Gretchen Alterowitz (MFA) is a dance artist, scholar, and educator whose work focuses on feminist, queer, and democratic dancemaking and performance. She is published in Dance Chronicle, Conversations Across the Field of Dance Studies, Journal of Dance Education, and the Oxford Handbook on Contemporary Ballet. She has presented her choreography across the US and at the Grachtenfestival in Amsterdam. Alterowitz is Professor and Chair of Dance at UNC Charlotte.

Martha Connerton, Director of Kinetic Works is a choreographer/educator with an outstanding range of experience.  Her career has included the nations finest ballet and modern dance companies which is reflected in her work as a creative artist. She has choreographed works for ballet and modern companies, opera and musical theater including American Ballet Theatre II, Louisville Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre and New York Theatre Ballet, She received a 2018 Creative Renewal Fellowship from the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte.

Melissa McDaniel Grisham is the owner of Turning Pointe Dance Creations, a company dedicated to educating, empowering, and engaging the dance community, and she is also the co-host of Beyond the Steps, a weekly live podcast that tackles the tough issues facing the dance community. Melissa is a sought-after choreographer and adjudicator, and she travels throughout the United States setting choreography, teaching at conventions, and judging talent competitions. She combines her passion for dance and social justice by conducting workshops and creating educational resources designed to help studio owners create a more culturally responsive studio environment.

Dr. Maha Gingrich is  an exponent of Indian folk and classical dances namely Bharatha Natyam, Kuchipudi, and Kathak. She researches and choreographs each dance in their purest form. She is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, TV anchor, educator, Business, and a community leader. She is the founder of the “Dances of India” production, celebrating 19 years of success. She received many awards, including the Global Leader award, Women of Distinction award, Distinguished Rotarian award & a 50 Most Influential Women award.

Kristi Vincent Johnson, a Louisiana native, is a performer, educator, choreographer, filmmaker, and scholar. She holds an MFA in Modern Dance from Texas Christian University and a Doctorate of Education in Kinesiology from UNC Greensboro. Her creative work for both stage and film has been featured in national and international festivals. With a career in higher education spanning over two decades, she has received numerous awards for outstanding teaching and service. Currently, Kristi is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Dance at North Carolina Central University where she also serves as the Artistic Director for the Repertory Dance Company and the NCCU Flight Dance Team.

Amber Johnson is a Charlotte-based dance artist who began dancing at age seven, training in ballet, modern, and jazz. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies with minors in French and dance from UNCC. From 2004-2019, she performed classical and contemporary ballet roles with Dance Central. Amber dances professionally with local dance companies and choreographers in the Charlotte area. She has performed in several arts festivals, including Sensoria, Boom, and Fête de La Musique. She has performed internationally in Belgium, France, and Canada. Amber served on Charlotte Dance Festival’s Board as secretary and coordinated many of its youth community stages for several years. Amber received an Artist Support Grant in 2022 from the North Carolina Arts Council & the Arts & Science Council to choreograph her new work, ‘Rôles Renversés.’ She most recently agreed to be a part of the leadership team for Loose Leaves, a biannual choreographic showcase.

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Photo Credit: Alyce Johnson

Associate Professor Tamara Williams earned her MFA in Dance from Hollins University in collaboration with Frankfurt University (Germany). 

Williams' choreography has been performed nationally and internationally including Serbia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Mexico, and Brazil. In 2011, Williams created Moving Spirits, Inc., a contemporary arts organization dedicated to performing, researching, documenting, cultivating, and producing arts of the African Diaspora.

Williams’ research has been published in The Dancer-Citizen Journal and in the manuscript, Fire Under My Feet. Her book, Giving Life to Movement, was published by McFarland Press in 2021.  

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