DCF Detroit’s RIVERA COURT STAGE is a series of performance showcases taking place in Rivera Court located in the beautiful atrium of the Detroit Institute of Arts. This unique showcase is designed to highlight local, national, and international talent, sharing diverse styles of dance with DDCF audiences in an inspiring museum setting.
Nicole Decsey McVicar
Jennifer Muselin
Sophia Daly
Alisha Jihn
Alexis Stus
Amruta Paranjape
Adari Torres
Carolyn Pampalone Rabbers
Tsiambwom M Akuchu
Alison Cook-Beatty
Ari Mokdad
Julian McKenzie
Seyong Kim
Haley Tarling
Dr. Anuradha Murali
June Wallace
MIN SON
Ari Mokdad & Carley Klebba
Andi Salazar
Kayla Wiese
Angélica del Mar González, Ivana Arianys Quiles, María José Rodríguez, Natalia Enid Maysonet
READ MORE ABOUT THE AMAZING Rivera Court Stage 2026 artists!
Nicole Decsey Dance Projects
Nicole Decsey is the artistic director of Nicole Decsey Dance Projects and is an emerging choreographer, artistic director, arts critic, rehearsal director, performer, and dance instructor with a BFA in performance dance from Toronto Metropolitan University. In 2019 she started Nicole Decsey Dance Projects through which she has hosted master classes, digital film festivals, and premiered We Lost You a Long Time Ago to 3 sold out audiences in February 2023 which became her first show to go on tour throughout Ontario. As a rehearsal director she has worked for companies such as Little Pear Garden Productions, Human Body Expression, and Ismailova Theatre of Dance on such works as Spectrum with Little Pear Garden Productions and Body with Human Body Expression which toured Korea in August 2024. Nicole has performed in site specific shows, in films, and on stage at many different venues and events such as the Toronto Fringe Festival, On The Edge Fringe in North Bay, and Nuit Blanche Festival. More recently Nicole also performed in Anastasia, a musical by Alexander Showcase Theatre. When Nicole graduated with her BFA she was lucky enough to be accepted into the Emerging Arts Critics Program in association with The National Ballet of Canada, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Canadian Opera Company, and SoulPepper Theatre.
CPR Dance: Inhale Movement
CPR Dance: Inhale Movement is a nonprofit dance company based in Southwest Michigan focused on access to professional contemporary dance while fostering community connection through performance, teaching, and collaboration. Founded on the principle of movement as essential as breath, the company blends dance, wellness, mindfulness and justice that press into reflective evaluative works.
Carolyn Pampalone Rabbers is an Instructional Assistant Professor in Dance at Texas A&M and the Executive Artistic Director of CPR Dance: Inhale Movement. She holds an MFA from the University of the Arts and a BFA as a Presidential Scholar from Western Michigan University. Carolyn has performed nationally and internationally with companies including Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, Diavolo, Royal and Celebrity Cruises, Clairobscur, and LACDC, in works by Sidra Bell, Seyong Kim, Erik Hawkins, Yvonne Rainer, Loïe Fuller, and Gerald Arpino. Her choreography has been featured at Small Plates Dance Festival, RAD Fest, Dance City Festival, Grand Rapids Ballet, Art Prize, and as a Maggie Allesee Choreography Competition Finalist. She choreographed Chase Your Dreams for Texas A&M’s Virtual Production Institute with Academy Award-nominated director Brandon Oldenburg and Limbert Fabian, as well as THAW with Lynn Vartan, Stewart Ziff, and Michael Bruner. Carolyn is certified in ABT NTC Level VII, Graham Technique, PBT, PCT, Pilates, Reiki, Yoga.
Mrudani School of Performing Arts
Dr. Anuradha Murali is the Artistic Director of Mrudani School of Performing Arts, whose mission is to promote the classical arts of India. She performs and teaches Indian Classical Dance (Bharathanatayam and Kuchipudi) and Carnatic Music. As an Adjunct Professor of Dance and as an instructor, Anuradha has taught Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi at Columbia College and University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. She has authored several scholarly articles in teaching at community colleges and universities for dance majors. Anuradha, a recipient of numerous grants/awards for dance choreography and dance performance, has performed at prestigious national and international festivals including India, Japan, France, Korea, Greece, Italy and Brazil. Dr. Murali’s abstract/paper, “Pedogogy and Natya Sadhana”, was accepted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, India. Dance productions choerographed by Dr. Murali, either completed or in-progress, include the following: “Megadhoota”, “Gangashtakam”, “Ganga Margam”, “Sagarika”, “Dasara Natyarpana”, and “Divya-Yaanam”.
Kayla Wiese
Movement Reservoir exists to provide a creative outlet for dance artists, to help build a dance community that supports artists in their endeavors, and to increase opportunities for the Kalamazoo community and beyond to experience dance from multiple voices.
