Ashley Johnson is a dance artist and Registered Somatic Movement Educator trained in group facilitation and hands on bodywork as a teacher of the Mitzvah Technique/Itcush Method and Continuum Movement. Upon completing a diploma in Dance from Grant MacEwan College and a BA in Dance from University of Calgary Ashley spent ten years apprenticing with movement pioneers from around North America. She trained extensively with her two primary mentors Amelia Itcush and Emilie Conrad until their passing in 2011 and 2014. As a dance artist and educator, Ashley creates interdisciplinary site specific creations that blend embodiment practice with creative process. She is based out of Regina, SK where she teaches and performs independently and with New Dance Horizons. www.constantlyseekingsoftness.ca

Bryn Besse is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer, composer, and engineer from Regina, SK. An experienced songwriter accompanist, Bryn offers a unique style that draws together folk, rock, country, roots, and jazz language to complement and enhance each song on its own terms. His skills have carried him across Canada, Scotland, and England, from festival stages in Haida Gwaii to backyards in St. John’s, NL, with bars, clubs, cafés, living rooms, and concert halls in between. Bryn produced Danielle Knibbe’s 2019 album The Ribcage & The Heart, co-produced The Marwills’ 2018 album A Mother’s Worry, co-wrote many songs with collaborators, composed the music for Connie Wernikowski’s 2022 modern dance piece Itcush Study, and has a long list of recording session credits. He has performed with Jeffery Straker, Colleen Brown, Major Love, Belle Plaine, Blake Berglund, Danielle Knibbe, The Marwills, Jenie Thai, David Newberry, and VISSIA.

Caitlin Coflin is a dancer, dance teacher, and Somatic Movement Educator (SME) in Regina, SK. Caitlin completed her post-secondary training in Winnipeg, MB and received her BA Honours in Dance from the University of Winnipeg in affiliation with the Professional Program of the School of Contemporary Dancers in 2010. In 2020, Caitlin completed her training to become a Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst and Somatic Practitioner (CMA-SP). Since 2010 she has been a member of the teaching staff at Youth Ballet of Saskatchewan and teaches through New Dance Horizons’ Dance Core classes. Caitlin has danced professionally with Robin Poitras' company Rouge-Gorge and with Connie Moker Wernikowski, and has been giving many opportunities to present her own work through New Dance Horizons.

Connie Moker Wernikowski holds an Honours BA in Dance from York University and an M.Ed from the University of Regina. Connie has been actively contributing to dance in this province for over 40 years. She moved to Regina in 1975 to be a company member and teacher with Regina Modern Dance Works. Her professional career, centred in Regina, has included work as an artistic director, dance teacher, dance educator, professional dancer, choreographer and mentor. Connie is a master teacher of contemporary dance technique. She has taught numerous movement and arts education classes at the University of Regina, and has mentored many young dancers who now have careers in dance. Her choreography has been shown internationally. She has developed performances for school children audiences. Connie performed as part of New Dance Horizons InTemp Company and has toured through Canada as an independent soloist. In recent years Connie has created new choreographic works annually. Connie was Artistic Director of Youth Ballet and Contemporary Dance of Saskatchewan (YBCS) from 1994 to 2009. In 2018 and 2019 Connie was a short list nominee for a Saskatchewan Arts Award for Arts and Learning. In January 2020 Connie presented Full Tilt (One) a full performance of her choreography. Connie is very grateful to have the opportunity to present Full Tilt Two April 21 and 22, 2023. A big thanks to On Cue, Dance Saskatchewan And SaskArts!

Garry Wasyliw has played keyboards in local improvisational bands, and has composed, performed and, recorded music for television. Garry has composed and performed music for dance performances, many of them being for work choreographed by Connie Moker Wernikowski. Most recently he created music and projections for her pieces, Kudro and Letter to a Galaxy. Garry has recently completed a Master of Fine Arts degree through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at the University of Regina.

