Emily Schoen Branch

Emily Schoen Branch is a Seattle-based dance artist, choreographer, and teacher named "Top 25 to Watch" by Dance Magazine and "Martha Duffy Resident Artist" by Baryshnikov Arts Center (NY). She has fulfilled twenty-one commissions for universities and companies across the United States, and her ongoing happy hour performance series—site-specific dance created for breweries—reflects a long-standing commitment to bringing the artform beyond traditional venues.

Her company, ESB Dance Projects, has been home for her creative work across two decades. A highlight was a two-year collaboration with Tunisian dancers resulting in See Me in Your Eye, an evening-length work premiering in New York in 2019, supported by Baryshnikov Arts Center, Dance Motion USA/Brooklyn Academy of Music, American Dance Abroad, and the US Embassy in Tunisia. The company has appeared at Judson Memorial Church, Jamaica Performing Arts Center, Joe's Pub/DanceNOW, and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. She also directs screendance; her film Hollow Hearts received Honorable Mention at the inaugural PNB Dance Film Festival and won "Excellence in Dance and Videography" at AAlchemy's Give Me a Break Dance Film Festival (NY).

As a performer, Emily worked with Kyle Abraham/AIM, the Metropolitan Opera in works by Doug Varone, Mark Morris, and Carolyn Choa, and The Rolling Stones during their 50th Anniversary reunion tour. She danced for eight years with KEIGWIN + COMPANY, touring nationally and internationally and serving as répétiteur. Additional recognition includes a Princess Grace Fellowship nomination through METdance (TX) and residencies at the Tunisian National Theater and Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning.

Emily holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington, where her research was subsequently published by the American Journal of Arts Management (January 2026). She is currently on faculty at Pacific Northwest Ballet, teaches Western Dance History and Anatomy for Dance at Midwest University, and is co-directing the relaunch of CHOP SHOP: Bodies of Work—a contemporary dance festival on Seattle's Eastside—returning in January 2027.

Kedric Bateman

Kedric Bateman is a Las Vegas–based dancer and choreographer whose foundation in ballet and tap evolved into a focused passion for modern dance, particularly the Horton technique. A graduate of the Las Vegas Academy Dance Department and former competition dancer with Inspire Dance Co., he trained under renowned educators including Robert Contreras, Tara Foy, Thomas DiSabato, and Jeneane Huggins. He performed professionally for seven years with Contemporary West Dance Theatre, touring nationally in works by Donald Byrd, Vernard J. Gilmore, Don Bellamy, Ulysses Dove, and Alvin Ailey.

Bateman’s choreographic work has quickly gained recognition, earning him a Top 10 placement at the Red Rock Dance Festival 2025 and selection into the highly competitive 2025 Credo Film Festival for his dance film. His work has also been commissioned in California, marking a significant expansion of his choreographic reach.

Since 2023, he has served as Rehearsal Director and Resident Choreographer for Elemental Dance Company in Las Vegas, where he continues to develop rhythmically driven, analytical movement and mentor emerging artists.

Robert Kleinendorst

Robert Kleinendorst received his B.A. in Dance from Luther College in 1995. Immediately upon graduation, Robert moved to New York City to pursue a dance career. Robert attended daily classes at the Paul Taylor Dance Company while dancing for Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project, Gail Gilbert Dance Ensemble, and Cortez and Co. In 1998, Robert was asked to join Paul Taylor’s second company, Taylor 2. Robert was then asked to join Mr. Taylor’s main company in 2000 in which he danced until his retirement in 2019. In his 21 years with Paul Taylor, Robert danced 98 roles in 77 of Taylor’s dances and originated 28 roles with Mr. Taylor. He also originated roles with choreographers Larry Keigwin, Doug Varone, Lila York, Doug Elkins, Bryan Arias, Pam Tanowitz, Margie Gillis, and Kyle Abraham. In addition to his performing career, Robert taught master classes domestically and abroad as well as teaching at the Taylor School in New York. Robert also took on the responsibilities of assistant rehearsal directing and administrating all of Mr. Taylor’s company auditions. Robert received his MFA in Dance from George Mason University in 2021. He spent the following year as the Coordinator of the Dance Department and Director of the Dance Company at Anne Arundel Community College. Robert is currently on faculty as an Assistant Professor of Dance at Towson University.

