Ed Tyler

Jennifer Martinez holds a BFA in Dance from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She has performed with the Second Avenue Dance Company in New York City and with Kinetics Dance Theater in Maryland. Her choreography has been presented by Maryland Dance Ensemble and at the Regional American College Dance Festival. As a current MFA candidate at the University of Maryland at College Park she has performed in guest artist works by John Evans and Ed Tyler. Jennifer is thankful for this opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center.

Tzveta Kassabova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. She has a Masters degree in physics/meteorology from Sofia University. Currently, she is working towards her Ph.D. in meteorology at the University of Maryland College Park. Tzveta began dancing at New Bulgarian University with teacher Tanya Sakolova. She participated in the Vienna Dance Festival 1997 and 1998. She just returned from the Doug Varone Summer Workshop at SUNY Purchase, where she performed the company piece Democracy. Tzveta performed a work of Ludovic Jolivet at the Jack Guidone Theater in the spring. Through the University of Maryland dance department, she has performed the works of visiting artists John Evans, Mark Haim, and Ed Tyler.

Kelly Mayfield is a senior at the University of Maryland. As a dance major, she has had the opportunity to work with various guest artists such as Terry Creach, Alvin Mayes and Ed Tyler. She participated in several workshops with Joe Goode, Bebe Miller and Crystalin Wright. Kelly has enjoyed the many opportunities to perform, learn and teach in the Washington, DC area.

Meredith Sheppard recently graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in dance. During her undergraduate program, she performed the works of guest artists Mark Haim, Terry Creach, Mark Dendy, Christalyn Wright, and Ed Tyler. Meredith currently works as the administrative assistant for the Excell Movement StudiosÖ in Washington, DC and an intern at Dance Place. She hopes to join a professional modern company and attend graduate school.

Stephanie Thibeault is from Jonesboro, AK where she danced with Ballet Jonesboro, Jonesboro Jazz, and Tennessee Ballet. Since receiving her B.F.A. from Southwest Missouri State University, she has danced professionally with Kinetics Dance Theater and SURGE Dance Company. Last year, she performed the work of guest artists John and Mark Haim at the University of Maryland where she is a M.F.A. student and teaching assistant in the dance department.

Kristen Kelley, originally from Boston, MA, received her B.F.A. in dance from Adelphi University and her M.A. in Dance from American University. In December, she will receive her MAT in Secondary Education Certificate Program in Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals. She presently performs with Deborah Riley Dance Projects and teaches as Adjunct Faculty of Jazz Dance at American University. Kristen will be performing at Dance Place on July 29 and 30, 2000 in the New Releases Concert/Emerging Choreographers.

Krissie Marty is on faculty at Liz Lerman Dance Exchange where she recently completed the professional intern program. She works as a dance artist with Washington Very Special Arts. Krissie received her M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. She co-founded a theater company and arts center called Grinnell Productions before moving to the Washington, DC area. Krissie will be performing with Jeramy Zimmerman at Dance Place's New Releases Concert/Emerging Choreographers in late July.

Elizabeth Johnson is in training to be fierce. She is a member of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Company and the coordinator for the Teen Initiative Program. She is in her second year as faculty at the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange teaching adult modern dance, children's creative movement, and composition classes. Elizabeth is active as a dance artist in the Washington, DC area, performing for Adrienne Clancy, Gesel Mason and Ed Tyler. Her work has been presented in Boston, New York, Honolulu, and Washington, DC. She graduated form Connecticut College with a B.A. in dance and a minor in theater. She has also studied abroad at the London Contemporary Dance School.

Jeramy Zimmerman, a Midwesterner by birth and a New Yorker by choice, has spent the past year in the internship program at Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Her career in NYC has included many performances on stages less grand than the Millennium Stage. This is her first performance in Washington, DC. She will be performing with Krissie Marty at Dance Place's New Releases Concert/Emerging Choreographers in late July.