Abbigail is a dancer and choreographer based in the DMV. She has been dancing her whole life and has trained in several styles with her favorites being contemporary, modern, and poms. While studying dance and computer science at George Washington University she choreographed for both the dance department and Balance: the GW Dance Group. She recently trained with Anikaya Dance Theater in Cotonou, Benin.

Abby is a dancer, personal trainer, and certified Pure Barre Instructor who recently relocated to the DMV. She graduated from Hope College with degrees in Dance and Psychology and had the pleasure of studying at the London Contemporary School of Dance in 2023.
In college, Abby was a member of StrikeTime Dance Theatre and H2 Dance Co., performed and choreographed in student and faculty showcases, and had the opportunity to perform multiple works at the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris. After enjoying a season with Mikautadze Dance Theatre in her hometown of Fort Wayne, IN, Abby is now continuing her dance career as a member of Capitol Movement Dance Company. She is excited to perform with Effervescence Collective for the first time!

Alyssa is a DMV native and a DC attorney. She has been dancing for as long as she can remember and has probably at least taken a class in almost any style you can name. As an adult, she trained with the Azúcar Latin dance club at George Mason University and was a member of the Fuzion de Ritmos dance company. She took a bit of a hiatus from dance while attending law school at American University, where she graduated summa cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif. Currently, her favorite styles of dance to watch and perform are ballet, Afro Cuban orisha dances, and rueda de casino. Alyssa enjoys spending time in DC with her fiancé, Sudhu, and exploring local food scenes.

Amanda Attiya (she/her) is DMV-based dancer and choreographer. Originally from southern New Jersey, Amanda began dancing at the age of 5 and trained competitively in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and hip hop at Starstruck Dance Academy. She received her degree in Public Administration from George Mason University, where she performed and choreographed with Mason Danceworks and SoleTap GMU. In DC, Amanda has performed with Capitol Movement, Effervescence Collective, AVA Dance Company, and other local choreographers. In addition to a vibrant dance career, Amanda is a State Policy Specialist at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and a graduate-level student at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Ariel is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in DC. She grew up dancing in Northern Virginia and continued her love of dance through Dance Works at Syracuse University. She currently teaches contemporary and jazz at Every Body Dance studio in Falls Church and loves developing the next generation of dancers.

Bretton Mork has been a yoga and movement teacher for 13 years, focusing primarily on vinyasa, prenatal, yoga for children, and barre. She holds E-RYT, RPYT, RCYT, and YACEP designations with Yoga Alliance. She dances with Sarah Beth Oppenheim on Monday nights and performed with Heart Stück Bernie in Many Extra Only More in 2023 and Wolver Maroon in 2025. Bretton lives in Northwest DC with her husband, stepson, and rescue pup, takes classes in interior design, and loves to paint.

Photo Credit: Jessica Roberts

Caitlin Mitchell is a nonprofit community engagement advocate, dance student, and performer. She co-founded DanceShare DC (a free community & newsletter to share local opportunities across the adult dance space) and the 2024 Dance Canvas DMV festival. She holds a grade 1 ballet teacher certification from the Cecchetti Council of America. Caitlin lives in Maryland with her husband Kevin and their elderly terrier Lucy, and likes to travel, bake desserts, and start (and sometimes finish) new craft projects.

Claire Cody has been dancing since she was 3 years old and got a little pink tutu for her birthday. Originally from the Midwest, she majored in chemistry and minored in dance at Knox College, where she danced, choreographed, produced and directed Terpsichore Dance Collective. After college, she trained and performed with Elm City Dance Collective and Hartford Dance Collective in Connecticut. She now lives in D.C., where she works at a think tank advancing clean energy policy, and attempts to stay in shape by taking yoga classes and ballet classes with Washington Ballet. She loves reading, crafting, and anything outdoors. She is thrilled to be joining Effervescence Collective this season!

