The Company

Collette Stewart in "Of Momentous Order"
( Photograph by Del Brown)

Artists

Li Chiao-Ping
Douglas Rosenberg

Dancers

Robin Baartman
Anneliese Charek
Mariah Meyer LeFeber
Barbi Powers
Megan Thompson
Rachel Krinsky

Li Chiao-Ping (Artistic Director/Choreographer) was named by Dance Magazine as one of the 25 “we’ll be watching in 2001 and for years to come!” A native of San Francisco, she has toured extensively as a solo artist with her evening-length works YELLOW RIVER, ENTOMBED WARRIOR, and a concert of six solos titled THE MEN’S PROJECT. She formed LI CHIAO-PING DANCE in 1990 and co-directs DZIGA VERTOV PERFORMANCE GROUP with Douglas Rosenberg. Her collaborations with Douglas Rosenberg include dance films such as YELLOW RIVER (HWANG HO), DE L’EAU, and PERIPHERY and evening-length multimedia works such as ODYSSEY and VENOUS FLOW: STATES OF GRACE. Her work has been presented and screened throughout North and South America, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, and Toronto, as well as at festivals such as Jacob’s Pillow, Bates Dance Festival, The Yard, the International Festival of Video and Dance in Argentina, and the American Dance Festival. Ms. Li has received numerous awards, grants, and honors, including grants from the NEA and choreographic fellowships from the Wisconsin Arts Board and Scripps/ADF Humphrey-Weidman-Limon. She was invited to be the American representative in ADF’s International Choreographers Program and was recently nominated for a prestigious Cal Arts/Alpert Award in Dance. Ms. Li has served as a grants panelist for both the Philadelphia Dance Alliance and the Illinois Arts Council as well as an adjudicator for the American College Dance Festival (ACDFA). Her work has been commissioned by university dance programs, dance companies and independent artists.

Douglas Rosenberg (Visual Artist) is an interdisciplinary artist working in video, installation and performance, whose work has been shown both in the United States and internationally in museums, galleries, and festivals. He is well known for his collaborations with Molissa Fenley, Sean Curran, Joe Goode, and Li Chiao-Ping. Recent honors include fellowships from, the Project on Death in America, funded by the Soros Foundation, the Wisconsin Arts Board (Fellowship in Performance) and was awarded an Isadora Duncan Dance Award (IZZIE) by the Bay Area Dance Coalition for his work with Ellen Bromberg on Singing Myself A Lullaby. His work has been funded by the NEA, the Zellerbach Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. His numerous residencies include: The Institute for Studies in The Arts, and the International Festival of Video Dance in Buenos Aires, Argentina and recently STARLAB Institute, Brussels and the Video Danza Mostra, Barcelona. Recent shows include, Video Festival Riccionne Teatro Televisione, Riccione, Italy, The Contemporary Art Museum in Buenos Aires, Dance on Camera Festival, NY, Mostra de Vídeo Dansa de Barcelona, Spain and Moving Pictures Festival of Video Dance, Toronto. His video dance work was recently screened at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. He is the recipient of the Phelan Award in Video and was recently nominated for an Emmy Award.

Robin Baartman (Dancer) began her dance training under the instruction of Charlotte Wendel of Southwest School of Dance, Marshall, MN. With this studio, Robin toured the Baltic States and performed her international debut at Red October Hall, Moscow. Continuing her education in dance, she had the pleasure of working with Julie Kerr-Berry, Maggie Desenberg, Sherone Price, Jin-Wen Yu, Li Chiao-Ping, Ed Groff, Pat Catterson, Sean Curran, and others. After obtaining a B.S. in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Robin continued her second season with the Nora.New.Dance.Company. Shortly thereafter, she began performing with Li Chiao-Ping Dance. She is currently pursuing her Pilates certification and is an adjunct instructor for the UW-Division of Continuing Studies. Robin would like to thank her husband for his love and endless support.

Anneliese Charek (Dancer) has been studying and performing dance for the past 15 years in her hometown of Los Angeles. She received a B.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts, where she majored in dance and choreography, and worked in costuming for dance as well as dance on camera. She was influenced by great teachers such as; Glenn Eddy, Colin Connor, Francesca Penzani, David Burns, Fontella Boone and Ed Groff. She is delighted to be a part of the Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company, as her first professional dance experience. She would also like to thank her family, mentors and friends for their support in her artistic endeavors.

Mariah Meyer LeFeber (Apprentice) grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. She earned her bachelor of arts in dance and psychology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she had the honor of training with and dancing for a group of highly esteemed faculty members and guest artists. She performed for four years with the University Dance Theatre, and was proud to represent the University of Minnesota as a gala performer at the 2004 National American College Dance Festival. For the past two years, Mariah has been busy earning a master of arts in dance/movement therapy & counseling from Columbia College Chicago. Mariah currently works at Common Threads Family Resource Center in Madison. She is thrilled to be back in the studio and dancing with Li Chiao-Ping Dance.

Barbi Powers (Dancer) started dancing at Milwaukee Ballet where she had her first performing experiences in the Nutcracker and various other ballets. Her training continued at North Carolina School of the Arts where she received a high school diploma for modern dance. Furthering her studies she moved to New York City and went to New York Universities Tisch School of the Arts where she received a scholarship. Barbi has danced with Betty Solomon of Dance Circus, Milwaukee Public Theatre, Danceworks urban rhythm project - Fuel and Perple Rain, a Prince tribute band.

Megan Thompson (Dancer) holds a BS degree in Dance and English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in Dance from the University of Maryland. She has also studied dance at the Gus Giordano Dance Studio, the Lou Conte Dance Studio, the American Dance Festival and the Laban Centre in London. Over the years, Megan has been a member of the nora.new.dance.company, the Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company, and the Maida Withers Dance Construction Company. In addition to performing, Megan has taught Pilates and Dance at numerous festivals both nationally and internationally and has been a member of the Dance faculty at the University of Maryland. Megan welcomes the chance to work with the Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company again.

Rachel Krinsky (Apprentice) studied dance at the Wisconsin School of Ballet in the 1970s and 80s and was a member of Jazzworks in 1984-5 before leaving dance for other pursuits. In the spring of 2006, she danced in Li Chiao-ping's community piece "Arrivals", tracing the personal histories of six Jewish women. Having rediscovered her passion for dance, she is delighted to join the Li Chiao-Ping Dance Company as an apprentice. Rachel is the Executive Director of Interfaith Hospitality Network of the Madison Area, a non-profit providing shelter and housing to homeless families. She thanks her husband, Scott Titus, and children Kenna (11) and Nathan (6) for their encouragement and excitement over her return to dance.

return to the top