I-Ying Wu is an improvisation practitioner and researcher. She completed a PhD at the University of Northampton, UK and postdoctoral research at the Improvisation Studies Centre, University of Regina. Her PhD practice-led research employed a Daoist understanding of qi to develop a system of improvisational movement. Informed by Contact Improvisation, Chinese traditional qigong and martial arts, and Daoist philosophy, I-Ying’s somatic/improvisation practice focuses on subtle awareness of the very moment when an improvisational phenomenon emerges. Since 2016, I-Ying has taken Somatic and Dance Core classes held by New Dance Horizons to learn the Itcush Method and Mitzvah Technique from Ashley Johnson and Kana Nemoto, both of whom were certified by Amelia Itcush. In 2021, I-Ying was also invited to take part in Ashley Johnson and Johanna Bundon’s research project, funded by SK Arts, on teaching and learning somatic practices that lead to dance technique. As one of the dancers in Connie Moker Wernikowski’s work, Itcush Study, performed in 2022, I-Ying trained in Itcush Into Dance with Ashley during the rehearsals sponsored by SK Arts.

Jayden Pfeifer is a theatre and improvisation artist whose practice has spanned more than 20 years. He holds a BFA (Theatre Performance, 2003) and an MFA (Interdisciplinary Studies, 2017), from the University of Regina, and teaches Improvisation for the U of R Theatre Department. Jayden is an Associate Artist for Curtain Razors Theatre, and has appeared in Curtain Razors' productions of Live Duet, Bad Blood, Carmen Angel, as well as performing regularly in Burnt Sienna with Kris Alvarez and co-creating and producing Curtain Razors’ Trespassers Waltz as part of the National Arts Centre’s ‘Grand Acts of Theatre’. Jayden directed wanisiniwin/ kwêski-pimâtisiw for Globe Theatre in 2020, and will co-direct Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion for Globe in 2023. Most recently, he co-created and performed in Untitled Peter Tripp Project with Johanna Bundon and Lee Henderson, a multidisciplinary project that is set to tour in 2023.

Photo Credit: Andrew Parry

Johanna Bundon is an independent artist whose practice includes performance, choreography, and teaching. She has been working in the field of movement arts for over 15 years. Johanna is a grad of the San Diego 4 Feldenkrais Professional Training Program (2020) and an Authorized Trainee Awareness Through Movement® teacher. She trained at Les Ateliers de Danse Moderne de Montréal (2002-2005), Globe Theatre’s Actor Conservatory (2008), and has a BA in Arts & Culture from the University of Regina (2015). As a choreographer, Johanna’s work has been presented across Western Canada through the Prairie Dance Circuit and as a part of the National Arts Centre’s Prairie Scene. Johanna is currently an artistic associate of Curtain Razors.

Photo Credit: Michael Bell

Katrina Currie (nee Wernikowski) graduated from Canada’s National Ballet School in 1997. She went on to apprentice with the National Ballet of Canada in 1997/1998. With Guillaume Cote, Katrina performed the Swan Lake Pas De Deux at Canada’s Governor General Awards in honour of Karen Kain in November 1997. After a decision to move into the world of contemporary dance, Katrina attended the School of Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers. She studied there for one year and was named an honorary graduate of their professional program in spring 1999. She also studied in Hamburg, Germany with special invitation by John Neumeier. She went on to dance with Ruth Cansfield Dance, which was a renowned Winnipeg contemporary dance company. Katrina has danced the work of several international and Canadian choreographers including John Neumeier, Rudy Van Dantzig, Brent Lott, Ruth Cansfield, Robin Poitras and Connie Moker Wernikowski. In 1999 she performed a solo by Ruth Cansfield opening the Find Festival in Montreal. Katrina now lives in Regina with her husband and four children and works as an Occupational Therapist for Prairie Valley Schools.

Krista Solheim is an independent dance artist and movement teacher based in Regina, SK. She received her early dance training at the Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan, then completed a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University in 1998.

