THE DANCERS

Courtney Peix

Courtney, the founder and artistic director of Contrapose Dance, began her training under the supervision of Russell Chambers and later performed with the Chambers Ballet Company under the direction of Anthony Williams and Wayne Stewarte. She has performed with the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble and Margot Parsons Dance Company in such shows as Dancers at the Robsham and the noted Dance on the Top Floor. In 2009, she was named an Emerging Artist, receiving a space grant from Green Street Studios. She also had the pleasure of returning to her alma mater, Stonehill College, to set the first section of benchmark on the Stonehill College Dance Company. Courtney is currently a member of Sokolow Now!, the Anna Sokolow Archival Company. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stonehill College and teaches ballet at several area schools in Massachusetts.

Ruth Bronwen

Ruth is originally from the Boston area and received her early training and performance experience with the Boston Ballet. She graduated from UMASS Boston with a B.A. in English and Dance, where she began exploring and performing her own work. Ruth has since performed for a number of companies and individuals including Kinodance, Lorraine Chapman The Company, Marcus Schulkind, Northern Ballet Theatre, and Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theatre. Important teachers and influences include Tatiana Legat, Cosmin Marculetieu, Marcus Schulkind, Mary Thompson and Anne Tolbert. Ms. Bronwen is a member of Contrapose Dance, Lorraine Chapman: the Company, and teaches ballet at Wilmington Dance Academy.

Jenny Lustig

Originally from Rochester, New York, Jenny received her ballet training from MaryKay Touris. She attended Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, completing a BA in Dance and Art. While at Goucher, Jenny participated in many artist residencies performing in works by George Balanchine and August Bournonville. She performed at the American College Dance Festival and expanded her modern dance training at Middlesex University in London. Jenny has also performed with Northern Ballet Theatre, Anna Myers, Boston Dance Company and Ruth Bronwen as part of the Green Street Grant Space program. Jenny is ecstatic to be part of Contrapose Dance.

Lindsey Ridgeway

Lindsey is originally from Heidelberg, Germany. She began her formal dance training at Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education and then continued her training at Boston Ballet School with Carol Roderick, Franco DeVita, and Kathleen Mitchell. Lindsey has had the opportunity of dancing with Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre, EgoArt, Inc., Marcus Schulkind, Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Contrapose Dance. She is happy to be a member of Contrapose Dance.

Lucy Warren-Whitman

Lucy began her classical ballet training with her parents, Rachel Whitman and Skip Warren. Her study continued with Larissa Luvischuk in the Russian method and as a full scholarship student at Walnut Hill School for performing arts. Lucy has performed with North Atlantic Ballet, and choreographed/performed for Spindle City Ballet and Boston Dance Company. She is in her second season with Contrapose Dance and is a faculty member at Jeanette Neils Dance Studio.

Nina Brindamour

Nina received her early dance training from Carl Thomsen and Gene Murray, and for the past five years she has studied with Marcus Schulkind at Green Street Studios. She has performed with The Windhover Dance Company in works by Doris Humphrey and Ina Hahn, and with Lida Winfield, Marcus Schulkind and Gabrielle Orcha.

Andy Cook - guest dancer

Andy Cook began his dance training under the direction of his mother; his first and still favorite teacher. After high school Andy continued his training at Chapman University, earning a BFA in Dance in 2005. Since graduating, Andy has had the privilege to perform and tour with Backhausdance in Orange, CA and Shen Wei Dance Arts and Keigwin+Co in New York City. Currently, Andy is studying to become a physical therapist in hopes that he can someday help dancers not hurt quite so much.

Catherine “Cat” Murcek - Guest Dancer

Catherine “Cat” Murcek received her BA in International Economics from Franklin College of Switzerl& in 2004 & soon thereafter decided she would rather pursue the life of a starving artist. Over the last 3 years that she has been in the Boston area, she has had the pleasure & good fortune to work with many different choreographers & companies including: Bryce Dance, Nicole Dagesse, Emily Beattie, Ruth Bronwen, Carey Foster, Mariah Steele, Weberdance, Stephen Koplowitz, Contrapose Dance, & Sara Rudner. She is currently a member of Lorraine Chapman: The Company, The & So No Sin Performance Troupe, & ZoeDance, & dabbles in her own choreography periodically. She is also a 200-hr certified yoga instructor.

Kathryn Dunkel - Guest Dancer

Kathryn Dunkel received her BA in Dance from Hamilton College with a Minor in Anthropology. While at Hamilton, she studied with Elaine Heekin, Leslie Norton, & Bruce Walczyk. Katie is a graduate of the Trinity/La Mama program out of New York City, where she studied with Maureen Fleming, Tiffany Mills, & Lisa Race, among others. Since moving to Boston, she has had the pleasure of performing work by choreographers & companies including: Contrapose Dance, Audra Carabetta, EgoArt, Inc., Cat Murcek, Mariah Steele, Danny Swain Dance Company, & WeberDance. Katie has presented her own work in Cambridge at The Dance Complex & Green Street Studios, the Triskelion Arts Center in Brooklyn, & The Annex at La MaMa E.T.C. in New York City. Katie teaches dance at Dancers Workshop in Sudbury, Ballet Arts Center of Winchester, & Green Street Studios.

Magdalena Gyftopoulos – Guest Dancer

Magdalena Gyftopoulos began her dance training at the Boston Ballet School under the direction of Anne-Marie Holmes. She also trained with Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, and completed her studies in the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre Young Dancer's Program where she worked with Jose Mateo, Mary Thompson, and Cosmin Marculetiu. Magdalena then joined the company at Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, and remained a member of the teaching faculty. Currently, she is working with various companies in the Boston area, including Larissa Douglas Contemporary Dance and Contrapose Dance.