Artistic Director

JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Artistic Director/ Choreographer, The Equus Projects

New York-based dance choreographer JoAnna Mendl Shaw established her career in the Pacific Northwest, where she founded and directed a large professional dance company, taught on the faculty at the University of Washington and Cornish College and played a leadership role in arts advocacy for the Northwest. Relocating to New York in 1991, Shaw has national gained recognition for her large-scale site specific works and collaborative projects with athletes. The recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Choreographic Fellowships, Shaw has choreographed for ice dancers, in-line skaters, gymnasts and equestrians. Her dance work has been presented at numerous NYC venues and commissioned by dance companies throughout the States and in Europe. In 1998 Shaw launched The Equus Projects, a performance company that merges dance and equestrian artistry. The company has created large commissioned works for The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, The Myrna Loy Center for the Performing Arts, Saratoga Arts Festival, NYC River to River Festival  and Heifetz International Music Festival. Shaw currently teaches in New York City, serving on the faculty at The Juilliard School and in the Ailey /Fordham BFA program. She has taught at Tisch/New York University, Montclair State University and Mount Holyoke College. International teaching and choreographic commissioned include residencies in Hungary, Japan, Korea, Canada, Yugoslavia, Scotland, Wales and coaching and teaching for the Swiss Gymnastic Federation. Shaw holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MFA in Dance from the University of Utah. She is a Certified Movement Analyst in the Laban/Bartenieff work.

Dancers

Rebekah Morin
Rebekah Morin has been a dancer since childhood. She began with ballet training in her hometown of Brimfield, MA and has since explored a wide variety of dance and movement techniques. Rebekah received her BA from Connecticut College in 1998.  She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY and performs the work of many choreographers in venues ranging from the stage to shop windows to art museums. She has performed with Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects since 2002. Her own choreography has been shown in NYC at Dixon Place, Chashama, and the Gershwin Hotel, and has been commissioned by area high schools and colleges. Rebekah received her certification to teach yoga at the Laughing Lotus in 2002, and her certification to practice Thai Yoga Bodywork through Reflections Yoga in 2010.  She teaches yoga at Yoga People, Reflections Yoga, and in corporate settings through Balance Integration and Relax Already. She also works as a stage technician. Rebekah joined The Equus Projects in 2007.

Carlye Eckert
Carlye Eckert is a graduate of The Juilliard School (2009, Bachelor in Fine Arts) under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. She was raised in Portland, Oregon where she was immersed in the arts from a very young age. Carlye joins Equus Project this summer for the first time. She resides in New York where she currently creates and plays at dance with several different artists and dance makers. Her work has been shown at the Juilliard School, Peter Jay Sharp Theater and Dixon Place.

Brittany Beyer
Brittany Beyer is a dancer, arts administrator and arts advocate. She attended high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and later completed a BFA in Dance at NYU/ Tisch School of the Arts. Brittany was a founding member of choreographer Johannes Wieland’s New York based company, and from 2001-2006 performed nationally and internationally with Wieland at Jacob’s Pillow, St. Mark’s Church, The Duke Theater, and the International Choreographic Competition in Hanover, Germany. Brittany recently completed an MA in Arts Politics for NYU/ Tisch School of the Arts, concentrating in non-profit management and social entrepreneurship. Brittany has in the past worked administratively for Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects. Under Hypatia Artist Services Brittany has worked as arts administration consultant for The Dance Enthusiast, Dance Iquail!, Johannes Wieland, visual artist Wolfgang Ryan, and The Super Scientific Circus.

