About the Artists

Susan Haines has performed with companies in Colorado, New York, London, North Carolina, Washington and Virginia, performed with independent choreographers Gerri Houlihan, KT Niehoff, B.J. Sullivan, as well as collaborative performance and choreography with Brad Parquette and Crimson Coast Dance. She has studied at The Place; London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Middlesex Performing Arts, and Dock 11 and Tanz im August in Berlin, and is a Certified Comprehensive Pilates instructor through BBU and has presented her dance conditioning workshops around the country.

Her choreography has been presented at the Center for Performance Research in Brooklyn, Open Flight Studios in Seattle, ACDF, Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival in collaboration with composer Bruce Hamilton and Seattle composer J.C. Combs, commissioned by the NC Dance Project and NC Dance Festival, Highlands Arts Council, the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, Labor Force Dances (NY), the Power Company in residence at Columbia College (SC), Dance Gallery, and Bellingham Repertory Dance. Her dance film, Syntax of Things was selected by jury for the 2009 Dance for the Camera Festival in Salt Lake City as part of the “Next Generation of Filmmakers Screening” and shown at the American College Dance Festival, and as part of the WA State Arts Crush "Evening of Dance Film" at the Tacoma Museum of Glass.

She has an MFA in Choreography from UNC-Greensboro and currently teaches in the Dance Department of Western Washington University. She has worked with the Trisha Brown Dance Company to present "Glacial Decoy Redux" and with the Martha Graham Dance Company to present "Steps in the Street" on WWU Dancers through two NEA grants and most recently served as rehearsal director for a restaging of Liz Gerring's "she dreams in code" at Western Washington University.

About the Company

Carol Kyles Finley serves as director of dance and artistic director of Meredith Dance Theatre. Her works for stage have been performed in many local venues and at North Carolina State University, The Ohio State University, the North Carolina Dance Festival tour, Third Avenue Performance Space in Columbus, the ACDFA Mid-Atlantic Regional Festival, Southeast Regional Festival and the National Festival in Washington, DC.

Her videodance works have been screened at Toronto's Moving Pictures Festival of Dance on Film, the New York Dance Films Association Festival and Tour, Festival Riccione in Italy, Wexner Center for the Arts, Goose Route Festival, and ODC Theatre in San Francisco.

She has served as guest artist at local middle and high schools, on the board of directors of the North Carolina Dance Alliance, and is currently a member of the Advisory Board for NCDA.

In spring 2005 she received a Harry and Marion Eberly Faculty Development Award and in fall 2005 she was recognized by NCAAHPERD as the D.A.N.C.E. College Dance Educator of the Year.

She holds an MFA in Dance from the Ohio State University.

Talani Torres A native of Miami, Florida, Torres was founder and artistic director of Miami Children’s Dance Ensemble, and co-founder of the Dance Space Miami. She earned her masters degree in fine arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2006, and her bachelor of arts in Psychology from Florida International University. In 2007 she was the recipient of the North Carolina Dance Alliance Choreography Fellowship.

Torres draws from life experiences, her interest in digital arts and technology, and physical impulse, to create work that is fresh, visual and physical. Her work has been described as:

“Athletic, graceful and funky...featuring lovely off-center solo work.” (Anada S. Arnold, Spoleto Today)

In addition to her independent choreography, Torres is also a sought after guest artist in studio and university settings. Torres has guest taught/choreographed for the Meredith College Theatre program, New World School of the Arts, KIDVISION, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Peace College, and Danza Iluciones in Managua, Nicaragua.

Talani’s concert work has been performed at Cornucopia of the Arts Miami, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Teatro Nacional Ruben Dario-Managua, Nicaragua, Florida International University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Meredith College, Peace College, the North Carolina Dance Festival 2007-08 tour, and North Carolina Dances.

Torres danced professionally with Mia Michaels’ Miami Movement Dance Company. Her assorted commercial credits include Sabado Gigante, TV commercials and a Gloria Estefan music video.

Talani Torres was on faculty at Meredith College from 2006-2010, where she was artistic advisor of the Meredith College Jazz and Tap Company, and earned an Access Award for her commitment to students with disabilities.

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