Corinne is a physical therapist specializing in performing arts at the Jackson Clinics in Springfield, VA. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh where she also danced with Mita Ghosal Dance Theatre developing Lost on a Loom. Corinne grew up dancing in Morgantown, WV with Alchemy Dance Project and Morgantown Dance Studio. She earned a BS in exercise science with a minor in dance at Slippery Rock University where she performed Martha Graham’s Celebration. She also studied Graham technique under Jesse Factor at the Graham School. At San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Corinne practiced Gaga under Bobbie Jean Smith and performed excerpts from Ohad Naharin’s Deca Dance. IG: @s.corinne.zeni @dr.z.dpt

Deanna Woodman (they/she) is a queer, nonbinary performer. A California native, they trained in the Bay Area and performed with the Bay Area Teen Dance Company, Mark Foehringer's Dance Project, and at Radio Disney promotional events. During college, Deanna was a company member of ArtistEDGE and the Natasha Cartlitz Dance Ensemble. Since relocating to DC in 2018, they have choreographed for NACHMO DC and the Dance Canvas Festival, and served as a guest soloist for Gallaudet's Dance Company. They recently produced EXPLORE, a multidisciplinary experimental arts event that encouraged artists to try things they never had before. Deanna’s artistic practice is deeply informed by their activism for social justice and inclusion.

Emma is thrilled to join the Effervescence Collective this season! She has been dancing since 2 years old, training competitively in tap, contemporary, modern, jazz, and ballet. They recently graduated from the George Washington University, studying International Business and Film Studies. While in university, Emma danced and choreographed for GW Balance and District K dance team, as well as produced multiple showcases throughout the years. When not dancing, Emma loves listening to Tomorrow X Together, getting bubble tea with friends, and going on side quests >.<

Faith began dancing at age three in Massachusetts, training recreationally in a variety of styles. She earned her degree in Political Science from American University, where she performed and choreographed for AU In Motion. Since 2023, she has taught at Bethesda Dance Center across all ages and genres, holding certifications in Acrobatic Arts, Alixa Flexibility, and choreography through the ICONS Choreographic Institute. Outside the Collective, Faith is the founder and principal of Stage Left Strategies, a political consulting agency, and dances with Freedom Dance Collective. Her one-act choreography has been presented through the Effervescence Collective, including “they had light inside” (Dance Place Co-Presentation Series, Feb. 2024, aurora), “it’s the universe in there” (Dance Loft presents!, April 2025, fast and…), and a currently-untitled new collaboration with Dance Place premiering in March 2026.

Francesca Theofilou is a DC based dancer and choreographer. She began dancing at age 6 in her hometown of Boston, MA, training and competing in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Contemporary. She attended Georgetown University for her BSN, where she began dancing and choreographing for Georgetown’s Modern/Contemporary Company, BMDT, and later served as an assistant director for the company. Recently, she debuted her work, “Lost”, at DC NACHMO in January. Outside of dance, Francesca works as a cardiac ICU nurse.

Ginny Bixby is a D.C. area dance artist and the founder of the Liberation Dance Project, a queer-centered and body-neutral dance collective. She has choreographed and presented original works for A Place to Dance Festival, Dance Canvas Festival, NACHMO D.C., Atlas Intersections Festival, DanceArtTheater Open Dance Works, Fieldwork at Rhizome, and the University of Mary Washington. Ginny teaches at area dance studios and is a certified ballet instructor with the Cecchetti Council of America. This is her second season performing with the Effervescence Collective.

Hannah Havrilla is a contemporary dance artist and choreographer in the DMV. She is originally from Elkridge, Maryland and trained at Johns Hopkins Peabody Preparatory Dance in Baltimore. She graduated with a BFA in Dance with a Modern concentration and a Dance Medicine and Science (DMS) Certificate in 2025. She has performed in faculty works at USF by Sadie Lehmker, Jeanne Travers, Bliss Kohlmeyer, and Merry Lynn Morris. She currently freelances around the DC area and has upcoming performances with Freedom Dance Collective and Deviated Theatre. She researched the benefits of somatic education in the dance technique classroom on a dancer’s body awareness for her DMS certificate. Her research was presented at IADMS in Las Vegas.

Hannah LeComte is a history Ph.D. student at George Mason University. She grew up dancing in Alabama, where she attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She holds a B.F.A. in Ballet Performance and a B.A. in History from the University of Oklahoma. Hannah danced for a short time with the Big Muddy Dance Company (now known as St. Louis Dance Theatre) before moving to Pittsburgh to pursue an M.A. in Public History. While in Pittsburgh, she danced for Mita Ghosal, collaborating on the project Lost on a Loom. She is excited to perform again after taking some time off!

