PANGEA: UNLEASHED at KnJ Theater

Marley Poku-Kankam started dance classes at the age of 2 dancing at Miss Donna’s School of Dance until she was 13 years old. Marley transitioned to a career in Ballet at Charlotte Ballet Academy. After graduating high school, she continued training at the Alvin Ailey/Fordham BFA program in New York City. She recently graduated in May 2023 with a BFA in Dance and Business Administration. For the last two summers, she has traveled to Vail, Colorado for the Vail Dance Festival working on the Operations and Management Team for the festival. She has been teaching her passion for dance with others for over 10 years now, always wanting to learn something new from her students in new environments. In addition to her dance career, she has recently started a career in choreography with a piece she created in the Spring of 2023 for her BFA degree. Later in August of 2023, she was able to share that piece with the world at the Battery Dance Festival. In August of 2023, Marley began her work with Hope Boykin as her assistant and continues to be a part of the ever-growing HopeBoykinDance Family. Her latest achievement was in early January of this year as she debuted in a commercial role as a dancer in an Ulta Beauty Commercial as they rolled out new products for the new year. Now, Marley is continuing to audition and teach showing her passion for dance on and off the stage.

Reese Desaulniers is a New York City based performer and artist. She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Florida State University's School of Dance. While in school, Reese was also a corps de ballet member of The Tallahassee Ballet under the direction of Artistic Director, Tyrone Brooks. She performed in university and company performances, where she worked with artists and teachers such as Suzanne Farrell, Anjali Austin, Christopher Huggins, Millicent Johnnie, Ilana Goldman, and Kathryn Karrh Cashin. Some of her college dance highlights include soloist roles in Divertimento no. 15 and Serenade choreographed by George Balanchine, set and staged by Suzanne Farrell. She took on soloist and principal roles while at the Tallahassee Ballet as well, her most recent being the role of Clara in The Tallahassee Ballet's The Nutcracker. Upon graduating and living in the city, Reese has had the opportunity to work with artists from Complexions Contemporary Ballet in multiple training programs. She recently performed in a piece choreographed and set by Jourdan Epstein in the Steps on Broadway Industry Showcase. Reese is very excited to be a part of Pangea Dance Collective’s next performance and she looks forward to continuing to work alongside the artists and dancers in the company!

Avery Renee is a multidisciplinary artist working across performance and visual media. Based in New York City, she specializes in professional dance, modeling, acting, poetry, and visual art. Avery graduated summa cum laude with a BFA from The Ailey School/Fordham University, and a minor in Visual Arts — focus in photography. Avery has had the privilege of working with contemporary choreographers such as Nicole von Arx, Clifford Williams, Kate Skarpetowska, Brice Mousset, Adam Barruch, and Sidra Bell. She furthered her training via summer intensives with Complexion’s Contemporary Ballet and Ronald K. Brown’s contemporary technique. Avery continues to explore the world of commercial dance starring in music and dance films along with her concert dance experience.

Emelyn (Emy) Urdahl, originally from Minnesota, joined Pangea Dance Collective in 2024. She is also a member of Graham 2 and an apprentice with Buglisi Dance Theatre. Emy graduated Summa Cum Laude from Fordham University at Lincoln Center with BFA degrees in Dance and Economics. She trained with the Alvin Ailey / Fordham BFA program, and has performed in pieces choreographed by Alvin Ailey, Anne Plamondon, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Annie Rigney, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Adam Barruch, and Allison Cook Beatty. Emy has attended summer intensive programs at many institutions including Sidra Bell Dance New York, b12 Berlin, Parsons Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Gallim, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, The Martha Graham School, Doug Varone and Dancers, and Joffrey Ballet School. Before college, Emy attended Dance Arts Centre in Chanhassen, MN, where she trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, contemporary, pointe, tap, hip-hop, and musical theater. During her time at Dance Arts Centre, Emy danced in the main company of the studio’s pre-professional ballet company, La Danse Fatale, for five years, including performing as a soloist multiple times. As a senior in high school, Emy received the title of Tremaine Senior Female Dancer of the Year. Outside of the dance studio, Emy works as a virtual assistant for a Broadway production company. She also enjoys exploring other artistic outlets like sewing and crochet. Emy is always working to be the best possible version of herself, whether that be inside the dance studio or out in the world.

Molly Bagatto (they/he/she) is a freelance professional dancer based in NYC. Molly studied dance at The University of Akron, in Akron Ohio, where they graduated with their BFA in Dance in May 2024. At UA, they performed in many works, including pieces by Colleen Barnes, Monica Bill Barnes, John Heginbotham, Christine Howe, and Alec Lytton. Molly also explored training outside of their collegiate dance program with intensives at the Cincinnati Ballet and Trisha Brown Dance Company. Since moving to NYC, Molly has danced for many projects, including The Umbrella Academy Dance Mob in Times Square (by John Heginbotham) and queer pas de deux, “Is This Ballet?” (by Julianne Cerreta). They have performed this work for many venues, including the Salem Arts Festival (Salem, MA), Love Moves by Drye Marinaro Dance Company (NYC), and On Pointe Dance Festival by Neville Dance Theatre (NYC).

