Barriskill Studio Company

The Barriskill Studio Company is made up from invited Conservatory-level students who are interested in a more dedicated study of dance. The Company is not a competitive team, rather a pre-professional program in which students are given the opportunity to work with guest choreographers from around the country to gain real experience auditioning and performing. Company members commit to an intensive rehearsal and performance schedule in addition to their dance classes throughout the year.

The Company has performed at festivals and community events around the Triangle, recently at SPARKcon Festival, Carrboro Arts Festival, and the American Tobacco Tower Lighting.

For more information or to inquire about a choreography or performance opportunity, please contact Mari O'Donnell, company director.

2019-2020 Guest Choreographers are:

Zoe Rabinowitz

is a freelance artist and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Vermont, Zoe graduated from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts before earning her BFA in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program, with additional studies at De Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Holland and with Sali Matou Camara in Conakry, Guinea. She has performed with artists such as INSPIRIT: a dance company, JoAnna Mendl Shaw/Equus Projects, Kristina Isabelle, MBDance, The Movement Party, Nia Love/Blacksmith’s Daughter, Red Currant Collective, Sara Gurevich, Urban Bush Women, and Anne Zuerner. Zoe is a founding member and Associate Artistic Director of Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre (YSDT), a multimedia performance company based between New York and Palestine. You can find out more about her work collaborating with artists across disciplines, cultural geographies and physical borders at www.ysdt.org.

Antuan Byers

graduated cum laude from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program with departmental honors in Dance. He holds a Certificate of Fashion from the Parsons School of Design.

Antuan has been fortunate enough to dance alongside Grammy Award Winner, Erykah Badu, Tony Award Winners, Jennifer Holliday and Melba Moore, and Tony Award Nominee, Felicia P. Fields. In addition, Antuan performed as both a dancer and choreographer in the music video “Bury Me” by The Skins featuring D.R.A.M. Antuan has also cultivated brand partnerships with ASICS, Barney’s NY, Beats by Dr. Dre, Capezio, and Jaguar. Antuan performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and has also performed with the Washington National Opera Ballet in their production of “Champion,” choreographed by Sean Curran. He has been a guest artist with KEIGWIN + Co. for the Park Avenue Armory’s 2015 Gala, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for both their Lincoln Center and City Center Opening Night Gala’s, and performed the solo work “Grey” by Kyle Abraham at New York City Center. Antuan was also an original performer in Nick Cave’s “The Let Go” at the Park Avenue Armory, choreographed by Francesca Harper, featuring Nona Hendryx.Antuan is currently touring internationally with Ailey II, the second company to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Justin Tornow

is a North Carolina native currently located in Durham, NC. She is the artistic director of COMPANY, a producer of the local artist series PROMPTS, and a co-founder and co-organizer with Durham Independent Dance Artists (DIDA.) She collaborates regularly with visual artist Heather Gordon and musicians Matthew McClure and Lee Weisert on new and touring projects, and continues an international collaboration/exchange with prospect.dance.company artist, Jana Schmueck. Justin’s work has been presented by the UNC Process Series, the Sax Open Festival in Strasbourg, France, UGA-Cortona in Cortona, Italy, Triangle Dance Project, GSO Fringe Festival, DUMBO Dance Festival, CoolNY Festival, 2012 Philly Fringe, and the NC Dance Festival In 2015-2016, Justin was a guest artist for the Rainbow Dance Company and Enloe High School, and will be a guest artist at NC State University in Fall 2016. She is currently part-time dance faculty at UNC-Greensboro. Justin received an MFA in Choreography from UNC-Greensboro (2010,) lived and worked in NYC from 2010-2013, then relocated to Durham, NC in 2013.

Company Member Login