August 17-21, 2020

Dr. RAS Mikey Courtney is an acclaimed dance professional whose life mission is to spread universal understanding to communities and cultures across the globe by sharing his gift of the expressive arts.  Dr. RAS is co-founder and CEO of Fore I’m a Versatile Entertainer (F.I.V.E.) LLC.  He holds a B.F.A. in Dance from the UARTS in Philadelphia, an MA in Ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick in Ireland, where he also completed his PhD in Arts Practice Research, as an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Scholar and former guest lecturer at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.  Dr RAS’ postgraduate research and written thesis, entitled Bridging Horizons: Embodied Cultural Understanding through the Development and Presentation of Ethio-Modern Dance, explores RAS’ practice as his main methodology and embodiment as a central theoretical underpinning.  His most recent Ethio-Modern Dance productions were, YeBuna Alem/A Coffee World[1]  (Ireland 2015) and Common Threads[2] (Ethiopia 2016). Aside from being a dance professional, Dr. RAS is on the Board of Directors for the Dance Research Forum of Ireland (DRFI), and the African Irish Chamber of Commerce.  Dr. RAS is also an established singer/songwriter, host/emcee, director and producer and was recently featured in the viral One Nation[3] music video for Visit Detroit.  He has collaborated with artists and companies from around the world, including Pilobolus, Raven-Symoné, Major Lazer, the Marley family, Chronixx, Irish Aid, AfroFlow, Skales, and the International Organization of Migration in Addis Ababa, to name a few. RAS Mikey is a product of Hip hop culture and is a Pan-Africanist, Rastafarian who repatriated to Ethiopia in 2006. He has facilitated a student/staff exchange between the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and Addis Ababa University’s Yared School of Music, in order to forge future research and other academic collaborations between these Higher Education Institutions.  Dr. RAS Mikey is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan (USA), where he continues to explore the concept of movement as cultural knowledge in order to increase cultural understanding with communities globally.

Dr. RAS feels compelled to nurture his gifts of artistic expression while sharing his movement experiences with his global community. ‘Movement is life and I am a Lifist…’ www.rasmikeyc.com

[1] https://youtu.be/LRveDhYJUMg

[2] https://youtu.be/Sxy6c1inqjw

[3] https://youtu.be/_WtoZvK1kB4

Chase Hudson was trained at the nationally acclaimed dance studio, The Southern Strutt, under the direction of Nancy Giles. He is a graduate of Pace University in New York City with a BFA in Commercial Dance. Since living in the city, Chase signed with dance agency MSA, and has worked for and been mentored by industry professionals such as Dee Caspary, Jess Hendricks, Kirsten Russell, Shannon Mather, Talia Favia, Rhonda Miller, and Scott Jovovich. Although he is headed toward a professional dance career, Chase has truly found his passion in choreography. His innovative and intricate movement has now been recognized across the nation and has created a heavy demand for his work. He is a faculty member on the brand new touring dance experience, Alpha Dance Convention. In October of 2019, Chase presented 2 pieces of choreography at the Schimmel Theater in NYC for Pace University’s commercial dance intensive showcase. Check out his work on his Instagram page: @chasehudsonchoreo

Niko Martinez recently graduated from Pace University as a BFA Commercial Dance Major under the direction of Rhonda Miller. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, he started his training at age ten in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. At Pace, he has worked with choreographers such as Dee Caspary, Robbie Fairchild, Candace Brown, Scott Jovovich, and Josh Prince, to name a few. Niko has appeared on The Ellen Show, in ad campaigns for Apple Music and Scotch & Soda, as well as concerts and award shows in NYC. He has assisted Talia Favia on So You Think You Can Dance and Chaz Buzan on Radix Dance Convention. Along with performing, Niko has a strong passion for teaching and is excited to be growing and exercising his skills as a dancer and choreographer! He is represented by Bloc Talent Agency.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Brittany Podolski grew up training in dance styles including jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical and pointe and attending intensives with the Rockettes and Giordano Dance Chicago. In Detroit, she performed in halftime events for the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Lions alongside artists such as Kid Rock, the Goo Goo Dolls and Jesse McCartney. Brittany moved to NYC in 2016 to pursue a BFA in Commercial Dance at Pace University, studying with Rhonda Miller, Jen Hamilton, Mandy Moore, Dee Caspary, Jess Hendricks, Nancy Lemenager and Lauren Gaul. She has appeared in the Saks Fifth Avenue Fashion Show and concert works by Lauren Gaul, Rhonda Miller, and Michael Rooney.

Originally from Temecula, California, Annelise Ritacca began her dance training when she was 3 before moving to Detroit, Michigan. When she was 12, she joined the First National Tour of Billy Elliot The Musical for two years. She moved to New York City to pursue dance at Pace University’s commercial dance program, under Rhonda Miller. Annelise is a recent 2020 graduate and holds a BFA in Commercial Dance. At Pace she has worked with choreographers such as Mandy Moore, Jen Hamilton, Dee Caspary, Josh Prince, Luam, Josh Bergasse, Jess Hendricks, Martha Nichols and Paul McGill to name a few. Annelise has appeared on The Today Show, Youtube Brandcast, and with Dance Lab NY. She has assisted Rhonda Miller, Dee Caspary, Shannon Mather and Kyle Hanagami on various projects.

Jessica G Thomas is a native of Detroit, MI. She obtained a M.F.A in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Thomas also received a B.F.A in Dance from Wright State University. At present, she is ballet mistress for The Foundation House, LLC. Thomas currently instructs classical ballet for Wayne State University. She has instructed ballet, pointe, as well as partnering at Ballet Renaissance, Legacy Dance Studio, LLC, Dance Expressions, Eisenhower Dance Studio, Living Arts, Marygrove College’s Institute of Music and Dance, Arts League of Michigan and Detroit Public Schools, to name a few. Thomas performed in American Ballet Theater’s Sleeping Beauty as Ariana during its run at the Michigan Opera Theatre. She has performed extensively throughout New York City, NY; Dayton, OH; and Detroit, MI for companies such as Dayton Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet International, Second Avenue Dance Company, Naomi Goldberg Haas, and Ohio Dance Theater. Thomas’ choreographic works have received numerous awards throughout the Midwest and East Coast. Her most recent choreographic work entitled Mandela/Angelou is featured in Pointe Magazine as Editor’s choice for pointe video of the month. Her choreographic work entitled ” Consent (?)” is featured in an article for the Herald Tribune which was performed for Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company summer intensive at University of Florida’s In The Round as emerging choreographer. Her choreographic works have also been presented at the Arts League of Michigan, Detroit Dance Race, Detroit Dance City Festival, Ascendence Dance Chicago and Biomorphic Dance Festival to name a few. Thomas is a professional educator, choreographer and performer.