Biographies

HEIDIY LATSKY (Artistic Director  /Choreographer / Performer), originally from Montreal, first received recognition as a celebrated principal dancer for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (1987-1993). Since then she has been a choreographer for stage, theater and film.  Latsky has a BA in Psychology with Honors from Carleton University (1979). There, she received the Senate Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement and The Ottawa Ladies College Scholarship. Other awards include the Scripps/ADF Primus-Tamaris Fellowship for Choreography and the McGinnis Lectureship Award from Point Park College. In 1996, she was chosen to represent Canada at the Suzanne Dellal International Dance Competition in Tel Aviv and at Danse a Lille, France. Latsky has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe with her own company and as part of Goldhuber &  Latsky (with former partner Lawrence Goldhuber).  Her choreography has been commissioned by the Cannes International  Dance Festival, The American Dance Festival, Danspace Project, Whitney Museum of Art, The Joyce Theater and other prestigious venues. Educational residencies include The American Dance Festival, Beloit College, Skidmore College, the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Milwaukee, Connecticut College and Purdue University. Latsky headed the Movement Department at The School for Film and Television from 1998-2005 where she developed her teaching practice-The Latsky Method. Latsky worked with Theater Director Mary Fulham, for whom she has received two Innovative Theater Award nominations. She serves on the Artist Advisory Board of Danspace Project and in 2009 was chosen by Creative Capital Foundation as one of four choreographers nationally to receive an award for her evening length work GIMP for three years.  She recently was guest lecturer at Harvard University, performed at Boston's ICA with Bill T Jones' alumni  in "SUMMER REUNION", restaged a piece of Arnie Zane's at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee, created a work at the Aaron Academy  for high school students with learning disabilities, and performed at Boston's Oberon Theater with singer /songwriter Jonatha Brooke. HEIDI LATSKY DANCE (HLD) was formed in 2001. The Company has enjoyed performances at venues including Bryn Mawr College, the Duke on 42nd Street (produced by the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center), Central Park Summerstage, Symphony Space, and Joe's Pub and has been a recipient of residencies from the Joyce Theater Foundation, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Abrons Arts Center and the JCC in Manhattan. During fall 2006, Heidi Latsky began an intensive period of creation with bi-lateral amputee, Lisa Bufano, a Boston-based interdisciplinary artist and 2006-07 Franklin Furnace Fund for Performance Art Recipient. This marked a significant shift of focus for the company and a period of immense growth. The company received an ARC grant through Pentacle that included mentoring Latsky for a period of 18 months. Her critically acclaimed work GIMP premiered in Albuquerque, NM, November, 2008, at the North Fourth Arts Center. Since then, GIMP has been performed at Lincoln Center Out of Doors,  Arts Center (NYC), Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston), The Kennedy Center (DC), Holy Cross University (MA), CAP Awards (The Netherlands), The Reelabilities Film Festival at the Jewish Community Center (NYC), The Flynn Theater (Burlington), Dublin Dance Festival, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Scripps College Humanities Institute, DaDaFest in Liverpool and Chicago Humanities Festival, Roger Williams University (RI), Alverno Presents!(WI), CREA Conference in Kathmandu, Barnard College, Crossing Borders Festival in Dusseldorf and at the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh. GIMP is the subject of a feature length documentary by Richard Move, an Associated Press multi-media piece, and features on CNN, NET and NPR. A profile on GIMP  (Channel 12 News) was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2010. That same year, the company was in residency at the JCC Manhattan where they created IF which was then presented as part of Lamama Moves Festival at the Ellen Stewart Theater NYC. Recently, IF was restaged for Cleveland's Dancing Wheels Company. Currently, Latsky is working on two new works which in excerpted form have been shown at venues like the Reelabilities Film Festival, University of Rochester, Rutgers University, StonyBrook University. Upcoming performances are being held at Rutgers University and TEDWomen in the following months.  HLD has an extensive outreach program.

