THE COMPANY > BIOS
Larry Keigwin (artistic director)
Larry Keigwin's prolific and wide-ranging dance career began the day he auditioned as a back-up dancer for Downtown Julie Brown on Club MTV (he got the gig). He continued his dance career working for Chezzam! enlivening many a bar and bat mitzvah while earning his BA in dance from Hofstra University. In addition to Larry's choreographic work with K+C, his recent commissions have included The New York City Ballet's Choreographic Institute, The Martha Graham Dance Company, The Juilliard Dance Ensemble, The NYU/Tisch School's Second Avenue Dance Company, Paradigm, Hofstra University and California Institute of the Arts. His other choreographic credits include work with the pop band Fischerspooner, comedian Murray Hill and as an Associate Choreographer for both the The Radio City Rockettes and the Off-Broadway musical "The Wild Party". As a dancer Larry has danced at the Metropolitan Opera in Doug Varone's "Le Sacre Du Printemps" and Julie Taymor's "The Magic Flute" in addition to his work with Mark Dendy (receiving a Bessie Award in 1998 for his performance in "Dream Analysis"), Robin Becker, Jane Comfort, John Jasperse, Doug Elkins, Zvi Gotheiner, and David Rousseve. He appeared in the Broadway bomb "Dance of the Vampires" and the Julie Taymor, Oscar nominated film "Across the Universe." In his spare time, Larry has created "Keigwin Kabaret," a fusion of modern dance, vaudeville, and burlesque acts presented by the Public Theater at Joe's Pub and by Symphony Space.
Matthew BakerMatthew Baker originates from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where, before launching into the dance world, he began his movement exploration as a gymnast, and soccer player. Prior to relocating to New York City, Matthew received his BFA Degree in Dance from Western Michigan University in April 2008. In addition to his work with Keigwin + Company Matthew also dances with Keith Thompson’s “danceTactics Performance Group”, as well as with Mark Dendy. Since joining the company in February of 2009, Matthew has loved dancing and learning with the artists of Keigwin + Company, and is looking forward to the discoveries still to come. He would like to thank his family and friends for their love and continued support.
ASHLEY BROWNEA native of Los Angeles, Ashley Browne received a BFA in Dance from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. Besides her work with Keigwin + Company, she has also performed with Danielle Russo Dance Company, Melanie Demers, Masazumi Chaya, and Bridget L Moore (one of, “25 to Watch of Dance Magazine 2006”). In 2005’s D.U.M.B.O. Dance Festival she was said to have “given what could be the festival's most refreshingly heart-warming performance.” (Offoffoff.com) As a choreographer Browne's work has been preformed in numerous festivals in New York and Los Angeles. When she isn’t in bare feet dancing, Browne is working with Battleworks Dance Company and Keigwin + Company on their administrative staff. Her goal was to be doing what she loves, and thankfully she loves it more each day.
AARON CARR
Aaron Carr comes from Pensacola, Florida. He began his ballet training when he was six at Kaleidoscope and Ballet Pensacola. Throughout high school, Aaron continued to study ballet as an ABT national training scholar and began to realize his interest for modern dance. This interest led him to the Juilliard School in NYC. During his four years with the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Aaron has worked with choreographers like Ohad Naharin, Azure Barton, Julian Barnett, and Larry Keigwin, among others. Aaron is also a member of ZviDance. He is very excited to be out of school, DANCING, and living in Harlem.
KRISTINA HANNA
Is a native of Michigan, began her training at the age of four under the instruction of Terri Newman. During her study with Ms. Newman, Kristina won numerous regional and national scholarships and awards, including being named Junior Miss Dance of America by Dance Masters of America in 2001. At the age of fourteen, she was accepted into Interlochen Arts Academy where she continued her training as a formal dance major, graduating in 2005. While at Interlochen, Kristina was named an A.R.T.S. Finalist in Modern Dance and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts for 2005. Upon graduation Kristina relocated to New York City to attend The Juilliard School to earn her B.F.A. in dance graduating in 2009. She has performed works by esteemed choreographers including Adam Hougland, José Limón, Lar Lubovitch, Susan Marshall, Mark Morris, Ohad Naharin, Matthew Neenan, David Parsons, Edgar Zendejas and others. She is thrilled to be dancing in what is her first season with Keigwin+Company.
Liz RigaLIZ RIGA comes direct from the Motor City and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance performance/choreography from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Liz ventured to New York City in 2001 where she attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and received a MFA in dance performance. She has been using her creative juices as a part of launch movement experiment collaborating with partner in crime: Rachel McKinstry. Liz has been creating and performing with Keigwin + Company since 2004.
