Event Information:

• DANCERS

  Andrea Ligon - Artistic Director (dancer/choreographer) earned an A.A. in Dance from Montgomery College and her B.A. in English from the University of Maryland. She has studied ballet, modern, tap, jazz, African and other techniques for over 26 years. Ligon also attended the American Dance Festival (ADF) at Duke University and studied with many artists including Chuck Davis, Donna Birchfield and David Dorfman. She has studied choreography at Duke University and under Vladamir Angelov in D.C. Ligon has been an adjunct professor of dance at Montgomery College and choreographed for the Montgomery College Dance Company. She choreographed the musicals: A Year with Frog and Toad, Kiss me Kate and Anthems at Montgomery College. Her work has been seen on stage in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and at the new choreographer's showcase at Joy of Motion in Washington D.C. Currently she is performing for Jane Franklin Dance in Arlington, VA.

  Kimberly Moore Dow - Vice President/Marketing Director (dancer/choreographer) is a co-founder of Equinox Dance Company and served as the Artistic Director for the first five years of the company's inception. First trained in Cechetti ballet and pointe, Kim discovered her love of modern dance while at college. She graduated summa cum laude from Salisbury State University with a B.A. in Art/Graphic Design and a minor in Dance. She danced in the SSU Dance Company throughout college, under the direction of Victoria Hutchinson, where she choreographed for the student showcase and served on the executive board. While at Salisbury, Kim was awarded the National Outstanding Dance Minor by the National Dance Association, and a Student Leadership Award for her contribution to the SSU Dance Company. Prior to becoming artistic director of EDC, Kim performed and choreographed with TAWA Dance Company, under the direction of Mary Tawa. She is the owner and principal of Kalico Design, a graphic design firm in the Frederick region.

  Stephanie Peters - Treasurer (dancer) Stephanie began dancing at the age of 8 at Bettie Jane’s Studio of Dance Art, and continued dancing throughout her school years. At Salisbury State University, under the direction of Victoria Hutchinson, she added modern dance to her repertoire of tap, jazz, and ballet, and fell in LOVE. Stephanie earned degrees in biology and environmental science from Salisbury and UMES, and recently completed a masters in environmental science from Johns Hopkins University. She currently works at the Maryland Environmental Service. Stephanie has danced with a number of dance companies throughout the region, and is happy to be dancing with EDC again this year.

   

  Dancers

  Emily Conner (dancer)This is Emily's third season dancing with Equinox, and she is thrilled to be surrounded by art and honored to dance with such strong, amazing women. Emily studied jazz, pointe and the Cecchetti method of ballet from the age of 3 at the YMCA School of Dance, where she also served as a youth company member. Due to a busy schedule, she took a hiatus from dance after graduating high school but is excited to be exploring movement again with Equinox Dance Company. As an art advocate, Emily enjoys bringing the arts to the community through the work of the company and getting youth dancers involved. Emily graduated from Shepherd University with a Bachelor's of Art Education, and is an elementary art teacher in Washington County, MD.

  Bria Jahrling (dancer) This is Bria's first season dancing with Equinox, though dance has been a part of her life since she was 4 years old. Growing up taking classes of every genre at the Mid-Maryland Performing Arts Center, Bria never questioned what she wanted to do with her life. She started as a Dance major at James Madison University in 2007, where she was given the opportunity to work with esteemed choreographers Meisha Bosma, Vincent Thomas, Daniel Burkholder, and more. While at JMU, Bria also taught tap classes at In Motion Studio of Dance and worked in the fitness rooms of JMU's gym. She graduated cum laude in 2011 and started dancing with DanceAntonini in DC and working as a tap teacher at Project C Studios in Westminster, MD. Bria currently holds certifications in AFAA Group Exercise, Zumba, Zumba Toning, Zumba Kids, Zumba Kids Jr, and Zumba Pro Skills. She now teaches various dance classes at Project C and Elite Feet, Zumba at 24/7, and fitness classes for Frederick County Parks & Rec. She is studying Performing Arts Medicine at Shenandoah University, a graduate program focused on injury treatment and prevention for the performing arts population. Bria loves to share dance and movement with as many people as possible, and is looking forward to her first season with Equinox!

  Kapo Leung (dancer) This is Kapo’s first season dancing with Equinox. She began dancing at a young age studying ballet, jazz, and hip hop and then took a break until in college where she was able to reconnect with dance and perform in various modern and jazz pieces with different clubs and organizations. Kapo graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Chemistry from Virginia Tech in 2009 and a M.S. in Pharmacology & Toxicology in 2011 from Virginia Commonwealth University. After moving to Frederick, she is excited to continue dancing with Equinox and be apart of such a talented company and group of dancers.

  Cassandra Marshall (dancer) Casey joined Equinox Dance Company during the 2013-2014 season. Cassandra began dancing at the age of 12 at the Dawn Crafton Dance Center, and continued dancing lyrical, tap, jazz, hip hop, and ballet throughout her school years. At St. Mary's College of Maryland, Cassandra was elected Vice President of the school dance company, and got the opportunity to start choreographing numbers for bi-annual recitals. Cassandra earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology, and later taught ballroom dance to help pay for her Masters in Social Work. Cassandra currently works as a psychotherapist at a local private practice in the Frederick area. Cassandra has danced on and off since college, but is thrilled to be a part of Equinox this season!

  Jennifer Smith (dancer) joined Equinox during the 2007-2008 season. She began dancing at the age of four, taking ballet classes at the Northern Virginia school of Christina Heimlich, and then took up tap dancing at Linda's Academy of Dance. It was at Linda's Academy that Jennifer met Jacqui Quin, with whom she would continue dancing at various studios, competing in many national competitions until graduating high school and attending James Madison University. While studying art history, Jennifer was able to take a few modern dance classes, she also continued modern classes with Lois Welk in Corning, New York after graduation. After moving to the Frederick area in 2001, Jennifer did not dance again until joining Equinox. In that period of time she attended culinary school and worked as a pastry chef. Jennifer is currently the Collections and Exhibitions Manager at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland.