ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER

2024 New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Award Recipient for Choreography

Skyla Schreter is a New-York based choreographer and multi-disciplinary artist, formerly a dancer with San Francisco Ballet. Now recognized as a promising emerging choreographer with a distinctive voice, Skyla has created several original commissions including for the Fire Island Dance festival and the Hudson Valley Dance Festival, as well an evening-length work for the Hudson Eye Festival, a contemporary art festival located in Hudson, NY. Skyla has also been recognized for her work in directing and choreographing dance films. Her 2019 film, titled “A Flower” which she produced, directed and choreographed, was nominated for several film festivals and won an Audience Choice Award at the Utah Dance Film Festival in 2020. Skyla is an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Vassar College, and a co-founder of LotusWorks Gallery, a multi-disciplinary art and movement space in Beacon, NY, where she currently lives.

ART DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

Aaron Sanders, also known as Sovereign, is a multi-disciplinary artist living in NY’s Hudson Valley. His artistic journey began in childhood with illustrations, but it wasn't until he connected with the graffiti underground in the Bay Area and Los Angeles that he fully embraced his passion for art. Immersed in street art, painting, illustration, graphic design, photography, sculpture, installation art, and music, Aaron's art has evolved to reflect the world we live in - as his art is not bound to any single medium. His work encompasses various disciplines and stylistic aesthetics, drawing inspiration from the global street art movement while also reflecting diverse cultural and personal experiences. Aaron co-founded LotusWorks Gallery in Beacon with Skyla Schreter, and serves as art director and creative collaborator for Skyla Schreter Dance’s multi-disciplinary projects and productions.

RESIDENT COSTUME DESIGNER

Lauren Carmen is as an independent costume designer, and an Adjunct Faculty and Pattern Draper at Pace University. After earning her BFA in Ballet Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, Lauren danced professionally while undertaking various costume projects. Pursuing her passion for costume design, she was invited to earn her MFA in Costume Design at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where she graduated in 2022. Lauren has contributed as an Assistant/Associate Designer for Jessica Lang's new works with American Ballet Theatre and Sarasota Ballet, as well as for Amy Seiwart's piece with Ballet-X. Additionally, she has collaborated with notable choreographers such as Gabrielle Lamb and PeiJu Chien-Pott, and contributed to productions at NYU Tisch Dance, including the opera Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice." Her costume designs were recognized with a film premiere at the prestigious 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

COMPANY DANCER

Hannah Straney, born and raised in New York, started her training at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute and earned a BFA in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance in 2017. Hannah has performed for the Merce Cunningham Trust, and has originated new works by Sidra Bell, Tom Weinberger, Shannon Gillen, Larry Keigwin, and Skyla Schreter. She has toured nationally with Dirty Dancing and spent four years at Company XIV as a singer, dancer, and actor. Currently Hannah is the choreographic assistant at The Stranger NYC, as well as an artistic associate with Spark Movement Collective. Hannah is a producer at Retrograde Studios, in Brooklyn, NY and is artistically sponsored by The Creative outpost in Little Falls, NY.

COMPANY DANCER

Piper Makenzie Dye is originally from San Diego, CA, and holds a BFA in Dance from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. Previously a dancer/soloist with Eveoke Dance Theater, Ballet Nepantla, A-Y Dancers, TORRENT, and Hard/Femme Dances, Piper has been pursuing her freelance performance career in New York for the last 7 years, and will be dancing as a part of a new creation by Twyla Tharp in June 2024. She has performed works from choreographers including Crystal Pite, Doug Varone, Shannon Gillen, Kelly Ashton Todd, Mark Morris, Christopher Huggins, Jennifer Archibald, Jose Limon, and Donald McKayle, and is a certified Yoga Instructor. She was an original cast member for Skyla Schreter's 'for your consideration' and is thrilled to be a part of the SSD creative cohort.

COMPANY DANCER & CHOREOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT

Craig Wasserman, originally from New York, is a former dancer with the Philadelphia Ballet. With Philadelphia Ballet, he had the opportunity to perform many Principal roles, including in works by Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and Trey McIntyre. Craig has been the lead Choreographic Assistant to Skyla Schreter on multiple original works, and created an original role in her full-length piece ‘Loculamentum’ in 2021. Throughout his career, Craig has received several prestigious accolades, including being called “A dream of a dancer who is compelling when simply lifting an arm. “ - “Wendy Perron’s Best of 2016”, Dance Magazine

COMPANY DANCER

Kyle Halford (he/him) is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Business Administration. During his time at UofA, Kyle received the Maria C. Mendel Scholarship for excellence in ballet as well as the Undergraduate Creative Achievement Award highlighting his many performances across multiple dance forms. He performed works by prestigious choreographers such as George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, and Larry Keigwin. Post graduation, Kyle joined Eisenhower Dance Detroit as a company member and performed across the country with the company from 2021-2023. With Eisenhower, Kyle performed featured roles in works by Maleek Washington, Hope Boykin, Tamisha Guy, Micaela Taylor, Marc Brew, and many others. In August, Kyle made the move to New York City and began working with Twyla Tharp Dance. He is eager to continue to explore new opportunities within the industry and immerse himself into a community of artists that share the same passion as him.