Robert started his love for the arts in music and theatre. He was a vocal major at Luther College with the intent to have a career in musical theatre when he began taking dance classes and immediately fell in love. He finished his vocal major as well as adding a dance major with the intent of pursuing a career in concert dance. Throughout the years Robert’s love for music and theatre has never diminished. He was greatly utilized in character roles during his career with Paul Taylor and acting, imagination, and performance are key elements in his teaching and choreography. Robert has continued his love of music by singing and playing guitar and for a glorious 3 years, he was in a band that performed throughout New York City. Robert was also the company liaison for all live orchestras with Paul Taylor and he often creates and records his own music for choreography and class. 

Robert has been married to another former Paul Taylor star, Amy Young (now Amy Kleinendorst) for 14 years and he has two incredible children with her, a daughter named Sadie who is 12 years old, and a son named Axel who is 9.

David Mayorga

David Mayorga, born and raised in Miami, FL, started dancing in high school and began his formal training at New Image Dance Center, now called Miami Dance Project under the direction of Barbara Delgado. His intense study of Ballet, Modern, and Jazz earned him admission into the New World School of the Arts, an extension of the University of Florida. While he focused most of his college studies in Ballet and Modern dance, David began his professional career in commercial dance around the same time when Emmy-nominated choreographer Glenn Douglas Packard took David under his wing as his assistant choreographer. He’s performed in television, film, music videos, a world tour and has also choreographed a few mainstream projects. In spite of his commercial dance career, David has also focused on bringing awareness to the healing power of dance, specifically through improvisational movement. He has also found a passion through character work which he utilizes in much of his choreographic work. Aside from still pursuing dance in different avenues, David also enjoys teaching. David currently works as a dance educator at Millennium Dance Complex Las Vegas; a movement artist for the dance collective titled Dani Maloney Dance Collective; dancer at On The Record, a hip hop speakeasy; while also still freelancing as a dance educator, choreographer and movement artist under the representation of Go 2 Talent Agency. David hopes to bridge dance, performance art and therapy together to create a different breed of authentic expression to the Las Vegas entertainment scene.

Sherry Zunker

Sherry Zunker is an acclaimed director, choreographer, creator, and educator whose work spans concert dance, musical theater, corporate entertainment, production shows, television, video, and film. From 2011 to 2014, under Royal Caribbean’s Broadway initiative, Sherry served as director for seven casts of the Tony Award-winning musical Chicago, working with the original 1996 Broadway revival team, casting specialists, and show directors. Sherry has created, directed, or choreographed over 40 productions for the cruise line industry.

From 1990 to 2001, Zunker served as co-artistic director of River North Dance Chicago, where she choreographed numerous works, including the signature piece, Reality of a Dreamer, which became the finale of the award-winning televised documentary of the same name. She commissioned a wide range of choreographers to develop a diverse and engaging repertoire and created Street Beat, an educational program for inner-city schools that explores how American culture influences the evolution of jazz dance.

In addition to her work with River North, Zunker has choreographed and set works at numerous universities and dance companies, including the Joffrey Ballet, Giordano Dance Chicago, Aspen Ballet, and Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre.

In 2009, Sherry founded BeMoved® Dance, a company dedicated to bringing the joy of dance to people of all movement abilities. Rooted in her belief in the transformative power of movement, BeMoved has trained instructors across the U.S., Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Mexico. The 2020 launch of BeMoved’s On-Demand Digital Studio expanded access globally. BeMoved Dance classes are featured aboard Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Carnival Cruise Line.

Zunker’s teaching career spans over 45 years and includes work with universities, companies, festivals, intensives, and renowned dance institutions. Before turning to directing and choreography, she had a wide-ranging performance career, dancing with the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble, serving as a principal dancer with Giordano Dance Chicago, and performing under the direction of Bob Fosse (Dancin’), Ann Reinking, and Chet Walker (Pal Joey). She also appeared in musical productions, commercials, and films, including The Blues Brothers and A League of Their Own.

At the heart of all her work is a desire to move people emotionally and offer a rich, transformative experience—whether they’re watching a performance or dancing in a class.