Tal Adler Arieli
 Tal Adler Arieli was born in Israel, where he graduated from the "Thelma Yelin" High School of Arts. In 2007 he moved to New York for his BFA studies at the Juilliard School, under the artistic direction of Lawrence Rhodes. There he danced in works by Ohad Naharin, Jose Limon, Stijn Celis, Mark Morris, Larry Keigwin, and others. Since graduating, he worked with Andrea Miller's Gallim Dance, and with Le Carré des Lombes (Daniele Desnoyers' Montreal based company). He studied and worked with The Equus Projects when he was still at school, but officially joined the company in September 2011. Tal is also interested in creating dance, and his works were presented at The Juilliard School, the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Former Company Members

Gina Paolillo
Gina Paolillo began working with JoAnna Mendl Shaw in 1991 and has been instrumental in the development of The Equus Projects/Dancing with Horses since its inception. Paolillo began her dance career as a ballet dancer, studying and performing at the National Ballet School in Washington DC. Following high school in Rome, Italy and completion of a BA in dance and theater from Sarah Lawrence College, Gina pursued a career as a freelance modern dancer in New York City, working with numerous companies while honing her skills as a trainer and movement coach. In 2000 she completed an MFA in Dance at New York University's Tisch School of the Performing Arts. Gina is a certified instructor in Gyrotonic. She is the mother of two sons, Arlo and Jaco.

Blake Burnham Pearson
Blake Pearson has been dancing and singing since he was eight years old.  He was a member of the distinguished coral ensemble Maryland Sings, touring with them around the United States and abroad.  He also performed leading roles in more than ten musicals as a young actor/dancer.  He attended the Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Baltimore, Maryland.

Blake holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Upon graduating from VCU, Blake moved to New York City to work on his first post-college professional project with Pearson/Widrig Dance Theater.  Blake recently performed again with Pearson/Widrig Dance Theatre in  their Bates Dance Festival  25th Anniversary Commemoration work, Paradise Pond. Blake has also danced for Anita Cheng Dance, Crazy Cuban Productions, and GK2 Productions. Blake’s own dance theatre work has been presented in New York at Danspace, St. Mark’s Church, and various other venues in Maryland, Virginia, and New York.

Blake joined The Equus Projects in 2002 and was insrtrumental in the development of this work.  Leaving The Equus Projects in 2008, Blake now teaches on the Dance faculty of the Dalton School in New York City.

Emily Quant
Emily Quant is a BFA graduate of SUNY Purchase. Her professional credits include Nelly van Bommel/ na dance, Wendy Osserman Dance Company, Dancedrama, Noel MacDuffie, Dansfolk, Laura Flowers, Peter Kyle, and Sue Bernhard and a guest artoist with the Jose Limon Company. Her choreography has been presented at White Wave/DUMBO, the Ailey studios, City Center studios, and the Gershwin Hotel. Emily worked with The Equus Projects from 2006-2008.

Ella Rosewood
Ella Rosewood is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned dual degrees in Dance and Elementary Education.  She has danced for Beth Soll & Dancers, Li Chiao-Ping Dance and the Madison Opera as well as her own company Ella Rosewood Dance. Currently, Ms. Rosewood is the Program Intern for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (New York Live Arts), the Media Intern at the Peridance Capezio Center and also interns with Heidi Latsky Dance. She began working with The Equus Projects in March 2011. www.ellarosewooddance.com

Marcel Dou Roig
Marcel is from Barcelona, Spain where he has been dancing and performing for over 13 years. Since coming to New York City to dance he has performed with Luis Lara Malvacias, Regina Nejman, Noel McDuffie, Eva Dean, and The Arch Company. Also working as a choreographer, he has made work for the Theater La Tea, in NYC and created his own company Egg Red Company. Marcel worked with The Equus Projects frm 2007 to 2010.

Laurence Martin
Laurence Martin, an equestrian and a dancer, is a native from Burgundy France. Her dance background includes studies in Ballet, flamenco, Indian classical dance, contact improvisation and modern as well as a long time passion for Argentine Tango. She brings to the Equus Project a unique blend of dance and equestrian artistry. Laurence worked with The Equus Projects from 2007 to 2010.