Gracie Harper (she/her) began her dance training at The Studio for Dance where she performed alongside the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. She is a recent graduate of Wright State University with a BFA in Dance and an Undergraduate Certificate in Arts Management. While at Wright State, Gracie worked with notable choreographers such as Gina Walther, Ashley Pabst, Jennifer Sydor, Teressa Wylie McWilliams, Kiki Lucas, Stewart/Owen Dance, Ray Mercer, and Stephanie Martinez. To further her training outside of school, she attended intensives with Mutual Dance Theatre, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She also danced with the second company of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company for the 2022-2023 season under the direction of Shonna Hickman-Matlock. As a choreographer, her piece, Floating Towards the End, was selected from Wright State’s Emerging Choreographers Concert to be reset on the Dayton Dance Initiative. She is excited to perform with Pangea Dance Collective and looks forward to collaborating with such a talented community of artists.

Paige Finley is a passionate freelance performer and choreographer. She is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA program under the direction of Melanie Person and a current Pa’lante Scholar at Ballet Hispánico. Additional training highlights include Alonzo King's Lines Ballet, ABT, BalletX, ArchCore40, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She has performed works by Barak Marshall, Christopher Huggins, Clifford Williams, and Annie Rigney as well as worked with and performed a solo by Gregory Dawson. Professionally, Paige has had the opportunity to perform as a company member with DoubleTake Dance Company, with Chicago Repertory Ballet as an apprentice dancer, as a trainee with Zeitgeist Dance Theatre in Santa Fe, NM. In addition to dance, Paige has trained in voice and acting, debuted choreographic works in New York, Chicago and Santa Fe, and works as a Barre instructor. Paige is very excited for her second season with Pangea!

Naia Neal (Aptos, CA) began her dance training at the age of 7 at Dancenter, a local dance studio in her hometown. A graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, where she was awarded the 2023 Denise Jefferson Memorial Scholarship, she now holds an apprenticeship with Ailey II. Ms. Neal has performed works by Christopher L. Huggins, Hope Boykin, Jonathan Lee, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Clifford Williams, Darshan Singh Bhuller, and Ephrat Asherie. She also appeared in Alvin Ailey’s Memoria during Ailey’s 2023 New York City Center season and at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) in 2024. This is Ms. Neal's second season with Pangea Dance Collective.

Autumn J. Rodrigue is a Miami native currently based in New York City. She began her dance training at Miami City Ballet, where she developed a deep appreciation for the Balanchine technique. Her passion for dance led her to continue her studies at New World School of the Arts, and later as a Presidential Scholarship recipient at the California Institute of the Arts, where she graduated with a BFA in 2024. During her time at CalArts, Autumn spent a year studying abroad in South Korea under the direction of Shin Chang-ho at the Korea National University of the Arts, further enriching her artistic development. Following the completion of her undergraduate studies, she was accepted into The Ailey School, where she is currently a scholarship student. Autumn has performed works by renowned choreographers including Robert Battle, Paul Taylor, Brice Mousset, Micaela Taylor, Donald Byrd, Christopher Huggins, and the duo Mike Tyus and Luca Renzi.

Danielle Davis is the Artistic Director and Founder of Pangea Dance Collective. After training at Kansas City Ballet, she moved to New York to complete the Fordham University/Alvin Ailey BFA Program, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with Departmental Honors. While at Ailey, she trained under Francesca Harper, Lakey-Evans Pena, Graciela Kozak, Jacqueline Buglisi, Kevin Predmore, Michaela Boschetto, and many more. She performed works by Jamar Roberts, Carlos Dos Santos, Esme Boyce, and Nelessa Walthour. During her career, she also completed summer intensives with American Ballet Theater, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and Joffrey Ballet, with guest teachers Desmond Richardson, Misty Copeland, and Alonzo King.

 

At Fordham, she majored in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing and worked with mentors Mary Bly and Sarah Gambito to hone her storytelling skills. She is currently represented by Dorian Maffei at Kimberly Cameron Literary Associates and writes Young Adult novels featuring diverse protagonists. She also earned her Master of Arts Management and Entrepreneurship degree from the New School, where she received The Dreyfus Award for Leadership.

 

Now, as both a professional dancer and writer, she is dedicated to showcasing the storytelling capabilities of movement with Pangea Dance Collective. She believes that dance has the power to break social barriers and is invested in creating a safe space in the dance community for artists to tell their stories. She hopes for a future inspired by ancient Pangea: one in which borders are nonexistent, and humanity can dance upon a single, united Earth.

Originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, Claire Pennington graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance, a Minor in Sociology, and Departmental Honors from Fordham University and The Ailey School. Touring domestically and internationally, Claire has performed extensively as a company member with the American Swiss Ballet, Pangea Dance Collective, and as a principal guest artist for Metropolitan Ballet at the historic Fitzgerald Theater. Claire is an accomplished choreographer and performer whose original piece, “Crooked Face,” was showcased at Greenspace’s Fertile Groundand Dixon Place’s Dance Bloc NYC Festival. She was a featured dancer in a neoclassical film project by choreographer Matthew Brookoff, and has also worked closely with Jamar Roberts, Ronald Alexander, Carlos Dos Santos, and Brice Mousset. Additionally, Claire teaches ballet, technique, and jazz at Exposure Dance Studio.