THE COMPANY
Richard Kirkwood
Actor/Writer
Richard Kirkwood is an actor and writer. Some of his favorite roles include Richard in Richard III (Brooklyn Repertory Shakespeare Company), Father Mapple in Moby Dick: the Sermon (Nimrods), Lord Byron in Camino Real (Art House Productions) and Wilson in Terra Nova (Project Y). He has appeared in the films War (a 2006 Sundance selection) and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, and on the Discovery Channel in The Quest for Captain Kidd, and can be heard on the Great Books series on TLC. In addition to his texts for ShaLeigh DanceWorks, he has written and co-written works for Art House Productions and for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, as well as the short film Remind Me.
Derrick Ivey
Actor
Derrick Ivey has collaborated as director, actor, and designer with regional companies including Manbites Dog, Playmakers Repertory, Cape Fear Regional Theater, Theatre Raleigh/Hot Summer Nights, Deep Dish, The Durham Savoyards, StreetSigns, Little Green Pig, Archipelago, NC Symphony, Temple Theater, Duke University Theater Studies, William Peace University Theater, and The ArtsCenter. Noted performances include Emcee in "Cabaret," C.P. Ellis in “Best of Enemies,” Alan Raleigh in “God of Carnage,” Howie in "Rabbit Hole,” Martin in "The Goat," Richard Nixon in "Nixon's Nixon," Orson Welles in "Orson's Shadow," Edgar in "King Lear," Boyet in "Love's Labours Lost,” Mark Antony in "Julius Caesar," and many years of dance performances with choreographer Killian Manning.
Dana Livermore
Dancer
Dana Livermore is an independent choreographer and performance artist. She received her BA in Dance and English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Hollins University in 2010. Prior to joining ShaLeigh Dance Works in 2013, she was a member of the BareFoot Collective, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering dance opportunities in Tacoma, WA. In the past year her work has been presented for PROMPTS at The Carrack (Durham, NC), Dwellings Dancetheatre's The Tinker (Roanoke, VA), InFest (DC), and 621 Gallery (Tallahassee, FL). She has worked for the American Dance Festival for the past four summers and is excited to finally call Durham home.
Majid Bastani
Dancer
Majid Bastani is a dancer and a Wushu performing martial artist. In 2013 he scored two first-place medals (in sword) and two second-place medals (in spear and staff) at ICMAC (International Chinese Martial Arts Championship) tournament. His interest in dance was sparked after his encounter with Wilbert Alix, an internationally recognized teacher of progressive psychology and neo-shamanism, through Trance Dance work as a means of exploring consciousness and altered states of mind – expressing the intelligence that is absent of words. He continued his studies with Wilbert and became a certified Trance Dance facilitator. www.MoveYourPrayers.com
Nicolette Miller
Dancer
Nicolette has been studying dance since the age of three. She has studied with the British Ballet Organization Syllabus in England and the Cecchetti Council of America Syllabus in the U.S. She has also attended The Virginia School of the Arts (VSA), and the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), performing Lead, Solo, and pas de duex roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and many other original pieces. Nicolette is currently performing with KT Collective, Nosi Dance Theatre, and Shaleigh Dance Works.
Nicola Bullock
Dancer
Nicola Bullock is a dancer, choreographer, and performer living in Durham, NC. She grew up dancing in Chapel Hill, and moved to New York to pursue her dance dreams (and bachelors degree) at Barnard College. After 8 years in the city, she returned to NC and has found an inspiring and supportive community of dancers, artists, and theatermakers here. Nicola has worked locally with Little Green Pig, Delta Boys, VECTOR, Renay Aumiller Dances, and many others.
Jessi Knight
Dancer
Jessi Knight Walker is a dancer, teacher and choreographer from Pittsboro, N.C. As an undergraduate at Duke University, she pursued a self-designed dance degree with an emphasis in music and education. After graduation, Jessi embarked on a teaching and choreographing career that afforded her the opportunity to teach, choreograph and perform both locally and nationally. She spent four years in Denver, Colorado as a member of the internationally acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. She currently resides in North Carolina where, in addition to choreographing for her company knightworks dance theater, she teaches modern dance at Duke University.
Megan Rindoks
Dancer
Megan Rindoks is a performance artist who is currently based in Charlotte, North Carolina. After graduating from Hollins University with a BA in Dance and Communication Studies in 2010, she spent three seasons working, choreographing and performing with Roanoke Ballet Theater. She then relocated to Charlotte where she has performed with TAPROOT Ensemble and worked with independent choreographers including Camerin Watson, Jackie O'Toole and Alexander Windner Lieberman. Megan is excited to be joining Shaleigh DanceWorks this season!
Leah Wilks
Dancer
Leah Wilks is a Durham-based dancer, choreographer and teacher. In addition to dancing with Shaleigh Dance Works (which she is thrilled to be joining this season), she performs for Dept. of Improvised Dance, Gaspard&Dancers, and Nicola Bullock. She is on faculty at Carolina Friends School, 9th St. Dance, Studio A Dancearts, and the American Dance Festival. When not teaching, performing, or guest choreographing, she runs her own multi-media dance company VECTOR with the brilliant video designer Jon Haas. www.inthevector.com
Martin Sueldo
Dancer
Martín Sueldo is an argentine dancer and writer. He developed a fascination with languages, humanities and movement as an adolescent. His creative work integrates dance and literature as an expression of his interest in multicultural crossroads and settings. Martin also pursued a career as an academic and researcher focusing on literature, Human Rights, and communication. He received a PhD in Latin American Literature from Arizona State University and is currently a faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill.