Melissa Alness

Melissa Alness teaches dance to youth and adults at various locations around the Twin Cities. She is the founder and director of David Danced, a performance ensemble dedicated to the skillful representation of biblical stories through dance. In the summer of 2005, Melissa toured western China as a student of traditional Chinese minority dances and hopes eventually to return to China for further work in the field of ethnokinesiology.

Bryan Godbout

Bryan has been with BLM since the inaugral season in summer of 2006. He started his training in the great city of Minneapolis where, in 2006 he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in Dance and a second major in Theater Arts. While at the U of MN Bryan had the pleasure of performing in works by Carl Flink, Shapiro and Smith, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunnigham, Doug Elkins, Jerome Robbins, Marge Maddux, Matt Jenson, Charles Moulton, Zoe Sealy, and many more. Outside of the U of MN he has worked with Christopher Watson Dance Comany, Becky Heist, Tina Anderson, Matt Jenson’s New and Slightly Used Dance, Shapiro and Smith, Metropolitan Ballet, Nautilus Musical Theater, Ashland Production, Ethnic Dance Theater as their ‘Nutcracker’, and others. Currently Bryan also is a company member with Zenon Dance Company. Working with Carl and the Black Label Movers is Inspiring, Challenging, Athletic, and Virtuous, all of which are qualities he enjoys very much, and he would like to thank of all of them for the work done together thus far. He would also like to thank his family and significant other for always believing in him. He looks forward to the future with Black Label Movement.

Kaori Kenmotsu

Kaori Kenmotsu attended Washington University in St. Louis where she began her modern dance training. She finished her undergraduate degree at the University of MN with a History and Japanese degree. Kaori also received her MFA in dance at the University of Wisconsin. Her choreography has been seen on stage at the Anne Simley Theater, E.M. Pearson Theater, Barbara Barker Center for Dance, Red Eye Collaborative, Patrick’s Cabaret, and Intermedia Arts. She has worked with Mu Performing Arts, 10,000 Dances Dance Company, Pangea World Theater and Gomez Dance as well as with several local and national choreographers. She is currently Assistant Professor of Dance in Hamline University’s Theatre Department and is the Artistic Director for the Hamline Dance Ensemble. She is a former roster artist for COMPAS’ WAITS (Writers and Artist in the Schools) Program and teaches creative movement, dance and yoga extensively in the public schools and community settings. From 2000 – 2007, she was the co-artistic director of Young Dance , a modern dance company for youth ages 7 – 18 year old. In 1998, she was the education coordinator for San Francisco choreographer Joanna Haigood for her Minneapolis residency sponsored by the Walker Art Center. Her organizational experience includes Program Director for the Metro Regional Arts Council, Development Organizer for the Central Neighborhood Improvement Assn, Minneapolis Arts Commissioner, and board member for PASS (Partner Arts and Schools for Students).

Stephanie Laager

Stephanie Laager is proud to be one of the founding company members of Black Label Movement! A graduate of St. Olaf College, she received her BA degree in Biology and Dance in 2002. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota in May of 2006. Dr. Laager earned her license to practice pharmacy in July 2006, and is currently a full-time float pharmacist for Snyders Drug Stores. In other dance endeavors, Stephanie is a company member of ARENA Dances by Mathew Janczewski.

Megan McClellan

Megan McClellan “has legs from here to Bemidji” (City Pages) and a career that’s spanning the globe. So far seen on three continents, her performances have range from pounding out percussive dance with Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum, to dancing the contemporary repertoire of Black Label Movement and Shapiro & Smith Dance, to executing the tango in a Los Angeles night club. Besides dancing for others, she co-founded the dance and theater company Sossy Mechanics with her husband Brian Sostek. Together they created the award-winning shows Trick Boxing and Pieces of Eight, and continue to tour them internationally. Her “energetic and charismatic” style (Metro U.K.) has been employed by the Guthrie Theater, Walker Art Center, Chicago Opera Theater, Minnesota Opera, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Nautilus Music-Theater, Illusion Theater, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Hijack, Theater Latte Da, Mixed Blood Theater, 3-Legged Race, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre, Keane Sense of Rhythm, and Elysian Fields Entertainment among others. Ms. McClellan is a recipient of a 2003 McKnight Artist Fellowship in Dance administered by the Southern Theater and funded by the McKnight Foundation.

Leslie O’Neill

Leslie O’Neill, a 2003 graduate of the University of Minnesota, began her dance training at the age of 18 and is thrilled that she has made it this far. She began working with Black Label Movement as a founding member, and has enjoyed growing with Carl and the company. Leslie also dances with Zenon Dance Company and Maggie Bergeron and Company; you will otherwise find her eating yummy treats or reading memoirs in the bathtub.

Eddie Oroyan

Eddie has been with BLM since its genesis; he also dances with Shapiro & Smith, Arena, and Zenon Dance Company. He experience spans Creach/Company, Keith Johnson, Maggie Bergeron, Eva Mohn, Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum, and Metropolitan Ballet. He was featured as “Dance Artist of the Year 2006” in City Pages and given honorable mention in the Star Tribune’s 2006 Artist of the Year. Eddie’s choreography has been recognized and performed in ACDFA Gala concerts and at the Bryant Lake Bowl, Phipps, Varsity, Southern, and the McGuire theatres in the Twin Cities area. His work has also been commissioned in several Twin Cities Arts schools, UW-River Falls, and Hamline University, while his piece, “Melisma,” was presented at the 2006 Choreographer’s Evening. His latest exploration, “Brown Rocket,” was performed at the May 2007 BLB – 9 X 22 and will be further developed in the 2008 Momentum Series.

Jamie Ryan

Jamie Ryan grew up in South Dakota and thinks you should visit. She lives to dance, can’t wait to own a barn full of goats, and considers Mick Jagger to be her first teacher. Last year she took care of sled dogs in Alaska and got a new, fused spine. She would like to thank her family, friends and collegues for all of their love and support.

Laura Selle-Virtucio

Laura Selle-Virtucio holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota. She performs professionally with Shapiro & Smith Dance (joined in 2001), Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater (joined in 1999) and is in her first year with Black Label Movement. Laura is a recipient of a 2007 McKnight Fellowship for Dancers and a 2007 Sage Award for Outstanding Performer. In addition to performing, she teaches in the Dance Program at the University of Minnesota and at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Joanie Mix – Apprentice

Joanie Mix Joanie joined Black Label Movement as an apprentice in July of 2006, shortly after graduating from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in dance. She has also apprenticed with Paula Mann and Steve Paul’s Time Track Produtions, understudied with Shapiro and Smith Dance, and worked with Twin Cities Choreographers Carrie Lande, Erika Ruegemer and the infamous Eddie Oroyan. Joanie has created choreography for La Vie Theater, and recently created her own work, Making Dolls, for the 2007 MN Fringe Festival. Meanwhile, she stocks shelves at the local liquor store and teaches dance in Rochester and Zumbrota, MN.

Kailli Schmuecker – Apprentice

Kalli Schmuecker graduated from the University of Minnesota in May 2006 with a B.A. in dance and a minor in psychology. During her time at the U of MN, she was privileged to work with Marge Maddux, Shapiro & Smith Dance, Charles Moulton, Carl Flink, and Mary Cochran. She has enjoyed dancing in the Minnesota Fringe Festival and the Minnesota Opera Theatre’s the Seven Deadly Sins this past year. Kalli is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Minnesota and hopes to work in the area of pediatric O.T. someday. She spends her days working at the University of Minnesota Child Care Center as an assistant preschool teacher.

Anat Shinar – Apprentice

Anat graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in both Dance and Art in 2006. She has worked with choreographers such as Shapiro and Smith, Abyss Dance, Hannah Stillwell, Kats D Fukasawa and Fu Jin Ka. She has choreographed works for La Vie Theater and Troika, a show in the 2007 Fringe Festival. Anat also chroegraphed a sextet, Zekher, set on the Holocaust, which performed in April 2006 and was funded by UMN Undergraduate Research Opportunites Program. Anat teaches at Premiere Dance Academy and Temple Israel Synagogue