Helen Hatch is a Minneapolis-based performer, choreographer, and director. Recognized as one of MN Monthly’s 10 Artists to Watch in 2012, Helen began her career with Minnesota Dance Theatre, where she performed a diverse range of repertory and created her own choreographic works. In 2018, she formed Hatch Dance, which, under her direction, has produced critically acclaimed performances that combine dance, music, and theater, developed through innovative collaborative processes. Helen is a graduate of the Ailey/ Fordham University BFA program. Throughout her career, Helen has danced repertory by renowned choreographers including Christopher Bruce, Danny Buraczewski, Eliot Feld, Loyce Houlton, José Limón, and Glen Tetley. She has originated roles in works by Adam Barruch, Stefanie Batten Bland, Jon Ferguson, Penelope Freeh, Francesca Harper, Lise Houlton, Helen Pickett, Dominique Serrand, and many others. In addition to working extensively on freelance projects in MN and nationally, she has performed with The Moving Company and The Minnesota Opera. Her choreography has been presented at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, the 2011 Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival, The Southern Theater, throughout Mexico and Guatemala by the Juntos Collective, and commissioned by Minnesota Dance Theatre, Saint Paul Ballet, Aveda, Mareck Dance, and The Cowles Center. In 2022, Helen was selected for the Choreographic Institute Residency at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The following year, she served as an Artist in Residence at Moulin/Belle in Mareuil en Périgord, France. Since 2013, Helen has taught ballet throughout the Twin Cities and is currently a teaching artist at Saint Paul Ballet.

Jon Ferguson is a theater and film director and maker. He has worked with some of the leading theater companies and practitioners in the UK and US including Hoipolloi & Shon Dale Jones, The John Wright Company, Told by an Idiot, Mary Zimmerman, Mark Rylance and The Guthrie Theater. Jon was named "2005 City Pages Artist of the Year", and his physical theater production Please Don’t Blow Up Mr. Boban, with Live Action Set, was chosen by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as the "Outstanding Experimental Theater Production of 2005" and named "Best Stage Production" by the Minneapolis City Pages - Best of the Twin Cities 2006. Other awards include: Sunday Times (UK) Ensemble Award, Time Out London Critic’s Choice and Victoria Fringe Festival “Best Comedy” Award, as well as numerous top 10 play of the year awards. Jon is the founder and Artistic Director of WLDRNSS for which he has directed and co-created all of their work since 2012 including; A Bun For a Door Handle (Forage Modern Workshop), The Brutes (The Machine Shop), Muy Very Authentic (Open Eye Figure Theater), The Big Show (Southern Theater), The Nature Crown (Guthrie Theater), Good Job Horses (Southern Theater) and The Venetian Twins (Southern Theater), When I Nod My Head You Hit it with The Hammer (Southern Theater). Selected previous work includes; Please Don't Blow up Mr. Boban (The Soap Factory and Loring Theater), We Are Ugly But We Have the Music (Bryant Lake Bowl), Ligustrum Vulgare (Bryant Lake Bowl), Or The White Whale (Southern Theater), You're my Favorite Kind of Pretty (Southern Theater), Animal Farm (Southern Theater), Super Monkey (Guthrie Theater), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Red Eye Theater), Ubu Roi (CSB/SJU), Cymbeline (St. Olaf College), Rhinoceros (Concordia University). From 2018 to 2022 Jon resided in Bristol, England where he worked as a creative director at Screenology Film School and Production Company. His recently completed film The Cartographer won the Best Short Feature Award and Audience Choice at the 2022 Berlin Short Film Festival.

Karin Olson has been lighting live performance for over 20 years with dance companies BRKFST, AMP, SPDT, Combustible, Threads Dance Project, Collide Theatricals, and TU Dance. She has collaborated with design teams at the Gutherie, Penumbra, Mixed Blood, Artistry, Park Square Theatre, and Theatre Mu. She’s designed regionally for Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Stage, Cleveland Playhouse, and Trinity Rep. Recent designs include Cambodian Rock Band at the Jungle and Taiko Arts Midwest’s HERbeat at the Ordway. Upcoming: MN Opera’s Song Poet at Luminary Arts Center, and Ku Fu Zombies Saga with Theater Mu. She has 2 cats, which is the perfect number of cats. More info at karinolsonlighting.com. 

Joe Strachan is a musician based in the Twin Cities. Drawing from jazz, folk music, and the rhythms that move people, his work spans piano, improvisation, synthesizers, electronics, and music for dance. Joe has composed original works for Helen Hatch, Elayna Waxse and Da’Rius Malone. Recently, he has been touring with NY based Minnesota native Craig Finn and the Band of Forgiveness. Locally, he performs with groups like ThoughtCast, Tamarack Stylites, and Ahndendet. In addition to performing, Joe teaches piano and composition at the MacPhail Center for Music and at Sarah Jane's Music School. He also accompanies dance and musical theater at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theater, and Ananya Dance Theater.

Artemis Brown is a non-binary twin cities dancer, actor, and massage therapist whose work involves theatrical devising, performance production, and paratheater technique education. Artemis is Artistic Associate with Hatch Dance, co-founder of Virginia Twins, and a principal collaborator with Experience Cult Research Group. Artemis has devised and performed in 7 original full length performances with Virginia Twins since founding the group in 2017, and Artemis made their debut with Hatch Dance in their 2023 dance-theater performance PARADISE. They lead annual performance laboratory retreats with Experience Cult with the goal of deepening an awareness of how to sustainably live as a whole being in an ever fracturing world. When off the stage Artemis enjoys board games, camping, and learning about bodywork.

joe tennis grew up in eagan minnesota and studied dance at the university of minnesota. he performed in minneapolis with a plethora of companies & choreographers for a half dozen years (black label, zenon, honeyworks, arena, daara dance, strongmovement, slo dance, mn opera, crash, etc) before moving to new york three or so years ago. he lives in brooklyn, still furthering his devotion to his craft and performance practice. lately, he premiered works with zvidance and taq dance and is eager for the weather to warm out east to go surfing at the rockaways.

