Kelsey Charlotte

Kelsey Charlotte is a choreographer and mover based in Minneapolis. Kelsey graduated with a BA in Dance from Gustavus Adolphus College. During her time at Gustavus her work was recognized by The American College Dance Festival in 2012 for her solo choreography as well as performing in the 2014 Gala concert. Kelsey attended Accademia del' Arte in Arezzo, Italia in 2013 where she studied under Giorgio Rossi, Rita Petrone, Ashai Lombardo and Mark Allen and other artists in Italy and Germany. She is now an undergraduate recruiter for the dance program. Other notable work has included Stephen Koplowitz, D.I.G. (Dancers Investigation Group) Sacramento, CA, SEVEN DANCE which she Co-founded in 2014. Her teaching background includes studios around the twin cities as well as Teaching Artist at Sacramento State. Kelsey has received several accolades for her inventive choreography.Kelsey currently dances for Christopher Watson Dance Company- a multigenerational modern company. She has also been a part of STRONG movement since 2016.  STRONG movement is a dance collective directed by Darrius Strong and in collaboration with Cheng Xiong and Gabbie ‘The Baddie” Abram. STRONG movement is her passion and heartbeat. Kelsey looks to inspire and build up communities through movement.

Ashley Gonzalez

Ashley Gonzalez is a tap dancer, performer, teacher, and choreographer, born and raised in Central Minnesota. After attending her first tap festival in August 2013, Ashley began to pursue tap dance. From there, she started to attend tap festivals all around the U.S. to learn from professional tap dancers that were thriving in the tap industry. She began training under the direction of Chloe Arnold and Ricci Milan, growing and exploring in the art form. She has expanded her training by studying under Sarah Reich and Aaron Williams where she has had a strong focus on technique and musicality, while continuing to travel all over the world to learn as much as she can from professionals with various different styles. Ashley has performed with Rhythm Street Movement in Driveway Tour, Waking Up, Humbug, and other various shows. In the past, she has performed at the 2018 Governors Ball Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, the 2018 MLB All Star Pre-Party Concert in Washington DC.  Ashley performed at the Voices of the People Welcome Celebration for the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. She performed in the Disney Newsies Broadway Musical at the University of Northwestern. In addition to this, Ashley has performed and competed internationally, receiving a bronze medal for her tap solo at the IDO World Performing Arts Cup in Seoul, South Korea. She also received a bronze medal at Dance World Cup Championships in Offenburg, Germany for a tap duet. Some additional performances consist of Rejuv Medical Summit, Angel Foundation Charity event and National Tap Dance Day to name a few!

Dana Marquis

Dana Marquis is a teacher, dancer, and choreographer based in the Twin Cities. As an artist, she has devoted her artistic career to exploring movement as a language for communication and self-expression. She grew up dancing and performing competitively in Minnesota and continued her training at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA), where she studied a wide range of styles including Modern, Composition, Ballet, Break Dancing, West African, Jazz, Tap, Vogue, and Funk Styles. Dana recently graduated with a BA in Dance from Gustavus Adolphus College. During her time there, she trained under Michele Rusinko, Melissa Rolnick, Sarah Hauss, Jill Patterson, Natosha Washington, Karla Grotting, and others. She studied movement education in academic courses while also choreographing and rehearsing work for student-led dance showcases. Alongside co-choreographer Ella Schwakopf, Dana was invited to present original choreography at the American College Dance Association. Before graduating, she was honored with the “Distinguished Dance Student Award”, recognizing her dedication, artistry, and leadership within the program. Outside of her collegiate work, Dana co-choreographed a piece with Marisa Schmidt for 2B Continued’s suicide-prevention fundraiser “Dancing Like the Stars.” Together, they collaborated with beginner dancers to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention which was an experience that reaffirmed Dana’s belief in dance as a powerful, unspoken language that connects and empowers. Now, Dana looks forward to working with Emerge students and sharing the joy and connection that dance can offer.