COMPANY artists
Anna Bracewell is an Atlanta based dance artist. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and began her dance training at an early age at Decatur School of Ballet. While continuing her classical training at DSOB, she trained, and went on to graduate from, DeKalb School of the Arts where she studied under the legendary Pamala Jones-Malave. Anna later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Since 2012, she has had the deep pleasure of being a member of staibdance, under the direction of George Staib, where she is a dancer, collaborator and teacher. Anna was also a member of Core Dance from 2012-2020. As a Dance Artist with Core Dance she has performed in theaters, museums, public spaces, and festivals across the United States, France, Spain and Israel. In her time with the company, Anna has had the opportunity to move and create original works with notable artists such as Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor (Tel Aviv), Germana Civera (France/Spain), Frank van de Ven (Amsterdam), Amanda K. Miller (Germany/U.S.), Isabelle Saulle & Adolfo Vargas (France), Leslie Scates (U.S.), D. Patton White, Lori Teague and Sue Schroeder (U.S.). In addition to her collaborations with Core Dance, Anna is able to practice her work with outreach through the Dynamic X-Change Healing Arts Program in pursuit to ignite the creative spirit and actively encourage participation and conversation by and with communities.
In her years of dancing professionally in Atlanta, Anna has also created and collaborated with local artists Blake Beckham (The Lucky Penny), Joshua Rackliffe, Erik Thurmond and Catellier Dance Projects!.
Anna was recognized as “Best Dancer” in Atlanta by ArtsATL.org in 2018 and has been internationally recognized in her collaborative work with: Association Manifeste (Toulouse, France) in which she performed in several public corner spaces across France and the U.S., and in her work with Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor performed in Tel Aviv, Israel.
photo by Daylilies Photography
Anna joined staibdance in 2012.
Patsy Collins, a native Chicagoan, began her professional training at Emory University where she received a B.A. in Dance & Movement Studies and Business. While there she was a STIPE Fellow, performed with Emory Dance Company, and attended workshops including ACDA, ADF, and staibdance’s summer intensive in Italy. She also received the Alan Rackoff Prize for her movement research endeavors.
She is a graduate of the ImmerseATL Artist Program, led by Sarah Hillmer, where she had the opportunity to perform at Off the EDGE Dance Festival, Inman Park Festival, and present original works. Currently, Patsy resides in Atlanta and rehearses with staibdance, Komansé Dance Theater, and presents work in several local spaces. She has had the pleasure of working with creators such as Sean Nguyen-Hilton, Yossi Berg & Oded Graf, Nia Love, Andre Lumpkin, Jon Carr and others.
When not dancing Patsy is a Marketing Specialist with a local non-profit, and teaches at local studios.
photo by Christina J Massad
Patsy joined staibdance in 2019.
Akeem Edwards is a published Creative Entrepreneur and native of Jacksonville, Florida. He began his dance training at the age of 16 at Jacksonville Centre of the Arts, equipping him with the foundational knowledge in various styles such as Ballet, Modern, Jazz, West-African, Partnering, Tap, and Contemporary-which led to interest in training in other styles such as Salsa, Swing, and Aerial (Lyra, Silks).
After receiving his B.A. in Psychology he relocated to Atlanta in 2017. Since then he has worked with Netflix, HBO Max, B.E.T., Showtime, Tyler Perry, Debbie Allen, Kiki Ely, Garth Fagan Dance, Anthony Burrell, The Imagine Music Festival, Derek Blanks, Vivian Green, Juel D. Lane, Great Good Fine Ok, Cleo Parker-Robinson, Milton Myers, Jon Carr, Rachel Truitt, Kavin Grant, HeroTheBand, and many others.
Edwards is excited to embark on this journey into ARARAT in his first season with staibdance. He looks forward to collaborating, sharing ideas and creating special moments to remember.
photo by Brian Jones Photography
Akeem joined staibdance in 2003.
Faith Fidgeon is a freelance movement artist who has recently moved to Atlanta from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. A recent graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Faith has worked with dancers and choreographers such as Gina Patterson, Shen Wei, Robert Battle, Ming Lung-Yang, Kira Blazek-Ziaii, Abigail Yager, Janice Lancaster, Taryn Griggs, and Chris Yon. In addition to stage performance, Faith has worked on several projects including live circus performances, museum installations, and short films. Their movement practices are seeped in contemporary dance forms such as improvisation, contact partnering, release technique, and countertechnique. They have also been researching tenderness, impulsivity, and their relationships to time through a practice of contact improvisation with their creative partner, Kendall Ramirez. Faith is exhilarated to begin working with staibdance and settling in with a new community of brilliant artists in Atlanta!
Faith joined staibdance in 2022.
Bailey Jo Harbaugh has been active in Atlanta dance for 6 years amidst graduating Kennesaw State University in 2019. She has had the privilege of collaborating and originating roles in process with artists local and abroad. Numerous creations include work with Tomer Zvulun, Amir Levy, Ricardo Aponte, Donald Byrd, and Omar Román de Jesús.
Bailey Jo joined staibdance in 2019.
