The International premiere of TAPESTRY, a dance-theater collaboration between Karlovsky & Company Dance and Divadlo Štúdio Tanca of Slovakia opening March 21-22 at The Grandel Theatre

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TAPESTRY

An International Collaboration with Karlovsky & Company Dance and Divadlo Štúdio Tanca (Slovakia)

March 21-22, 2025 - 7:30pm

Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, the Regional Arts Commission, The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and by private donors.

Karlovsky & Company Dance

Company Members

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Dawn Karlovsky

DAWN KARLOVSKY is the Founder and Director of Karlovsky & Company Dance. Her thought-provoking, athletic, and emotionally candid dances have been commissioned and presented by universities and modern dance/theatre companies nationally and worldwide. International credits include choreography commissioned by Le Théatre du Rouret and Le Communauté de Culture de Couloisy in France, Cie Haute Tension (France), Tsinghua University (Beijing, China), Cape Town (South Africa) with New World Dance Theatre, and as an Artist in Residence at Moulin-Belle in Mareuil, France.

A native of Chicago, Dawn came in St. Louis after dancing with companies in San Francisco, Louisville, and Chicago. Additionally, Karlovsky is a 5th generation Isadora Duncan dancer who has been studying and performing the Duncan repertoire with Dr. Alice Bloch since 2005. She has an MFA from the University of Utah and a BA from Northern Illinois University.

Dawn teaches at Washington University and in the Department of Dance at Webster University in St. Louis. She is a nationally certified teaching member of the American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) since 2004 and Chair of AmSAT's Committee for the Alexander Technique in the Performing Arts (CATPA). Dawn is a recipient of an Artist Fellowship in dance awarded by The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

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Summer Beasley

Summer began her dance training at the age of 3. She continued on her dance journey through college at Webster University with a BFA in Dance, and Lindenwood University receiving a MFA in movement with an emphasis in theater. She has danced and choreographed across the U.S. and has been working with Dawn Karlovsky since 2004. As a founding member of Karlovsky & Company Dance, Summer has enjoyed the opportunity to tour with the company to France and South Africa. Currently, she teaches dance, creative movement, and yoga at MICDS. Her yoga certificate includes the completion of a 200 hour yoga teacher training with Pam Schulte and a 95 hour children’s yoga teacher training with Lisa Roberts.

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Liliana Merifield

Liliana is a 2022 graduate from Lindenwood University and holds a BFA in Dance. Her experience includes over a decade of extensive training and direction from the wonderful faculty at DaySpring Arts and Education. She studied many styles of dance, musical theatre, voice, and drama while at DaySpring. Liliana has been on the dance and performing arts faculty at Dayspring for seven years and loves the community that is found there. She is currently serving as the Performing Arts Department Head at DaySpring and is enjoying her new role. From 2017-2018 Liliana completed a trainee program with Common Thread Contemporary Ballet where she learned and performed company repertoire. Her other artistic endeavors include filmmaking where she had her short film "Upward and Over" featured at ACDA (American Collegiate Dance Association) conferences across the region in 2023. Liliana believes that movement is a gift and she loves to share it with others!

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Emily Gregg

Emily is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer native to St. Louis. She holds a BA in Dance from Southeast Missouri State University where she also studied and received a BS in Mass Communications. While at SEMO, she had the opportunity to work with several guest artists such as Kristopher Estes-Brown, Jennifer Archibald, Emily Schoen Branch, Emily Haussler, and Mike Esperanza. She has also had the honor to perform in the Big Muddy Dance Festival (St. Louis) in 2022. Throughout her dance career, she has trained all over the St. Louis area in dance, musical theater and voice. She has also received training in various other cities such as Milwaukee, WI, Oklahoma City, OK, and Kalamazoo, MI. Emily is currently the assistant dance team coach for Nerinx Hall, and she is thrilled to be starting her second year with Karlovsky & Company Dance.

