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Brittney Leasure (2021-Present) is a graduate from the University of Florida, with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Education. She is from Orlando, Florida where she trained at the Orlando Ballet School Academy during her high school career. Brittney has studied with Parsons Dance Company, Gibney Dance, and Urbanity Dance Company throughout their summer programs. In Fall of 2019, Brittney studied with FSU, in the Arts in NYC program, working an internship with Town Stages and taking full-time academic classes in New York City. Currently, she is an Education intern with Dance Place and a dance instructor/administrative assistant with Tommie Shaw & Company with plans on continuing to pursue a professional dance career in Washington, D.C.
Julianna Raimondo (2021- Present) (she/her) is a DMV-based dancer, choreographer, and educator. She graduated from James Madison University (’20) summa cum laude, receiving her B.A. in Dance and a minor in theatre. Julianna attended the JMU Contemporary Dance Intensive in London, England. She has also travelled to Durham, NC and New York City to work for and train with The American Dance Festival. In addition to teaching dance in Annapolis, Julianna currently works as the Communications/Archives Intern at Dance Place in Washington DC.
LILIA BROWING COHEN (2017-present)
Lilia Browning Cohen is a native Washingtonian, who spent her childhood dancing with the Maryland Youth Ballet under the direction of Tensia Fonseca and Michelle Lees. Lilia went on to earn her BFA in modern dance from Marymount Manhattan College and was the recipient of a scholarship with the Martha Graham Professional Trainee Program before dancing professionally. For fifteen years, Lilia has owned and directed Lilia’s Pilates Studio after certifying with Romana Kryzanowska and Power Pilates. Most recently, Lilia has danced classical and contemporary ballet with The Classical Repertoire Dance Ensemble while under the direction of Mia Hisaka. Now, Lilia spends most of her free time being a mother to three crazy little individuals and a wife to her best friend. RACHAEL APPOLD (2017 - present)
Rachael is trained in multiple genres of dance and has been performing professionally since she graduated from James Madison University in 2016. She has a B.A. in dance and has performed with Light Switch Dance Theatre and Erica Rebollar. Rachael teaches at a preschool and likes to sneak in dance lessons for her students whenever she can. She also enjoys astrology and guessing people's zodiac signs. JAMIE DOUGHTY (2012 - 2015, 2017 - present)
Originally from Frederick, MD, Jamie graduated magna cum laude from James Madison University with a B.A. in Dance and Communication Studies. At JMU, she was a part of the pre-professional Virginia Repertory Dance Company and the Contemporary Dance Ensemble, as well as the Student Co-Director of JMU’s Associate Dance Ensemble. There she performed works by students, faculty, and guest artists such as Kelly Bartnik, Sonia Rafferty, Ric Rose, and Vincent Thomas. Currently, Jamie works as a dancer, choreographer, and arts administrator in the Washington, DC area. She has had the privilege of performing with companies such as UpRooted Dance and MoCo Dance Alliance and has performed throughout the DC area at venues such Atlas Performing Arts Center, Dance Place, Dance Exchange, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Dance Loft, the Cultural Arts Center at Montgomery College, the Jack Guidone Theater, and the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Along with performing and choreographing, Jamie has also interned with arts organizations such as the American Dance Festival and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Currently, she is working as the Assistant Manager of Membership in the Development Office at the Kennedy Center. Carrie Monger (2010-2011, and 2021-Present)
