Kate Jewett, Rehearsal Director

Kate joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2005. As a company member, teacher, rehearsal director and teaching artist, she has conducted master classes at various venues and has performed all over Europe, Asia, Australia, and the U.S. Her own works have been performed at DeSales University, the United Nations, Park Avenue Armory, Milan, the Fabbrica Europa and Performatica festivals. Named Director of Education and Outreach for Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2008, she has created a dance-in-education program for New York City Schools. Kate has been Rehearsal Director for Shen Wei Dance Arts since January 2009.

Burr Johnson, Dancer

Burr Johnson has danced for John Jasperse Projects, Helen Simoneau Danse, Kimberly Bartosik/daela, and Shen Wei Dance Arts. His choreographic work has been presented through Movement Research, Dixon Place, Abrons Art Center, Danspace Project, The American Dance Festival, GIBNEY, and Works and Process at the Guggenheim. He has also worked for Marina Abramović/Givenchy, Walter Dundervill, Ryan McNamara, Boris Charmatz, Isabel Lewis, Nick Mauss, Peter Sellars, Christopher Williams, Bill Young, Jack Ferver, and the Merce Cunningham Trust. He has guest- taught at Henrico Center for the Arts, Philadelphia University of the Arts, the University of Utah, Salem College, MoMA PS1, Goucher College, Virginia Commonwealth University, UNC Greensboro, and The American Dance Festival. He has received artist residencies through New York Live Arts Studio Series, The Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, and Redtail Arts. He also works as a gardener with NYC-based company CF Gardens, maintains a Tania Compton design in Fire Island Pines, and works as a consultant for Margaret Roach on her garden in Copake, NY. (2020 Bessie Honoree, Outstanding Performer, Bartosik's “through the mirror of their eyes”)

Janice Lancaster Larsen, Dancer

Janice Lancaster Larsen first started working with Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2005. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of NC School of the Arts, MFA in Dance from Hollins University/American Dance Festival, Relax and Renew® Restorative Yoga certification through Judith Hanson Lasater, and Hatha Yoga certification from the Asheville Yoga Center. As a choreographer, Janice has received commissions at the Bard Music Festival (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY), Robert Wilson's 19th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit (Southampton, NY), the Bessie Schönberg Choreographers Residency on the Yard (Chilmark, MA), the Hubbard Street 2 Dance Company (Chicago, IL), the Black Mountain College Museum + Art Center (Asheville, NC), and many through co-founding VIA Dance Collaborative (New York, NY). She has taught and staged work at Universidad de las Américas (Puebla, Mexico), City Dance Center (Bethesda, MD), Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI), University of NC School of the Arts (Winston-Salem, NC), and SUNY (Fredonia).

Russell Stuart Lilie, Dancer

Russell Stuart Lilie attended the Idyllwild Arts Academy. He has worked with Stephen Koplowitz, Gus Solomons Jr., Lucinda Childs, studied at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD), and has presented his own work at Dancespace Project and La MaMa. He is a recent graduate of NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. He began working with SWDA in 2011.

Masad Qawishabazz, DAncer

Masad Qawishabazz is a native of Chicago, IL, where he attended the Chicago Academy of the Arts, Joffrey Academy of Dance, and Hubbard Street Dance Center, performing works by Eddy Ocampo, Gregory Dolbashian, Randy Duncan, Gus Giordano, Alejandro Cerrudo, Jiri Kylian, Azure Barton, and Nacho Duato. He received his B.F.A from the University of the Arts, and performed works by Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, Robert Battle, Dwight Rhoden, Ronen Koresh, Eiko and Koma, Lar Lubovitch, Sidra Bell, John Alleyne, and Matthew Neenan. Masad is also a performing artist in Philadelphia where he resides, teaches, and performs with JustSole Street Dancers, and does volunteer work at the Community Education Center and Mazonni Center. Masad joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2015.
 

Chelsea Retzloff, Dancer, Company Manager & Education director

Chelsea Retzloff joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011 and has toured with the Company throughout the world. In addition to being the Company Manager and assisting with Company rehearsals, Chelsea lead the Company’s award winning arts-in-education programming from 2016-2020. She developed the Company’s NYC master class series in 2017 and is happy to see its return in conjunction with Gibney Dance in 2021. Originally from Eureka, CA, Retzloff holds degrees in dance and chemistry from UC Santa Barbara, where she graduated with distinction in chemistry, and received the Daniel G. Aldrich Outstanding Senior Award for the Class of 2007. In addition to her work with Shen Wei Dance Arts, she tutors math and chemistry for public and private school students throughout NYC.  She has danced with Santa Barbara Dance Theater, David Dorfman Dance, MacArthur Dance Project, Christopher Williams, and Glitter Kitty Productions. Chelsea is a founding member of the Round Table, a collaborative group of women artists based in NYC and producer of the musical Gunfighter Meets His Match.