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Melissa Miller

Melissa began dancing at The American Academy of Dance under Meredith Hudson in Paris, France. She received a BFA from Belhaven University and additional training from The Jose Limon Dance Foundation in New York under Risa Steinberg, Roxanne D’Orleans Juste, Jim May, and Carla Maxwell.

She holds an MFA from Hollins University in collaboration with Metheor Physical Theater in Plovdiv, Bulgaria under Jeffery Bullock, Maurya Kerr, Alex Ketley, Molly Rogers, Jonathan Burrows, Boyan Manchev, and Ani Vaseva.

She has performed with the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation with Lori Belilove, Live Arts Opera by Nancy L'Heritier, The Physical Plant with Karesia Batan, Chattanooga Ballet, Chattanooga Dance Theatre, Duncan Dance South, and Ballet Esprit. Miller performed original work at the Hunter Museum of American Art as part of their annual special exhibits for four years and had the honor of creating and teaching the first undergraduate dance course at Covenant College in the fall of 2022 as an Adjunct Professor. She is currently an instructor for the Center of Creative Arts and Vitality in Motion, and is a contributing writer for St Louis Dance HQ. She is excited to be in her first season with Karlovsky & Company Dance!

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Elise Marie Harowitz

Elise (she/her/hers) holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance from Texas Christian University and a Master of Arts degree in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Columbia College Chicago. Elise is excited to join Karlovsky & Company Dance for her seventh season and is grateful for the opportunities KCD has provided her. Notably, Elise has enjoyed bringing dance to the community of St. Louis, as well as other regions, including France, Minneapolis MN, Kansas City MN, and Columbia MO through outreach programs, educational series, festivals, and concerts. Elise has also presented her original choreography at festivals and concerts in St. Louis MO, Fort Worth TX, and Chicago IL. In addition to dancing and choreographing, Elise works in private practice at Embodied Pathways as a psychotherapist and dance/movement therapist. Elise looks forward to continuing to dance for herself as well as spreading the psychotherapeutic benefits of movement to others.

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Emilee Morton

Emilee graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point with a degree in Dance and Arts Administration. She is thrilled to perform in her eighth season with Karlovsky & Company Dance where she's had the opportunity to work in collaborative dance projects in the US and abroad. Currently, Emilee is a full time Pilates instructor and Movement Specialist at St. Louis City Fitness. She is a Balanced Body Pilates certified instructor and has been teaching movement for people with diverse abilities since 2012. Emilee continues her education with a variety of training: Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach, OOV Fundamentals and OOV on Pilates Apparatus with Dr. Loribeth Cohen, OOV Level 2/3 Afferent/ Efferent with Daniel Vladeta, Pilates and Dance Specialization with Dr. Suzanna Martin, Level 1 Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) with Jeff Branhall, Immaculate Dissection: Core Concepts with Dr. Kathy Doole, McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release (MSTR®) with Cyndi George.

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Abigail Hinrichs

is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher native to St. Louis, Missouri. She holds a BFA from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance where she was inspired to not only perform professionally, but to collaborate and create with a variety of other artists. Abigail currently serves as the Studio Manager at Central Studio and teaches dance and Pilates for all ages throughout the St. Louis area. She is passionate and excited to continue dancing and participating in community outreach with Karlovsky & Company Dance, Collective Motion, and Ballet 314. This is her fifth season with Karlovsky & Company Dance.

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Ramona Orion

Ramona is a multidisciplinary artist based in St. Louis. She holds a BA in Dance from Webster University where she also studied Psychology and Expressive Art Therapy. While at Webster she had the opportunity to work with Maggi Dueker, Beckah Reed, Xi Zhao, Betsy Brandt, Dawn Karlovsky, Michael Uthoff, and Geoff Alexander. She has participated in Jacob Henss’s Space Station dance residency for three years now, both as a choreographer (2022) and mover as a part of Jakki Kalogridis’s piece I’m Thoreau Waiting (2023). This year she was both assistant producer for the show and a performer in Ty Lewis’s work Turning Points. Ramona has just begun her first season as a company member with Karlovsky & Company Dance. In November she will complete her 200-hour yoga teacher training and is excited to share dance and yoga with the St. Louis movement community

