Enid Smith (Artistic Director) is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She has been in a leadership role with EDE since 2023 but has been working with the company since 2010, creating multiple works for the senior company and also for ede2. As a performer Enid has been dancing with Khecari since 2017. She has also performed with the Merce Cunningham Repertory Understudy Group, Ivy Baldwin Dance, MAC Cosmetics, Same Planet Performance Project, Lucky Plush Productions, Jenna Pollack and others. Enid has been teaching at Dance Center Evanston since 2008 and has also worked with students at The Rooted Space, Dovetail Studios, New Trier High School, Arlington Dance Academy, Wisconsin Dance Masters, and Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. When she's not dancing you can find her selling vegetables at your local farmers' market. 

Olivia Lemmenes | she/her/hers | (Assistant to the Director) is a professional choreographer, dancer, and educator currently located in Chicago, IL. She trained at Dance Center Evanston for 15 years, then continued her dance training at Western Michigan University – where she graduated with a BFA in Dance. After graduating, Olivia taught at Ann Arbor Dance Classics, teaching numerous dance styles and ages, and choreographing for their youth company. Olivia also taught pre-professional and professional guest classes throughout the state of Michigan. Her classes ranged from contemporary modern to jazz and heels classes. Since moving back to Chicago, Olivia teaches at The Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet, Dance Center Evanston, and is the Assistant Director of ede2. As a freelance choreographer, Olivia has been commissioned to choreograph for youth, pre-professional, and professional dance companies, such as Michigan State University’s Orchesis Dance Company, Dance Uprising, and Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble.  Olivia is also a dance artist with the AAPI performance collaborative, IS/LAND, and has performed their work in Ann Arbor, Chicago and San Francisco.

Jason Brickman (Projection design) is a visual designer, dance artist, and technologist based in Chicago, IL. For the past year, Brickman has been working to help choreographers bring their digital ideas to life on stage. Brickman received his BFA in dance and technology from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He is the inventor of multiple dance instruments including The MIXMASTER 9000 and choreography software by the name of MoveMind. Brickman is also an entrepreneur. His latest business helps matriarchs and patriarchs pass on their legacy to future generations in an easy and meaningful way.

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Image/Video Credit: NASA, NIH-NIAID, Pixabay, Unsplash, Vecteezy, et. al.

Ryan Galloway (choreographer), originally from New Richmond, Indiana, began his training at Dance By Deborah in Crawfordsville. He is a 2015 graduate of Indiana University, where he received a B.S. in Kinesiology with a focus in Contemporary Dance. While at IU, he won the Provost’s Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, and performed works by esteemed guest choreographers such as Paul Taylor, David Parsons, Larry Keigwin, and Ishan Rustem. Upon graduation, Ryan began dancing professionally with Giordano Dance Chicago where he just recently concluded his 9th season. With GDC, he had the privilege of touring around the country and the world, performing renowned works by Roni Koresh, Ray Leeper, Peter Chu, and Al Blackstone, and choreographing on Giordano II. Ryan is currently dancing for Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis in his 1st season with the company.

David Goodman-Edberg (Lighting Designer, he/him) is delighted to be returning to work with EDE after lighting American Portrait and Silver Lining in years past. David has lit new works by such choreographers as Shannon Alvis, Hope Boykin, Marc Brew, Norbert De La Cruz III, Laurie Eisenhower, Nicolo Fonte, Monique Haley, Kristina Isabelle, Noelle Kayser, Erin Kilmurray, Eddy Ocampo, Kevin O’Day, Marco Palomino, Joshua Peugh, Stephanie Pizzo, Nick Pupillo, Wilfredo Rivera, Wade Schaaf, Marlene Skog, Jacqueline Stewart, Micaela Taylor, Jessica Miller Tomlinson, Tess Voelker, Maleek Washington, and Edgar Zendejas. He most recently lit LEVELdance’s new show The Red Door and Joffrey Ballet Grainger Academy’s Winning Works. He has been a longstanding collaborator with Eisenhower Dance Detroit, serving as lighting director for the company since 2018, and also works in the realms of theatrical, operatic, and themed lighting design. dglxdesign.com

Ben Argenta Kress (Costume Designer) is a Chicago-based Costume Designer and Visual Artist. Recent select design credits include: Distrikt of Lake Michigun with Stage Left Theatre, The Audience at Drury Lane (co-designer), The Love Object with The Story Theatre, The Hero Within at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; The Prom, The Tempest, and Sweat at Northwestern University; Endgame and Antigone at Baltimore Center Stage; Everything is Wonderful at Everyman Theatre; Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill and Technicolor Life at Rep Stage. Ben graduated with a BFA in psychology and theater from Kenyon College and an MFA in stage design from Northwestern University.

Eme Ospina-López (they/él) - Projection Designer. Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Eme (they/él) is a shapeshifting storyteller and artivist, now growing and nurturing strong community roots in Chicago.

As a designer for live arts and new works, they are dedicated to stories that defy erasure, engaging the truth within us that our priorities and responsibilities today must be in service to the making of liberated futures. Eme moves with the conviction that as collaborators, co-creators, conspirators of visions and of collective rituals, we are imbuing how deeply connected our struggles and freedoms are to one another's, and illuminating how critically our dreams rely on learning to disarm what destroys us and rebuild together. They are grateful and delighted to be sharing their craft with EDE’s curious artists and audiences.

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​Image/Video Credit: NASA, NIH-NIAID, Pixabay, Unsplash, Vecteezy, et. al.

Béa Rashid (Choreographer) is a graduate of Northwestern University with a concentration in theater and dance. She has choreographed for many professional theater companies including the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Opera Theatre and Music Theatre Works. In 1994, Béa opened Dance Center Evanston (DCE), and in 1997 founded the Evanston Dance Ensemble (EDE). Béa has several collaborations with composer Steve Rashid, including EDE productions of 2001: A Dance Odyssey, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2016, Béa and Steve opened Studio5, a professional performing venue for music, dance and theater. In the Summer of 2026, Béa will direct a production of Through the Looking Glass, and what Alice Found There as part of DCE’s Summer Company Intensive. Béa has been recognized with the Evanston Mayor’s Award for the Arts (DCE) and the Nonprofit/Public Service Award from the Evanston Chamber of Commerce (EDE). Béa holds the Diploma Certificate in the Cecchetti Method of Ballet and serves on the Board of the Evanston Dance Ensemble.

Steve Rashid is a two-time Emmy Award winning composer, a music producer and recording engineer. He has created music for television, film, dance and theater, and has recorded/produced hundreds of recordings for artists in various styles, including his own releases. He is the creator/host of Chicago Jazz Live, a syndicated radio program in its tenth year, airing locally on WDCB (90.9FM) Tuesday evenings at 7:00. Steve and his wife, Béa Rashid, are the artistic directors of Studio5 where they present a continuing series of music, dance and theater productions. One of the great joys of Steve’s professional career has been composing scores for the Evanston Dance Ensemble, having the opportunity to watch his music be physicalized by the exceptionally talented and inspiring EDE dancers.

Sophia Santore (Choreographer) Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Sophia’s main set of hip hop training began at the age of 13, when she joined Boom Box! Dance Company, a competitive pre-professional teen company led by founder and artistic director, Trae Turner. It was during her time on the company where she extensively studied all of the foundational styles of hip hop, including krumping, popping, wacking/voguing, tutting, dancehall, house movement, and served as co-captain throughout the company’s most successful seasons to date. Sophia is currently a member and choreographer for BOOM CRACK! Dance Company and their award winning family of professional hip hop companies that perform and compete internationally. She teaches beginner, intermediate, and advanced level hip hop classes, intensives, and workshops within various studios residing in the Chicagoland area, and is currently working as an assistant artistic hip hop director alongside Alex Fetbroth and Rebecca Rosenberg at Steps Dance Studio.”

Sophia Vangelatos is a Chicago-based dance artist, choreographer, and educator. Her work has been presented internationally, including at New Dances in collaboration with DanceWorks Chicago, RADfest, and additional festivals in California and Italy. She has performed in various works by esteemed artists such as Lar Lubovitch, Jan Bartoszek, Natasha Adorlee, Noelle Kayser, Kia S. Smith, Loretta Livingston, Tong Wang, Lisa Naugle, Chad Michael Hall, and Ron de Jesús. Sophia was a Parsons Dance Company virtual apprentice and a main company member with South Chicago Dance Theatre. Currently, Sophia is in her second season as a company artist with Hedwig Dances.

