Keith A. Thompson, Artistic Director

Keith A. Thompson completed his MFA Research Fellowship in Dance from Bennington College in 2003. He performed with Trisha Brown Dance Company for ten years, the last three of which he also served as rehearsal director. Keith continues to represent TBDC in the sharing of Technique and Repertory both at the Trisha Brown Studio in New York City as well as festivals, schools, and workshops around the world. He recently danced for Bessie Award Winning Choreographer Bebe Miller, and currently with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

As a Choreographer and Teacher, Keith has been on the faculty of American Dance Festival since 2005. He has also served on faculty of Shenandoah University, George Mason University, Temple University, and Long Island University. As a university faculty member Keith's choreography has consistently been selected for Gala Concerts at the American College Dance Festival.

Keith continues to immerse himself in his choreographic work with his company danceTactics performance group, which was formed in 2005. He made his New York choreographic debut at Dance Theater Workshop in the summer of 2006. His collaborative work with choreographer Didier Theron of Montpelier, France was produced as a part of Draft Works Series at DanSpace Project at St Mark's Church in NYC. This work, "Democratic Combine," was created in part by support from Centre Choreographique National De Montpelier and will be presented in the 2009 Montpelier International Dance Festival. Keith has been commissioned to create works at Muhlenberg College, Barnard College, James Madison University, Duke University, Denison University and Ursinus College to name a few. Keith's work, "Silent Echo," was made possible by a generous grant from Duke University and the North Carolina Council for the Arts. His work has also been featured at the Harkness Center for Dance at the 92nd St YMCA in NYC, and in the DanceBOOM Festival in Philadelphia, PA in spring 2007, In the Company of Men series at Dance New Amsterdam 2008, Judson Church and DUMBO Dance Festival in NYC. Keith has received space grants from the Harkness Center for Dance at the 92nd St YMCA and The Field to support the continuation of his choreographic work in NYC. Keith continues new research for a new work that has received some support from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation and the Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation Inc. The company is currently an artist member on Pentacle's Gallery Roster.

Sara Roer, dancer, Rehearsal Director

Sara Roer got an early start dancing in North Carolina as the southern drawling star of a many a home video. She became the youngest member of the Wilmington Independent Choreographers and a competitive gymnast before defecting to the North to earn her B.F.A., suma cum laude, at George Mason University. After a colorful college run that took her to China and back, Sara headed North again for a new home on the busiest island in the world. While becoming a New Yorker, she has had the pleasure of working as the rehearsal director/dancer for danceTactics by Keith Thompson and as a founding dancer with b3w (Emily Berry). She has also worked on projects with Susan Vencl, Heather McArdle, Karen Malpede and many others. She has presented her own work at various venues throughout NYC and NC. Sara is Operations Manager at Brooklyn Arts Exchange and is a certified traditional Thai Yoga Bodywork practitioner offering sessions privately and at Brooklyn Strength.

Aidan Feldman dancer

Aidan Feldman has been living in NYC for nearly two years, working as a computer programmer at Jux.com by day, dancer by night. In addition to danceTactics, Aidan works with Artichoke Dance Company, Austin Selden/Sarah Konner Dance Collaboration, Chavasse Dance & Performance, and A Corps Perdu. He gives talks and organizes meetups around NYC about to learning to code, as well as being an Adjunct Instructor at NYU. When not dancing or programming, Aidan can be found flying around the streets of New York on his bicycle.

Jin Ju Song-Begin dancer

Jin Ju Song-Begin is a choreographer, dancer and dance teacher from Seoul, Korea. Her work has been performed in Korea, Japan, and the USA. She has worked with prominent choreographers both in and outside of Korea. She was an original member of Dance Company The Body from 2003-2006 in Seoul. She holds a Masters Degree in Choreography from Kookmin University and an Undergraduate Degree from Chung Ang University in Seoul, Korea, where she achieved numerous awards and scholarships. She received two full scholarships to the American Dance Festival (2003 & 2005) where she performed and choreographed. She was invited to showcase her work in the Dance Biennale Tokyo in 2004 and 2006. She was twice commissioned by the Choi Seung Hee Dance Festival in Korea (2006 & 2008). Her work has been shown and Movement Research at Judson Church, Danspace St.Mark's Church (Food for thought) , at Dixon Place (Body Blend Series) and the Reverb Choreographic Festival in New York as well as performances in Seoul. This year, Ms. Song produced an evening of her work at Center for Performance Research. Her work has involved solos, ensemble works, and experimental works relying on "found movement" and chance operations. She frequently collaborates with composers and live music performances. Jin Ju is currently dancing with Sean Curran dance company, Keith Thompson DanceTactics, Douglas Dunn and Dnacers, Ana Isabel Kelison and Esmé Boyce.

Emily Berry dancer

Emily Berry is the Artistic Director of B3W, which has performed in the US, England and Mexico. B3W received the Mondo Cane commission form Dixon Place, where they premiered their evening length work, Confined, in September, 2010. Maura Donahue wrote in Culturebot of Confined, "the dancers Sara Roer, Nicole McClam, Yuko Mitsuishi, Milvia Pacheco, 
and Berry each offered powerful physical portrayals of disconnection and oppression". B3W has also performed at various venues in NYC, including DNA, Manhattan Arts Center, BAAD, and Dixon Place among others. Emily has performed with danceTactics/Keith Thompson, Boris Willis Moves, Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh & Company, Restless Native, Lesole's Dance Project, and Ashe Moyubba Afro-Cuban Folkloric Dance Ensemble. Emily is a Certified Movement Analyst. She also has a MFA in dance from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Dance Arts from the University of Michigan. She has taught at Oakland University, George Mason University, Coppin State University, Montgomery College, and the Community College of Baltimore County. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Queensborough Community College.

George Hirsch dancer

George Hirsch graduated from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, receiving an Honors Degree in Dance. He has since had the privilege of dancing for Liz Lerman/Dance Exchange, Artichoke Dance Company, David Capps/Dances, Eva Dean Dance, Daniel Gwirtzman Dance, Regina Nejman and Company, and GoCo, in addition to working with Keith Thompson's/danceTactics.

Erin Cairns Cella apprentice

Erin Cairns Cella has most recently performed for Rebecca Davis, Diana Crum, and Tanya Calamoneri/company sogono. Erin has shown work at various venues throughout Philadelphia and New York including Movement Research Open Performance, Rover Soho, Dance New Amsterdam, The Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and has been presented by Estrogenius/ Women in Motion Festival. She holds an MFA in Dance, Choreography, and Performance from Temple University, has taught as Adjunct Faculty at Temple University, teaches yoga, and also teaches tiny dancers at Brooklyn Arts Exchange.

Kyle Marshall apprentice

Kyle Marshall recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in dance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, he received the James Dickson Carr Scholarship and was awarded the Dance Express Choreographers Prize. Kyle has worked with choreographers Randy James, Doug Elkins, Raegan Wood, Beniot-Swan Pouffer and Xiao-Xiong Zhang and performed works by Mark Morris, Urban Bushwomen and Nimbus Danceworks. Kyle currently dances with Lustig Dance Theater, Randy James and Freespace Dance along with creating his own choreography.