PAOLA STYRON (Co-Director of IF) was a leading performer and collaborator for over twenty years with choreographer /director Martha Clarke. Productions with Ms. Clarke include: Off Broadway: "The Garden of Earthly Delights", "Vienna: Lusthaus", and "Vienna: Lusthaus (Revisited)", "The Hunger Artist", "Miracolo d'Amore","Vers La Flamme" (Lincoln Center Great Performers Series);The operas "Marco Polo", and "Orfeo ed Euridce" (New York City Opera)"Hans Christian Andersen" (American Conservatory Theater)"A Midsummer Night's Dream" (American Repertory Theatre)"Belle Epoque" (Lincoln Center Theater). With renowned Canadian soloist Margie Gillis, Paola is a frequent guest artist and choreographer for both stage and film. She was Associate Artistic Director of Faustwork Mask Theater from 1990 - 2000. An aerialst and equestrian, she recently worked with choreographer Paula Josa-Jones on an evening of Equestrian Dance Theater. Paola is also a certified instructor of THERAPEUTIC RIDING, a form of therapy using horses and horseback riding, to enhance and promote the physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being of people with disabilities.

JEREMY ALLIGER/ALLIGER ARTS (Original Co-Producer), the Executive Producer of Alliger Arts, was the founder and Artistic and Executive Director of Dance Umbrella for 20 years, one of the most active producers of contemporary dance in the United States.  The original Co-Producer of Heidi Latsky Dance's GIMP and he is currently producing the award winning one-man musical theater production Coming up for Air: An AutoJAZZography.

Jeremy is the Producer/Creator of Cool Heat Urban Beat, an international Jazz Tap/Hip Hop percussive touring show that had it's International Premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has produced more than 15 unique festival gatherings and touring productions, including the first-ever Aerial Dance Festival, Jazz Tap and Hip Hop festivals, the unprecedented International Festival of Wheelchair Dance, and the world premiere of Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project. He received the prestigious State of Massachusetts "Commonwealth Award," the National Disability Rights "Eagle" award and Emerson College's "Alumni Achievement" Award. He was a featured speaker at the Kennedy Center's National Forum on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities. He has served as a Panel Chair at the National Endowment for the Arts, the Boston Cultural Council, and a panelist and artistic advisor for a long list of organizations, including the MacArthur and Guggenheim Foundations. alligerarts@gmail.com; www.alligerarts.org

ARTIST BIOS (Past and Present)

JEFFREY FREEZE (Associate Director), began his career as a muppet, touring with Sesame Street Live. Since moving to New York in 1996, Freeze has worked with Michael Mao Dance, Phi Dance Theater, Sense Dance and Bruce Webber's No Chance Ensemble. He served as both choreographer and principal dancer for Infinity Dance Theater and played Snow Boy and Big Deal in Robert La Fosse's West Side Story tour. His Broadway debut was with Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake and his film debut was in Dirty Dancing.

LEZLIE FRYE is an activist, performance artist, poet and scholar. She is a member of SINS Invalid, a San Francisco–based artists collective exploring intersections of sexuality and dis/ability and of GIMP, a interdisciplinary dance project of Heidi Latsky Dance, based in New York. Frye aims to address intersecting forms of oppression and to locate critical resistance in the foxy bodies of cripples everywhere. She is currently a doctoral student in the American Studies Program, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University. Frye's academic work explores intersections of dis/ability, race, gender, sexuality and nation, with particular interest in art and aesthetics, citizenship and the politics of life and death. For info on performances, workshops, lectures and artist residencies, e-mail lezliefrye@gmail.com; or visit gimpsgotgame.com

LAWRENCE CARTER-LONG has performed with Heidi Latsky Dance in GIMP since 2007. He is the founder and curator of the groundbreaking disTHIS! Film Series: disability through a whole new lens, which has been featured in The New York Times Sunday Style section. As a commentator, Lawrence has appeared on the BBC, CNN, NBC's Today Show and NPR, among other regional, national and international outlets.  He is also a producer on WBAI's Largest Minority radio show. A popular public speaker on a wide array of topics ranging from disability issues to animal advocacy to media literacy, Lawrence regularly facilitates workshops at colleges and conferences across the nation.  Lawrence was honored to receive the Frieda Zames Advocacy Award from NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on August 12, 2009. In March 2010, he will be presented with the Paul G. Hearne Award, an annual honor presented by the American Association of People with Disabilities to recognize emerging leaders within the national cross-disability civil rights movement.

