Dancers
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MARLAYNA LOCKLEAR
Marlayna Locklear hails from Milwaukee,WI. She began her training at the age of 12 and went on to graduate from Milwaukee High School of the Arts and University of the Arts with a BFA in Ballet and Jazz. Marlayna was one of the founding members of The Milwaukee Dance Connection and has gone on to dance with Eleone Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dallas Black Dance Theatre II , Deeply Rooted and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company where she served as the company jazz and contemporary instructor as well as resident choreographer for DCDC II. Marlayna is a freelance artist who teaches and choreographs at Universities around the nation. She is also the Founder/Director of Indurance Dance Intensive. She most recently finished filming the James Franco Film "Blood Heist" and studying abroad in Italy with VIVO Ballet. LAURA JONES WALLNER
Laura Jones Wallner, originally from Hamilton, Montana, started dancing at the age of 6. She began attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ School of Dance when she was 14, where she later graduated from their high school Classical Ballet program. During this time, Laura also studied with Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet. After high school, Laura danced professionally with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet II and with the Missouri Contemporary Ballet. Since moving to Kansas City, she has danced extensively with Quixotic and with Owen/Cox Dance Group. MICHAEL DAVIS
Michael Davis began his ballet training at the Marya Kennett Dance Centre in Goshen, New York, at the age of 10. After attending summer courses at The Rock School for Dance Education in Pennsylvania, he was accepted into their year- round residency program on a merit scholarship. Upon graduating from The Rock School, he joined Oregon Ballet Theatre in 2007 and danced for two years under the direction of Christopher Stowell and Damara Bennett. Mr. Davis has performed in various works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Jerome Robbins, and Christopher Wheeldon. Mr. Davis appears courtesy of Kansas City Ballet. |
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FELICIA MCBRIDE
Originally from San Antonio, Felicia began her ballet training at the age of 12. She attended summer intensives at Houston Ballet, The Chautauqua Institute, Tulsa Ballet, and Ballet Austin. Felicia has danced professionally with companies such as Hubbard Street II, Ballet Austin II, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Hedwig Dances, Kristina Isabelle Dance Company, and Chicago Repertory Ballet. She has performed works by Jiri Kylian, Matts Ek, Mauro Bigonzetti, Dominic Walsh, Stephen Mills, Alejandro Cerrudo, Maurya Kerr, Penny Saunders, Edgar Zendejas, Gabrielle Lamb, and Robyn Mineko Williams. Felicia has also guested for three seasons with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens in their production of “The Nutcracker.” She has toured to Italy, Germany, and The Netherlands for various performance opportunities with a few of the companies mentioned above. Felicia recently expanded her skill set and learned how to dance on stilts from Kristina Isabelle during her time living in Chicago. Felicia is very excited to continue her freelance career based out of Austin with ARCOS Dance as well as smaller companies outside of Texas. |
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DEMETRIUS MCCLENDON
Born and raised in the south side of Chicago, Demetrius began dancing with street hip-hop at age 15; he began his formal training at Northern Illinois University, where he graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and minors in Black and LGBT Studies. He was previously a scholarship student at Lou Conte Dance Studios and has attended summer intensives with Deeply Rooted Productions and the Joffrey Ballet. He has danced professionally with DanceWorks Chicago and TU Dance and as guest artist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance, Deeply Rooted’s Emerging Choreographers Showcase, Chicago Repertory Ballet, DanszLoop Chicago, Pursuit Productions, and the Civic Ballet of Chicago. He embraces dance as a spiritual practice and uses the arts, in conjunction with his passion for social justice, to inspire revolutionary change. He feels very blessed to share energies again with Owen/Cox Dance Group. |
CHRISTOPHER PAGE-SANDERS
Christopher Page-Sanders, is thrilled to work with Owen/Cox Dance Group once again. He is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and received his formal dance training from the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He currently serves as the founder and co-artistic director of the Nu-World Contemporary Dance Theater. For the past seven years he danced, taught and choreographed as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. In 2013, he was recognized and given the Leni Wylliams Award for choreography and innovation from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. To his mentors and to his ancestors on your shoulders I dance! Peace and Blessings; Love, Light and Art!
Christopher Page-Sanders, is thrilled to work with Owen/Cox Dance Group once again. He is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and received his formal dance training from the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He currently serves as the founder and co-artistic director of the Nu-World Contemporary Dance Theater. For the past seven years he danced, taught and choreographed as a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. In 2013, he was recognized and given the Leni Wylliams Award for choreography and innovation from Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. To his mentors and to his ancestors on your shoulders I dance! Peace and Blessings; Love, Light and Art!
EMILY MUSHINSKI
Emily Tatham is a native of the Kansas City area. She studied at American Dance Center under the instruction of Kristopher Estes-Brown and Jennifer Tierney. During her time there, she was a member of American Youth Ballet and performed lead roles in ballets such as The Firebird, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. She furthered her training at summer intensives with Joffrey Midwest, Boston Ballet, LINES Ballet, Ballet X, and Trisha Brown Dance Company. She recently graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Purchase College where she was the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award. In 2015, she had the opportunity to study at Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam, Netherlands for a semester. Emily has had the privilege to perform works by choreographers such as
George Balanchine, Trisha Brown, Adam Hougland, Gabrielle Lamb, Matthew Neenan, Taryn Kaschock Russell,
Bettijane Sills, and Manuel Vignoulle. She has taught dance locally and internationally through organizations such
as JUNTOS Collective, Panama Mission Foundation, and India Gospel League.
Emily Tatham is a native of the Kansas City area. She studied at American Dance Center under the instruction of Kristopher Estes-Brown and Jennifer Tierney. During her time there, she was a member of American Youth Ballet and performed lead roles in ballets such as The Firebird, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. She furthered her training at summer intensives with Joffrey Midwest, Boston Ballet, LINES Ballet, Ballet X, and Trisha Brown Dance Company. She recently graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Purchase College where she was the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award. In 2015, she had the opportunity to study at Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam, Netherlands for a semester. Emily has had the privilege to perform works by choreographers such as
George Balanchine, Trisha Brown, Adam Hougland, Gabrielle Lamb, Matthew Neenan, Taryn Kaschock Russell,
Bettijane Sills, and Manuel Vignoulle. She has taught dance locally and internationally through organizations such
as JUNTOS Collective, Panama Mission Foundation, and India Gospel League.