B.A. in Dance from Mount Holyoke College. Her work has been presented all around NYC and she has self-produced three
evenings of dance. In 2008/09 she was awarded a Space Grant at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange with Helen Tocci. A company member of Cora Dance since 2008, Calia also currently dances for LAVA and Nathan Trice/Rituals. She has previously worked with Stephen Koplowitz, Kelly Bartnik, Amy Cox, Maura Nyugen Donahue/In Mixed Company, Magbana Drum & Dance, and others. Calia teaches yoga and practices Reiki at Shambhala Yoga & Dance in Brooklyn and has a kirtan band, Kirtan Soul Revivial. www.caliamarshall.com
CYNTHIA THOMPSON
Cynthia Thompson (Guest Performer) has enjoyed a career as a dancer, choreographer and educator that spans twenty-five years during which time she has been a major force in the development of the successful BA program in dance at James Madison University. Her long-time partnership with Kate Trammell in the duet company Thompson & trammel has shaped her professional career. The company has toured nationally and internationally to critical acclaim and has been awarded numerous grants and honors.
NADIA TYKULSKER
A native Brooklynite, Nadia Tykulsker moved back to Brooklyn in the summer of 2010 and became the Operations Manager and a dancer for Cora. She also started Spark(edIt) Arts as a forum to bring artists and dancers together to make collaborative works of dance-theater. The company has performed at various venues performances series including WaxWorks, Greenspace, Rooftop Series and Figment Festival on Governors Island and will continue to present work at Triskelion Arts and Dixon Place in the fall. Shannon Hummel was one of Nadia’s first teachers and plays a huge part of why she pursued dance. She is honored and excited to dance alongside all of these gorgeous dancers!
