The Choreographers

RHODESSA BELL is a 25 year old who got her start under the direction of Koni Riley on the Rhythm Elite Performance Team at Dance Dimensions Studio in Mineola, TX. She received her Bachelors degree in Dance at Stephen F. Austin State University, where she was a member of the SFA Pom squad and the SFA Repertory Dance Company. She was awarded a scholarship with Monsters of Hip Hop while studying under the direction of Richard Hebscher and Amber Thorton. She currently works for Marching Auxiliaries where she teaches dance to children, creates contest choreography, as well as teaching a variety of genres to area schools and studios in the Houston Area. Rhodessa is thrilled by the opportunity to further her professional career under the prestigious direction of the Houston Met.

LAUREN GARSON is a second year company member, recently moving from Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in Dance. Her training includes PPU’s Pre-Professional and International Summer Dance Programs, the Limón Institute Summer Workshop, STEPS on Broadway Pre-Professional Program, Jazz Dance World Congress, and Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. Performance credits include Ft. Worth Dance Festival, Collin County Dance Fusion, Playhouse Dance Company, Junction Dance Theatre, and CLO Cabaret Theatre. She also teaches and choreographs for local dance studios and Met Too.

KIKI LUCAS is a third year company member that moved from Los Angeles, CA. She originates from Pittsburgh, PA where she graduated with her BA in dance from Point Park University. She premiered her work "Benevolence" in the Spring 2004 and recently set “Imbalanced” in the spring of 2005, which is being set on Point Park University’s Dance Connections Concert this fall. Some other credits include The Kennedy Center (ACDFA Nationals), Towson University, Point Park International Summer Dance Festival, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Carnival/Choreographer's Ball (Los Angeles), ESPN, Dallas Morning News Festival, Midwestern Arts Conference, Ft. Worth Dance Festival, Collin County Dance Fusion and will be showcasing new works on the Houston Met and Met Too. Kiki teaches and choreographs not only in the Houston area but also across the country.

PATTIE OBEY is a committed professional bringing her experience, creativity, passion and humor to the teaching profession. A Chicago native and the daughter of a dancer, Pattie began her professional career touring internationally with Gus Giordano’s Jazz Dance Chicago. Her performance credits both in the USA and abroad includes Broadway musicals, films, and television. Her personal style is greatly influenced by her mentor Gus Giordano, former Hubbard Street artistic director Lou Conte, jazz master Matt Mattox, and her own elegant and powerful femininity. Pattie credits her extensive classical background to her training with ex-Royal Ballet soloists Richard Ellis and Christine DuBoulay. Currently, Obey makes her home in Amsterdam, The Netherlands but devotes a minimum of six months each year to teaching and choreographing in the United States. For the past four years she has been a guest artist at the University of Performing Arts in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Pattie has been on the faculty of numerous dance festivals in Germany, Austria, Finland and Mexico. She is a master teacher for both Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America. Pattie has taught for colleges, universities, dance companies and eminent dance studios in 33 states and 15 countries. She has choreographed works for LaJazDanz, Ormao Dance Company, Spectrum Dance Theater, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Jazz Dance Theatre, and The Playhouse Dance Company at Point Park College and Pori Dance Company in Pori, Finland. In 1992 she was the first woman to teach at the Jazz Dance World Congress and has been on the roster of master teachers ever since. She is also the recipient of the “2000 Jazz Dance World Congress Award” in recognition of her considerable contribution to the world of jazz dance.

ASHLEY REICHSTEIN is a 20-year-old native Houstonian. A graduate from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Ashley was a part of the Houston Met Too Youth Company for 3 years. After leaving for a year to the University of North Texas, she continues her professional dance career with a second year with the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company. Ashley has performed at venues such as Dance Houston, Pink Ribbon Project, Commissioner’s Super Bowl Party and the Ft. Worth Dance Festival. Ashley is assistant to jhon stronks, Met Too Director, and has choreographed multiple pieces within the 2005-2006 Met Too season. Ashley would like to say thank you to all who have supported her. This show will conclude her second season as Met Too assistant director. She will miss all of the Met Toos next year when she attends University of Arizona in the fall.

WAYNW M. SMITH is a well-respected, dynamic and sought after choreographer, dancer, collaborator, and multi-disciplinary artist. He has taught, choreographed and produced numerous works at several nationally recognized institutions including the Ohio State University, the University of Memphis, Emory University, Slippery Rock University, and Kent State University. Smith’s areas of expertise are improvisation, choreography, performance technique, and theatre movement. Wayne has been an active part of the contemporary/modern dance community in Atlanta, Georgia for 10 years and is founding director/producer of SmithWorx, Ink and co-founder of Current Collective Improvisation Ensemble. Smith additionally collaborates with a variety of nationally recognized Artists in various disciplines, including heading dancing and creative movement workshops for youths, adults and schoolteachers for programs such as Creating Pride, in Atlanta, Memphis Dance Works and the Center for Arts Education programs in Memphis, Tennessee. A native of Memphis, Wayne earned a BFA in Theater with a Dance concentration from the University of Memphis and an MFA in Dance/Choreography from top ranked dance department at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio

MARLANA WALSH, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company Manager, going into her 6th season with the Met, is originally from Massachusetts and graduated from Point Park University in 2001 with a BA in Dance. Her choreography has been presented at ACDFA, International Summer Dance Festival, AIDS Benefit, HMDC Met Too, Industrials including Houston’s Levi Strauss/Walmart Fashion Show and Sam Houston State University. Marlana has performed at the Texas Contemporary Dance Festival, Lubbock Arts Festival, Dallas Morning News Festival, Jazz Dance World Congress, Choreographers X6, Texas Tanz, Big Range Dance Festival Cabaret Show, Pink! The Musical, Midwestern Arts Conference, Ft. Worth Dance Festival and Collin County Dance Fusion. Marlana fills her time teaching and choreographing at dance schools throughout the Houston area.