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Tayler Kinner

Tayler Kinner grew up with a passion for movement and dance. They hold a BFA in Dance and a minor in Advertising & Marketing Communications from Webster University, graduating with departmental honors. Tayler spent several years in San Francisco where she worked with contemporary and dance-theater companies including RAWdance, Alyssandra Katherine Dance, Tim Rubel Human Shakes, KWENTO, REYES Dance, and several independent artists. They are the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Big Plate Dance, offering movement improvisation workshops to the public and bringing spontaneous and immersive works to audiences. She currently is Adjunct Faculty at Webster University and works with Karlovsky & Company Dance and Collective Motion. Tayler lives in St. Louis with their partner and two cats.

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Sam Schenkein

began his dance training in 2003 with Irena Brecher and Misha Gabriel in Denver, Colorado, where he danced with a variety of studios and companies including Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and the Colorado Ballet. He decided to continue his education at Webster University in St Louis, pursuing a BFA in Dance and graduating with Departmental Honors in 2023. He worked with artists including Maggi Dueker, Beckah Reed, Xi Zhao, Betsy Brandt, Dawn Karlovsky, and Michael Uthoff through both class and performances with the Webster University Dance Ensemble. He also had the honor of participating in and performing through residencies with Fiona Lundie (Abby Z and the New Utility), Kurt Douglas (Limón Dance Company), and Rodney Hamilton (Ballet Hispánico), among others. Sam was further given the incredible opportunity to study abroad and perform in Accra, Ghana, learning traditional Ghanaian Dance and Drumming styles. This is Sam’s second season with Karlovsky and Co Dance!

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Ashley Mason

Ashley is a native of St. Louis, Missouri who joined the Karlovsky & Company Dance in 2024. She trained for 4 years upon graduation at Webster University Department of Dance in 2019 with a BFA in Dance (emphasis in modern dance). While attending Webster, she had the opportunity to work with the artists such as, Dawn Karlovsky, Michael Uthoff, Xi Zhao, and Maggi Dueker through class and performances with the Webster University Dance Ensemble. In addition, Ashley has performed in the BFA Concerts, the Chinese Cultural Dance Event, and American College Dance Association Regional Conference in Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Minnesota.

COLLABORATORS

KALO HOYLE is an artist, musician, and composer based in Missouri. His upbringing greatly informed the direction of his work, where he hopes to bring rural and urban America together through transformative experiences. He received a Bachelor’s of Composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory and has performed professionally in various ensembles in a diverse set of styles including, traditional English and Irish, jazz, classical (orchestral and chamber), rock, and experimental improvisation. His work in visual art has been entirely self-taught with support from a diverse community of artists, opening new artistic horizons for his work.

TORY STARBUCK has been composing, recording and performing experimental art rock muzik since 1980. The sound is a fusion of electronic sounds influenced by Asian folk and eclectic new wave. He is an active member of the St. Louis music scene performing regularly at a variety of venues with his band, The Tory Starbuck Project, including The Sheldon Theater, and other venues outside the region including Columbia, MO and Belleville, IL. Tory Z Starbuck composes and performs music for dancers and has been collaborating with Dawn Karlovsky on numerous dance projects since 2006. With Karlovsky & Company Dance, Tory has had the opportunity to tour with the company to San Francisco in 2019 and to France in 2018.

Video Artist

ZLATKO ĆOSIĆ is a video artist born in Yugoslavia whose work includes short films, video installations, and audio-visual performances. Ćosić’s experience as a refugee influenced and shaped the content of his early artistic practice. His work began with the challenges of immigration and shifting identities, evolving to socio-political issues related to injustice, consumerism, and climate crisis. Ćosić's artwork has been shown in over fifty countries in exhibitions such as the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Kochi-Muzeris Biennale, ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, St. Louis International Film Festival, Torrance Art Museum, Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival, /si:n/ Video Art and Performance Biennale, Institut Für Alles Mögliche, The Pulitzer Arts Foundation, Kunstverein Kärnten, UN Climate Change Conference, and the Research Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale.

