MOVERS + MAKERS WORKSHOP 2025

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 12-14.

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 Jessica Heaton

June 12, 1:15-3:00 PM

Join Directors Jessica Heaton and Jocelyn Smith 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.

Jessica Heaton is the founder and Executive Director of Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company. With a B.S. in Exercise and Wellness and a minor in Contemporary Dance from BYU, she has dedicated over 15 years to growing professional dance in Utah County. Her work has been commissioned by Studio C, Deseret Book, Mystery Box, Faith Matters, and Snow College. In 2023, she created the dance film Nonlinear during an artistic residency in NYC. Jessica is known for her innovative approach to choreography, including improvisation installations, site specific work in unique locales – from an art museum to an underground jazz club – and using challenging props like light boxes and trampolines. She designed a movement therapy class titled Movement for Body Appreciation which she teaches to youth and adults across Utah.

Floor Work & Flow with Featured Maker, Rebecca Aguilar

June 12, 3:15-4:45 PM

Floor Work & Flow is a contemporary-based movement class that blends floorwork, improvisation, and dynamic movement. The class begins with a guided warm-up and improvisation to build strength, connection, and an awareness of the floor. Dancers will explore weight shifts, transitions, and momentum-driven movement before learning a phrase that encourages personal artistry and exploration.

Rebecca Aguilar, originally from Santa Clarita, California, began her dance journey at the age of four. She graduated from the University of Utah in 2023 with her BFA in Modern Dance and BS in Psychology, where she discovered her passion for choreography. During her time in Salt Lake City Rebecca performed works by renowned artists such as Laja Field, Eric Handman, Natalie Desch, Daniel Clifton, Melanie George, and Darrell Moultrie. Upon graduating, Rebecca moved to Los Angeles where she has shared choreographic works, is a dance artist with Donna Sternberg & Dancers, and started a Masters in Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. Most recently she choreographed and performed in her work “the voice inside your head” for ChoCoLA 2024. Her work reflects her deep interest in the intersection of mind and body, exploring how movement can serve as a powerful tool for well-being. Rebecca continues to merge her extensive knowledge of psychology with dance, striving to bring her perspective to the Los Angeles dance community.

Grooving and Grilling with Featured Maker, Miche’ Smith

June 12, 3:15-4:45 PM

In Grooving and Grilling, dancers will be guided to allow the body to find the groove of the music through spirals, slow stretching and rhythmic energetic bursts. Miche’ will mix contemporary techniques that build from the floor up, helping dancers to find stability in the body just to lose it again.

Miche’ Smith is a dancer, actor and choreographer from Gautier, Mississippi and graduate of Troy University, where she completed both a B.S. in Theatre and a B.F.A in Dance. Miche’ is currently a dancer and educator with Ririe-Woodbury dance company. Her creative work has appeared at Plan-B theatre, Dance Camera West, Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre, Atlanta Film Festival, Bronze Lens Film festival, MAD film festival, LoveDanceMore, SLPublicLibrary, Noori Dance film festival, Aurora theatre, Flat Rock Playhouse and more. Miche’ aims to create an evocative, interdisciplinary body of work that encourages us to expose our humanity, examine our wounds, and deeply connect with one another empathetically.

Contemporary Fusion with Featured Maker, Alexis Diggs

June 12, 3:15-4:45 PM

Contemporary Fusion focuses on blending technical and musical elements to promote dancers’ adaptability, control, musicality, and artistry when approaching rigorous, rhythmic contemporary phrase work. It emphasizes an understanding that every body, mind, and spirit is unique and maintains the goal of nurturing a healthy, growing relationship between each artist and their craft.

Alexis Diggs is a Royal Conservatoire ChoreoComp choreographer, Eisenhower Dance Detroit NewDANCEfest Emerging Choreographer, a Black Midwest Initiative fellow, and a Culture Works Artist Opportunity Grantee. A former Doug Varone Devices choreographer and Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company Rising Choreographer, Alexis’s commissions include Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dancing Wheels Company, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company, among others. She is a Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum In Motion Institute graduate and has been featured on teaching faculty for Brooklyn Ballet’s Elevate program, Forza Dance’s Affordable Class Series, DCDC2, IABD’s on the 1 dance series, Ohio University Summer Dance, Ohio Dance Festival, Miami Valley Ballet Theater, Jeraldyne’s School of Dance, and others.

Inside the Movement: WCDC Repertory Remix with Jaclyn Brown

June 13, 9:00-10:30 AM

Step inside the world of a WCDC artist in this high-energy repertory class designed for movers who love variety and crave connection. You’ll learn dynamic phrases from a mix of our past and current repertory and string them together in a full-bodied jam session with a live musician. This class is part technique, part play, and all about experiencing the musical, physical, and emotional range of WCDC’s choreographic voice.

