MOVERS + MAKERS INTENSIVE 2026

mover faculty

Movers+Makers boasts a talented and diverse faculty, bringing versatility and a deep wealth of knowledge to the participants of Movers+Makers. Read more about the teachers and classes slotted for this year’s intensive, June 4-6.

Interested in reading more about the classes offered on the Maker track as well? Read more about the Maker classes here.

Improvisation Jam and Installation with Jocelyn Smith and Jaclyn Brown

June 4, 1:15-3:00 PM

Join resident WCDC choreographers Jocelyn Smith and Jaclyn Brown for a rich improvisational experience and the creation of an improvisation installation that will be performed in the Movers+Makers showcase at the end of the intensive. Improvisation installations are a hallmark of WCDC’s work—infusing our stages with authenticity, spontaneity, and deep presence. Discover the tools and structures behind these captivating moments that leave lasting impressions on both dancers and audiences.

Jocelyn Smith, a native of the Wasatch Front, is a dynamic performer known for her expressive range. She has been featured in numerous solos and duets, including one representing Utah Valley University at the National American College Dance Festival in Washington, DC. Her performance credits include Walt Disney World, Penguin Lady Dance Collective, freelance projects, and six seasons with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company. Jocelyn’s choreography has been presented by WCDC, Brine Dance Collective, and The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. Her works have won awards from Utah Metropolitan Ballet and the Utah Dance Film Festival. She earned her MFA from Montclair in 2024 and now serves as WCDC’s Artistic Director.

Jaclyn Brown is a dance artist, performer, choreographer, and educator based in Orem, Utah. She earned her BFA in Modern Dance Performance from Utah Valley University and performed with Repertory Dance Theatre from 2014 to 2021. She later received her MFA in Contemporary Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where her work Resonate was selected for the American College Dance Association closing gala. Jaclyn is an Assistant Teaching Professor (Visiting) at Brigham Young University and has continued to perform with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, FEM Dance Company, Creator’s Dance Project, and as a returning guest artist with Repertory Dance Theatre. Her work is grounded in balancing performance, choreography, teaching, and motherhood with equal dedication.

Contemporary through Modern Forms with Featured Maker, Natalie Clevenger

June 4, 3:15-4:45 PM

This advanced contemporary dance class aims to connect the values of American modern techniques to the contemporary aesthetic of today. The class will include learning iconic exercises from Graham & Limon techniques, culminating with a final phrase which will draw parallels through their work and today's values. The objective of this class is to give a tangible gateway into contemporary technique, while walking out with a new love and understanding for modern dance!

Natalie Clevenger is from Mooresville, IN and received their BFA in dance from the University of Arizona in 2018. Upon graduation, Natalie joined Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis, IN and danced with the company for three seasons. Natalie joined the Limón Dance Company in the fall of 2022, and is currently touring internationally and domestically with the company. As a choreographer, they were awarded the Robert Beckmann Fellowship to produce a LGBTQ+ focused show, ENIGMA, which premiered August 2022. Natalie’s work has also been shown at the Indy Fringe Festival, the Indy Dance Festival, and Green Space in Queens.

Contemporary Framework with Featured Maker, Kelsi Fears

June 4, 3:15-4:45 PM

Movers will enjoy an exciting exploration into the depth of dynamic movement and sequencing. Through this class movers will be guided through the building blocks of contemporary movement while redirecting emphasis towards quick weight changes, groundedness, and investigation of intentionality while challenge our response to innate musicality. Contemporary Framework asks movers how can we extend and reach past our conventional ideas of contemporary dance? How can we as movers experience motion through a boundless sphere? How far are we willing to go?

Kelsi Fears is a 2023 participant of the Camille A. Brown Mentorship Program and a 2023 Tomayko Foundation Award recipient for Excellence in Choreography. Kelsi has created works for New Dances, a collaboration between Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago, NewDANCEFest (Eisenhower Dance Detroit) as an Emerging Choreographer and has presented work as a DanceWorks Chicago Dance360 ChoreoLab Choreographer.

Contemporary Jazz Fusion with Featured Maker, Corrine Dummel

June 4, 3:15-4:45 PM

Dancers will engage in the exploration and refinement of contemporary and jazz movement through a dynamic progression of combinations at the start of class. The latter portion of class will focus on learning and embodying choreography, offering dancers the opportunity to apply technique while developing their individual artistry and presence.

