Enid Smith (Artistic Director, she/her) 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 Pearse-Pollack and others. She 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. She likes to sing sad country songs while she’s driving.

Macala Bartucci (Assistant to the Director, she/her) is a dedicated, passionate, and ever-evolving dance artist. Originating from the Chicagoland area, Macala began her early dance training at the Dance and Music Academy under the direction of Krissie Odegard Geye and Carrie Patterson, and most recently, graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. During her time at CSU, Macala had the great opportunity to work with many esteemed individuals, including guest artist André Megerdichian, and faculty members Judy Bejarano, Chung-Fu Chang, Grace Gallagher, and Madeline Jazz Harvey. Outside of her involvement with the CSU dance program, from 2021-2024, Macala was also a member of Trifecta Dance Collective’s second company, TDC2. Continuing her professional endeavors, Macala has had the privilege to work on multiple projects with gracegallagherdance, a collective that aims to make dance accessible, unite communities, and empower emerging artists. 

Béa Rashid (choreographer, founding director) 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.​

Ro Goodman (choreographer, they/them) is a dancer and choreographer from Evanston, where they trained since they were young. They were a member of both ede2 and EDE and later attended Point Park University in Pittsburgh, where they performed in various student choreographed pieces. Ro also spent a term at London Contemporary Dance School, where they had the opportunity to work with choreographer Eva Recacha and later perform The Picnic at Sadlers Wells. They have presented original choreography at Point Park University and The Space Upstairs. Ro loves improvisation, floorwork and choreography. When not dancing, they love to travel, create short films, and enjoy good coffee. 

Jenna Pearse-Pollack (Rehearsal Assistant, she/her) is a dance artist, urban planner, researcher, educator, and cultural organizer. She has performed and been commissioned by both dance and theater projects throughout North America, Spain, and Germany in spaces like the Chicago Cultural Center, Metropolitan Opera, Scottish Dance Theatre, and Bridge Repertory Theater. Beyond the stage, she was a Principal Dancer in the 2019 film 'Little Women', featured in a music video for Arcade Fire's Will Butler, and in Pantone's 'Make it Brilliant' Color of the Year campaign. Between 2017 - 2021 she was an Assistant Professor of Dance at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Salem State University. jennapollack.com

Kaleigh Dent (choreographer, she/her) is a Chicago-based dance artist, choreographer, and dance educator. She has danced for companies such as Joel Hall Dancers, Still Inspired, LOUD BODIES, and Identity Performing Arts, where she was a Company Member and Rehearsal Director for five seasons. She is currently a member of The Trüp and Fantasy Dance Team, where her most recent performances include World of Dance Chicago and URBANITE Urbana-Champaign. As a second-year Master of Fine Arts in Dance candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she researches the synthesis of contemporary and hip-hop dance techniques. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and works in administrative roles for several dance organizations in the Chicagoland area.

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.

Tori Isaac (choreographer, she/her) is a Chicago-based dancer, dance educator, and sociologist. She began cultivating her dance training under the mentorship of Yesenia Valverde in Southern California. Relocating to the Midwest, she continued under the mentorship of Cait Jones in Oak Park, Illinois before pursuing dance collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Sociology. Tori has performed throughout the country and has worked under the choreographic direction of artists including Jade Charon, Bernard Brown, Debra Lowen, Nico Rubio, Star Dixon, and Martin “Tre” Dumas. She has presented choreographic work at festivals including ReVibe, the Restore Arts Festival, and Rhythmworks. She continues to perform throughout the Chicago area and has done so with 333, a tap dance company led by Nico Rubio, and the Chicago Tap All-Stars. Tori is currently completing her PhD in Sociology at the University of Illinois Chicago and continues to teach dance throughout Chicagoland.

Steve Rashid (harmonica/sound engineer) is an Emmy winning composer, a performer, producer and recording engineer. He holds a B.A. in Music and Philosophy from Ripon College and a Masters Degree in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He has composed and performed in many musical contexts and styles throughout his career. He was a 2004 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Ripon College. Steve is the co-founder (with his wife, Béa Rashid) and artistic director of Studio5, a performing arts venue in Evanston presenting professional dance and music events, as well as occasional spoken word and film.

Julie Cartier (choreographer) is an artistic director, choreographer, performer, teacher, and dance fanatic who has dedicated her entire life to all things dance. Julie first came to Chicago via the concert dance scene and has been lucky enough to perform with some of Chicago’s finest companies including Chi-town Jazz Dance, The Lynda Martha Company, River North Dance Company and has also dabbled in musical theater and trade shows. Julie was a founding member of Especially Tap Chicago, one of the city’s oldest and most successful tap ensembles. She took the reins of leadership for the group which then morphed into The Cartier Collective, giving Julie the opportunity to present her own work through rhythm and movement.
Julie has received artistic achievement awards from both The Chicago Human Rhythm Project & CNADM. She has choreographed for Celebrity Cruise Lines and even performed on The Today Show! She continues to create work for many small companies throughout the US in both tap & jazz. Julie now devotes most of her time to working with the next generation of dancers. Over the last thirty years she has been on faculty at some of the finest studios in the Chicagoland area including Gus Giordano Dance Studio, Lou Conte Dance Studio, The Joffrey Ballet School, Barat College, Dance Center Evanston, and Dancenter North of Libertyville where she started Sole-2-Soles Youth Tap Company. 

Olivia Zapater-Charrette (Stage Manager, she/her) Recent credits include Iraq, But Funny, 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.

Finnegan Chu (Costume Design, she/they) is a Chicago based costume and wig designer and technician. Costume design credits include The Spongebob Musical (Dominican University), Seagulls (Oak Park Festival), Queen (Summit Indy), National High School Institute “Cherubs” Program at Northwestern University. Other credits include associate design on The Lehman Trilogy (Timeline) The Chinese Lady (Timeline), and Port of Entry (Albany Park Theater Project). They are currently the Costume Shop Supervisor at Roosevelt University, and Wardrobe Supervisor with the Madison Ballet. finneganchudesign.com

Robert Rashid (drums) is a Chicago based drummer and music producer.  He’s performed all over the country, but in Chicago performs with various artists at venues such as Navy Pier, Salt Shed, and Chop Shop. He is a resident Drummer at the nightclubs Bandit and The Vig where he performs alongside Chicago’s top DJs via his agency Treblemonsters every weekend.  He composes and records original music with his rock band Headwave, which has released a full length record via streaming services and on vinyl. Rock on indeed!

EDE Rocks

Ramble On