CATHERINE LONG is a Performance Artist. Central to her work is the individual and collective body, the subjective and objective experience with a focus on observation and perception. Her work explores and addresses issues of objectification, absence and presence, restriction and freedom, control, embodiment and symmetry. A key aim of her work is for people to gain insight into how perceptions of ourselves are shaped by our perceptions of others. Recent performances include Tate Modern, London (2007), Chisenhale Dance Space, London (2006), NottDance (2004), Community/Performance Conference in Rhode Island (2004), and Jerwood Space (2004). Catherine has been working with Heidi Latsky Dance in GIMP since April 2008. She has a BA (Hons) in Arts Therapies.

JENNIFER BRICKER (Co-choreographer for Aerial Piece/Performer), always had a passion for tumbling and gymnastics, despite being born without legs. Throughout her life she competed in power tumbling, volleyball, and softball… all against able-bodied athletes.  Jen's athletic achievements were featured on Extra, Arabella (Germany's renown talk show), performances around the world under the direction of Heidi Latsky, and the Britney Spears World Tour.  Jen moved from her small community in southern Illinois to Orlando, Florida to work for Walt Disney World. This is where Jen and Nate met and shared a dream of performing together to inspire and motivate. Performing with Nate has obliterated any limit Jen ever thought she had.

CHRISTINA BRIGGS has been dancing with Heidi Latsky since 2000, performing lead roles in Flat Line and Club Riot. She was born in Virginia, where she danced with the Richmond Ballet and earned a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Since moving to New York in 1996, she has danced for many choreographers, including Carrie Ahern, Pat Cremins, and Susan Osberg.  Christina performs for children nationwide with the Hudson Vagabond Puppets, where she is also the Rehearsal Director. Christina is the Co-Director and Choreographer of Incidents Physical Theater, a company producing collaborative dance theater pieces.  She has staged her choreography at the University of Florida, Gainesville and the College of Lake County and taught master classes at many universities, including Colorado State University, Frostburg State University, Montclair State University, Penn State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Christina is also a Pilates instructor, teaching privately and at Groundfloor Exercise since 1999.  This year she will join the faculty of Hofstra University.

NATE CRAWFORD (Co-choreographer for Aerial Piece/Performer) was originally groomed as a gymnast. He competed for the University of Illinois at Chicago graduating with a Bachelors of Business Administration. After four years of working in a traditional management role, he decided to try performing for just one year. That was over ten years ago and Nate is still performing all around the world. Highlights have included a solo for the King of Malaysia, TODAY Show, and Neighborhood Presidential Ball with Anti-Gravity. Opening cast of Mystic Rhythms at Tokyo Disney Sea, and world tour with Britney Spears. With over a decade of experience, Nate is most excited about performing with Jen. Her passion and determination is enough to invigorate even the most experienced veteran.

KEVIN FAY (Performer) began dancing at The Joy of Motion Dance Center in Bethesda, Maryland. After moving to Chicago to attend Northwestern University, Kevin continued dancing at both Northwestern and The Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance, where he performed with Larry Long & Dolores Lipinski's Civic Ballet of Chicago. Over summers, Kevin trained with The Ailey School, ABT, The Taylor School, and The Hubbard Street Dance Center, where he spent a year on scholarship after his college graduation. Since leaving Chicago, Kevin has danced with Dayton Ballet in Ohio, Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company in Washington, D.C., and Daniele Desnoyers at springboard danse montreal. Now, he rehearses and performs in and around New York City with Jin Ju Song-Begin, Douglas Dunn & Dancers, and Michael Mao Dance Company. He is thrilled to be working with Heidi Latsky Dance now and will always be grateful to her, his family, his friends, and his teachers.