Corinne Dummel is a contemporary dance artist based in San Francisco, California. She earned her BFA in Dance and BA in Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara. She danced with Selah Dance Collective and toured with the UCSB Dance Company. Corinne has produced two shows with SAFEhouse Arts in San Francisco, and choreographed a department piece for the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts’ 2025 Dance Concert. She currently teaches at Ms. Marian’s Dance Garden and DivaDance San Francisco, focusing on dance as an outlet for joy and community. Corinne continues to dance with Tether Dance Project.

Inside the Movement: WCDC Repertory Remix with Jaclyn Brown

June 5, 9:00-10:30 AM

Dive into Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company’s repertory through live-music-driven movement, learning dynamic excerpts that highlight the company’s diverse style and artistic voice. Dancers will refine musicality, versatility, and performance presence while experiencing how live accompaniment shapes phrasing and connection in real time.

Jaclyn Brown resides in Orem, Utah where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance Performance at Utah Valley University (2014). Upon graduating, Jaclyn performed and toured professionally with Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) for seven consecutive seasons (2014-2021). Following RDT, Jaclyn pursued graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, receiving her Master of Fine Arts degree in Contemporary Performance and Choreography (2023). Jaclyn continues her passion for dance as Company Teacher and Dance Artist with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company (2021-Present) and as Adjunct Faculty at Brigham Young University (2023-Present).

Limon Technique with Natalie Desch and Daniel Charon

June 5, 10:45-12:15 PM

This class draws from the principles of Limón-based technique, guided by Natalie Desch and Daniel Charon. Dancers will investigate foundational elements such as fall and recovery, suspension, breath, and the use of weight to create dynamic, expressive movement. Through phrase work and technical exercises, participants will deepen their understanding of musicality, spatial awareness, and embodied intention. Emphasis is placed on clarity, efficiency, and the integration of physicality with artistic expression, offering dancers a grounded yet expansive approach to contemporary technique.

Natalie Desch, a BFA graduate of the Juilliard School and an MFA graduate of the University of Washington, performed for five seasons with the Limón Dance Company and eleven seasons with Doug Varone and Dancers in NYC. She additionally danced in various productions at the Metropolitan Opera and other regional opera companies–Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Palm Beach Opera, Longleaf Opera (NC), Lincoln Center Institute (NYC). From 2005-2012 she taught at Hunter College (City University of New York) and has also been a visiting faculty member at Weber State University (UT), University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Beijing Dance Academy. Additionally, she has taught for the following summer festivals: Doug Varone and Dancers, the Limón Dance Company, UNCSA, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the Bates Dance Festival, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theater, among others. Natalie has restaged the works of José Limón, Doug Varone, Jirí Kylián, and Daniel Charon on performing groups around the world, and her choreography has been presented at venues throughout the US. In 2014 Natalie relocated to Salt Lake City, UT, and began teaching at Ballet West Academy, Westminster College, Utah Valley University, and Salt Lake Community College. Natalie joined the University of Utah’s School of Dance as an Assistant Professor in the fall of 2019.

Daniel Charon served as Artistic Director of Ririe Woodbury Dance Company from 2013–2025 and has been active as a choreographer, teacher, and performer for over twenty-five years. Based in New York City, he directed a project-based company and performed with Doug Varone and Dancers and the Limón Dance Company, as well as with Doug Elkins and Friends, the Metropolitan Opera, the Aquila Theater Company, and the Mary Anthony Dance Theater. He holds a BFA from the North Carolina School of the Arts and an MFA in Choreography and Integrated Media from the California Institute of the Arts. As Artistic Director of Ririe-Woodbury, Daniel created original stage works, gallery installations (Utah Museum of Contemporary Art), and designed video for his and other choreographers’ projects. He received City Weekly’s Best of Utah 2016 Award in Choreography for his Together Alone Trilogy. In Salt Lake City, his work has been presented at Mudson and 12 Minutes Max, and he has choreographed productions of The Pearl Fishers and Aida for Utah Opera. His choreography has also been featured at the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Series, and the Dance Complex. A nationally recognized educator, Charon teaches master classes and workshops across the U.S. and internationally. His teaching credits include the Metropolitan Opera, Bates Dance Festival, Salt Dance Fest, North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Comprehensive, Varone Summer Dance Workshops, and Limón Summer Workshops. He has served as a guest artist at numerous universities, was adjunct faculty at Hunter College and CalArts, and has staged works by José Limón, Jiří Kylián, and Doug Varone for schools and companies worldwide.

