Native to St. Paul, Minnesota, Berit Ahlgren (HoneyWorks) gained her foundational dance training from Minnesota Dance Theater and received a BFA in Dance from St. Olaf College, where she also studied biomedical studies. Ahlgren was a founding member of TU Dance and performed with the company between 2006—2016. A recipient of Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s Next Step Grant in 2011, Ahlgren had the opportunity to study the Gaga Movement Language in Tel Aviv, and moved to Israel to pursue teacher certification between 2011— 2012. Ahlgren earned her MFA in Dance from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts in 2016, and has since been on faculty at the University of Minnesota and Winona State University, performing with independent choreographers between Minneapolis and New York, and choreographing her own body of work for both stage and camera under her dance organization, HoneyWorks (2019). Ahlgren has had the great pleasure to work with Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Netta Yerushalmy, Dimitri Chamblas, Gregory Dolbashian, Dwight Rhodan, Ashwini Ramaswamy, and Helen Hatch, among others. In addition to her work as dancer-choreographer, Berit is Founder and Operator of Sunna, a wellness studio in NE Mpls that specializes in pilates and yoga.

Helen Hatch is a Minneapolis-based choreographer, performer, director, and educator. She is the recipient of the 2026 McKnight Choreographer Fellowship, multiple MN State Arts Board and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council grants, and was a 2022 University of NC School of the Arts Choreographic Institute Resident. 

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Named one of Minnesota Monthly’s 10 Artists to Watch in 2012, she began her professional career with Minnesota Dance Theatre, where she performed a wide range of repertory and created her own choreographic works. In 2018, she formed Hatch Dance to house her choreographic work. Under her direction, the company has cultivated innovative collaborative processes that have resulted in critically acclaimed performances combining dance, music, and theater. Alongside her work with Hatch Dance, Helen has maintained an extensive freelance career, performing with The Moving Company, Minnesota Opera, and HoneyWorks, among others.

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Helen holds a BFA in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham University BFA Program, graduating with Departmental Honors in 2011. Her choreography has been presented at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival, The Southern Theater, and The Cowles Center, as well as throughout Mexico and Guatemala through the Juntos Collective. She has been commissioned by Minnesota Dance Theatre, Saint Paul Ballet, Aveda, Mareck Dance, and THE MODERN REP. In 2018 and 2024, The Minnesota Star Tribune named her work as one of the “Top 10 Dance Performances” of the year.

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Since 2013, she has taught ballet throughout the Twin Cities and currently serves as a teaching artist with Saint Paul Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theatre.

Alex Proctor is a producer, artist, composer and sound designer from Minneapolis MN who has spent the last 20 years making music all over the world with artists like James Blake, Polica, Grace Potter to name a few. Alex spent many years being in studios working on multiple Grammy nominated records and worked on scores for major motion pictures. The music for “Showing” was written on a few retreats with Berit and developed over the last year as a collaboration between the two.

Randy Reyes is an award-winning theater artist who has worked as a professional actor, director, playwright, and theater educator with institutions across the country including The Moving  Company, Perseverance Theatre, Theater Mu, The Guthrie, Mixed Blood, The Jungle Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Pillsbury House Theatre, St. Olaf College, NYU Graduate Acting Program, University of Minnesota, The University of Utah, Augsburg College, and Macalester College (Assistant Professor in Directing). His work in dance includes White Zinnia with Penny Freeh and Give Ear with Berit Ahlgren and Nathan Keepers. He's a proud Filipino American that believes deeply in telling untold stories to lift up voices from marginalized and oppressed communities. He trained at the University of Utah BFA Actor Training Program and The Juilliard School. 