DAVID HARRELL (Performer) is an actor, dancer, writer, speaker and disability advocate.  He served as Accessibility and Outreach Director for the Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company (REP) from 2002-2004 and was awarded the Triangle Access Award from the Alliance of Disability Advocates in 2004 for his work at REP. He presented with REP at the VSA International Festival in 2005 and served on the Board of Directors for Arts Access in Raleigh, NC.  He is currently working as the Disability and Programming Associate for the Alliance for the Inclusion in the Arts.  He holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and a M.F.A. in Theatre Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  David moved to New York in 2008 to continue his acting and advocacy work.  In 2009 he was nominated for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance in his one man show A Little Potato and Hard to Peel.  He is excited to be working with Heidi Latsky Dance and is grateful for the wonderful opportunity to be a part of this ensemble.

TERRENCE HEWITT (Performer) 2007 Performed in "moving portraits" with the AIDS service center in outreach project choreographed by Heidi Latsky. 2009 performed with at Dance New Amsterdam in a piece called 24/7 choreographed by Isabel Gotzkowsky.  2010, Film: Lead role in Tweedy Barnes playing Tweedy Barnes directed by Shawn Soland at N.Y.film, and participated in Project X "Pulse" at the Creative Center.

JILLIAN LEIGH HOLLIS (Performer) began her dance training in Syracuse NY. She attended Point Park University, graduating with a degree in dance. Jillian performs regularly with Rocha Dance Theater, which are resident artists at Galapagos Arts Space in Dumbo. She also is a member of Carrie Ahern Dance. In the past Jillian has had the pleasure to work with numerous choreographers including Heather Harrington and Incidents Physical Theater. Jillian can be seen on stage with Lady Rizo and the Assettes all over NYC stages. She been dancing for Heidi Latsky since 2002.

ELFIE KNECHT (Performer, multilingual licensed NYC Tour Guide and Activist) Elfie plays the accordion and also enjoys playing her piano classical style. In addition, she is a member of "IF" with Heidi Latsky Dance Company.  Elfie is an adaptive dis-ability sports enthusiast. This includes, but is not limited to, adaptive water skiing, tennis, archery, kayaking, skydiving, adaptive snow skiing, handcycling, flying trapeze and ziplining. As a certified peer visitor for the Amputee Coalition of America, Elfie shares with and listens to hundreds of new and kindred amputees. She is a dis-ability rights activist. Elfie sends much love and deep gratitude to her beautiful wife for her support, love and generosity of spirit.

TOBY MACNUTT (Performer) Toby MacNutt is a quadrupedal queer crip, anthropological scholar, activist, and dancer. Academically, Toby's focus has been on community creation, identity development, and communication, studies directly supporting work as an activist, advocate, ally trainer, and bridge-builder between and across identities. Past experience includes speaking, writing, and leading workshops for a variety of groups in educational, professional, and conference settings. Early in life, Toby had access to training in multiple dance disciplines, and now, after a long hiatus, is very excited to be a dancer once more - especially in a context that coordinates so powerfully with a radical body politics.

AKEMI NISHIDA is an activist, educator, student, and cultural worker for social justice. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Personality Psychology, she is also an adjunct professor in Disability Studies and Psychology at the City University of New York. Akemi has been working with Heidi Latsky Dance in GIMP since 2009. Originally from Itsuko Nishida's egg and Akira Nishida's sperm, she was born and raised in Japan and came to the States in 2002, where much of her politicization occurs. Centering on the topics of disability and diversity and their intersectionality, her work focuses on the political development of disabled people and the pedagogy of privilege and alliance.

LI CHIAO-PING (Choreographer/Performer/Artistic Director LCPD) was named by Dance Magazine as one of the 25 to watch. She formed LI CHIAO-PING DANCE (LCPD) in 1990 and co-directed DZIGA VERTOV PERFORMANCE GROUP from 1992-94. Renowned for her solo work, she is equally well-known for her multimedia and/or intergenerational productions. Her collaborations with Douglas Rosenberg include dance films such as DE L'EAU, RESIDUES, PERIPHERY, GRACE, and a new suite of dances made for the camera which were co-funded by Wisconsin Public Television and Bravo! FACT of Canada. A prolific choreographer of well over 80 works for stage and screen, Ms. Li's dances have been shown throughout the world and at many festivals. Ms. Li has received numerous awards, grants and honors, and has received choreographic fellowships from the Wisconsin Arts Board and Scripps/ADF Humphrey-Weidman-Limon. She was the American representative in ADF's International Choreographer's Program, and has been commissioned by many including Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church and Virginia Ballet.  Ms. Li earned her Master of Arts degree from UCLA and has been on the dance faculty at Hollins University, Mills College, and UW-Madison where she continues to teach.

