Company Performers

  • Dancer

    Currently residing in Los Angeles, Emma Sutherland was born in Frisco, Texas and trained extensively in various forms from a young age and eventually attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas. She performed various repertory from artists, including Aszure Barton, Lar Lubovitch, Loni Landon, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. In 2019, Emma was named a YoungArts winner in modern dance and Presidential Scholar in the Arts. These experiences allowed her to collaborate and perform with musicians, visual artists, and filmmakers. They were influential in Emma’s decision to attend the prestigious Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California and receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. At USC Kaufman, Emma continued her multidisciplinary training, focusing on concert, contemporary, and commercial dance styles. Additionally, she received a minor from the USC School of Cinematic Arts to explore the collaboration of dance, film, and multimedia art. While at USC Kaufman and post-graduation (2023), she has performed works by Merce Cunningham, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Justin Peck, Peter Chu, Yin Yue, Micaela Taylor and William Forsythe, among others.

    Emma is passionate about performance and film and how the incorporation of other mediums into dance enhances the experiences of both artists and audiences.

    Emma hopes to pursue a career performing in a professional company, working with a variety of artists, choreographers, and repertory. She plans to apply her interdisciplinary interests in dance and cinematic arts as well as other mediums to continue researching and exploring dance through a broader lens.

  • Dancer

    Bethany Violett is a dancer and choreographer who was born and raised in Parker, Colorado, where she began dancing at the age of three. She then attended Chapman University, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Leadership Studies. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, where she is pursuing a career in the commercial and concert industries. Some of her recent credits include the M3GAN world premier and press tour, as well as dancing as Wednesday Addams for Netflix's FYSEE events. She also joined the Independent Collective Artists of Los Angeles, where she danced in numerous shows depicting the struggles of the Iranian people against oppression and dictatorship. Bethany is thrilled to continue growing her artistry with MashUp Contemporary Dance Company and aims to help develop a strong community centered around the love of dance.

  • Dancer

    Jess Wicke was born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA. She is a working dancer currently based in Los Angeles, CA. Jess has participated in the inaugural classes of the 2021-22 CLI Conservatory (East Hampton, MA) and the 2023 Genesis Studios Professional Program (Los Angeles), where she has trained under dozens of choreographers in almost every style of dance. During her time at CLI, she performed in numerous video projects and live shows. Jess is currently a member of the MashUp Contemporary Dance Company where she performs in various on screen and live performances.

  • Dancer

    Dance chose Kellie at a very young age, discovering herself continuously through the art. She found her purpose in life without question or hesitation. Kellie attended the CLI Conservatory in 2021 to further develop her craft as an artist. Dance makes her feel infinite and empowered, and she hopes to bring others close to that feeling when experiencing her work from any and every angle.

  • Dancer

    Marirosa Crawford is a Miami native and Los Angeles based movement artist. She began her dance training at a local studio in Miami and went on to focus on her craft more extensively at New World School of the Arts. Crawford studied both Dance and Literature for undergraduate degrees at SUNY Purchase. At Purchase, Marirosa worked with Doug Varone and Marcus Jarell Willis, and performed works by Martha Graham and Jose Limon. Crawford also performed work by Johannes Weiland as part of Springboard Danse Montreal. Since being in L.A, Marirosa has choreographed and performed her own solo work titled “measuring undercurrents” for Stomping Ground: Black Voices Show. Crawford has also performed work by Chris Emile as part of ‘Stranger Love” Opera by LA Philharmonic, in addition to exploring the commercial world, as a dancer in Labrinth x Billie Eillish’s ‘Never Felt So Alone’ music video. Marirosa is currently working with Volta Collective and is a primary dancer for Marcella Lewis.

  • Dancer

    Katherine Lingle is a dancer and choreographer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She received BFAs in both Dance Performance and Choreography and a minor in Digital Arts from the University of California, Irvine in 2021. There she worked closely with Lar Lubovitch, Dr. Lisa Naugle, Charlotte Griffin, and Molly Lynch, and earned the Donald McKayle Scholarship and the Chancellor’s Award of Distinction. Since graduating, Katherine has trained as an apprentice with Ate9 and has choreographed/produced dance concerts at Stomping Ground L.A. Katherine is currently based in Los Angeles working as a project based dancer with Ballare Carmel and MashUp Contemporary Dance Co., and as a Visual Effects Coordinator on various feature films for NBC Universal and The Walt Disney Studios.

  • Dancer

    Chloe Lopina grew up in Dallas Texas, and started her dance training there at a local dance studio. She attended Booker T Washington High School for the performing and Visual Arts. After high school she was part of the inaugural year of the CLI Conservatory, where she trained in various dance styles for 6 days a week for 9 months. Out of the training program she signed with Bloc Talent Agency and moved to Los Angeles. She also has a passion for choreography, and has choreographed shows, solos, and group pieces.

  • Dancer

    Alexandra, a artist hailing from Alaska and now based in Los Angeles, holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona, complemented by a minor in Business Administration. Driven by the urge to explore the boundaries of movement composition, her background defies categorization, refusing to confine her to a singular style. She has found the greatest pleasure in performing, teaching, and choreographing nationwide.