Over the past 24 years, Krista has pursued an independent creative and performative dance practice. As choreographer, Krista has been active in developing her voice as a soloist. As performer, she has worked with a range of choreographers from across Canada.

Krista is a Level 2 Franklin Method® Educator, and STOTT PILATES® Certified Instructor. Krista has dedicated her life to research of movement in the body through dance, creation, teaching, and a range of somatic practices.

Michelle Korpan is a contemporary dance artist from Regina, Saskatchewan. She studied with Youth Ballet of Saskatchewan, was a member of the Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan from 2002 to 2012, and was a member of the school’s teaching staff between 2011 and 2020. Michelle was first introduced to Itcush Method/Mitzvah Technique and other somatic work through her dance training as a youth. She has been actively training with Itcush Method/Mitzvah Technique teachers and practitioners Ashley Johnson, Kana Nemoto, and Kathy Morgan since 2014. Michelle’s somatic practice has also included study of Fitzmaurice Voicework and Feldenkrais Method. As a performer and student Michelle has worked with many dance, performance, voice, and visual artists, and has performed in numerous dance festivals, community events, and performances throughout Saskatchewan. In recent years Michelle has performed with Robin Poitras’ Rouge-gorge company, in works by Connie Moker Wernikowski and by Caitlin Coflin, and in a collaborative project with Caitlin Coflin and Roxanne Korpan as part of New Dance Horizons’ House of Dance and Blueprint series. Michelle is also a practicing lawyer and academic enthusiast. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Regina, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Cambridge.

Roxanne Korpan (PhD, MA, BA) is a dance artist from Regina, Saskatchewan. Formerly based in Toronto, she is an artistic collaborator with Body Stories (Candice Irwin), with which she has performed in Art is Hard’s Crapshoot (Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto), the Alberta Dance Festival (Calgary), Dancefest at Nextfest (Edmonton), and Dance Matters’ Into the Fire (Toronto). With The Garage (Toronto), she has performed at Ontario Dance Weekend and studio showings. Roxanne also performed and co-choreographed the film Blade & Silk with Corynne Bisson and Raine Kearns, screened at New Blue Festival (Toronto), FORM (Vancouver), and 40 NORTH Dance Film Festival (San Diego). In Regina, Roxanne has performed with New Dance Horizons, Rouge-gorge (Robin Poitras), Regina’s Globe Theatre, the Creative City Centre’s Killjoy Club, and with choreographer Connie Moker Wernikowski. Roxanne trained at the Youth Ballet of Saskatchewan in ballet, modern, and Itcush Method and was a member of the Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan. She has trained in Fitzmaurice Voicework with Traci Foster and Mitzvah Technique and Itcush Method somatic movement with Ashley Johnson and Kana Nemoto. Roxanne holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and works as a researcher and consultant in reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Tara Dawn Solheim has performed in many contexts throughout Canada, England and Japan. Her original creations integrate poetry and melody in performance. After studying English and creative writing at the University of Saskatchewan, she spent a year in the UK and later five years living in Japan. While in Japan she performed extensively, wrote for a number of music groups, and recorded on a variety of projects. Tara Dawn continues to create new work through residencies at The Banff Centre, St. Peter’s College and Wallace Stegner House. Tara Dawn’s exploration of the physicality of the voice has led her to study practices including Fitzmaurice Voicework, Itcush Method, and the Franklin Method.

Valeria Kostenko and Yevhenii Tretiak recently arrived in Regina from Ukraine. They are co-founders of the Dance Way School, Ukraine. Both worked as a teachers, choreographers and performers with Art Fest Portal Company, Ukraine and Golden Sound Academy Of Art, Ukraine. Yevhenii holds a Masters of Choreography from Poltava National Pedagogical University. Valeria was training at Poltava National Pedagogical University but unfortunately had to suspend her studies due to the beginning of the war in Ukraine. They both are highly skilled in classical and modern dance. Yevhenii is also a folk-dance specialist. Connie is thrilled to present these two talented dancers as guest artists in Full Tilt Two.