MEREDITH FAGES (Performer) has performed with Alexandra Beller/Dances, Armitage Gone! Dance, Wally Cardona, Heidi Latsky Dance, XYZeta Projects/Jimena Paz, Laura Peterson Choreography, Becky Radway Dance Projects, Steeledance, Palissimo/Pavel Zustiak, Eidolon Ballet, Todd Rosenlieb Dance, and Virginia Ballet Theatre. She has been featured in the ballets of Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, and Antony Tudor. Meredith has served as rehearsal assistant for Heidi Latsky, Laura Peterson, Oliver Steele, and Ginger Thatcher, and she was a member of the faculty for the 2009 Peridance Summer Teen Intensive. Upcoming projects include dance films by Deborah Lohse and Donnell Oakley, and a new work by Elisabeth Motley/DOORKNOB COMPANY.  She was born in Charleston, SC and graduated from Columbia University with a Pre-Medical Concentration in English.

GREGORY YOUDAN, JR. (Performer) holds a BA in Dance from Hofstra University. He currently dances for HT Chen and Dancers and Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble. Other company credits have included the New York Baroque Ballet Dance Company, Gail Corbin and Dancers, Catherine Gallant/DANCE, Kelley Donovan and Dancers, Gloria Mclean and Dancers and others.  In 2007, Gregory's choreography was selected to close the Gala for the American College Dance Festival and has since been presented throughout the city including a commission for the FAITH Project to benefit the American Lung Association.

CHRISTOPHER ASH (Lighting Design - GIMP) has been a designer for lighting, scenery, and projections since 1997. In 2008 his career went international with the design of "Troia" for Anadolu Atesi in Istanbul, Turkey. He received an after dark award for lighting design in 2006 for "The Sweet Smell of Success", and was recently Jeff nominated for his design for "Wedding Play".  His dance designs have been trumpeted by Hedy Weiss of the Chicago Sun Times stating "(Ahimsa)... a powerfully enigmatic ensemble work (with) moments of intense silence, all dramatically heightened by (Christopher Ash's) brilliant lighting."  His set for "Frozen" was considered one of the best sets of the 2007 in Chicago by Robert Loerzel of the pioneer press. You can see more of his work at www.ChristopherAsh.com

KATHY KAUFMAN (Lighting Designer - IF) A native of New York City, Kathy Kaufmann has been lighting dance and performance around the world for over 20 years.  She has had the good fortune to work regularly with many wonderful artists including David Parker, Meredith Monk, Gina Gibney, Eiko and Koma, Ben Munisteri, Jacques D'Amboise, Kota Yamazaki and Jody Oberfelder.  Her most recent projects were for Daria Fain, Aitana Cordero, Larissa Velez, Cherylyn Lavagnino, Patricia Hoffbauer and Hilary Easton.  She was honored to be included in Curtain Call: Celebrating a Century of Women Designing for Live Performance at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and received a Bessie award for her body of work in 2004 and for Yvonne Meier's Stolen in 2009.

CARLOS ARIAS (Costume Design) Born in Barcelona, Spain, Carlos Arias moved to the U.S.A. in 1975. After a long and successful career in fashion design, he took up photography. Arias has exhibited his work throughout the U.S.A. and internationally, and his work is in numerous private collections. While still designing costumes for dancers and special fashion collections, he is a technical consultant for important fashion companies. He lives and works in New York City.

CHRIS SCHWARTZ and CHRISTINA FRIK (Costume Design for 2008 Premiere) - Dynamic Duo Beach wear designers for labels: Dotti and Beach Star. Their designs are in Macy's and Nordstoms in the Swim Dept. Both enjoy being creative and get inspired by music and the arts.