Jennifer Rose, Dancer

Jennifer Rose is an international choreographer, performer, teacher, director and has performed with Shen Wei Dance Arts since 2013. She creates works in collaboration with regional artists and musicians globally, most recently The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voice, to produce highly theatrical and visual dance theatre to transcend the art of story-telling and folk-lore, demystify the body’s innate sensuality and give power to the unheard voice. Her work has been presented by the US Cultural Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Ionian Center for the Arts and Culture, Greece, Cultural Consulate of Andalusia for Ancient Monuments, Spain, Congress-Legalize Dance, Los, Angeles, CA, multiple venues across Oaxaca, Mexico and various artist residencies around the world. She teaches masterclasses around the globe based on contemporary forms, theatrical expression and martial arts principals. She has performed with other companies such as Kun- Yang Lin Dancers, Stefanie Batten- Bland, Manuel Vignoulle M/Moves, Bill Young, the Merce Cunningham Trust, Olive Prince Dance and apprenticed with Bill T. Jones and Stephen Petronio..

Zak Ryan Schlegel, dancer

Zak Ryan Schlegel is a performer with Shen Wei, educator at The Joffrey Ballet School, founder of cross-genre dance salon CONGRESS, and co-artistic director of AXIOM Dance Theatre. His choreographic work has been presented from The Juilliard School in NYC to Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA and is a three-time Outstanding Choreographer of the Youth America Grand Prix. The New York Times calls him “a star” and the Wall Street Journal “eye-catching & effortless”. Collaborative efforts include: Spellbound Contemporary Ballet led by Mauro Astolfi, evening-length experiential sound bath “Liminal” with Jonsi and Alex Somers of Sigur Ros, Denna Thomsen, Floria Sigismondi, Jean-Guilliame Weiss, Ryan Heffington, Yin Yue, WIFE, Kitty McNamee, Nina McNeely, and Jennifer Backhaus. He received formative training from Rafael Bonachela at Sydney Dance Company, Danielle Agami, Lucas Crandall, has participated in Gaga research with Ohad Naharin in Tel Aviv, Israel and holds a BFA from Chapman University. Zak's extensive research of existential postulation and mathematical architecture adjacent to the philosophical tenets of observation and logic largely inform his technical vocabulary and physical study of identity. Zak practices the act of query as the primary motivation of understanding—where mortal repetition and shifting layers become the central geometry of being.

Alec Speedie, Dancer & Rehearsal Assistant

Alec Speedie is a native of Austin, CO, and received his BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts in 2011. Alec began working with Shen Wei Dance Arts later that year. In that time he has played a major role as a core dancer and soloist in many of Shen Wei seminal works. Since 2013, he’s been a key teaching artist for the SWDA Arts in Education Outreach program. Working with 3rd grade through 7th grade students Alec excels at helping students with special needs. As a dance teacher he works with students of all ages and has helped develop the Shen Wei Dance Arts Community Class for professional dancers. He serves as a rehearsal assistant for Shen Wei and constructs unique costume elements and creations that help make Shen Wei’s artistic vision possible. He has danced for Mark Dendy and Oliver Steele and has performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Merce Cunningham, and Larry Keigwin. He studies capoeira and enjoys participating in downhill racing sports. 

Maria Volpe, Dancer

Maria Volpe graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2015 and is a certified Pilates teacher.  In 2013 she studied abroad in London at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. She has performed in works by Larry Keigwin, Stefanie Batten Bland, Keith Thompson and Randy James. Maria joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2015.

Michael Wright, Dancer

Michael Wright holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. After SMU he danced at Tokyo Disney Land; then with The New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Satellite Collective, Steeledance, The Chase Brock Experience, and Shen Wei Dance Arts. Professionally, work performed includes Mark Morris, Shen Wei, Manuel Vignoulle, Teri and Oliver Steele and others. A certified Pilates instructor, he also teaches dance, recently at Peridance, Dance New Amsterdam, and the University of Stockholm.

Ricardo Zayas, Dancer

Ricardo A. Zayas (Brooklyn, NY) is an honors graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program and was named "25 to Watch" by Dance Magazine. Ricky has danced with Ailey II, Lar Lubovitch, LINES Ballet, in the Metropolitan Opera's productions of Tannhäuser & Aida, and in the first Pyer Moss show for Paris Couture Fashion Week. His theater credits include Chess (Kennedy Center), Evita (City Center Encores!), Motown (national tour), and on Broadway in Head Over Heels & Hamilton. His television credits include Alternatino, Saturday Night Live, At Home With Amy Sedaris, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Netflix’s Halston. Mr. Zayas will be making his feature film debut in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story.