Heather Doyle is a dance artist and acupuncturist with roots in southern/central Appalachia who lives and works in the DMV. She is a queer parent following intersecting paths of collaborative art-making, liberatory healthcare work, and supporting social justice movements. Their formative experiences growing up in multigenerational folk dance have grounded their devotion to the generative and healing power of moving in community with purpose. Heather teaches Gyrotonic/Gyrokinesis at Elements Fitness and Wellness Center and recently graduated from Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine. They study taiji with Sifu Alexander King at Dragongate DC. She tries to get out in the woods and by water with her family every chance they get.

Imani is a Philadelphia native with a passion for the creative arts from a young age. Starting with ballet and tap at the age of 3, she went on to participate in every play and musical in high school, eventually earning a scholarship for her involvement. Imani studied Theater and Art History at Temple University, and is so happy to be back and sharing the stage with such an amazing team of creatives.

Ilana Newman is a DC-based dancer from New York. Originally trained in ballet, she relishes every chance she has to explore different styles of dance. She has performed recently with NACHMO DC, ICONS, and the Washington Ballet’s Adult Program. Outside of dance, Ilana works in fundraising at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She also loves to bake.

Isabel is a D.C. based dancer, mover, and shaker. She received technical training in ballet, jazz, and lyrical styles throughout childhood and adulthood. As an adult, she has danced with a contemporary dance collective, Mixtco, in Connecticut and continues her dance training in D.C. with local studios. When she's not dancing, she teaches 4th grade, coaches a local high school dance team, and enjoys all the bakeries the city has to offer. She is very excited to make her Effervescence Collective debut!

Jane has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She competed for ten years with Essex Dance Academy in Fairfield, NJ and spent four years with the Franklin & Marshall College dance company. She is thrilled to be getting back on stage with Effervescence!

Jasmine Bell is dancer and an emerging choreographer from Woodbridge, VA. She got her start choreographing her own solos and competing independently at regional competitions. Jasmine is trained in Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical, Pom, Hip Hop and Tap.Jasmine has danced with The Washington Ballet Adult Program, DHH Dance Collective and Ava Dance Company. Her performance credits include the Cappies National Gala, Independence Day Parade, and Wizards Halftime Show. She was a member of the Performing Arts Club at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently teaching youth classes at studios across the Northern Virginia area. In Summer 2026, she will begin pursuing a degree in Dance/Movement Therapy.

Julie Yelle is a locally trained dancer who received instruction at the Patricia Kelbaugh Dance Studio before becoming a principal dancer with the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. After graduating from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Julie taught dance and aerobics to girls and women from refugee camps and disadvantaged neighborhoods at a US-based non-profit organization in the Middle East. In recent years, Julie has performed with the ICONS Choreographic Institute, DHH Dance Collaborative, and Glade Dance Collective’s NACHMO DC. She is the author of Cutting-Edge Arts, Fine Sciences: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Innovation, a book that explores the ways in which the arts and sciences are mutually reinforcing partners.

Katie Murphy (she/her) is a dancer and theatre artist based in DC. She has performed across the region with Mich-Mash Productions, Alight Dance Theatre, and Taffety Punk Theatre Company where she is a company member. Most recently, she danced in the premiere of Taffety Punk's "This Inherent Echo" at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and "The Incident Sound" at The REACH at the Kennedy Center. When not dancing, she can be found powerlifting, beekeeping, and baking.

Madison Whatley has been dancing for over 15 years and has studied various genres of dance. She has classically studied ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, jazz, and West African. She has performed nationally and internationally in place like New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Malta, and Ghana.

May Kesler, MA, MS, MTh, PT, is a choreographer, dancer, and movement researcher whose work bridges art and science. With a background in dance, physical therapy, and somatic anatomy, her choreography explores fascia and biotensegrity, as well as Jewish Israeli themes, and Outlander stories. Her award winning dance films have been shown internationally, and her work has been performed throughout the DC area as well as in NYC.

Mia is a queer, Cuban-American postpartum doula and Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) based in DC. She is a published poet and has been hosting poetry nights out of her living room for six years — over two-hundred people have written poems in this space! Mia minored in dance at Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied under Jennifer Medina, David Marchant, Cecil Slaughter, Mary-Jean Cowell, and Nathan Trice, performing in works by several of the above. Most recently, she was honored to be part of Sarah Beth Oppenheim’s Wolver Maroon at Dance Place, eating gluten-free spaghetti and howling at the moon (as dance).

