This workshop is designed for older dancers and aspiring future choreographers, interested in deepening their understanding of dance composition and their own creative process. Dancers with any experience level in choreography are welcome to attend, as the class content will be tailored to fit the individual needs of the participating dancers. 

My hope is for this workshop to be conversational and collaborative in nature: questions will be encouraged, with feedback and dialogue throughout! We will explore the different ways to utilize choreography in your future careers and how to understand your own goals with choreography as you mature as an artist!

Dancers who participate will learn about:

  - Expanding their movement vocabularies and range of motion

  - Translating stories, emotions, and ideas into movement

  - Building a cohesive compositional structure for a choreographic work

  - Using sound, silence, and overall musicality in dance

  - Enhancing spatial awareness and effectively utilizing different performance spaces.

  - Giving and receiving choreographic feedback in a productive, positive way. 

  - Developing their own choreographic style and authentic artistic voice.

By the end of the workshop, you will have gained a better understanding of the composition methods that work best for you, through both discussions and hands-on exercises. My goal is to give you plenty of new tools and techniques to boost your creativity and, most importantly, help you feel confident in bringing your own choreographic ideas to life.

Kalista Roling is a dancer, model, and choreographer, originating from Chicago, IL and currently based in Milwaukee, WI. In May of 2023, Kalista will graduate with a BFA in Dance Choreography and Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, after previously obtaining a degree from Joliet Junior College. Kalista began her choreographic journey in musical theater, choreographing for high schools and community theaters in the Chicagoland area, before transitioning into freelance choreography for local studios and independent soloists. Interested in exploring concepts of philosophy, consciousness, and human connection (and how these concepts relate to movement,) Kalista has now produced a number of contemporary choreographic works throughout the Chicagoland and Milwaukee, WI areas, such as “Are you coming upstairs?” which was recently recognize in ACDA’s 2023 North-Central Conference Gala. In addition to her choreographic work, Kalista travels with FLY National Dance Competition as a judge and backstage manager and tours with Activate Your Artistry Dance Convention as a faculty assistant. Kalista also models for ClickCon photography convention, in addition to teaching classes for other dance models. With accessibility to dance education being a primary focus of Kalista’s work in the community, teaching is a very important part of her artistic identity and she continues to teach contemporary, tap, jazz, heels, and improvisation in the Milwaukee and Chicago suburbs. Kalista also engages in a Support for Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) internship under Maria Gillespie, teaching dance to incarcerated youth in the Milwaukee area, having previously interned under Daniel Burkholder, exploring dance creation for Virtual Reality (VR) environments.

Kayla “Kay” Kurns is an artist, teacher and choreographer from Chicago, who began her dance career at the age of seven. Though she was initially self-taught, she later sought more formalized training, ballet, hip hop, modern, West-African, contemporary, choreography and more. Kayla holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Columbia College Chicago College. She trained and competed with Premiere Dance One Academy, Legacy Dance Ensemble and City Nation Studios which led to her winning multiple high score awards and grand national titles. Kayla works with dancers of all ages. At Columbia, she added West-African, ballet, Hip Hop and traditional Modern dance styles to her repertoire. Kayla further mastered her dance techniques, teaching skills and choreography. She has won numerous choreography awards, judges awards, high placement with her choreography and numerous of her students win scholarships over the years at many dance competitions. She also taught and works at various dance studios and conventions like City Nation Studios, Triple Threat Divas, Jo’s Footwork, All That Jazz and Activate Your Artistry.

​Kayla has performed throughout the United States working and teaching choreography in music videos, local artists, live performances and films. Kayla was able to partake in (WeDAY) 2015 opening act, starring Ciara, Juiix, a local Chicago artist music video “Sugar” 2018 and “Bentley” an upcoming film, 2020, Soleil, a Spanish artist, football stadium performance 2021. Her passion for teaching continues to grow every day sharing the knowledge and experience to the future generations of dancers.

Marissa’s mission is to train incredible dancer’s while creating even better humans. Prior to opening FOM in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Marissa was the Co-Director and choreographer for The Dynasty and led them to numerous 1st place victories and special judges awards. She created a following for herself by hosting online classes and masterclasses in the months leading up to opening her own studio at the age of nearly 18 years old! Marissa has choreographed and guest taught for various High School Dance Team’s and was the captain of her Dance team her senior year of high school. Additionally, Marissa is a faculty member for Activate Your Artistry Dance Convention’s Tour 2020-2025.

Hip Hop Masterclass feat. Christian Sosa

Turns and Leaps Masterclass feat. Holly Mehedin

Contemporary Masterclass feat. Kalista Roling

Hip Hop Masterclass feat. Daniel Aguirre