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).

Embodied Connection: Contemporary Movement & Expressive Flow with jo Blake

June 13, 10:45-12:15 PM

Partnering elements will be woven throughout class, including exercises in shared weight, counterbalance, resistance, and listening through touch. These explorations support responsive movement, trust, and timing—expanding expressive range and awareness through physical connection with another body. Phrase work will include opportunities for partnered adaptation and response, emphasizing the relational nature of expressive flow.

Joseph “jo” Blake (he/they) is a performer, choreographer, and educator with a BFA from the University of Utah and an MFA from the University of Washington. A former member of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company (2003–2013), jo performed works by renowned choreographers such as Bill T. Jones, Wayne McGregor, and Doug Varone. He directs joBdance., a project-based interdisciplinary company, and his multimedia work COINCIDENCES has toured Utah in various forms since 2022. jo currently serves as Dance Program Director and Assistant Professor at Weber State University and sits on the board of Ririe-Woodbury and the Ogden City Arts Advisory Committee.

Pulse: Contemporary Dance in Motion with Featured Maker, Taylor Randolph

June 13, 1:15-2:45 PM

Pulse is a high-energy contemporary dance class designed to explore movement that is deeply connected, fiercely athletic, and powerfully visceral. Dancers will engage in full-bodied phrases that emphasize flow, momentum, and dynamic shifts in weight. Through floorwork, expansive traveling sequences, and improvisation, students will develop physical strength, expressive clarity, and an embodied sense of connection—within themselves, to the music, and to the space around them. This class challenges dancers to move with intention, push physical boundaries, and tap into raw, emotional expression through movement.

Taylor Randolph is a dance artist from Huntsville, Alabama, and a 2020 Summa Cum Laude graduate from Troy University with a BFA in Dance. While at Troy, she performed in works by Takehiro Ueyama, José Limón (set by Dante Puleio), and others, and was selected as a student choreographer for Art in Motion and Emerging Voices. Her original choreography has been featured in national and international festivals including Body Logic, DAP Festival, CDC Fest, and the International Women in Dance Showcase. A 2022 graduate of Jacob’s Pillow’s Curriculum in Motion Institute, she now explores dance’s role in community engagement. Taylor is a founding member and Resident Artist with Nashville Dance Collective.

Contemporary Technique with Featured Maker, Margaux Gex

June 13, 1:15-2:45 PM

This contemporary class explores musicality, floorwork, and dynamic range to help dancers move with greater intention and expression. Dancers will dive into grounded phrasework and rhythmic movement, building strength, control, and fluidity. Emphasis is placed on contrast, timing, and energy to create bold, compelling performance quality.

Margaux Gex, originally from Switzerland, moved to Seattle in 2018. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts in 2021. She has danced with MALACARNE, directed by Alice Gosti, for 2 seasons, from 2022 to 2024. Margaux is a freelance dancer, choreographer, and teacher, she recently performed in The Bridge Project, BOOST Dance Festival, and Ten Tiny Dances. In 2024, Margaux choreographed new works for PROPEL residency, Full Tilt, and Seattle International Dance Festival. Additionally, Margaux co-produced with Lael Battiste, choreographed, and performed in two evenings of works, Duality in February 2023, and Catalyst in April 2024. Margaux just moved to Los Angeles in October and is eager to explore the dance community and expand her horizon!

Intermediate/Advanced Ballet Technique with Shani Robison

June 14, 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 2025-2026 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: Dynamics & Connection with Baylee Van Patten

June 14, 10:45-12:15 PM

This class explores versatility in movement quality through dynamic shifts in tempo, weight, and intention. Dancers will be challenged to move seamlessly between grounded athleticism and expansive fluidity, cultivating adaptability and range. Emphasis will be placed on clarity of initiation, musicality, and expressive nuance. The class will also incorporate partnering exercises focused on weight-sharing, responsiveness, and trust.

*This class is part of WCDC’s closed auditions for the 2025-2026 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.

Baylee Van Patten, originally from Riverton, Utah, is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a BFA in Dance. She gets excited about choreography, improvisation, and dance science. Most recently, she performed professionally with Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company for the 2024-25 season and taught as an adjunct faculty instructor at BYU. Baylee will pursue an MFA in Dance at Case Western Reserve University starting in Fall 2025, aspiring to teach and perform research in a university setting. Outside the studio, you can find her hiking, playing pickleball, or searching for the perfect chocolate croissant with her husband.