    Her training spans a wide spectrum, encompassing immersive experiences and institutions such as the Limón Dance Company, BalletX, Ballet Arizona, and Salt Dance Company, along with numerous conventions and competitions. At the University of Arizona, she cultivated a deep appreciation for Jazz, Modern, and Hip-Hop alongside her exploration of Contemporary and Ballet techniques. She had the opportunity to study and perform works by George Balanchine, Frank Chaves, Bill T. Jones, Jose Limón and most recently Bret Easterling, Amy Gunter, and Stephanie Heckert.

  • Dancer

    Madison is currently a freelance dancer based in Los Angeles, and NYC. She is a New York native that received training from Peridance Center’s Youth Ensemble, and Professional Semester. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in dance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. During this time, she had the opportunity to be a part of creative processes and perform works by Roderick George, Peter Chu, and Connie Shiau. During her time freelancing in New York City, she performed in works by choreographers Emily Greenwell, Mathew James, Rachel M. Hettinger, Gregory Dolbashion, Nicole Wolcott, and more. Currently in LA, she is involved in various commercial and concert work. She is presently working with Mashup Contemporary Dance and Klein Collective on various live performances and film, Bec and Col on live improv based, site-specific performances. In addition to this, she can be seen in various music videos, and commercials, under the direction of Monika Felice Smith, and Jesse Kovarsky. Performing for artists such as FINNEAS, Dax, Darcy, Nessly, and brands such as Bogle wine. She is also assistant choreographer to Monika Felice Smith and Holly Ryder various projects. For example, she co-choreographed singer and songwriter Lennon Stella’s music video titled “Fancy”.

Creative Council

In an effort to democratize creative opportunities for female-identifying artists, MashUp Co-Founders Sarah and Victoria are transforming their duo into a collective. Alongside our Co-Artistic Directors, this entity will curate programming and develop new systems to support and uplift female-identifying artists.

  • Victoria Brown (Creative Director, Co-Founding Artistic Director/Creative Council Member, She/Her) has committed her life and career to empowering individuals through creativity and movement. With over 20 years of training in modern, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, and ballet including time at Broadway Dance Center and Jacob’s Pillow, Victoria not only brings her expertise in technique and composition to MashUp, but also her vast teaching experience. Victoria’s choreography has been deemed “kaleidoscopic,” “glorious,” and “intricate” by LA Dance Chronicle, and she is known for her incredible attention to detail and specificity. Passionate about addressing and building equity within all sub-communities of the dance field, Victoria purposefully works in a wide variety of settings. She is the Dance Coordinator for Mira Costa High School’s Dance Team, as well as the Founder/Artistic Director of Artistry Performing Arts. A master teacher, Victoria has taught at California’s Fullerton College, Marymount College, Maranatha High School, Aptos High School, Monte Vista High School, Rosebud Academy, West Valley Dance Company, Nor Cal Dance Arts, Dance Attack, and Theatre 360. Nationally, she has taught at Lamar University Beaumont (TX), Lancaster Dance Academy (TX), Taylor Dance (TX), Dancers Edge North Carolina (NC), Revolution Dance and Gymnastics (TN). Additionally, Victoria toured as faculty with the Soul De Soul Dance Convention from 2014-2017. Victoria’s other professional choreography credits include: Forever 21, NewEgg, Phil Beaudreau, BGC Season 8, Choreographers Ball, MAX'T out, Bud Light, Battlefest, and the LA Follies. She holds a BA in Dance and a Minor in Business from San Jose State University.

  • Sarah Rodenhouse (Co-Founding Artistic Director/Creative Council Member, She/Her) is dedicated to movement of the body, and the mind. With multiple decades of training in various dance styles in cities around the world including LA, NY, London, Florence, Bangkok, and Capetown, Sarah brings a well rounded and unique perspective. As the Co-Founder and current creative council member of MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, she has been conceiving, choreographing, and producing performances and events for over 13 years. Her choreographic work has been seen at Ford Theater, A+D Museum, Brand Library, LA Design Festival, El Portal Theater, the Fonda, BEGINNERS music video "Can't Get Enough", and many more. Sarah considers herself an ambassador of self-expression and utilizes analytical, emotional, and contemplative movement to tell stories. In addition to her passion for working with professional dance artists, Sarah is committed to sharing movement with people of all levels and abilities. She founded Moved LA, a series of accessible creative movement workshops that inspire and connect, and has worked with clients such as Pinterest, Netflix, and Alt Summit to provide both team-building and wellness programs. A lifelong learner, Sarah is a certified Pilates instructor through the Physical Mind Institute, and recently went back to school to pursue a B.S. in Psychology, to better inform the connection between movement and mental health. Sarah thrives on creating opportunities where individuals can connect to a broader collective by moving their bodies, and utilizes movement as a tool to help people question their physical and mental perspectives, foster creativity, and cultivate bona fide internal and external connections.