Shane Donahue is a lighting director and video artist who has been professionally working local and international touring shows in the music industry since 2014. He has worked with bands such as Jane's Addiction, Sublime, Low, Alan Sparhawk, Night Moves, Joe Rainey + Andrew Broder. Find out more and follow Shane’s work here: @shaneahue

Adeline Beck is a dancer who is driven, pursuing excellence and beauty within her craft. She previously attended Chapman University to study her BFA in Dance with a Minor in Leadership. At Chapman, she trained under notable faculty, including Dwight Rhoden, Steven Sofia, and others. Beck began her dance training at the age of 10 with CREO Arts and Dance Conservatory, under the direction of Christa Anderson. Beck has also had previous experience teaching technique and open classes in various genres during her time at CREO and now as an alumna. Beck has previously worked with companies including Strongmovement under the direction of Darrius Strong and Concerto Dance under the direction of Jolene Konkel. Beck has also worked with notable choreographers, including Berit Ahlgren, Helen Hatch, Vincent and Abigail Hardy, and Randall Flinn. Beck has attended numerous dance intensives around the US and abroad. At Chapman, she was a company member of Co.lab, Chapman Dance Alliance, and the Dance and Film clubs. Beck will be attending two professional training programs at NOD in Italy and the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Companies Dance Journey program in Israel this fall, honing her skills to enhance her artistry and values of excellence and beauty.

Annie Carlson trained at Center Stage Dance Studio in Minnesota before graduating summa cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College, earning a BA in Dance and Communication Studies with a concentration in Film and Media Studies. She is now obtaining an MA in Screen Cultures at the University of Oslo in Norway. Annie has performed pieces by HoneyWorks, Hatch Dance, Black Label Movement, Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies, 8:20 Dance Company, and Corpus Dance Works. Her choreography has been presented at the American College Dance Association Conference, Henny Jurriëns Studio Summer Solo Series, Inbox@Artbox, Eagan Art House, and 8:20 Dance Company performances. Annie has taught at Hothouse, Cathedral Dance Festival, and Center Stage Dance Studio. A lifelong learner and travel enthusiast, Annie has attended the Hofesh Shechter Company Intensive, b12, Henny Jurriëns Studio Intensive, SHARE Dance Intensive, Tanz Company Gervasi's Marturanum workshop, and More Than Movement, while continually learning through additional open classes at studios around the world.

Elena (Elly) Hollenhorst is a freelance dancer and choreographer originally from the Twin Cities and currently based in San Jose, Costa Rica. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and furthered her studies internationally at schools and programs such as the Alvin Ailey School of American Dance, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Gaga Teacher Training program alongside Batsheva Dance Company, and Henny Jurriëns Studio (HJS). 

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Throughout her career, Elena has presented her own choreographic work and performed internationally. She has performed works by Bill T. Jones, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Francesca Harper, Eyal Dadon, Jawole Will Jo Zollar, Noa Wertheim, Carl Flink, Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak, and more. Most recently, she joined Erick Rodriguez in San José, Costa Rica where she premiered Los Gritos Que Llevamos Dentro and Lil’luke Dance Co. in Mannheim, Germany, where she premiered Faces of Lilith by Luches Huddleston Jr. and Giovanni de Buono. She has been dancing with HoneyWorks since its development, including as part of the original cast of Invisible Cities by Ashwini Ramaswamy and Kevork Mourad. This is her third performance as part of the Hatch Dance and HoneyWorks collaboration (BoleroBolero, Au).

Gemma Isaacson is a Minneapolis-based dance artist originally from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She began her professional career at the age of 15 with Minnesota Ballet before attending the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (BFA Dance, summa cum laude).

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Throughout the course of her freelance career, Gemma has originated roles in works by notable stage directors/choreographers across genres, including Berit Ahlgren (HoneyWorks), Hannah Benditt (Lakes Area Music Festival), Non Edwards, Daniel Ellis (Minnesota Opera & Utah Opera), Eric Sean Fogel (Minnesota Opera & Portland Opera), Zhauna Franks (Strange Loop Projects), Helen Hatch (Hatch Dance), Nic Lincoln, Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies (Little Tanz Theater), Alanna Morris (I A.M. Arts), Kerry Parker, Marciano Silva dos Santos (Contempo Physical Dance), Heidi Spesard-Noble (Minnesota Opera), Keturah Stickann (Minnesota Opera), and Yuki Tokuda. 

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Since 2020, Gemma has created and performed her own work in various venues and DIY spaces around the Twin Cities. In 2021, she was a National Emerging Artist resident at Tofte Lake Center in Ely, Minnesota. 

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During the 2024-25 season, Gemma was delighted to be engaged as a guest faculty member at Minnesota Opera, devising and leading a movement workshop series for the Resident Artist cohort. 

