WINSTON DYNAMITE BROWN
Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Winston Dynamite Brown began his dance journey at The Smith Sisters Dance Studio, later attending the Missouri State Ballet, the University of Missouri (BFA in Dance recipient), as well as Center Dance under the mentorship/tutelage of Mr. Tyrone Aiken. He additionally trained with Alonzo King (Pre-Professional), and The Ailey School's (three time fellowship recipient) summer intensives. He was the inaugural recipient of the Lorna Strassler Scholarship at Jacobs Pillow (Ballet & Modern program.
As a professional, Dynamite is currently a member of the Camille A. Brown & Dancers company. Over his career Dynamite has had the pleasure of working with Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Co., Deeply Rooted Productions , Albany Berkshire Ballet, The Metropolitan Opera, TU Dance, CorbinDances, Irish modern Dance Theatre ( IMDT), Ben Munisteri Dance projects, Taylor 2 and most recently, Dance Heginbotham, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Pilobolus, Sean CurranCo., Opera Theater St. Louis, Kyle Abraham/ A.I.M, and Stephanie Batten Bland Co. to name a few.
Dynamite has taught for many schools/institutions domestically and internationally as a teacher including Joffrey Ballet & Contemporary/Jazz, Ailey Camp (MO,KS,NJ,NY) and The Ailey School. He has produced works on Wylliams/ Henry Contemporary Dance Co., UMKC, Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, Joffrey Summer Intensive, Brooklyn Arts High School, The Ailey School ( BFA, Certificate, Junior & PPAS divisions).
LATRA ANN WILSON
Co-Founder & Co-Artistic Director
Latra A. Wilson, a Texas native ,began her journey as a creative artist with her BFA from university of Missouri of Kansas City. Since then as a performing artist ms. Wilson has had pleasure to work with companies like Taylor 2, Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Iluminate Artist of Lights, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis's production of "The Kiss" & world premiere of "Champion", Owen/Cox Dance Group, Broadway Dance Lab (cycle 4),Tony Award winning Broadway Musical After Midnight. As an assistant for some the fields upcoming arts Ms Wilson has aided projects with Breton Follies, Abdul Latif - D2D/T, Company Stefanie Batten Bland and Broadway choreographer Josh Prince's Dance Lab New York. Ms. Wilson as a teaching artist is currently working with Alvin Ailey Arts in Education, KCFAA and COAR. Most recently Ms. Wilson previously worked with The Public theatre as assistant director of movement to Stefanie Batten Bland for the production of Eve’s Song.
Ms. Wilson is also proud to embark on a project with her husband Winston Dynamite Brown as associate artistic director for TDE. Latra is currently being represented by LDCArtists.
KRISTI ANN SCHOPFER
Operations Manager
Kristi Ann Schopfer (she/her) has been grooving since 3 years of age; actualizing the innately organized aspects of her personality through Arts Administration around 2012, after gaining the reputation for being “oddly over-prepared for an Artist.”
She began her dance training in New Jersey at Dance World Academy and R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dance), later touring the east coast and on Carnival Cruise Lines with Connecticut-based Dance 10 Touring company. Kristi Ann received her BFA in Dance at The College at Brockport in 2010; where she met Rebecca Sproul Gushue and has danced for Gushue Moving Arts since 2007. She worked with Barkin/Selissen Project (NYC) as both a performing artist and administrator from 2012-2019, shifting her Managerial expertise in time to help lead the Cliffs Climbing + Fitness as Assistant Manager through a global pandemic. From 2019-2021, she was responsible for: rebuilding the staffing by addressing accessibility to rock climbing as a systemic issue, restructuring employee responsibilities to reflect the evolving state of daily operations, and assisting to revive/revise outreach programs to make climbing more accessible. Kristi Ann is a CMG-Represented Stunt Performer, and has recently worked with Kate Griffler, Jeff Shortt, Janis Brenner, and at STREB Lab for Action Mechanics. Kristi Ann has been collaborating with The DynamitExperience since 2019; taking on the Operations Manager role in 2021. In addition to consuming copious amounts of coffee, she currently dances with 3rd Law Dance Theater of Boulder, CO (actively seeking airline partnerships to schlepp herself and her better-French-Bulldog-half, Stella, across states…).