RYOJI SASAMOTO RYOJI SASAMOTO is from Japan and began his dance training at age fifteen at the Japan Aviation Academy (JAA). After graduating from high school, he moved to New York City in 2005 to continue his professional training at Dance New Amsterdam. Since then he has performed with Nathan Trice, Earl Mosley, Ellis wood, Nicole Wolcott and Alexandra Beller. As part of Nathan Trice/RITUALS dance theater, Ryoji performed, taught master classes and assisted in setting work nationally and internationally. This is his first season with KEIGWIN+COMPANY.
GUEST ARTISTS........
Julian BarnettJulian Barnett - Born in Tokyo, Japan and transplanted to his native California, where he grew up breakdancing and playing the guitar, Julian began his training at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, The Joffrey Ballet, and completed his BFA at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In addition to working with Larry Keigwin, he has had the privilege of working in the companies of Wally Cardona, Lar Lubovitch, Doug Elkins, Shapiro and Smith, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and alongside Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater with Johannes Wieland. He has performed and choreographed extensively across the US, Europe, and Asia, and has had his choreographic work invited into the repertory of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and presented at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Hong Kong Cultural Center (China), Tangent (Montreal), SEAD (Austria), Danspace Project, and Dance Theater Workshop, amongst others. He continually enjoys choreographing for film, video, and theater, and co-founded Alexander Productions, a film production team that focuses and encourages choreographic films. He has taught master classes at numerous universities, international conservatories, and continues teaching at Dance New Amsterdam in New York City. He is thrilled to have known and worked with Larry and Nicole since day one (2003), and looks forward to continuing with them for many more years to come.
ANDREW COOKAndrew Cook was born in Spokane, WA. From an early age, he began studying many disciplines of dance under the direction of his mother- his first, and still, favorite teacher. Andrew later received his BFA in dance from Chapman University in Orange, CA. He has performed and toured with Rainbow Dance Theatre, Backhausdance, and most recently, Shen Wei Dance Arts in NYC. Andrew is thrilled to now be working with Keigwin+Co. He would also like to thank his family for their unwavering support every time he has decided to move further away from home.
Alexander GishAlexander Gish received an MFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. In New York, Gish performed with Mark Dendy Dance and Theater, Creach/Co., Mark Haim, Sara Hook Dances, Fionna Marcotty, Gabriel Masson Dance, Ben Munisteri, and David Parker. Currently a full-time Visiting Lecturer in Department of Dance at the University of Maryland, he continues to perform in New York with Brian Brooks Moving Company and Keigwin/Co.. Gish has taught as a guest artist at numerous festivals and universities across the country, among them The American Dance Festival, Santa Barbara Summerdance, Washington University in St. Louis, Montclair State University, NYU/Tisch School of the Arts, James Madison University, The American College Dance Festival, and The University of Colorado, Boulder. His own choreography has been seen throughout New York at venues including St. Mark’s Church, The Joyce Soho, WAX, Symphony Space, Galapagos Art and Performance Space, and Joe’s Pub, and in DC at The Kay Theater at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and The Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center.
Ying Ying ShiauYing-Ying Shiau is originally from Taiwan. Inspired by her early activities in gymnastics and Chinese opera movement, she pursued formal training at the National Institute of the Arts in Taipei and upon graduation, joined Taipei Ballet as a principle dancer. Ms. Shiau continued her studies at the Tisch School of the Arts where she began to choreograph and in May of 1999, received her MFA. Her work has been presented at Dancenow/Downtown Dance Festival, Dixon Place and The Duke on 42nd Street. As a dancer, she has performed with Elisa Monte Dance, Jeanette Stoner, Amos Pinhasi and currently is a member of ZviDance. Ying-Ying joined Keigwin + Company in 2003.
Nicole Wolcott Nicole co-founded KEIGWIN + COMPANY with Larry Keigwin in 2003. She has been performing with dance companies, rock bands and video artists around the country for sixteen years and is now a choreographer, teacher and performance artist based in New York City. Wolcott's choreography has been performed in New York City at Symphony Space, the Frying Pan, Galapagos, Dance Theater Workshop, Joyce SoHo, Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, CBGB's, Monkeytown, PS122, and around the country at Summerdance Santa Barbara, Bates Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival and the American Dance Festival. In addition to her work with KEIGWIN + COMPANY, Nicole has performed at the Metropolitan Opera House under the direction of Mark Dendy, worked with site-specific choreographer Noemie Lafrance, appeared in music videos and concerts with FischerSpooner, and is a featured dancer in "Across the Universe," an Oscar nominated film by director Julie Taymor. She is presently an adjunct professor at Hunter College and continues to teach in private studios in New York City as well as traveling the country as a guest artist.