Seth Conover is a Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter, and composer. He is the frontperson of the alternative band Poolboy and has composed original music and sound for multiple collaborations with Hatch Dance, including Isotope, The Machine Stops, Daisy, and Paradise. His work spans recorded music and live performance. Seth is grateful to be performing alongside this amazing group of artists.

Juliana Johnson (she/her) is a dancer and creator from the Twin Cities, known for her dynamic presence and collaborative spirit. She attended the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists and earned dual degrees in dance and visual art from Fordham University in New York City. Locally, she has performed with companies such as Hatch Dance, HoneyWorks, STRONGmovement, Amez Dance, Corpus Dance Works, Analog Dance Works, Sod House Theater, Minnesota Opera, and TU Dance. In addition to performing, Juliana has worked as a dance educator and choreographer for nearly a decade, producing several original projects that reflect her multidisciplinary approach. Rooted in collaboration, she is driven by curiosity and connection, continually seeking new pathways for expression and growth within herself, her collaborators, and her community.

Emily Trapnell graduated with her BFA in Dance at University of Iowa, earning Honors, Distinction, and Phi Beta Kappa prestige. She was a Company Artist with James Sewell Ballet, Inaside Chicago Dance, and a trainee with Visceral Dance Chicago. Emily’s freelance performances include Minnesota Opera’s, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Cinderella” at the Phipps Center, Fairy Doll” in the “Fairy Doll Ballet”, Minneapolis Ballet Dancers, Curio Dance Company, opera “Karkinos”, and touring as a soloist to Trinidad. Emily has performed works by Juliano Nunes, FLOCK, Danielle Agami, along with many other local and international artists. She has been a Marketing Associate for James Sewell Ballet, and serves as the Co-Director for Iowa Dance Festival, International ScreenDance Festival, InterDance, and E-Danza.

Connor Simone (he/him) is a Twin Cities dancer, performing artist, and teacher. He received training at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, the TU Dance School, and the University of Minnesota. Connor has previously danced with TU Dance, HoneyWorks, Hatch Dance, Threads Dance Project and most recently spent four seasons with James Sewell Ballet in Minneapolis. Connor has performed works by artists such as Marcus Willis, Kjara Wurst, Gregory Dolbashian, Berit Ahlgren, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma, Will Couture, Carl Flink, Sidra Bell, and Maurya Kerr among others. Alongside performing, he also teaches at Elevé Performing Arts Center.

Barbra Berlovitz co-founded the 2005 Tony award winning Theatre de la Jeune Lune. For thirty years she acted, directed, taught and was instrumental in the artistic leadership of this internationally acclaimed company. She has worked with Frank Theatre, Theatre Novi Most, Sod House Theater, Nimbus Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, The Improbable Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Artistry, History Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, Red Bird Theatre and Combustible Theatre. Barbra was a member of the Affiliate Faculty at the University of Minnesota, Augsburg University and Macalester College. Among her awards Barbra has received the McKnight Theatre Artist Fellowship, Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, a TCG/ITI grant and a Fox Fellowship for Distinguished Achievement.

Maliya Gorman-Carter is a multidisciplinary performance artist. She is the founder of Cirque du Nord, a new theater circus company in town. She studied theater with Philippe Gaulier in France and has worked with the Zoppe and Anastasini circuses. She is very happy to be a part of this magical piece. 

Kaitelin Dambrine (Apprentice) is a senior in high school, and has been training at St. Paul Ballet for the past ten years under Helen Hatch and Kaylie Bullock. She has performed in The Nutcracker every winter, most recently as the Sugar Plum Fairy, alongside original works by Helen Hatch, Blake Nellis, and Erin Drummond. Kaitelin has spent her summers training at Kansas City Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and most recently Alonzo King LINES Ballet. There, she had the privilege of learning from and performing works by Maurya Kerr, Brett Conway, Nicholas Korkos, Natasha Adorlee, and Alonzo King.

Noelle Jackson (Apprentice) is a senior in high school, and has been training at St. Paul Ballet for the past 5 years, currently under Helen Hatch, Kaylie Bullock, Blake Nellis, and Erin Drummond. Recently performing in SPB’s “Nutcracker Reimagined”, she had the opportunity to debut as Sugar plum fairy. Noelle has spent her summers training at Belle Ballet, Classical Ballet Academy, St. Paul Ballet and most recently Dance Theatre of Harlem. There she had the privilege of learning from Crystal Serrano, Tai Jimenez, Mychal A. Bryan, Da’Von Doane and performing segments from Dance Theatre of Harlem’s classic work “Return” by Robert Garland.

Annika Knutson (she/her) is a Twin Cities based mental health therapist who takes any chance she can get to be involved with dance. Growing up, she trained at Minnesota Dance Theatre before attending San Francisco Ballet School. After two degrees in Psychology, she loves to bring her love of organization to the administrative side of the arts. 

Jenny Hawkins-Hatch started sewing dance costumes when Helen was a student at Ballet Arts Minnesota. As Helen grew and pursued her passion for dance, Jenny was thrilled to create costumes for her verious endeavors. That thrill continues today will Helen and Hatch Dance. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of the team that makes Helen's visions come to life. 

Andrew Hatling is Executive Creative Producer at Noble, a Minneapolis-based production studio. An award-winning filmmaker partnering with clients like Target, Beats, and Red Bull - he crafts stories through a creative-driven and human-centric lens.