ARTISTS
Erica Sobol - Pt. 4
Grand Prize Winner of the prestigious Capezio ACE Award & founder of Lobos Art Collective (formerly collidEdance), Erica Sobol is one of Los Angeles’s most sought after choreographers and educators. An LA native, Erica holds a BA in dance-theater from the illustrious Columbia University in New York City.
Her service to the dance community has been praised in many dance publications and art and travel blogs. And Lobos Art Collective was featured in Dance Spirit Magazine’s “The Higher Ed Issue” as one of the most desirable companies for post-competition dance life. Erica has toured the world as a master instructor and creator at Broadway Dance Center NYC/Tokyo, KHiO in Oslo, Visceral Dance Chicago, Pineapple London, Studio Harmonic Paris, FnF Dance Festival in Poland, DiAmbra Dans Stockholm, Skip Entertainment on Guam, and Mediterranean Dance Festival in Italy. And she has had the great honor of studying closely with Crystal Pite, Tilman O’Donnell, Jiri Pokorny, Medhi Walerski, Eric Beauchesne, Tom Visser, and many other brilliant dance and theater artists.
Erica is the heart and the brains behind The Gypsy Project, a training and development program for young artists worldwide. She believes deeply in the power of nurturing the minds and bodies of the next generation, helping to create the storytellers of our future. She also believes deeply in community, connection, collaboration, and kindness. She feels lucky, so lucky, to be inspired every day.
Emily Greenwell - Pt. 5
Emily Greenwell is a New York City based dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She currently teaches as permanent faculty at both Broadway Dance Center and PeriDance Capezio Center. She directs a nonprofit project and event based dance company - CLOUDE.NYC. She recently continued her education in movement by becoming a Certified Yoga Instructor.
Emily was selected as a finalist at The Capezio A.C.E. Awards for Choreographic Excellence. Additionally, she was hired as a choreographer for DanceOn’s Every Single Step produced by Brian Freidman and Nigel Lythygoe. Emily can be seen performing as a featured dancer in Marian Hill’s music video “Want You” directed by Ian Eastwood. Other credits include dancing for rock group Phish and performing in the production of Aida at The Muny theater, both choreographed by Jon Rua. She was also a dancer in Oz the Musical under the direction of Todrick Hall.
Emily has been lucky enough to travel the world to share her talents. She has journeyed to Argentina, Mexico, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, London and Thailand setting choreography, teaching workshops, and giving master classes. In addition, Emily has been a faculty member with multiple touring conventions, traveling across the U.S. instructing, creating works, and adjudicating. Through her versatile experiences in all aspects of the dance industry, Emily has developed a great passion for teaching, creation and choreography.
Matt Cady - Pt. 3
Matt Cady is an extremely creative, versatile, and dynamic choreographer and artistic instegator. Madonna said of his movement: “It’s pristine.. wonderful staging.” Adi Salant, Co-Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company, remarked: “His movement is very smart.”
An young introverted Matt started expressing himself in Sign Language freshman year of high school, which blossomed his interest in theater and ultimately modern dance. In college, Matt double majored in Deaf Studies and Dance, dropping out after two years to pursue an apprenticeship at Millennium Dance Complex, needing to enrich himself in the ever changing culture of the commercial LA dance scene.
After being offered his own class at Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, Matt’s professional choreographic career took off with the success of his company Fanny Pak on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew. This is where he met supervising choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo, whom gave him his first taste at choreographing for a touring show with ABDC Live.
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Matt went on to contribute choreography under Chonique Sneed and Lisette Bustamante for Ricky Martin’s World Tour and Britney Spears’ Femme Fatal Tour, which is where he first met tour director Jamie King, whom he would work under years later on Madonna’s tours.
Meanwhile, Fanny Pak’s success catapulted being the only dance company to ever win a MTV Video Music Award. They were enlisted for several music videos, Yelle’s “Que Vuex Tu/Safari Disco Club,” Lil Mama’s “Truly In Love,” Patrica Kazadi’s “Go Crazy,” and soulful icon Toni Braxton’s “You Make My Heart.” The movie Honey 2 was Fanny Pak’s cinematic debut, directed by Billy Woodruff. Off screen, Fanny Pak was comissioned for corporate events and collaborations with Canon Electronics, toy makers Hasbro, TeenVogue, MetroPark Clothing, and the hugely popular dairy company, WhiteWave.
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Continuing in the cinematic world, Pepsi sponsored a short film through USC which Matt choreographed called “Beth Hooper and the Super Awesome Dance Battle.”
Matt’s most favorite of his collaborations are with colleague Megan Lawson, whose initial teamwork was scoped by Madonna herself off of a youtube video. Together, they choreographed multiple numbers for her most recenrt tours MDNA and Rebel Heart, including the tension filled blood bath Gangbang, and “..broadway worthy..” opening number Iconic.
Most recently Matt and Meg were commissioned to create dance works for Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour, Ricky Martin’s All In Vegas Residency, brotherly duo Mak + Val’s (from Dancing With the Stars) touring show Our Way, and Katy Perry’s “Bon Appetite” music video.
Matt’s ability to materialize an intention and translate his movement across such a spectrum has made him a sought after collaborator and dance instructor, having worked on several American and international dance conventions as well as in studio workshops.
WILL JOHNSTON - Pt. 2
Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area, Will Johnston received the majority of his training at A.K.A Dance Company under the direction of Kelly and Alex Velasquez. Will holds an M.F.A. in Dance from the University of California: Irvine as well as a B.F.A in Dance Performance, a B.F.A in Dance Choreography, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Credits include Clear Talent, Sonya Tayeh, Stacey Tookey, Justin Giles, Erica Sobol, Donald McKayle, Loretta Livingston, Jodie Gates, Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Teddy Forance, Christopher Scott, Phillip Chbeeb, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, Glee, Son Lux, Sigur Ros, FARR, Deborah Cox, Jordin Sparks, X Ambassadors, Sofia Reyes, Katy Perry, Rita Ora, and Khalid. In addition, Will is the co-director of Entity Contemporary Dance and a faculty member at West Coast Dance Explosion, Murrieta Dance Project, Edge PAC, and Chapman University. He has taught and choreographed across the United States, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and South Korea.
MALEEK WASHINGTON - Pt. 1
A native New Yorker from the Bronx, Maleek Washington is a performer, choreographer, and teaching artist.
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He began his dance training at Harlem School of the Arts, Broadway Dance Center, and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, and attended The Boston Conservatory on a full scholarship before beginning his professional career with CityDance Ensemble (Washington DC). While there he worked with Paul Taylor, Kate Weare, and Alex Noeral, and as a SpringBoard Danse (Montreal) participant, Washington also worked with Jose Navas & Rubberband. Upon his return to New York City, Washington collaborated with McArthur Genius awardee, Kyle Abraham, and his company Abraham.In.Motion for four seasons before becoming the first African-American male to perform in the critically acclaimed immersive show Punch Drunk's Sleep No More. He has also performed for musical sensations, such as Sia, Phish & Rhianna for her immersive AntiDiary Campaign.
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Washington's performance and commercial choreographic talent has been recognized nationally at prestigious venues such as The White House, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Jacob’s Pillow, and internationally in Australia, Jordan, Mexico, and Sweden. In addition to his performance career, Washington is a sought after national and international teaching artist at the Joffrey Ballet School, LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, Broadway Dance Center, and Brent Street in Australia.
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With multidisciplinary, experiential performance works that investigate the people, practices, and spaces shaping Washington's black identity, he is proud to present his art in 2017 at the Boston Dance Festival, Pepatian and BAAD!, Periapsis Dance and Music Noesis, and at the legendary Movement Research at Judson Church in Spring 2018. Washington is also a 2017-18 Dancing While Black top 10 choreographic finalists.
Gibney granted Mr. Washington an evening-length show in 2019.
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Alongside his creative work, Washington has entered his fourth season with Camille A. Brown & Dancers in collaboration for her work “Ink” that premiered at the Kennedy Center in December 2017, went international to NYU Abu Dhabi and The Joyce NYC in 2019. Maleek was apart of the ensemble for NBC “Jesus Christ Superstar” starring John Legend as Jesus. Performed at the 2018 Ted Talk Conference in Vancouver British Columbia in Camille A.Brown “New Second Line”. Performed with ASAP Rocky “Testing” Album release installation at Sotheby’s NYC.
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Recently Maleek has been assisting Camille A. Brown on her theatrical endeavors with the staging of “Porgy and Bess” at the Metropolitan Opera.