Kayla Wiese, originally from Rochester Hills, MI, is a current student at Western Michigan University, pursuing a BFA in Dance. During her time at WMU thus far, she has had opportunities to train with Kelsey Paschich, Carolyn Pavlik, Whitney Moncrief, Jeremey Blair, and Mike Esperanza. Outside of her training at school, Kayla has been blessed with the opportunities to train with companies such as, BODYTRAFFIC, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Cincinnati Ballet, and Carolina Ballet. While at school, Kayla is also in her second season with Movement Reservoir Dance Company, a contemporary dance company based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she is dancing and choreographing for the company. Kayla is also the Director of Marketing and Outreach for Movement Reservoir Dance Company. Along with performing and choreographing, Kayla is also a dance teacher, where she teaches children and adults all styles of dance.
Adari Torres
Adari Torres is a dancer and choreographer based in Detroit, Michigan. She studied at Noretta Dunworth School of Dance from 2005 to 2021, and later received her BFA from Wayne State University in 2025. Throughout her career, she has been involved in numerous projects and productions, with her choreography even traveling to places like Las Vegas, Florida, and San Diego. During her time at Wayne State University, Adari was also a member of the Dance Recruitment team. She has had the privilege of collaborating with both local and international artists, including Biba Bell, Dr. RAS Mikey Courtney, Jackie Nowicki, Hannah Anderson, Jessica Raijko, Crystal Frazier, Joshua L. Peugh, BAIRA, and Contra Tiempo, among others. Adari's unique style incorporates elements of Mexican American culture, community, personal stories, and ancestral heritage, making her a truly dynamic and diverse choreographer.
TanzBlack Theatre
Tsiambwom "T" Akuchu is a hip-hop and theatre artist based in Los Angeles, CA. He works as a choreographer and movement director, creating works for concert dance that stage hip-hop and street dance fused with physical theater. His work focuses on the body, creating meaning through character and movement, often focusing on themes such as identity, self, and race. It is often socio-politically driven, exploring narratives that make up the lived experiences of marginalized communities, expressed through cultural products from those communities He has choreographed and performed in shows and festivals across the United States, such as DANCE NOW NYC, SoloDuo, Dumbo Dance Festival, Austin Dance Festival, (de) Color-es Festival and more.
TanzBlack is the collective name for movement based theatrical works conceived, directed, or choreographed by Tsiambwom M. Akuchu. Borrowing it’s name from the German Tanztheater (“dance theatre”) which grew out of German Expressionist dance in Weimar Germany and 1920s Vienna, TanzBlack Theatre or TanzBlack, creates work in that lineage of theater/dance making while focusing on representing movement forms rooted in Black culture. Especially Hip-Hop and Street Dances. TanzBalck aims to reshape contemporary concert dance by introducing new movement forms and choreographic strategies rooted in non-western dance practices to generate profoundly new theatrical experiences.
Ballet Legato
Ballet Legato is proud to introduce artistic and innovative repertoire from classical to contemporary works while connecting with our community and familiarizing them with the depth and relevance of dance as an art form; presenting accessible performances of the highest quality while enriching the lives of the artists and audiences with a range of significant, ever-evolving dance.
Alisha Jihn
ALISHA JIHN | 靳書怡 (she/her) is a dancer, maker, and board-certified dance/movement therapist. Her choreography is grounded in ideas of hybridity and intercultural experiences reflective of her identity as a Taiwanese-American raised in the Midwest. Alisha has presented her work at the Asia Pacific Dance Festival (Honolulu, HI), RADFest (Kalamazoo, MI), Cleveland Dance Festival (Cleveland, OH), OhioDance Festival (Columbus, OH), and DanceLAB MKE (Milwaukee, WI).
Alisha currently teaches with Perennial Movement Group (Columbus, OH) facilitating dance for memory care and has taught at Denison University. She was a Fulbright Fellow in Taiwan researching cross-cultural approaches in dance/movement therapy. Alisha holds degrees from St. Olaf College, Columbia College Chicago, and The Ohio State University.
June’s Creative Expressions
June’s Creative Expressions exists to disrupt silence and celebrate liberation through movement. We create dance that interrogates systemic oppression, particularly the repression of queer identities, and empowers individuals to reclaim their narratives. Our work is a protest against conformity—a demand for the freedom to love, exist, and express without fear.
JCE believes dance is not just art—it is resistance, resilience, and revolution. Rooted in radical empathy and intersectionality, JCE prioritizes collaboration with artists who share the commitment to mental health advocacy and social justice. Through performances, workshops, and community engagement, JCE aims to:
Collaborate: Unite the divide
Cultivate: Nurture the growth of the Union
Create: Build a space in which we can grow
Seyong Kim
Seyong Kim, Associate Professor of Dance at Western Michigan University, holds an MA in Dance Education from New York University. He is a Certified Movement Analyst, a Registered Somatic Dance Educator, and an ABT® Certified Teacher (Primary through Level 7 of the American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum). Seyong is the recipient of the 2023 Maggie Allessee Choreography Award and the 2025 Higher Education Educator of the Year Award from Michigan Dance Council. Seyong has taught for the University of Georgia, Rutgers University, John Hopkins University, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, American College Dance Association (ACDA), Alabama Dance Festival, Grand Rapids Ballet, Ballet 5:8 Chicago, and Eisenhower Dance Detroit. Seyong has danced with the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Center, Albania National Ballet Theatre, Traverse City Dance Project, TAKE Dance, and Oakland Ballet Company. His choreographic works have been presented at Landestheater Coburg in Germany, JueDai Taipei International Dance Festival, International Contemporary Dance Festival of Mexico City, ProArteDanza in Canada, Palm Desert Choreography Festival, American Dance Guild Festival, Washington International Dance Festival, Detroit Dance City Festival, Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, CrossCurrent Asian American Dance Festival, 92NY Future Dance Festival, and Movement Research at the Judson Church. Currently, Seyong is a resident choreographer with Wise Ballet Theater and an International Visiting Professor at Sung-shin Women's University in Seoul, South Korea.