Rooted Movement with Featured Maker, Sammi Lopresti

June 5, 1:15-2:45 PM

This class emphasizes a grounded approach to movement, encouraging dancers to develop a supportive and responsive relationship with the floor. Participants will explore safe and efficient techniques for falling and recovering, while building confidence to take physical risks and expand their movement vocabulary.

Sammi Lopresti, originally from Tigard, OR, has spent the past five years in Phoenix pursuing her dance education. She graduated with a B.A. in Dance Performance from Grand Canyon University in Spring 2025 and has trained in a variety of dance styles for over 20 years. During her time at GCU, she performed in more than 18 concerts, including Student Spotlight and Faculty productions, and choreographed over 10 original works for these performances. Her work has earned recognition including first place at the AzDEO Student Choreography Contest. She has also presented work at the Breaking Ground Festival in Phoenix, showcased a dance film at the Arizona Drive-In Dance Film Festival, and participated in the American Collegiate Dance Association conferences in Tempe, AZ; Beaumont, TX; and Modesto, CA. Beyond her collegiate experience, Sammi has performed with Phoenix-based companies The Nhan Ho Project and BODIES Contemporary Company. She currently teaches at Innovative Dance, works as a guest choreographer for CA Dance Academy, and performs professionally as a company member with BodyVox.

Polynesian Fusion with Featured Maker, Tori Cone

June 5, 1:15-2:45 PM

In Polynesian Fusion, we will be diving into the realm of dance forms from the Pacific Islands, such as Hawaii, Samoa, and New Zealand. The incorporation of Hula, Tahitian, Sara, and Haka are taught and shared to be fused with Modern movements. As you step into this class, we will collectively learn about Polynesian dance forms. In turn, we as a class will explore power, intensity, ferocity, and soul through Polynesian Fusion.

Tori Cone is a Hawaiian and Filipino choreographer, dancer, and educator eager to remain ever-evolving in her roles as an artist. Born and raised in California, Cone received her Bachelor's in Fine Arts in Dance from the California State University of Long Beach. Since graduating, her work has been featured at the American College Dance Association, MashUp's Women's Day Festival, and in high schools along Southern California. As a creator, Tori aims to create work that explores fusion of Street styles and Eurocentric dance forms and is excited to share and exchange with Wasatch Contemporary Dance for the MOVERS+MAKERS this June!

Contemporary Technique with Featured Maker, Skylar Schmidt

June 5, 1:15-2:45 PM

Description to come!

Skylar Schmidt is an emerging contemporary dance artist and choreographer based in Utah. She graduates this spring with a BA in Dance and a minor in Communications from Brigham Young University. While at BYU, she performed with dancEnsemble, serving as both President and Vice President and choreographing across several semesters. Her piece “Liberosis” was selected for the 2025 High Desert ACDA Gala and named an alternate for the national festival. Her screendance “TPWK” was chosen as ACDA’s 2026 Gala selection. Skylar enjoys creating stage and film work that challenges both artists and audiences.In addition to freelance work, Skylar teaches at SMASH Dance Academy. She is passionate about the choreographic process and strives to foster rehearsal spaces grounded in exploration, collaboration, and kindness.

Intermediate/Advanced Ballet Technique with Shani Robison

June 6, 9:00-10:30 AM

Fall in love with ballet technique again if you have been away from it for a while or just recently in class. Shani will share helpful tips that enhance any dancer’s technical and artistic abilities to take them to the next level!

*This class is part of WCDC’s closed auditions for the 2026-2027 season. If a participant on the Mover track does not wish to be considered for a contract at this time, they are invited to join the Maker classes going on at the same time.

Shani Robison (BA, MA from Brigham Young University) is the company ballet teacher for Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, Co-Artistic Director of Chrysalis Ballet, adjunct faculty at the University of Utah and UVU, and instructor at Central Utah Ballet and Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy. She also teaches master ballet technique classes throughout Salt Lake and Utah Counties and choreographs contemporary ballet works for professional companies to youth companies. Shani recently won Utah’s Best of State Choreographer in both 2024 and 2025 and the Rocky Mountain Choreography Festival in 2023 and 2024. Her works have also been selected and presented nationally at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival and internationally at the Florence Italy Dance Festival.

Contemporary Technique with Jenny Mair

June 6, 10:45-12:15 PM

Description coming soon!

*This class is part of WCDC’s closed auditions for the 2026-2027 season. If a participant on the Mover track does not wish to be considered for a contract at this time, they are invited to join the Maker classes going on at the same time.

Bio coming soon!