Adjunct Dancers and Teachers
The following are the Pilobolus dancers who either teach for the Pilobolus Institute, perform for Pilobolus Creative Services, Understudy or perform as Adjunct Dancers for the Pilobolus international touring company.
ADAM BATTELSTEIN, originally from
RAS Mikey C , (born Michael William Lucas Courtney) is a young African, born American, artist. His works are an illustration of his life experiences. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance from the University of the Arts of Philadelphia in May of 2001. Two weeks following graduation, he accepted a contract from Pilobolus Dance Theatre and toured internationally with them. RAS currently tours part-time with the Pilobolus Satellite Company andwrites, records and is developing MOVJAH, an Afro-Modern movement style, based on the elemental philosophies of his company, For I'm A Versatile Entertainer (F.I.V.E) Productions LLC. RAS also spends much time in
OTIS COOK , One of the newest minds bringing theater to the dance stage, Otis Cook, for five years, was a core dancer and choreographer for the prolific Pilobolus Dance Theatre. He also has created and toured with Momix and Diavolo Dance Theater. He teaches master classes in Dance and creative movement at universities and high schools across the
JOSIE M. COYOC , was born in Belize, Central America. She attended Rutgers University and graduated with honors and a BFA from the Boston Conservatory of Music. Ms. Coyoc has studied with Claudia Gittleman, Ann Marie Sarazin, Adrian Hawkins, Marcus Schulkind, Dr. Ingrid Brainard and Richard Colton. From 1993-1998 she had the pleasure of dancing with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. She appeared in the Guthrie Theatre's production of "Dream on Monkey Mountain", and can be seen in the film version of "Still/Here", as well as the Bill Moyer's special for PBS, "Healing and the Arts" and Mira Banks documentary “Last Dance”. She has appeared on "Regis and Kathy Lee", "Good Morning New York", the Food TV network, KTLA, "ABC 20/20" She most recently appeared at the 79th Academy Awards - OSCARS show in the shadow dances. She has toured and taught in the U.S. and internationally with Pilobolus Dance Theatre from 1998 to date. She continues to enjoy dancing, teaching and doing special projects with Pilobolus. Josie is a certified personal trainer, yoga and pilates instructor. She is a member of AFTRA and AEA. She is currently studying to become a Certified Holistic Health Counselor at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She sends her love to her family and friends. lokah samastha sukhino bhravanthu may the world be established with a sense of well being and happiness
REBECCA ANDERSON DARLING , was born in
KAREN A. FUHRMAN specializes in aerial dance theater that utilizes harnesses and apparatus-based movement for her choreography. Her company, GROUNDED Aerial (groundedaerial.com), was most recently seen performing for the world launch of Microsoft Vista and Office Logo in
MOLLY GAWLER, is a 2007 graduate of SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. She began her dance training as a child in the Belgrade (Maine) Grange Hall under the tutelage of Nancy Dionne and continued her training in the Bossov Ballet program at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, graduating in 2003. Molly worked with Pilobolus on its televised commercial and print ad for the Hyundai Santa Fe and performed with Pilobolus at the 79th Annual Academy Awards in 2007. She is also a folk singer and fiddler. Recently, Molly, along with Edith and Elsie , known as the 'Gawler Sisters' toured Ghana Africa, sharing American songs and learning African songs, drumming and dancing.
CHRISTOPHER GRANT, originally from Star, Mississippi graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Southern Mississippi this past May. He also began his dance training there in modern dance and ballet. One of his first outstanding accomplishments was at the University of Mississippi this past spring where his senior piece was recognized and performed in the Gala concert at A.C.D.F. Previously, he was involved in street hip-hop, break dancing, and competitive cheerleading. Christopher would like to thank his mom, dand, and sisters for always supporting his dance endeavours. He would also like to thank his new found Pilobolus family for allowing him this great opportunity to be a part of history.
RENEE JAWORSKI, originally from Long Island, NY received her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Upon graduating she fell directly into the hands of Moses Pendelton, performing and teaching throughout the world with Momix. In 1997, she took a brief hiatus to give life to her daughter, Anastasia Winter. Returning to her career she created and performed her own work in Philadelphia while working for Group Motion and touring part time with Momix. 1998 brought Renee to NYC where she soon began working with Carolyn Dorfman. She has been working with Pilobolus since the year 2000 and dedicates every performance to those in search of a full and passionate life. Many thanks to my husband, Mark, for keeping my vision clear.
REBECCA JUNG , has worked for Pilobolus Dance Theater since 1990 as a performer, choreographer, dance captain and teacher. She has had the pleasure of working extensively on four continents and has taught everywhere from
EMILY MILAM KENT , graduated Magna Cum Laude from the
MATT KENT , is a noted international dancer and teacher. At fourteen he began studying the Japanese martial art Ninjutsu, in which he now holds a fourth degree black belt, at the Bujinkan Atlanta Dojo. He entered the theater as a young actor in middle and high school and went to the University of Georgia's school of music where he studied music therapy. He began collaborating in dance during college with modern professor Bala Saravati. In 1996 Matt began creating and performing with the world famous Emmy winning dance company Pilobolus.