Haley Tarling
Haley Tarling is a choreographer, dancer and teacher based in Chicago, IL. She graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in dance and a dual degree in psychology. She also graduated from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a masters in counseling psychology, and is a licensed clinician. She has presented work in spaces including Dance Chance, Brighton Dance Festival, Common Ground, Trifecta Dance Festival, and Dance City Festival in both Chicago and Detroit. Her work has been commissioned by companies including Hot Crowd and Simantikos Dance Chicago. She had the opportunity to train at Orsolina 28 with Humanhood and currently dances as a company member with Hot Crowd. As a dancer, she has had the joy of working with artists including Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Jackie Nowiki, Mark Gonzalez, Jessi Stegall, Celine Spinka O’brien and Gianna Burright. Haley strives to create movement that embodies expansion, authenticity and grit, and is committed to telling stories that reflect some of the diverse aspects human experience.
IMAN
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Kavita Rausaria
Kavita Rausaria is an aspiring Kathak dancer based in Michigan, USA. She was born in Varanasi, India, and migrated with her parents to the US at a young age. At 7 years old, Kavita joined a local Michigan Kathak school, Taal Academy, run by Guru Manisha Dongre where she learned for 12 years. She started learning under Guru Amruta Paranjape online for more advanced dance training. Her completed her Masters in Kathak through Bharati Vidyapeeth college in Pune, India in 2023, and now teaches at Taal Academy in Michigan. Along with being a dancer, she has completed her Bachelors in Engineering from Wayne State University and is currently working at Ford Motor Company as a D&R for HV Battery Structures.
Sophia & El Kronox
Sophia & El Kronox have been dancing and performing Tango together for 10 years. They love to share their passion for Tango wherever they go.
Alison Cook Beatty Dance
Alison Cook Beatty Dance, founded in 2012 by choreographer Alison Cook-Beatty, is a New York City–based modern dance company dedicated to creating emotionally resonant, human-centered work. Cook-Beatty is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory of Music, where she trained in classical and contemporary modern dance traditions that continue to shape her artistic voice. Her choreography blends expressive lyricism, theatricality, and physical intensity, exploring themes of memory, resilience, connection, and the human condition.
Cook-Beatty has been commissioned by The Joffrey Ballet School, The Ailey School, Marymount Manhattan College, The Boston Conservatory, BalletNext, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, and others. The company has toured nationally, performing at The Buckman Performing Arts Center in Tennessee and throughout MA, VT, CT, NJ, Washington D.C., RI, and CA. ACBD has also been presented at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, Windhover Performing Arts Center, the Hudson Valley Dance Festival, and DUMBO Dance Festival. The company is known for cross-disciplinary collaborations and a strong commitment to community engagement and educational outreach.
Alexis Stus
Alexis Stus is a Dallas-based choreographer, and interdisciplinary artist whose work lives at the intersection of movement, cognition, and identity. Her choreographic investigations, inspired by psychology and gesture, explore how internal patterns shape our movement.
Alexis previously attended the University of the Arts with plans to achieve a BFA in Dance. She now studies at Southern Methodist University (SMU), pursuing degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mathematics.
Her choreographic work, which centers around ideas of compulsion and identity, has been featured in Dallas Indie Dance Fest, SEEDS Choreographic Residency, and WHITE WAVE SoloDuo Festival in NYC.
Julian McKenzie
Julian McKenzie (Grand Blanc, MI) is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based artist. He is currently in his second season as a company artist with Nova Linea Contemporary Dance under the direction of Jared Baker. He graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and received the Upper Division Dance Scholarship. During his time at Grand Valley, Julian performed in works by guest artists such as Renaldo Maurice, DJ Smart, and Bonnie O’Rourke, among others. Julian’s senior group work, "CLUTTEREDmind", was selected for adjudication at the 2024 ACDA East-Central Conference. Additionally, his 2022 work, "serene", was a finalist in the Michigan Dance Council’s 2022 Maggie Allesee Choreography Competition. His choreographic process delves into the human experience, exploring mental, physical, and emotional states. This exploration reflects and responds to the social and interpersonal dynamics that shape our lives.
rivera court stage memories