Sophia holds degrees in Dance Performance, Dance Choreography, and Business Economics from the University of California, Irvine. In addition to performing and creating, she is a dedicated educator, teaching various dance styles to students of all ages and serving as the Company Director of North Shore Elite Talent Company in Glenview, Illinois.

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Laura Wade (Choreographer) has taught company ballet class for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, River North Dance Chicago, and others. She is currently on faculty at Visceral Dance Center.  She has taught at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, Ruth Page Center, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, Essex Dance Theatre (England), MoMing Dance and Arts Center and many others.

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As a performer, she danced the Coffee duet and Cantiniere Doll in Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker, at Arie Crown Theatre, under the direction of Larry Long; and performed both ballet and modern works with David Dorfman, Scott Putman, The Moose Project, Ballet Espanol of Louisville, Robin Lakes/Rough Dance, Ballet Chicago, and Ballet Theatre of Chicago. 

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Ms Wade was the Artistic Director of AKASHA Dance Company for 9 years. The company commissioned original works from leading artists- Claire Bataille (Hubbard Street), Martin Kravitz (Batsheva), Austin Hartel (Pilobolus), Ginger Farley (Hubbard Street), Poonie Dodson and many others. Through Urban Gateways, the company performed and taught for over 100,000 students throughout the Midwest. 

Growing up in Toledo, OH, she began her training with Velta Cernonok. As a member of the Toledo Ballet, under the direction of Marie Vogt, she danced many featured roles in ballets including Les Patineurs, Old King Cole, and The Nutcracker. 

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Her training continued at Indiana University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education and performed works by Nicolas Beriosov, Marina Svetlova, Colin Russell, Anton Dolin, and Anna Paskevska. Other important influences have been Warren Conover, Nana Shineflug, Dan Wagoner, Maya Plisetskaya, Patricia Neary, and Bella Lewitzky.​​​​

Theo Wampuszyc (They/He) -- Assistant Stage Manager
Theo is a local queer theatre artist who made the switch from acting to directing and production shortly after making the switch from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois. Over the past several years, Theo has had the pleasure to work with a wide array of local theater companies including Raven Theatre, Rivendell Theatre, About Face Theatre, Bring Your Own Theater, Gender F* Productions, the American Music Theatre Project at NU, and more. Still passionate about performance, Theo indulges their dramatic side by performing as their drag persona "the Transjester" and by spending summers working as a beloved minor league baseball mascot.

Eduardo Zambrana (MFA in Choreography and Performance, University of Arizona), is a dancer, choreographer and educator from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. In 2020, Eduardo was awarded the Creative Achievement Award for his exceptional talent, creativity, and innovative artistry, and in 2021, he received 1st place at the Red Rock ScreenDance Film Festival for his work It’s Made of Thoughts. Eduardo was one of six Chicago-based choreographers selected to create an original work for New Dances 2023, where he had the opportunity to collaborate closely with Julie Nakagawa and Melissa Thodos, of DanceWorks Chicago and Thodos Dance Chicago, respectively. His choreographic commissions include works for non-traditional spaces, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West historical landmark in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Florence Dance on Screen in Florence, Italy. Eduardo joined Giordano Dance Chicago in 2022, and has toured to several cities across the country, performing repertoire by Al Blackstone, Autumn Eckman, Randy Duncan, Kiesha Lalama, Ray Mercer, Jon Lehrer, Christopher Huggins, Ronen Koresh, and Ray Leeper. Through his perseverance and dedication as an educator, he holds the distinction of being the only Bolivian worldwide certified at the Professional Level of the Nan Giordano Certification Program® and is committed to fostering growth in GDC’s outreach program, Jazz Dance/Science & Health, in Chicago Public Schools. Eduardo is honored to be part of the Chicago community and strives to continue making significant contributions to the field of dance for years to come.

Olivia Zapater-Charrette | she/her/hers | Stage Manager. Recent credits include Circus Quixote, Villette (Lookingglass), An Act of God (Paramount), LUCHA TEOTL, The Matchbox Magic Flute, English (Goodman), Sherwood, Steel Magnolias, El Guayabo (Creede Repertory). She graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Psychology and completed the Theatre Management Module. She is incredibly grateful to her family for their support.