Received a minor in dance from James Madison University and a Master’s Degree in Counseling from William and Mary. She began dancing professionally in the Metro DC area with Jane Franklin Dance in 2001. Since then, she has performed works by a variety of choreographers including David Dorfman, Israeli choreographer Amir Kolben, Ursula Payne and Vincent Thomas. Carrie was a founding member of Bosmadance and performed with Daniel Burkholder/The Playground. She performed in Geneva, Switzerland and Judson Church with choreographer Kelly Bond. She has choreographed and collaborated with a variety of other companies and visual artists in the area. She currently works as a Movement Artist in Residence at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. JORDAN GEHLEY (2017 - present)
A dancer and choreographer in Washington, DC, Jordan Gehley graduated from the College of William and Mary with a BA in Philosophy and a Minor in Dance. She has been fortunate to perform in works by Ashley Anderson, Keira Hart-Mendoza, Ruth Andrian, and Jose Limon, as well as work with members of Paul Taylor Dance Company and Shen Wei Dance Arts through the American Dance Festival. Jordan has danced and choreographed with Carnival Cruise Lines, UpRooted Dance, DC Dance Is The Answer, The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, 1stStage, Mayzsoul, Kelley Donovan & Dancers, Racoco Productions, TEDx Gramercy, Maya Kite and Dancers, 277Dance Project, and Word Dance Theater. KATHRYN HARRIS BANKS (2015 - present)
Kathryn Harris Banks is a professional dance artist based in Washington, DC. Originally a bunhead, Katie fell in love with modern while studying at the Governor's School for the Arts during high school. She then received a B.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University (magna cum laude) in Richmond, VA. Since then, Katie has had the pleasure of dancing with Starr Foster Dance Project (Richmond, VA), Laura Peterson Choreography (NYC), Kate Weare Company (NYC), Christopher Hutchings (NYC), Daniel Burkholder/The Playground (DC), Sharon Mansur/mansurdance (DC), Christine Stone Martin (DC), Katie Sopoci Drake (DC), as well as many other collaborations. After years of friendship and sharing the stage with the multi-talented Keira Hart-Mendoza, Katie is excited to be making her UpRooted Dance debut this season. Katie has taught dance at James Madison University, Rowan University, Virginia Commonwealth University, The Governor's School for the Arts, The Steward School, Saint Catherine's School, Saint Christopher's School, Collegiate School, Washington Area Independent Schools Dance Education Association, Joy of Motion Dance Center, and others. She is currently on faculty at the National Cathedral School, and Children's House Montessori. In addition to dance, Katie is an Experienced Registered Yoga teacher (E-RYT 200) in the YogaWorks method, and teaches group classes and private instruction daily throughout DC. Katie enjoys all the "random gigs" a life in dance has presented to her - from teaching yoga in a hallway at Georgetown University Hospital, to interacting with unsuspecting guests through dance at a fancy-schmancy fundraising gala, to getting talked into completing a Zumba certification. When she's not dancing, you can find Katie tricking her 3 year old daughter into eating vegetables, making endless to-do lists that she'll never complete, and laughing/crying at how insane life is. |
PREVIOUS UPROOTED COMPANY MEMBERS
DC Metro Area: Amanda Blythe, Caroline Barna, Sarah Hamang, Kristin Hattleberg, Michelle Hayes, Sara Herrera, Pinling Lin, Ashlee McKinnon, Alison Talvacchio, Althea Skinner, Mariel Procter, Amelia Cox, Heather Doyle, Kate Folsom, Jaedra DiGiammarino, Pirjo Garby, Sarah Gosselin, April Gruber, Stefanie Quinones Bass, Mary Lane, Carrie Monger, Jennifer Rivers, Katie Sopoci Drake, Lori Yuill
Charlottesville, VA: Lori Jablonski, Jessie Laurita-Spanglet, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, Dayle Todeshini, Rachael Shaw, Kelly Silliman, Aaron Wine.
DC Metro Area: Amanda Blythe, Caroline Barna, Sarah Hamang, Kristin Hattleberg, Michelle Hayes, Sara Herrera, Pinling Lin, Ashlee McKinnon, Alison Talvacchio, Althea Skinner, Mariel Procter, Amelia Cox, Heather Doyle, Kate Folsom, Jaedra DiGiammarino, Pirjo Garby, Sarah Gosselin, April Gruber, Stefanie Quinones Bass, Mary Lane, Carrie Monger, Jennifer Rivers, Katie Sopoci Drake, Lori Yuill
Charlottesville, VA: Lori Jablonski, Jessie Laurita-Spanglet, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, Dayle Todeshini, Rachael Shaw, Kelly Silliman, Aaron Wine.