Faculty, Guest Artists, Master Classes, Workshops

Changing year to year, summer and school year Intensive Workshops and Master Classes take the intermediate & advanced dancer, age 10-adult, on an in depth journey. Master teachers from around the globe come to Kanopy Dance to teach and inspire. Intensives and Master Classes are offered in the American Masters techniques of Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Anna Sokolow, Erick Hawkins, and Lester Horton; training from the European Physical Theater and Corporeal Mime, and more.

Faculty 2022-23

Sept 6, 2022-May 21, 2023

Join us dancing with world acclaimed artists from around the country – along-side Kanopy’s Artistic Directors and Faculty. Deepen your dance technique and artistry. Engage in creative activities. Learn, and learn about, these modern dance techniques, their different foundations toward the physical art of movement, their beginnings, and how artists through time create and find inspiration.

Faculty:

  • Robert E. Cleary, Artistic Director, Kanopy Dance, Madison, WI.
  • Georgia Corner, former Principal dancer Erick Hawkins Dance Company, Madison, WI.
  • Meenakshi Ganesan, Artistic Director, Kalaanjali Classical Indian Dance Company, Madison, WI & San Francisco, CA
  • Luis Gabriel Zaragoza, Principal dancer, Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble, New York, New York.
  • Samantha Geracht, Artistic Director Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble, New York, New York.
  • Anne Marie Loesch, Master Teacher, Humphrey-Weidman Technique, Chicago, IL.
  • Brian Norris, former Principal dancer Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Madison WI
  • Maya Finman Palmer, Teacher, dancer, Ailey II Dance Company , New York, New York
  • Edward Salas, Teacher, Dancer, Kanopy Dance Company, Madison WI
  • Katie Sovik, Teacher, Dancer, Kanopy Dance Company, Madison WI
  • Lisa Thurrell, Artistic Director, Kanopy Dance, Madison, WI.

 Robert E Cleary, Co-Artistic Director Kanopy Dance (director, choreographer, teacher, dancer) was company member and soloist for Minnesota Dance Theater, danced for Bebe Miller, Bill T. Jones, Danny Ezralow, Paula Mann, Carolyn Brown, Susan McGuire, Maria Cheng, Wendy Hambidge; and was a Principal Dancer for Ballet Minnesota, among others. In 1995 he took directorship of Kanopy Dance with his partner, Lisa Thurrell. He has toured, performed, choreographed, and taught throughout the U.S. and in Denmark. Influenced by ballet, postmodernists as well as the modernists, he is in constant exploration of relevant dance expression. An extraordinary movement artist, physical theater fits him like a second skin. Critics call him “fiery and riveting, Inspired, wicked dancing, an astonishing performance…” As a choreographer, his work has been called by critics “quirky… oozes nonlinear narrative… classic gut-centered. 20th century modern dance” and “riotously pleasurable… intense, richly satisfying.”

Mr. Cleary received his Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography and a Bachelor of Arts in History, 19th Century Europe, from the University of Minnesota. He trained intensively at American Ballet Theatre and with Susan Klein in Klein Release Technique in New York. Some of his mentors include David Voss, Mary Hinkson, Frank Bourman, Loyce Houlton, Bonnie Mathis, Susan McGuire, Maria Cheng, and Tisha Von Burpee, and others. Cleary has been awarded numerous government grants, foundation, private grants and awards for Kanopy.

His most recent commissioned choreography, This is Not America, was performed in March 2019 by the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble in New York City.

Examples of his teaching alongside his role at Kanopy include: Faculty in Dance at Idrætshøjskole, Oure, Denmark (1997), guest faculty Illinois State University, Normal, IL (2005.); Mankato Ballet, Ballet Minnesota (1991-2004) Minnesota; guest faculty Southwest Texas State, Texas (1998), among others.

Examples of his performance and choreography presented: as co-director of Kanopy Dance in its Seasons from (1995-2004) in Madison WI theaters, and since 2004 as Resident Company of the Overture Center for the Arts in Kanopy’s home theatre in Madison WI (2004-date). His choreography has been presented in Denmark at several Arhus and Copenhagen Dance Festivals (1997). In Chicago at the Ruth Page Center (2010, 2013) and Links Hall (2017). In New York City at Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble’s Season (2019). He was soloist in Nini Theilade’s Ballet Schubert, created originally for Massine’s Ballet Russe (1997) Copenhagen, Denmark. He annually performs as guest soloist for Ballet Minnesota in Nutcracker (1994 to date), as well as High Brahmin in La Bayadere (2008), and most notably, lead role created on him for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (2008, 2018).

