CAELI BLAKE (Apprentice) Washington, DC native (Metropolitan Area), began her formal dance training at BalletNova Center for Dance in Fairfax, Virginia. She attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts (Washington, DC) under the tutelage of Charles Auggins, Sandra Fortune-Greene, and Katherine Smith. Ms. Blake has completed programs at Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem at Strathmore, Jazz and Contemporary at Joffrey Ballet, REACH (Greene Works), and City Dance Center. She has performed choreographic works by, DeShonna Pepper Robinson, Kay Eichman, Christopher Huggins, Kevin Iega Jeff, Nicole Clarke-Springer, Terrence Greene, and Sandra Holloway. Caeli Blake is currently attending Southern Methodist University (SMU) pursuing a B.F.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Advertising.

DWAYNE COOK, JR., began dancing at the age of three at The Houston Ballet Academy/J.C. Sanderson Elementary for the Performing Arts. He continued his training at Lamar Fleming Middle School Fine Arts Academy and was accepted into HSPVA. He joined Exclamation Dance Co. in 2006 under the direction of Kenneth Epting. Cook has also trained at the Ailey School, the School of American Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and received an apprenticeship for Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Cook is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where he received his degree in Modern Dance Performance. Cook’s professional credits also include being a company member with Philadanco and MetDance. Cook has performed in the Broadway productions of Kinky Nooks and The Wiz. He has worked with notable choreographers such as: Troy Powell, Earl Mosley, Christopher Huggins, Derrick Minter, Austin Hartel, Nathan Trice, Arthur Mitchell, Dudley Williams, Matthew Rushing, and Robert Battle.

LINDZAY DUPLESSIS, New Orleans native, graduated from Sam Houston State University, receiving a BFA in Dance. Her training includes three years of Cecchetti from Chamberlain School of Ballet, (CDE) Collin Dance Ensemble, and summer intensives with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Duplessis has performed in choreographic works by Teoma Naccarato, Elijah Gibson, Dionne Noble and David Cross (Dark Circles Contemporary Dance). She was a company member of IMPulse Dance Project, (M2DT) Muscle Memory Dance, and DBDT: Encore!. Duplessis most recently received her certi cation as a Massage Therapist, working in the DFW metroplex.

AMINAH MADDOX is a native of Dallas, Texas. She received a BFA in Dance and a BS in Exercise Science, at The University of Texas at Austin. Maddox is an alumnus of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and performed one season as a company member with DBDT:Encore!, and performed with Mary Kay Cosmetics, Annual Summer Seminar. Maddox has had the pleasure of performing in choreographic works by Robert Battle, Rennie Harris, Sidra Bell, Dwight Rhoden, and Takehiro Ueyama, to name a few. In 2016, Maddox performed at the American College Dance Association’s National Festival, at John F. Kennedy Center.

KAYLEIGH EIDSON is a native of Concord, California where she began her training at Studio A Dance under the direction of her mother, Aggie Eidson. She received a BFA in Modern Dance from Point Park University. Post graduation, Eidson has danced with Dallas Black Dance Theare’s Encore!, The Dallas Opera, Mary Kay Cosmetics, as well as performing at the Fintdaz Dance Festival in Chile, and EXCHANGE Dance festival in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has performed choreographic works from Jose Limón, Rennie Harris, Takehiro Ueyama, Kate Skarpetowzska, Christopher Huggins, and Jennifer Archibald. She has received training from Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory, and Hubbard Street Dance. Eidson is currently on faculty at multiple dance studios in the DFW metroplex.

INDIA MAYNOR, a native of Gary, Indiana, began her training at Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts. She received her BFA in Contemporary Modern from Indiana University Bloomington. She has performed choreographic works by Larry Keigwin, Desmond Richardson, Roger Jeffrey, Andrea Miller, Marlayna Locklear, and Kyle Abraham. She has received training from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Deeply Rooted, Ballet Chicago, and South Shore Dance Alliance.

BRITTNEY MYERS (Prodigy Apprentice) is a native of Houston, Texas. Her training includes completing the Royal Academy of Dance (R.A.D.) Vocational Ballet exams with honors; attending Joffrey Ballet School-Texas on scholarship in Dallas & New York City; and Youth America Grand Prix. She has trained at several summer intensives including: Hubbard Street Dance, Complexions, METdance, River North Dance, American Ballet Theatre, and Alvin Ailey Extension, to name a few. Myers has performed in the opening number at the Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Houston, Texas, Wanderlust Project, and Zion Dance Project, Dallas, Texas.

NATALIE NEWMAN (Rehearsal Assistant) is a native of Dallas, Texas and a graduate of the esteemed Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with a BFA in Dance. Her summer training with companies include, Doug Varone and Dancers, the Joffrey Ballet School, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and more. Newman has performed works by Eddie Taketa, Dwight Rhoden, Larry Keigwin, and Takehiro Ueyama, to name a few. In 2017, she had the pleasure of traveling to Denmark where she performed works by Sofie Clemmensen and Joshua Manculich at Landsstaevne International Gym Night. Newman is currently on faculty at Joffrey Ballet School-Texas and Kitty Carter Dance Factory.

XAVIER SANTAFIELD is a native of Dallas, Texas and a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He pursued his studies in Modern Dance Performance at the University of Oklahoma (OU). His repertoire as a performer includes choreographic works by Alvin Ailey, José Limón, Dwight Rhoden, Juel D. Lane and Kevin Iega Jeff. As a choreographer, he was selected for the 2016 Young Choreographers Showcase at OU where he was awarded the Scott Salmon Modern Dance Choreography Award. Santafeld has performed as a company member with Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, DBDT: Encore!, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

ANTHONY WADE (Apprentice) a Delaware native, began his training at the Anna Marie Dance Studio as well as Arlington Heights High School. Wade continued his education at Tarrant County College, where he received a full scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet School-South Central Summer Intensive, under the artistic direction of Desmond Richardson. Wade is currently attending Texas Christian University as a double major pursuing a BFA in Modern Dance and Ballet.