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Gemma is a 2026 recipient of a McKnight Fellowship in Dance. (gemmaisaacson.com)

Annika Johansson is a dance artist from Minneapolis, Mni Sota Makoce. They create dance for theaters and public spaces, with works produced for the Casket Arts Building, Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, CANDY BOX Dance Festival and Red Eye Theater. Their interest lies in exploring process and collaboration to create performative worlds for reflection and levity. They often explore queer and trans themes, excavating their experiences and finding the core that resonates with others.

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As a performer, Annika has had the chance to work with various Minnesota artists and danced in works by Jagged Moves, Sophia Pimsler, Taja Will, ARENA DANCES, Alternative Motion Project, Flying Foot Forum, HoneyWorks and Hatch Dance, among others. They have a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota.

Jamie Kraft, a Minnesota-raised dance artist and choreographer, is a rising senior at the Purchase College Conservatory of Dance in New York. They have performed works by Merce Cunningham, 2nd Best Dance Company (Hannah Garner), Yue Yin Dance Company, and RUBBERBAND. Previous training includes:  The School at TU Dance, performing works by Ronald K. Brown, Maurya Kerr and Gregory Dolbashian; Minnesota Dance Theatre, performing Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy; Perpich Center for Arts Education; and intensive study including B12 (Berlin), Hubbard Street Dance, LINES Dance Center and more. Jamie has trained in ballet, modern, and contemporary, and is interested in storytelling through dance, theater, and other art forms. They will be performing in the Fall Forward Festival with Black Label Movement this August, and are extremely excited to be performing with Hatch Dance/Honeyworks for the first time! 

Jordan Lovestrand was formerly a member of Ate9 Dance Company from 2018-2023

Twin Cities freelance dance artist MerSadies McCoy attended Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA) before training with TU Dance. She later completed her BFA at SUNY Purchase in New York as a scholarship recipient, performing works by Aszure Barton, Kimberly Bartosik, Rena Butler, Kevin Wynn, and Tom Weinberger. 

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McCoy danced three seasons with TU Dance Company, performing repertoire by Alvin Ailey, Urban Bush Women, Marcus Jarrell Willis, Stephanie Batten Bland, Gregory Dolbashian, and Uri Sands. Following a hiatus for motherhood, her creative resurgence sparked in April 2025.

Since then, she has shared the stage as a Guest Artist at Northrop and The Joyce Theater, invited by Evidence, A Dance Company to help reset and debut Where the Light Shines Through and perform the profound "Clear as Tear Water" solo, honoring mentor Toni Pierce-Sands, who profoundly shaped her artistry. Committing her career fully back to dance, McCoy continues her journey as a dedicated freelance artist and Mother.

Ezra Mehta was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he began his training at Minnesota Dance Theatre before continuing at TU Dance under the direction of Toni Pierce-Sands. During this time, he trained in ballet, Horton, Graham, West African, and improvisation. Ezra recently completed his first year at SUNY Purchase, where he is pursuing a BFA in Dance. Throughout his training in Minnesota and at Purchase, he has had the opportunity to perform works by Dwight Rhoden, Ronald K. Brown, Martha Graham, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, and Marcus J. Willis. Most recently, Ezra participated in Springboard Danse, where he performed original works by Peter Chu and Jie-Hung Connie Shiau.

Blake Nellis is a dancer, choreographer and multidisciplinary artist who blends nonlinear narrative, somatic practices, and improvisational techniques to create dynamic dance works & fine art photography. His choreographic process emphasizes deep listening and embodied exploration, drawing from extensive training in contact improvisation and theatre. Through collaborative improvisation, he crafts performances that explore human connection and physical metaphor. In addition to choreography & performance, Nellis is a dance educator and fine art photographer. He holds a BA in Theater/Dance from Luther College. His artistic excellence has been recognized through multiple Minnesota State Arts Board grants in both Dance and Photography, including a 2021 & 2026 Individual Support Grant. His photographic work includes the fine art book Skin.Rock.Bone, published in 2020, which examines the relationship between the human form and natural landscapes. Learn more at www.blakenellis.com

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 Hatch Dance, A Dancer’s Place, 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.