 

Georgia Corner, former Principal Dancer in the Erick Hawkins Dance Company and Kanopy faculty, is a dancer and teacher with over twenty years of experience performing, teaching, and producing dance. She performed for five years with the Erik Hawkins Dance Company; for two years with Douglas Dunn and Dancers, and New York based companies of Lise Brenner, Kriota Willberg, and Karen Bernard. She also performed throughout Minnesota with Ballet Harren, and performed domestically and internationally for eight years with Ballet Mink Colbert. In 1998, she founded and went on to co-direct and dance in The Wellspring Project, a repertory company based in the Hawkins technique. Over six years, Wellspring commissioned and premiered over a dozen new dances, produced five New York seasons, performed throughout New England, and appeared in Toronto and Montreal. Corner developed a lecture demonstration about modern dance for Wellspring and grants which were funded by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the Bossak Heilbronn Foundation. In 2002 Wellspring produced the Erik Hawkins Legacy Forum in conjunction with Hunter College, which drew teacher and students from across the country and abroad. While in New York, Corner taught modern technique at the Erik Hawkins School of Dance and at the 92nd Street Y, both cradles of modern dance. For twelve years she directed the Broome Corner Studio, which offered classes, rehearsal and performance space to the New York dance community. She has been a guest artist at the University of Nebraska-Las Vegas, and has taught workshops and master classes for groups of every age and experience level.

 

Meenakshi Ganesan, is the Founder & Artistic Director of Kalaanjali Dance Company in Madison, WI & San Jose, CA. She was conferred the prestigious title of Nritya Mayuri by the Ministry of Education and has performed at several prestigious events such as the Cleveland Aradhana Festival, The World Music Festival. She has trained more than 100 students around the globe and has successfully conducted 35 Arangetrams / student graduation recitals under Kalaanjali.  She has been awarded a grant as a Master Artist by the Wisconsin Arts Board since 2015 and has trained more than 20 apprentices for the same and is extremely happy to serve as a panelist from 2022 to help preserve and support the community of artists.

 

 

 

Luis Gabriel Zaragoza was born in Mexico City. He received his BFA, Cum Laude, from the National School of Dance of Mexico (NSDM). He also has a BA in Philosophy, an MFA in Dance Education, and has specialized in Dance Philosophy. He has studied with Anna Sokolow, Jeff Duncan, Tim Wengerd, Jim May and Betty Jones, among others, and attended the Merce Cunningham Studio as a scholarship student. Gabriel was a teacher at the NSDM for eight years. He received the award of Best Dancer of the Year in 1990 Best Choreographed Solo (for Nijinsky, El Ojo de Dios) in 1999 from Asociación Danza Mexicana. In 1991, La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico granted him the Artistic Creative Award. As a choreographer he has created over 64 works, which have been performed worldwide. He was a member of the Martha Graham Ensemble and has danced with several companies in France and Mexico. He was a member of Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project for four years and a member of the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble since its founding. Gabriel teaches company class and assists with rehearsals.

 

 

Samantha Geracht, Artistic Director of Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble, was a member of Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project for eleven years, and when the name changed, became a founding member of Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble (2004). As a Sokolow authority, Ms. Geracht reconstructs Sokolow works on students and professional companies as well as teaching Sokolow technique classes. Recently she reconstructed Ms. Sokolow’s Ride the Culture Loop on the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble, a suite from Rooms at Franklin and Marshall College and The Unanswered Question on the students studying in the Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble classes. Ms. Geracht danced extensively with Deborah Carr, Theatre Dance Ensemble, performing the works of Charles Weidman, Doris Humphrey and Ms. Carr. She has performed with Jim May, Gail Corbin, Richard Biles, Claudia Gitelman, David Parker and The Bang Group, Rae Ballard’s Thoughts In Motion; and performs and presents her own choreography. Ms. Geracht holds a BS in dance from the University of Wisconsin. After graduating from UW she studied extensively at the Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab in New York City. Over the course of her 25-year career she continuously trains under Betty Jones, Fritz Luden and her mentor Jim May. Anna Sokolow (1910-2000) began her career as a dancer with Martha Graham. The work of Ms. Sokolow has had and continues to have a profound effect on the course of contemporary dance throughout the world. Called the “Solzhenitsyn of twentieth-century dance,” she consistently and uncompromisingly reflected the realities of society through her work. 