CHRIS BRIERLEY (Composer) is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester and was a founder-member of the Kreisler String Orchestra. The orchestra won first prize in the International Jeunesses Musicales String Orchestra Competition in Belgrade and collaborated with Brian Eno, John Cale, Youssou N'Dour and Michael Nyman For the past ten years Chris has worked in Soho, London as a composer for film and commercials. His most recent score is for 'The Age of Stupid', the new film from Director Franny Armstrong, starring oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite, due for theatrical release in February 2009. Other credits include the feature-length documentaries 'Drowned Out' and 'Mclibel', which was broadcast nationally in the USA in 2006. Chris has a long-standing association as writer and performer with the Band of Holy Joy and is a visiting artist at Heart;N'Soul, a ground-breaking arts organisation based in London run by artists with learning disabilities.

EVA MANTELL'S (Visual Artist) artwork has been seen at The Whitney Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, P.S.1, The Jersey City Museum, and internationally at The Istanbul Biennale; Foto Antwerpen, Belgium; Art and Idea Gallery, Mexico City; Solar Art Center, Bolivia. She has created visuals for dance and theater productions including "Balletto Stilletto" and "Trophy Wife" at LaMama, E.T.C., and "Blood Cherries" at Dance Theater Workshop. Please visit www.evamantell.com

SXIP SHIREY (Composer), just finished composing music and sound design for "Marsupial Girl" by playwright Lisa D'Amour, which was developed through collaboration between The Minneapolis Children's Theater and New Dramatists.  As a member of The Daredevil Opera Company, Sxip has performed at The Sydney Opera House and The Adelaide Festival in Australia, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C, The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and at The New Victory Theater on Broadway with Anti-Gravity's Crash Test Dummies.  Shirey and co-composer Rima Fand toured New England Universities with Erin Orr's puppet theater piece "Savage Nursery", which was developed with a grant from the Henson Foundation and developed at HERE. Fand, Orr and Shirey are currently developing a short piece to be performed at Saint Anne's Warehouse puppetry lab. Shirey's solo work is performed regularly at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater in NYC. Shirey toured as support act and host for The Dresden Dolls Fall 2006 tour. He has also performed at The Adelaide Fringe in Australia and at numerous underground parties in Brooklyn.  Shirey's favorite piece in the last year was working with gay, lesbian and trans-gendered teens for a piece directed by Michelle Matlock through YES and Dance Theater Workshop.

MARTY BELLER (Composer) has composed and performed with international dance companies including Jennifer Muller/The Works, Sean Curran, Chet Walker/8 and ah one, Kathy Wildberger, Heidi Latsky, RhythMEK and  Julio Bocca/Ballet Argentina. He is the drummer for Grammy award-winner They Might Be Giants.

FRANK PONZIO (Music Director/Composer) has performed as soloist and band leader at venues such as the legendary Birdland, Town Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and has performed with a variety of artists, including Ben Vereen on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, David Amram, Phil Donahue, Joe Beck, Nancy LaMott, and Baby Jane Dexter.  He was music director at National Dance Institute, for three years and since 1997 has been involved in a program for wheelchair-bound students at PS 199 in New York.  He was a vocal coach at the New School's Actors Studio (1994-97). Frank has written music for TV commercials as well as for plays and film, including the score to the movie The Silver Swing and the recently released feature film A Level Field. Recent recordings include  Reflections of American Song on the CAP record label, Quando Swing, with vocalist Rosemary Loar, and A Song About Forever, the music of Kurt Weill.

STAN STRICKLAND (Singer, saxophonist, flutist, actor) has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Scandinavia, the Caribbean, New Zealand and the former Soviet Union. In addition to numerous radio and television appearances, Stan has performed in many clubs and concert halls, including Jordan and Symphony Halls in Boston, Carnegie Recital Hall and Town Hall in New York, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His work has been featured on recordings by Bob Moses, Marty Erlich, Webster Lewis and Brute Force. Stan has performed with jazz greats Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Mann, Danilo Perez, Shirley Scott and Marlena Shaw. Love & Beauty, Stan's new jazz vocal CD, featuring new arrangements of great jazz classics as well as original material, was released by Hawkline Records in 2005. Stan has opened for Jazz greats Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins, and for Barenaked Ladies. He toured South Africa with The Village People, and was a featured soloist with Take Six and the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall.