Luke Wiley
Luke was born in Missoula, Montana, grew up in the Western U.S., the Caribbean and Florida, and is a 2005 graduate of the Juilliard School. He has performed with Misnomer Dance Theatre, and the movement movement. He has performed with Dixie Fun Dance Theatre, Good Rid/Dance Performances, Mary Alice Dances, Christopher Williams,Trajal Harell, Rebecca Rice, and in Noemie Lafrance’s site- specific work ‘Agora’. He has choreographed and collaborated on numerous works with composer Malina Rauschenfels, pianist Melody Fader and organist Cameron Carpenter. He is currently working with filmmaker Christopher Atamian on two dance films. Luke Wiley danced with The Equus Projects from 2005-early 2007.

Luke Gutgsell

Asli Bulbul

Naomi Wimberley-Hartman

Equestrians

Bettina Drummond
Widely respected throughout the U.S. and Europe as a trainer and teacher in the French system of classical dressage, Bettina Drummond was seven years old when she was brought to Portugal to study with Nuno Oliveira, one of the 20th century’s greatest equestrian masters. Drummond spent the next 17 years in training with Mr. Oliveira becoming one of his leading students. Along with Mr. Oliveira, she was both influenced and coached by some of Europe’s finest equestrian trainers, among them General Durand, Ecuyer en Chef and Commandant of the French National Equestrian School in Saumur and Lietenent Colonel Paolo Angioni of the Italian Cavalry. Based in Washington, CT, Drummond travels throughout the U.S. and to France to teach and train. She can occasionally be found performing exhibitions with fabulous horses, many of which are her own Lusitanos.

Blair Greismeyer
Blair Griesmeyer rode horses for 10 years as a young girl and after a 15-year absence from the sport, she returned with her focus on the discipline of dressage. She currently has 2 horses who are boarded and ridden at Pal-O-Mine Farm on Long Island. Blair has been working with The Equus Projects since 2005. Since fall of 2005 Blair has been training the Equus Projects dancers. In October 2005 she was the solo equestrian artist in the New York performance of RULES of Engagement, performed at Claremont Stables, NYC.

David Lichman
David is one of Parelli Natural Horsemanship's top rated instructors. His teaching has taken him all over the world to help people to get extraordinary results with horses. David has a personal interest in the Gaited and Iberian breeds, in particular Tennessee Walkers and Lipizzans. In 1991 David won a World Grand Championship for Gaited Horses. David began working with The Equus Projects in 2004 and has become the primary equestrian trainer for the dancers. His collaboration with The Equus Projects includes teaching residencies and large-scale performance projects.

Judy Meilinger
Judy Meilinger has been involved in the performing arts and has had a love of horses for most of her life. Her attraction to the Equus Projects was natural. Judy received a degree in education with a minor in music in 1971 and has spent most of her career teaching guitar. She performed in schools through Arts in Education programs and has worked with Cultural Arts Programs in hiring artists to perform in the schools in her area. Judy’s experience with horses began in grade school. 8 years ago she adopted her first horse, Stanley and shortly after that she was introduced Parelli Natural Horsemanship. She has been studying Parelli with the 4 horses she now owns and is presently working on advancing in level 3 of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program. Judy has been involved in the work of The Equus Projects since Nov 2006. The Equus Projects dancers have been working with Judy and her since May ‘07.

Sasha Nevidonski
Alexandre Nevidonski is a gold medal gymnast from the Ukraine. He came to the United States in 1990 to perform as a featured soloist for The Big Apple Circus. Currently Sasha is a featured soloist with the St. Louis based Circus Flora.

Patricia Norcia
Patricia Norcia has two passions and careers: theatre and dressage. As an actress, she has performed on Broadway and Off, on television, film and radio, from New York City to Tokyo, and from Anchorage to Munich. She is best known for her recreations of the monologues of Ruth Draper. A graduate of the Yale Drama School, she has also directed numerous operas and cabarets. In the horse side of her life, she is an ARIA certified Level III instructor in dressage, and certified by the British Horse Society. Patricia manages her own barn in Clinton, CT and coaches with Bettina Drummond. She has performed with The Equus Projects/Dancing with Horses since 2000.

Kimi Orth
Kimi is an equestrian and equine trainer from Bethoud, Colorado. 2006 was Kimi’s 2nd summer season with The Equus Projects. She is currently working on her Parelli Level III and working towards her instructor’s certification in Parelli natural Horsemanship.