 

 

Anne Marie Loesch grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina.  There her first job was as an assistant at the local dance studio. Ever since, Anne Marie has been teaching and sharing her love for dance.  She began studying Humphrey-Weidman’s modern dance technique under Mary Ann Mee, dancer and demonstrator for Charles Weidman. Katharyn Horne provided her with a solid ballet background in Cecchetti.  It was under these two talented women that she began her professional dance career with Dance Central, Kinetyx Dance Ensemble, and Moving Poets Theatre of Dance.  Since settling in Chicago she has performed with MOMENTA, Joel Hall Dancers, Paul Sanasardo, Zephyr Dance, and various independent artists.  Ms. Loesch has served as the Ballet Mistress for the Joel Hall Second Company and Noumenon Dance Ensemble.  It is with great joy that Anne Marie joins the faculty of Kanopy Dance.

 

 

Brian Norris received his training at Jefferson Performing Arts in Portland, Oregon, while dancing with their student company – The Jefferson Dancers. At Jefferson he worked with modern choreographers Donald Mckayle and Rachel Lampert.

Brian danced with the world famous Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and performed in major cities around the world. While at Trockadero he worked with Meg Harper of The Merce Cunningham Company, Elena Kunikova formally of the Maly Theater Ballet in Leningrad, and Robert LaFosse from New York City Ballet. He then joined Les Ballets Grandiva where he continued to establish his place as an important contributor to male comedy ballet. While at Grandiva he worked with Cameron Basden from Joffrey Ballet and Peter Anastos. He also danced with Rochester City Ballet and guested with New York Theatre Ballet.

Brian served as Rehearsal Assistant for Les Ballets Trockadero, Ballet Master for Rochester City Ballet and Man Dance Company, and Associate Artistic Director for Springfield Ballet. As Artistic Director he led Les Ballets Grandiva on tours to Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. He debuted Men On Pointe, an all-male pointe ballet company in New York City, and was co-director and presenter for Mid-Pointe Project. Brian’s teaching credits include being on faculty at Draper Center for Dance Education, Nazareth Academy, Rochester Association of Performing Arts, Springfield Ballet, Ballet U, Madison Ballet, and Central Midwest Ballet Academy. He conducted master classes at Live, Shinjuku-mura in Tokyo, and Dance Space in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the American College Dance Association Conference, and Missouri State University, and lectured on ballet history at the Singapore National Theatre in Singapore and the National Theatre and Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan.

 

Maya Finman Palmer, Ailey II Dance Company NYC, Kanopy2 alum, studied at Kanopy Academy of Dance from age 6-19. During her years of intense training at Kanopy, studying under its Artistic Directors and faculty, she also studied under Kanopy’s guest artists: Martin Lofsnes, Sandra Kaufmann, Donlin Foreman, Pascal Rioult, Miki Orihara, Samantha Geracht, Virginie Mecene, Kevin Predmore and Lone Kjaer Larsen. At Kanopy she was also fortunate to study under guest physical theater artists Amit Lahav, Gecko Theatre, UK, and Steve Wasson and Corinne Soum, Theatre l’ange Fou. At Martha Graham Center in NYC she studied with Steve Rooks. She graduated from the Advanced 3 year Professional Program at Alvin Ailey Dance Company in New York City. At Alvin Ailey School she has trained under Amy Hall, Bradly Shelver, Matthew Rushing, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Judine Somerville, and others. Currently, she is a dancer for Ailey 2, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, NYC.

 

 

 Edward Salas began dancing at the age of 19 while earning his AA in Theater Arts at Mt. San Antonio College. Once he transferred to California State University, Fullerton (B.A. Dance 2018), Edward let go of his musical theatre journey to embrace concert dance fully. He trained in classical ballet and modern techniques such as Horton, Graham, and Limón under Muriel Joyce, Alvin Rangel-Alvarado, Lisa D. Long, and Debra Noble. While at university, he worked with guest artists such as Mike Esperanza, Bryn Cohn, Daniel Jaber, and Colin Connor as a member of CSUF’s Dance Repertory Company. Since graduating, Edward has guested for Contemporary West Dance Theatre, Grayscale, L2 Dance Theatre, and ViHu Dance. He has also worked as a company member with Re:borN Dance Interactive and FUSE Dance Company in Orange County. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do which has greatly influenced his physical development and movement style.