BECKY SEOW
Administrative & Studio Assistant
Social Media Manager
Rebecca Seow (she/her), a New York Native, is a recent graduate from Montclair State University. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. She has performed in works by Ohad Naharin, Jessica Lang, Bradley Shelver, Liza Gennaro, Tyler Gilstrap, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Mark Harootian, James Sutton, Keith Michael and many others. Rebecca is currently interning and apprenticing with The Dynamite Experience and has interned with The Bessie’s Organization and Emursive Productions in arts administration. Alongside her dance experience, Rebecca has filmed and edited many dance films and has worked as an editor with notable choreographers such as Liz Gerring and Stefanie Batten Bland.
PHOTO CREDIT: REBECCA MARCELA OVIATT/@BECCA.VISION
TDE COLLABORATORS
ARTISTS 2023
ROBYN AYERS (Dance Artist) is a movement artist, facilitator, and writer living on occupied Lenape land (NYC). They hold a BFA from Fordham University & The Ailey School, which they obtained summa cum laude with majors in dance and philosophy. Professionally, Robyn moves through formal stage production, site-specific installation, and film; wandering around the intersection between classical modern and gestural contemporary impulse. Their artistic priorities are rooted in mindfulness and accessibility, striving to move at the speed of trust and build holistic relationships between artist and audience. Robyn’s performance career spans NYC and surrounding areas in current company with Hivewild, cullen+them, The DynamitExperience, and more. Prominent credits include Ben Stamper’s short film “Stay With”, Katherine Maxwell’s stage production “Prism”, and Jacolby Satterwhite’s film installation “An Eclectic Dance to the Music of Time” at Lincoln Center. Beyond the stage, Robyn works in technical writing and arts administration, and can often be found sitting by the ocean with their nose in a book.
JORDYN CHERRY (Dance Artist) (Somerset, NJ) is an alum of Montclair State University, where she attained both a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Communication Studies. She has performed work by Brice Mousset, Winston Dynamite Brown, Urban Bush Women, Stefanie Batten Bland, Paul Taylor, Larry Keigwin, Kathleen Kelley, and Jessie DiMauro Marks. Jordyn also is an aspiring choreographer debuting work at Montclair State, as well as the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD). Additionally, she is applying her skills in communications, grant writing and marketing after interning with Proteo Media+Performance and Sleep No More Life and Trust.
BETTE DANGANAN (Dance Artist) (they/them) was born and raised in the Chicago area, and started their dance training at Legere Dance Centre. They have also studied in summer intensives at The Joffrey Ballet Chicago, The Milwaukee Ballet, and The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance (SFCD), where they performed work by Ohad Naharin. In 2020, they were awarded a full scholarship to the Deeply Rooted summer intensive, and in 2022, they attended the Gibney Summer Study. They graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program in 2023, where they worked with choreographers such as Winston Dynamite Brown, Mark Caserta, Ethan Colangelo, Ruth Andrien O’Neil, and Daniel Fetecua Soto. In May of 2023, Bette performed in the Ailey Spirit Gala in a new work choreographed by Hope Boykin. Bette has also worked with MUMOS and the Heraclitus Project under the direction of Nicolas Fiery and Sofi Forero. Bette is excited to delve into the dance scene in New York and hopes to explore how dance can be used as a means for social change.
KHALIA MARIE ESPINOZA (Rehearsal Assistant) (She/ Her) is a freelance dancer and educator currently living in Brooklyn, New York City. She kickstarted her professional dance career in Jacksonville, Florida and earned partial scholarships from The Martha Graham School and Alvin Ailey School Certificate Program. Throughout her career she’s learned a variety of different dance styles across several studios like the Jacksonville Center of the Arts, Fierce Dance Theatre, Suzanne Saltmarsh dance, and Cooper Morgan Dance Theatre. Some of her active choreography experience includes works like Echad Mi Yodea by Ohad Naharin, Battlefield by Robert battle, and Rite of Spring by Martha Graham. Her work experience includes The Peter London Global Dance performing in the festival Art Basel, the Perez Museum, and Suzanne Saltmarsh dance at the YAGP ballet competition as well as Art walk festivals. Currently she is in The company Dynamite Dance experience as a Dance Assistant. Khaila is inspired by choreographers exploring new ways of movement, teaching philosophies , projects, and performing with other dance artists around New York City . Khaila dreams of teaching children , young adults and artists in opening up her own dance studio. She aspires to share the joy, passion and art of dance and to be a mentor for kids and young adults that are curious and eager to learn different ways of moving, improvisation, exploration and choreography
FAUSTINE LAVIE (Dance Artist) was born in Toulon, France, where she started ballet at 3 years old. She then studied in different reknowned dance schools such as Paris Opera Ballet School and ESDC Rosella Hightower, before moving to NYC in 2015 to attend The Ailey School, where she graduated from the Certificate Program in May 2018. Faustine had the opportunity to perform works by many choreographers, such as Darrell Grand Moultrie, Manuel Vignoulle, Winston Dynamite Brown, Amy Hall Garner, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Clifton Brown and Shay Bland. She is currently a company member with iKADA Contemporary Dance Company, LaneCoArts, sarAika, The DynamitExperience, Keiko Fujii Dance Company and Six Degrees Dance. She founded Faustine Lavie Dance Project in 2020. The company has already performed in Philadelphia and NYC, including KnJ Theater at Peridance Center, TADA! Theater, Steps on Broadway, New York City Center Studios and Bridge For Dance.
SIERRA CHRISTINE SANDERS (Apprentice/Understudy) from Montclair, NJ began studying modern dance at New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Youth Artists Institute. Sierra later received her B.F.A in Dance from Montclair State University. At Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts Intensives, Sierra deepened her training in modern, ballet, and contemporary. Upon graduation, Sierra danced for Philadanco’s D2 and later studied at the Martha Graham School under full scholarship as a member of Graham 2. She graduated in June’20 from the Graham School’s Teacher’s Certificate Program. Sierra currently dances for Buglisi Dance Theatre, The DynamitExperience, and Christopher Rudd’s RudduR Dance.
KRISTI ANN SCHOPFER, she/her, (Dance Artist) began her dance training in New Jersey at Dance World Academy and R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dance), later touring the east coast and on Carnival Cruise Lines. Kristi Ann received her BFA in Dance at SUNY Brockport; where she met Rebecca Sproul Gushue, dancing for Gushue Moving Arts from 2007-2017. She worked with Barkin/Selissen Project (NYC) as a touring performing artist and administrator from 2012-2019. Kristi Ann is a CMG-Represented Stunt Performer, has recently worked with Janis Brenner, Kate Griffler, and at STREB Lab for Action Mechanics, as well as collaborates with Matheny Arts Access; providing individuals with disabilities access to creative expression. Kristi Ann has been an artist with The DynamitExperience (since 2019) and 3rd Law Dance/Theater (since 2021). Her Frenchie, Stella, is the true headliner in their dynamic duo.
HANNAH WAGNER (she/her) (Dance Artist) began dancing in her hometown St. Paul, Minnesota at the Classical Ballet Academy of Ballet Minnesota. She graduated with her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Hannah has since had the opportunities to perform with Nimbus Dance Works, Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance, Ballet Minnesota, Caterina Rago Dance Company, Buglisi Dance Theatre, and The DynamitExperience. In 2018, Hannah was invited to perform at the Perpetuum Mobile Festival in Brussels, Belgium where she premiered an original work “Am I...?”. Since then, she has become a resident artist with The Dancing Society based in Brussels. Hannah continues to develop her own creative work, and is passionate about projects based in collaboration and cooperation with the NYC community. This is her fourth year with the DynamitExperience.