His acting experience includes the leading roles in the Boston Art Group's production of Harlem Renaissance, Notheastern University's production of Crossing John, and Dr. Sax in a production of Jon Lipsky's play about Jack Kerouac, Maggie's Riff, produced by the Vineyard Playhouse. Stan has performed and collaborated with over a dozen choreographers including Alvin Ailey, Jose Limon, and Bill T. Jones. Stan is profiled/featured, (along with Blair Underwood and Lamar Burton), in a new film documentary that was filmed this past spring, entitled Black Man Up. He has performed at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of Academy Award winning documentary Born into Brothels and at three exclusive fashion/fragrance events for fashion icon Donna Karan.

Stan has a M.A. degree from Lesley College in Expressive Arts Therapy where he is an adjunct professor. Stan is Co-Executive Director of Express Yourself, a multidisciplinary team of professional artists, working in partnership with adolescents in public mental health residential facilities to produce multimedia performances that also teaches at Berklee College celebrate the restorative powers of serious art making.

RANDALL WOOLF studied composition privately with David Del Tredici and Joseph Maneri, and at Harvard, where he earned a Ph.D. He is a member of the Common Sense Composers Collective. He is composer-in-residence for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and with the String Orchestra   Of New York City. In 1997 he composed a new ballet of "Where the Wild Things Are", in collaboration with Maurice Sendak and Septime Webre.  In  2003, he composed  "Women At An Exhibition" for the Akron Art Museum and Symphony, with a video by Mary Harron (director of "American Psycho") and John C. Walsh. He composed an arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight" for the Kronos Quartet, who are playing it on tour. He works with John Cale (cofounder of the Velvet Underground) as an arranger, notably score for the cult classic "American Psycho. On October 11, 2008, Woolf's string quartet version of songs of Nico will on a festival curated by Cale at Royal Festival Hall in London.  His works have been performed by Kathleen Supové, Jennifer Choi, Timothy Fain, Mary Rowell, Todd Reynolds, Ethel, Kronos Quartet, conductor and flutist Ransom Wilson, Present Music, Fulcrum Point, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Seattle Symphony, Paul Dresher Ensemble, Bang On A Can/SPIT Orchestra, California EAR Unit, and others.  Current commissions include a concerto for beatboxing flutist Greg Pattillo, and a piece for Classical Jam.

ORLANDO WELLS (viola/violin), a native of Orange, NJ, Orlando Wells began studying the violin at the age of 9. While attending LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, he picked up the viola. Mostly self-taught in High School, he graduated winning the Behrens Foundation and B'nai Brith scholarships. Mr. Wells attended S.U.N.Y. Purchase, and Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers.  His primary teachers have included Yuval Waldman and Michael Tree. Equally proficient on both the violin and the viola, he has held the principal viola chair with the Antara Chamber Orchestra, and the concertmaster chair with the Soulful Symphony in Baltimore, the Orchestra of the Bronx, and the Bronx Opera.  He has appeared as a soloist with Antara, the Manhattan Virtuosi and the St. Peter by the Sea Orchestra. Mr. Wells also performs with The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, SONYC Chamber Orchestra, The Ritz Chamber Players, Allentown Symphony, Sweet Plantain String Quartet, The Emerald Trio, and the Radio City Christmas Show Orchestra.  Performing frequently on Broadway, he has played regularly with Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, Spamalot, Wicked, and was the violist on the first national tour of the Broadway show, Little Women.  Most recently, he was the violinist/violist on the new Broadway show Crybaby. He has collaborated with musicians of many different genres and styles.  Some of the artists he has worked with are, John Legend, Mariah Carrey, Rihanna, Kanye West, Marvin Hamlish, the Akua Dixon Swing Quartet, and Sojourner Strings.  Mr. Wells has recorded with artists Joss Stone, Joe, and Alicia Keyes among others.