 

 

Katie Sovik took her first ballet class at age 4. She found that she had a passion for it and was fully committed to dance by age 6. She grew up in Clayton, California and took classes at Lareen Fender The Ballet School Performing Arts in Walnut Creek. After graduating from high school, Katie furthered her dance education by earning her BA in Dance in 2021 from California State University, Fullerton. She trained under Lisa Long, Alvin Rangel-Alvarado, Debra Noble, and Muriel Joyce. Katie had the honor of performing works created by Anna Sokolow, David Hochoy, Charlotte Griffin, and Colin Connor. She is excited to continue to grow as a dancer in her post-graduation life and as a company member of Kanopy Dance.

 

 

 

 

Lisa Thurrell, Co-Artistic Director Kanopy Dance (director, choreographer, teacher, dancer) trained and danced with Martha Graham Dance Company 1987-1995. Honored to be among those who reconstructed some of Martha’s early works, she performed Graham’s NYC City Center Gala, Season and the Spoleto national and international Festivals 1991-1994. In 1995 she became co-director of Kanopy Dance with her partner Robert E. Cleary. She has worked extensively, performing, choreographing and teaching in companies, schools, and universities throughout U.S. and Denmark.

Embracing modern founders’ philosophies, she has also studied and performed Asian theater and physical theater. Nominated for Bonnie Bird International Choreography Award, her choreography has been described by critics as “…a Hieronymus Bosch painting, spilling onto the floor of the theater . . . stresses fragility of the human body and self-reflection.” As a performer, critics call her “…pure power and vulnerability at once.”

Thurrell holds postgraduate certificate from Professional Trainee Program, Martha Graham Dance Company, NYC. (3yr full time, technique, repertory, history, composition, pedagogy, performance) She holds an MFA-Dance & Asian Theater from University of Wisconsin-Madison (1987). Mentors include Yuriko, Carol Fried, Denise Vale, Ethel Winter, Peggy Lyman, Pearl Lang, Zena Rommett, Phyllis Lamhut, Sankaran Namboodiri, Hanya Holm and others. Thurrell has been awarded numerous government grants, foundation, private grants and awards for Kanopy.

Recently, Ms. Thurrell’s choreography has been presented in curated showcases: [email protected](Martha Graham Dance Company), NUVU Festival(Miki Orihara); and she has performed in Modern Rebels (Sokolow Theatre Dance Ensemble)in NYC May 2018. She is invited regularly as guest faculty to teach at Martha Graham Dance Center in NYC (9/18,1/19, 8/19); and was choreographer for Wozzeck for the Des Moines Metro Opera Festival July 2019.

Examples of her teaching alongside her role at Kanopy include: Chair of Dance at Idrætshøjskole, Oure, Denmark (1997), faculty at Academy of Russian Ballet, Denver, CO (2001-2004); Illinois State University, Normal, IL (2005.); Ballet Minnesota, (1998 – to date); Visiting Professor, University of Nebraska Lincoln, NE (1992,1994), guest teacher University of Wisconsin Madison ( 2004, 2017, 2019), guest faculty at the Martha Graham School (2018 to date), New York City.

Examples of her performance and choreography presented: as co-director of Kanopy Dance in its Seasons from (1995-2004) in Madison WI theaters, and since 2004 as Resident Company of the Overture Center for the Arts in Kanopy’s home theatre in Madison WI (2004-date). Her choreography has been presented in New York City at The Field, Dance Space, Laban Center, Goodson Theatre (1989-1994), Jazz at Lincoln Center (2013-2016), [email protected] (2018), NUVU Festival (2018), Modern Rebels (2018). In Chicago at the Ruth Page Center (2010, 2013) and Links Hall (2017). In Minneapolis at Minnesota Dance Festival. (2014, 2016) among others. Special Projects include choreographer for Madison Opera’s Florencia (2018) Madison, WI,  and Des Moines Metro Opera’s Wozzeck (2019) Des Moines IA.