Lighting Designer

DAVID LAROSE is freelance Lighting Designer based in the Saint Louis Region. David’s lighting design work in the Saint Louis area includes: Inspire Fashion Show for the United Way, Dear Jack, Dear Louise for New Jewish Theatre, Don McClain, T-7A Red Hawk for Boeing, The Saint Louis Children’s Choir, Branford Marsallis, RENT, Interwoven I & II, Tower of Power, Terry Fator, and The 44th Dances Of India. David is a proud father of two, an avid gardener, and enjoys being outside.

Divadlo Štúdio tanca Banska Bystrica, Slovakia

Divadlo Štúdio Tanca ( DŠT) is a professional contemporary dance theater with an international artistic ensemble. They create and publicly perform original music-dance works in the field of contemporary art. DŠT form conditions for the creation and dissemination of music and dance works, develop dance culture, popularize the genre of contemporary dance and art, and carry out educational activities in the field of dance art. Their performance work uses elements from dance, physical theater, and spoken word. (https://www.studiotanca.sk/en/)

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Zebastián Mendez Marin, Artistic Director

Zebas is from Costa Rica. He attended Conservatorio El Barco (Costa Rica), his notable projects include EU.GENUS (Honey and Dust) and “What the body does not remember” (Ultima Vez). In October 2021, the Studio Dance Theatre premiered the project PUNK PAJAMA PARTY, created by a team of artists led by Zebastián and Lívia Balážová MM. Since 2022, he has been the artistic director of the Studio Dance Theatre.

Martina Hájková comes from Považská Bystrica and from the age of four she danced in the folklore ensemble FS Považan. Subsequently, she started to take up rope skipping, in which she became a multiple Slovak champion and won medals at international competitions. She participated in workshops and preparations for the European Championships with skippers from Cirque du Soleil. She has a coaching license in sports gymnastics. She studied at the Conservatory in Banská Bystrica, where she discovered her love for creation and contemporary art.

Ľubomír Kútnik comes from Zvolen, where he has been dancing and playing sports since the age of four, especially acrobatic rock-and-roll and children’s fitness. He has won numerous awards in national and international competitions and in 2016 he became European Vice-Champion in children’s fitness. He graduated from the Ján Levoslav Bella Conservatory, where he participated in many dance performances and workshops with prominent Slovak and foreign artists.

Lenka Mičincová studied at the Jan Levoslav Bella Conservatory and received her Master’s degree in social pedagogy at the Matej Bel University. She led the children’s folklore ensemble Lipka and taught many workshops for children and youth. She won the Annual Award for her performance in From Side of a Man From Side of a Woman. Before her maternity leave she worked in the company of the Divadlo Štúdio tanca, where she created many performances with choreographers such as Zuzana Hájková, Milan Tomášik and others. These performances have been performed at home and abroad, including France, Switzerland, Spain and Croatia.

Michaela Pockľanová comes from a small village in Slovakia. Before the age of 15, folk dance provided her with a strong foundation and sparked her desire to pursue dancing professionally. Through folk dance, she had numerous opportunities to perform at various dance festivals both in Slovakia and abroad. Michaela graduated with a diploma at J.L. Bellu Conservatory in Banská Bystrica and later spent a year studying abroad at a university in Linz, Austria. She currently performs as a freelancer in theatres and agencies across Slovakia. In addition to performing, Michaela has also gained experience in the process of creating dance productions.

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SUPPORT OUR COMPANY TOUR TO SLOVAKIA!

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Your generous support will help cover essential travel expenses—including airfare and train fare for eight dancers and two musicians— to bring our work to life abroad this summer!

We are deeply grateful to the many generous individuals who have already contributed to our tour. To reach our overall goal of $22,000, we still need to raise $6,000. Your support will truly make a difference!

Thank you from all of us at Karlovsky & Company Dance!