Pat & Linda Parelli
Pat & Linda Parelli are world renowned equestrians, trainers and educators who have developed a system for teaching people to achieve partnership with their horses. They are visionary thinkers who have achieved innovation by nurturing creative, interdisciplinary collaboration.

Karen Rohlf
Karen, a full time dressage trainer, tours nationally and internationally teaching her unique integration of Parelli Natural Horsemanship and dressage. A former student of international rider and judge, Anne Gribbons, Karen has train students to receive their USDF bronze and silver medals and has brought horses and riders to win Regional Championships at every level through Intermediaire II.

Annie Schneider
Annie Schneider is an visual artist and life-long equestrian from New Hampshire. She has performed with The Equus Projects since 2006, when she was a featured performer in the Heifetz International Music Institute performance of The Bach Suite.

Emmanuelle Schneider
Emmanuelle is a social worker who specializes in working with teens. She is a lifetime equestrians. Emmanuelle has performed with The Equus Projects in projects that includes The Bates Dance Festival and The Saratoga Arts Festival 2008.

Collaborators

Janet Biggs
Video Artist Janet Biggs is among a substantial group of artists who turned to video and video installation in the early 1990s. Trained in painting and sculpture she has exhibited since 1987. Biggs is known for a body of work centering on the image of the horse. Her multiple-channel installations, condensed yet epic, have garnered her a strong critical reputation and numerous museum exhibitions, as well as a position that places her work in the lineage of post-feminist discourse. In earlier video installations, Biggs has examined the way society constructs gender, often using the image of the horse as an emblem of female sexual sublimation and masculine power. Biggs has focused on themes ranging from the representation of desire and pleasure to issues of spectatorship and aging. Biggs' works have been shown at numerous museums and public institutions throughout the United States and in Europe. She has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Wexner Center Medial Arts Program, Anonymous Was a Woman, Sony Electronics Inc., and Panasonic.

Karl Cronin
Karl Cronin was The Equus Projects General Manager 2008 through 2009. He brought to the company a wealth of experience in arts administration. Karl left arts administration in the fall of 2009 to pursue his own work as an artist. www.karlcronin.com

Christina Lanzl
Visual Artist She connected with JoAnna Mendl Shaw in 2000 and has videographed particularly outdoor performances of the Equus Project, serving as footage for experimental video shorts and large-scale projections by the Lanzl+Brenman+Pehlke Media Collaborative. Lanzl’s work is project based and concept-driven. This approach has resulted in a diverse oeuvre, encompassing video projects, painting, sculpture, and public art. Three elements are central to her work: essence, relationships, and layers. Increasingly, her creative inquiry is focusing on cross-disciplinary dialogue. The artist has exhibited and received commissions throughout the United States and in Europe. She has completed numerous projects of both local and national scope and has received several awards of distinction. Lanzl has presented on numerous panels and publishes on the arts and culture. Her expertise in the arts and culture is complemented by twenty years of experience in working with professionals and design teams in the creative sector, and people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Jami Sieber
Composer Electric cellist and vocalist Jami Sieber has been an invited guest artist in a variety of musical settings that have taken her across the USA, Canada, China, Korea, Russia, the Balkans, Europe, and most recently to Thailand. While working on a film score in Thailand, she had the most extraordinary experience of improvising with the Thai Elephant Orchestra outside of Lampang. Born of this profound meeting with the elephants, her latest CD, Hidden Sky, is an opening into a world beyond the ordinary. Sieber has composed for film, theater, and dance (The Equus Projects, 2006, Facing East Dance Collective, Berkeley, Ca 1998-99, Llory Wilson's Tallulah Dance Co.,Seattle, 1994, Jeff Bickford, Seattle 1990). Sieber has released three independently produced recordings; “Hidden Sky” (2004), "Second Sight " (1998) and "lush mechanique" (1995) and most recently "Only Breath" which can be ordered through her website www.jamisieber.com