COMPANY DANCER

Cristina Moya-Palacios is a Venezuelan-born Miami-raised dancer with a BFA from New World School of the Arts College. During her time at New World, she performed works by Robert Battle, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Ohad Naharin, and others. Her most recent professional work includes performing and touring with Adele Myers and Dancers as well as performing in Skyla Schreter’s “for your consideration” at The Hudson Valley Dance Festival. Throughout her career, Cristina has had the pleasure of working with Peter London Global Dance Company, Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre, and Jamar Roberts. Through her work in dance, Cristina aspires to shine a light on the immigrant experience as an artist in the United States and to make space for these often overlooked stories.

GUEST DANCER

Brandon Taylor Gray, a Maryland native, discovered his passion for dance at 13, propelling him to graduate from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Towson University. A recipient of a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Brandon's artistry extends beyond dance—he's a distinguished brand ambassador and model for prestigious names like GAP, MCM Worldwide, and Vogue. Gray has graced screens on Netflix, CBS, and Showtime, showcasing his versatility in acting. As a voice for racial and gender equality, he passionately engages in podcasts, embodying representation for all young men. Brandon's remarkable journey includes a pivotal role in the first all-black and brown Swan Lake with the Chocolate Ballerina Company. Selected by Taraji P Henson for the B.L. Henson Foundation's "1,000 Men Shoot," Brandon's dance is a healing force, exhibited through global tours with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and performances with R&B artist Serpent with Feet. Brandon’s Instagram: @Yaaaaasbrandon.

GUEST DANCER

Ashley Hod, originally from New York, is a soloist dancer with New York City Ballet. She has performed featured roles in works choreographed ny choreographed by George Balanchine, Peter Martins, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, and Christopher Wheeldon, among others. Ashley has originated featured roles in works by Keerati Jinakunwiphat and Justin Peck and has originated roles for choreographers including Kim Brandstrup, Warren Carlyle, JR, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Alexei Ratmansky, Troy Schumacher, and Christopher Wheeldon.

GUEST DANCER

Indiana Woodward, a celebrated principal dancer with New York City Ballet, has showcased her exceptional artistry through a diverse range of roles. With renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, and Christopher Wheeldon.. From Balanchine's iconic works like "Apollo" and "Serenade" to Robbins' masterpieces such as "Fancy Free" and "West Side Story Suite," Indiana has brought depth and emotion to each character she portrays. Additionally, she has originated featured roles in works by choreographers including Warren Carlyle, Edwaard Liang, Lauren Lovette, Andrea Miller, Gianna Reisen, Jamar Roberts, Pam Tanowitz, Peter Walker, and Christopher Wheeldon, to name a few.

GUEST DANCER

Benjamin Freemantle started his training in his hometown of Vancouver, Canada at the Caulfield School of Dance. At 15 years old he was offered a full scholarship to train at the San Francisco Ballet School, later joining the San Francisco Ballet School Trainee Program. He joined the San Francisco Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2015, immediately dancing Principal roles in original works and full length ballet's like Lensky in Onegin. In 2018, Benjamin became a Soloist with the company and was named "25 To Watch" by Dance Magazine. In 2019, he was named Principal Dancer by Helgi Tomasson, after performing work by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Jerome Robbins, Trey Mcintyre, Dwight Rhoden, John Neumier, William Forsythe and many more.

In 2022, he stepped away from San Francisco Ballet and now pursues an independent artistic career based in New York City. As a professional performer and creative, Benjamin challenges and re-imagines boundaries and possibilities both on the stage and on the screen.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE (Painting)

Michelle Silver grew up on the edge of the Catskill mountains in New York and spent her early adulthood in a vibrant art community in Boston, where she graduated magna cum laude from Boston University in 2009. She then moved to Brooklyn, where she surrounded herself with inspiration, had her first solo exhibition, joined a band, and developed her voice in graphic design. Desiring a peaceful place to create and raise her family, she moved to a woodsy home on the side of a mountain in the lower Hudson Valley, NY in 2019. Silver is currently the Co-Founder and Gallery Director of a combined art gallery and tattoo studio in Beacon, NY called Distortion Society, in addition to a freelance branding and web designer and studio artist. Silver’s most recent body of work “Between Facing Mirrors” will be featured as part of the set design and costume design in SSD’s forthcoming piece “wounds: (Power.)” - michellesilverart.com

GUEST COLLABORATOR (Video Art)

Rooster is a multi-media artist based in Beacon, NY who repurposes scrap materials, found objects, and old tech. His work explores the relationship between humanity and machinery, offering a peek into the post-digital future. Rooster is collaborating with Skyla Schreter Dance on ‘Phase Space,’ which features his analog video installation and projection design.

GUEST COLLABORATOR (Literature)

Kyra Auffermann is a writer, editor and digital designer based in Beacon, NY. A graduate of Boston College with a BA in creative writing and philosophy, Kyra also works as a yoga instructor. In her spare time, she enjoys perusing used bookstores, eating good pizza, and appreciating petrichor. Kyra is collaborating with Skyla Schreter Dance on ‘Phase Space,’ which features her original writing, spoken live by the artist during the performance.