Micaiah was born and raised in the DMV area and has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She continued her passion at DeSales University and uses dance as her foundation in her current career as a Recreational Therapist. She enjoyed being in the past season premiering in Fast and… and happy to be back for this next season!

Rachael Alexandra is a dancer, choreographer, producer, visual artist, and teacher based in Maryland. As a choreographer, Rachael is known for her theatrical interpretation of modern and contemporary dance, as well as her approach to topics of race, gender, social injustice, and family. Through her work, she echoes the feminist sentiment that “the personal is political,” drawing connections between our daily lives and systemic injustice and oppression. In 2023, Rachael worked together with Caitlin Mitchell to co-found DanceShareDC and in 2024, she founded the Platform Black Dance Festival. Rachael has danced for many exceptional choreographers and companies and is currently a company member at Effervescence Collective.

Rachel has been dancing since she was 5. Rachel is a Maryland native and has been teaching dance since 2017. Her favorite style of dance is Jazz and contemporary. Rachel received her BA in Dance with a minor in humanities, health, and medicine from the University of Maryland, College Park. Rachel has danced with many community groups. To name a few, she was a part of the Montgomery College Dance Company which is directed by Alice Howes. In addition, Rachel has danced in one-act works by emerging choreographers Faith Rokowski (2023) and Svetlana Nikoloff (2024) through the ICONS Choreographic Institute program. In her free time, Rachel loves to line dance and travel!

Riley was born and raised in Maryland and began dancing when she was 5. She grew up doing poms and continued to be captain of her high school poms team. Throughout that time Riley was also a member on her high school dance company, where she danced and competed in multiple styles, such as jazz, hip hop, contemporary, modern, and more. While earning her Bachelors degree in Family and Human Services at Towson University, she danced and choreographed for her college club dance team. She recently graduated with her Masters degree from the University of Maryland. Riley is now in her first year as a Middle School Counselor, striving to shape and uplift the next generation.

Sukanya is a multidisciplinary artist, dancer and choreographer. Her work blends classical Indian forms with contemporary, modern, and somatic movement practices. Dancing since age four, she has over 15 years of training in Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Uday Shankar style, contemporary and modern styles. Based in Washington, DC, she was previously an active contributor to Canada’s dance community. She was a company dancer & co-choreographer with Voices Dance Project and the founder of OTS, a forum for interdisciplinary expression. Her work has been featured at Alchemy Fest, Pique Festival, TGIF, and in the Canadian film Stone Skin. She has also collaborated through the National Arts Centre Dance Program. She is excited to debut with Effervescence.

DMV-born and raised, Tatiana is a lifelong dancer and learner. Her passion began in high school as a poms squad member and senior captain. At the University of Maryland, she was a member and co-president of Revolutions Dance Ensemble while earning a B.S. in Middle School Math and Science Education. After graduation, she became a middle school science teacher in MCPS and founded the school’s first poms squad. While pursuing her M.Ed. in STEM Teacher Leadership, she took a break from formal teams but still made time to train whenever possible. Now, with her Master’s complete, she’s excited to return to the stage with both Capitol Movement Dance Company and Effervescence Dance Collective.

Tess is a dancer, runner, and school social worker. She was trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary movement through a local dance studio in her home state of Michigan. She has recently returned to dancing after taking time away during college. When she is not dancing, she is reading, biking, exploring the city, and enjoying local art. She is looking forward to learning, moving, and performing with Effervescence this spring.

Tyler is a libra sun, sagittarius moon, and libra rising... and it shows. She loves pop music, the color pink, reading, getting 11 hours of sleep, basking in the sun, giggling, sending long voice notes to her friends (even the ones who don't like voice notes), queer community, and her cat Bailey (above all else). She is new to the world of dance but has taught yoga & fitness for many years and is really excited to be trying something new (s/o sag moon). She is originally from Lafayette, Colorado and has lived in DC since 2019. She's a 7w6 enneagram (sometimes a 6w7 depending on the day), and an INFJ. Her motto is "it's not that deep," and she really is just happy to be here.