After serving as Dance Captain for three years Matt stopped touring full time with Pilobolus in order to choreograph other work such as the Family Musik Program "Peter and the Wolf," which was commissioned by the Boston Celebrity Series and has been performed at Lincoln Center, in Atlanta, Vancouver, Toronto, Albany, Iowa City, and more. "Fairy Tales: Inside and Out," the newest Family Music program, is also booked at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.
He continues to tour with Pilobolus internationally. Often combining performance and residency activities. Matt has worked with the Pilobolus Institute as a consultant as well as master teacher and performer, bringing the unique lessons of improvisation and collaborative play from Lincoln Center Institute to Universities, high schools to kindergarten, and prestigious private schools to public schools in the Bronx. Matt now works with Young Audiences at the Woodruff Arts Center , to bring dance into the city's schools. Most recently is the ten week SmARTstART program in which Matt worked with Pulitzer Prize winning author and kindergarten teacher Maggie Edson to bring literacy to inner city schools through movement and dance. He collaborates with other former Pilobolus full timers to provide affordable performances and outreach, such as Adam Battelstein's Storeography.
Matt has appeared in many television shows with the company including "Live with Regis" , both Kathy and Kelly, the "Today Show," "Gordon Elliott's Door Knock Dinners" on the Food Network, "Good Day New York," "Sixty Minutes," the International Emmy's, Brazil's answer to Johnny Carson, "'Jo' with Jo Suarez," and others. He has been photographed for National Geographic, Pilobolus' "Twisted Yoga" book, the annual Pilobolus calendar, and more.
Matt has performed in major theaters in over 18 countries, performing classic repertoire and over 18 original pieces that Matt created with the famous Pilobolus collaborative. Matt's versatile and non-traditional background in movement and the arts served Pilobolus well. In his exploration of non-traditional vocabularies, he has utilized everyday objects such as PVC pipe, chairs, tables, and benches. He has performed on stilts, on trapeze, on circus silks, and of course on other dancers. Matt has collaborated and shared the stage with Leonard Eto and his giant Dai Ko Japanese drums, Maria Schneider and her jazz orchestra, the Jewish Klezmer band the Klezmatics and more. Matt's integral involvement in this process is well documented by director Mira Bank in two films. Last Dance is an award winning feature length film about the company's tempestuous collaboration with author and illustrator Maurice Sendak in the creation of the dance "Selection" which involves the Jewish holocaust and played in theaters as well as on the Bravo Channel. Her award winning short film Monkey and the Bone Demon chronicles Pilobolus' adaption of a Chinese folk tale into a dance in which Matt uses four foot stilts. Alison Chase, Pilobolus Artistic Director, says in the film, "Matt is not afraid to try anything." Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times says Matt is "hilariously camp," and "he strides admirably through a performance of some physical risk."
Terry Teachout of the New York Times calls Matt the "class clown of Pilobolus." Gia Kourlas of Dance Magazine puts it succinctly, "He was priceless." Tony Angarano of the Hartford Courant says that "Kent . . . defined male relationships with hilarious, split second timing and astounding physicality. Kent's human seesaw must be seen to be believed." Clive Barnes of the New York Post described him as a "splendid performer." Lewis Segal of the LA Times says, "Kent made the act of trying to subdue the flesh acutely intense." Jennifer Dunning of the Times says, "Best of all . . . Matt Kent, who dances the duet and helped to create it." Matt is "wholly engaged in the piece but maintains enough emotional distance from the material to keep one guessing as to what is next."
NATALIE LOMONTE is a native Texan who began dancing in the womb. She moved to New York City in 1999 to further her studies as a BFA dance major at Marymount Manhattan College. After traveling with friends to perform at The Fringe Festival in Scotland, she began her professional career in 2002, touring and teaching extensively with MOMIX dance theater. In the past year Natalie has had the opportunity to perform with Parsons Dance, The Chase Brock Experience, and in numerous industrial events internationally. She has also enjoyed teaching master classes and setting her choreography on a few regional companies in the U.S. Currently, she can be seen dancing in the HANES Comfort Soft national commercial and a Bollywood film entitled K.A.N.K. Natalie is excited to be a new member of Pilobolus and work with such talented people. She would like to extend her gratitude to family members and friends who have always supported her passion for life and the art of dance.
GASPARD LOUIS , was born in
TAMIECA McCLOUD , was born and raised in
MATTHEW THORNTON , studied movement theater with his father, James Thornton, and the Shaker Ensemble in
CHRISTOPHER WHITNEY, is ecstatic to be a new member of the Pilobolus Satellite Company. He is currently pursuing his BFA in Dance Choreography and Performance from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University. He began his dance training at 18 as an intern with Inlet Dance Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, under the guidance of Bill Wade. Since then, he has studied movement at Jacob's Pillow, and the Si Ping City Shaolin Martial Arts Academy in Jilin Province, China. He would like to thank his family for their ever-growing appreciation of his art, and his perfect fiance, Meredith, for her unflinching love and understanding. They moved to Torrington, Connecticut from southern Ohio so that he could begin this new adventure. I love you Dad.