%20Darker%20No%20Background.png)
COMPANY
Timothy Tsang (Choreographer Mentoring Program Recipient) is a dancer, teacher, choreographer and arts administrator. He began his training in 2009 at The One Dance Studio in Shanghai, taking classes in hip hop, popping, locking and waacking. Tim was first introduced to modern and ballet techniques at Columbia College Chicago where he earned his BA ('17) in dance and Minor in arts administration. During college, he performed in original works by Paige Cunningham-Calderella, Bob Eisen and Stephanie Paul as well as repertoire by Merce Cunningham. In 2016, Tim was commissioned by Columbia to choreograph for their Open House that has since been restaged twice. Tim has danced with Ardent Dance Company and South Chicago Dance Theater and served as Assistant to Artistic Director with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater for three years. Tim is currently a Company Member and Communications Manager with Mordine & Co. Dance Theatre as well as Communications Manager at Dance Center Evanston.
Allie Buchweitz (Company Member) received a BFA in Dance and a Minor in History from the University of Arizona. While at school, she performed works by Susan Quinn, Michael Williams, and James Clouser. She also had the opportunity to perform Balanchine’s Concerto Barrocco. During her senior year she performed as a dancer with the Arizona Opera in their production of Beauty and the Beast, and taught dance for an after-school enrichment program in the Tucson Unified School District. After moving back to Chicago, she has performed as a company member with Joel Hall Dancers II, RASA Dance Chicago, and Corpo Dance Company in addition to working with numerous choreographers to perform in Dance Chicago, Chicago Freelance Dance, and the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival. In 2015, Allie opened Movement & Sound Dance LLC that focuses on the creative and technical development of young dancers, ages infant to young adult. She is excited to be working with Esoteric Dance Project.
Rebecca Robertstad Hernandez (Company Member) began her dance training at the Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park under the direction of Stephanie Clemens. She received a BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. While at Columbia she had the privilege to perform in works by Pam Mc Neil, Margi Cole, Ariel Cisneros and Mark Morris. Rebecca has performed with Momenta, Innervation Dance Cooperative. IDC S.P.E.A.K.S, J. Lindsay Brown Dance, with numerous independent choreographers as well as currently performing with Tiffany Lawson Dance. Rebecca is thrilled and honored to be performing with Esoteric Dance Project for its 2019 Season!
Elyse Jost (Company Member) is a dancer, teacher, writer, and yogi from Chicago, IL. She recently graduated in August of 2018 with a BFA in Modern Dance with a minor in English from the University of Utah. She began her training at a small studio in the suburbs of Chicago. At age 13, Elyse began commuting downtown to train year-round at Ballet Chicago, eventually joining the Ballet Chicago Studio Company under the direction of Artistic Director Daniel Duell and Associate Artistic Director Patricia Blair. Through her training, she traveled nationally and internationally with summer intensives and an exchange program with the Royal Danish Ballet. In the fall of 2014, she began her pursuit of a BFA in Ballet at the University of Utah. Elyse had many performance opportunities, but later transferred to the Modern Program in the spring of 2016 and was able to perform annually at multiple venues and shows around Salt Lake City. She created her own works and performed in works often, including a piece created by NWDP’s resident choreographer, Ihsan Rustem. Since returning to Chicago after graduating, Elyse has been working at Gus Giordano Dance School as a teacher assistant and content creator, CorePower Yoga, and as a freelance choreographer. She is completely thrilled to be joining Esoteric Dance Project for their 2019 season.
Cayla Roberts (Company Member) originally from Sidney, Ohio began dancing at the age of five receiving training across Ohio at Dayton Ballet, Ballet Met and Pontecorvo Ballet before continuing to earn her B.F.A in dance from Wright State University. While studying at Wright State Cayla received training in concert dance as well as Musical Theatre. After graduation, Cayla began her professional career in Fort Wayne Ballet before moving to Chicago to pursue a life as a Chicago based dancer and choreographer. Since moving to Chicago Cayla has danced with Tapestry Dance, Project 606, Esoteric Dance Project and Trifecta Dance collective. Outside of dancing through Chicago, Cayla also enjoys taking aerial silks, yoga, hiking and passing on a love for dance to the next generation. Cayla is excited to continue her artistic journey with EDP and to have the opportunity to dance with other beautiful artists.
Molly McGivern (Company Member) began her training at Illinois Ballet Theater under the direction of Susan Snider. At 16 she moved away from Iowa for boarding school, attending The University of North Carolina School of the Arts unde(r Dean Ethan Stiefel and Interlochen Arts Academy under Director Cameron Basden. She received her BFA in Dance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music under Director Jiang Qi. Senior year she had the opportunity to move to Boston as a trainee for BoSoma Dance Company, and upon graduating, was promoted to company dancer by director Katherine Hooper. While in Boston McGivern also danced for Tony Williams Dance Company under Tony Williams and SundanceX under David Sun. Additionally, she taught for Tony Williams Dance Center and Boston College. Summer 2018 McGivern returned to the MidWest and moved to Chicago. Since moving she has taught dance at Little Black Pearl High School to grades 9-12, at Kaleidoscope Dance Center to ages 2-18, and worked with Joel Hall Dance Company. She is thrilled to continue her Chicago work with Esoteric Dance Project.