Henry Koskoff is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Atlanta. This spring he graduated with Highest Honors from Emory University where he began his professional studies in dance and writing, collaborating with esteemed faculty to develop his own inventory of text and movement. As a member of Emory Dance Company, he had the privilege to work with Israeli choreographer Dafi Altabeb and attend the American College Dance Association’s Southeast Conference. He also worked as a research assistant, preschool teacher, wrote for DanceATL’s digital publication Promenade, and was a 2023 recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts. His poetry has been awarded by university contests including the Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival and published in nationwide literary magazines.
Since then, Henry has been immersing himself in the local arts scene as a freelance dancer along with participating in staibdance’s summer intensive in Italy. Over the next year, he plans to continue pursuing personal projects, collaborations, and hopes to share his creations with the Atlanta dance community.
photo by Lori Teague
Henry joined staibdance in 2023.
Chrystola “Chryssy” Luu was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but much of her childhood was spent in Monroe, Louisiana where she began her dance training at the age of three years old. Chryssy continued her training through college, attaining a dance scholarship and attending New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. She completed her degree at the University of Georgia, graduating Cum Laude and receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. While attending UGA, Chryssy was a member of CORE Concert Dance Company – an aerial and contemporary dance company under the direction of Bala Sarasvati. Some highlights of Chryssy’s dance career include winning Dancer of the Year in the AMTC national talent competition, being recognized for her talents with the NAACP, performing in various music videos and television shows and being a member of Zoetic Dance Ensemble for four seasons under the direction of Mallory Baxley. Chryssy currently runs her after school dance program, Just Dance It! LLC and choreographs for several studios in the Atlanta area. When Chryssy is not dancing, she enjoys creating new gluten free recipes, attending Crossfit classes and planning her next travels.
photo by Daylilies Photography
Chryssy joined staibdance in 2018.
Embark on a journey into the mesmerizing world of movement with Zac Pritts, a maestro of dance whose very essence resonates with rhythm, grace, and the language of the body. Zac is a dynamic performer who captivates the audience with his electrifying exploration of the human body and its capabilities. He graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a concentration in modern. He has had the privilege of working with artists such as Ivan Pulinkala, Ido Gidron, Tsai-His Hung, and Thang Dao. His collaborations with artists from diverse backgrounds and his willingness to experiment with unconventional forms of expression reflect his commitment to pushing the envelope and breaking the mold. From the fluidity of his movements to the depth and emotion he brings to the space, Zac effortlessly weaves together the disciplines of the mind and body.
photo by Darvensky Louis, @somewhereinthe_sky
Zac joined staibdance in 2023.
Kendall Ramirez is a performer, improviser, and maker, eager to collaborate within her new home of Atlanta. Kendall is a recent graduate, with a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Their somatic practices merge within and between postmodern and contemporary forms, such as Cunningham, release technique, Alexander Technique, and Countertechnique. Kendall has most recently danced in works with and for Kimberly Bartosik, Chris Yon, Taryn Griggs, and Janice Lancaster. Furthermore, she continues to generate work with her creative partner, Faith Fidgeon, locating their research through states of availability in the body, as well as grief, queerness, memory, and storytelling. Kendall is thrilled at the opportunity to work with the delightful individuals who make up staibdance and dive head first into the imminent unknown!
photo by Andrew Bowen
Kendall joined staibdance in 2022.
Atlanta based movement artist Amelia Reiser, a native of Norman Oklahoma, started training at a young age at The Classical Ballet Academy. Amelia went on to attend The University of Georgia where she completed a BFA in Dance Performance in 2011. Post graduation, she spent time living in Ireland working with local artists through an internship at Athlone Arts and Heritage, and collaborated on a dance film with visual artist Lesley Wingfiled titled Waters and the Wild (2011). Arriving in Atlanta in 2012, Amelia was a founding member of Skwhirlhaus collective with Maryn Whitmore, curating an annual series of performances from emerging and established choreographers and performers. Over her 25+ years of performing and creating, Amelia has had the profound opportunity to work with numerous dance-makers and artists including T Lang Dance, Nick Cave, Maryn Whitmore, Erik Thurmond, Christina Noel Reaves, Lesley Wingfield, Emily Christianson, Sara Santamaria, Greg Catellier (Catellier Dance Projects!), and George Staib (staibdance). Her most recent choreographic work includes The Games We Play (2023) commissioned by The University of Georgia’s Department of Dance, and thread b a r e - installation, projection, + live improvisation (2021), presented at HomeTraining: an experiential gallery show produced by Kelly Bartnik and Kathleen Wessel. Since 2013, Amelia has had the immense pleasure of being a collaborative company member, teacher, and performer with staibdance in Atlanta, GA. In addition to creating and performing, Amelia teaches yoga at local studios, and is a trauma informed yoga and mindfulness teacher working with incarcerated youth through local nonprofit Centering Youth. Amelia is also the first Atlanta based instructor of Dance Church®, an fun and inclusive all-levels movement class for all people founded by choreographer and performer Kate Wallich.
photo by Daylilies Photography
Amelia joined staibdance in 2013.