  • Creative Council Member, Company Performer

    Stephanie Gevone Heckert, an Iowa native, is a mover, educator, and choreographer whose work aims to empower and connect artists through dance and motion. She has studied and performed for more than 22 years and has taught dance across the country, as well as Germany, Holland, Poland, Sweden, and China. Stephanie is entering her ninth season dancing with MashUp and is proud to be a member of its inaugural Creative Council. She has choreographed works for Esteé Lauder and La Mer Cosmetics, TARFEST, Rock It 2 The Core Festival, Nera, BULLDOZER LA, MashUp’s International Women’s Day, and Club Jeté. A passionate educator, she has been a guest teacher for Mount San Antonio College, The Young Americans College of the Performing Arts, Encore Performing Arts High School, and LA Dance Festival. Stephanie’s performance credits include: BEGINNERS, The CW Network’s “I Ship It”, ZEDD, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and LA Fashion Week. She is currently on faculty at GENESIS STUDIOS, Liv’art Dance Studio, and Academy of Dance Westlake Village. Stephanie takes pride in her vision, uniqueness, and tenacity which she believes all people have and has made it a goal to encourage others to discover their own.

  • WAELI WANG (she/they) is a movement artist, filmmaker, and educator. They create interdisciplinary contemporary works interweaving personal, familial, social, and artistic contexts to investigate the human condition for the concert stage, cinematic screen, and alternative spaces. Their research explores the overlap between critical dancemaking and identity to transform and challenge unjust social relations while filling in the gaps of our collective memory. She is driven to make work that fuses movement/imagery, figurative/abstract, and the poetic personal. Wang has toured internationally as a guest artist performing and teaching master classes in aerial dance forms and their collaborative interdisciplinary choreography and films have shown in internationally curated performances and screenings over the last decade. Cultivating community, experiential learning, and a dedication to justice are central to her art-making practice and teaching philosophy.

    Wang holds an MFA degree in Dance from the University of California, Irvine & a BFA in Film Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. They currently reside on the unceded territories of the Acjachemen, Tongva, and Kizh, colonially known as Irvine, California.

Staff

Kelsey McGarry

Managing Director - Kelsey@mashupdance.com

is an experienced professional with over 10 years in nonprofit, government, and arts sectors. She has a rich volunteer background with organizations such as LA’s Outfest Film Festival, the Seattle Queer Film Festival, and KEXP Seattle, where she advanced her proficiency in donor acquisition, fundraising, grant writing, and more. Kelsey has also contributed to publications like the multicultural queer literary and arts journal Sinister Wisdom, refining skills in archiving, graphic design, event planning, research, copywriting, publishing. With in-depth knowledge of the homeless service delivery system, Kelsey currently provides tailored technical assistance to programs supporting survivors of domestic violence. She is passionate about the intersection of affordable housing access and community support for artists. A dedicated advocate for the arts, Kelsey has a diverse background in music, film, writing, and dance. She holds a degree in Social Work from Seattle University, further underscoring her commitment to social justice and community care.

Keely Cobb (She/Her/Hers)

Creative Producer - Keely@mashupdance.com

Keely Cobb is a choreographer and producer originally from Reno, NV. She is now an MFA student at The California Institute of the Arts studying Experience Design and Production with a Specialization in Producing. While in Reno, Cobb was a seven-time Nevada Arts Council grant recipient, a 2020 Artown Commissioned Artist, the founder and Producing Artistic Director of Around the Stage | Theatrical Dance Company and served as the Resident Choreographer for Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company where she now sits on the advisory committee of the board. Cobb has produced, choreographed, and directed eight full-length dance works, choreographed dance films and music videos for artists in Los Angeles and Reno, her work has been showcased at the Dog Days of Summer Dance Festival and the Cleveland Dance Festival and has been a major choreographic collaborator for all of the theatre companies in Reno.
As a professional dancer, Keely has performed with Rosie Trump | Future Moves, BLV Productions, and Karen Burns Productions. Cobb has performed in numerous theatres in the Reno area, as well as festivals like the Going Dutch Festival in Chicago, IL, and The Cleveland Dance Festival. For more about her work, visit www.keelycobb.com or follow her on Instagram @keelyraincobb and @aroundthestage.

 Board Members

  • Mr. Krens brings a diverse background of public accounting, non-profit and international business experience to the MashUp Board of Directors. Mr. Krens experience includes providing accounting and financial services to non-profit organizations both as an external service provider and internally as a Director. Over his 25 year career, he has served on Non-Profit Board of Directors in the capacity of Vice President and Treasurer. He brings a wealth of knowledge regarding the governance of the Board of Directors and the fiscal discipline to help guide MashUp.

  • Brittany Hicks is a Brooklyn based creative producer rich in arts and entertainment experience, with a deepened expertise in Kids & Family and Animation. After graduating with a Television, Radio and Film degree from Newhouse at Syracuse University, she spent six years at Nickelodeon, launching award winning digital content – including the Emmy-Award winning Nick App. Since 2016, she has resided at Netflix, where she is currently focused on building out their Original Animation catalog and Kids Product experience. In her free time she volunteers as a mentor to high school students in Los Angeles, enjoys planning local events for her community, and has spent several years studying voice and performing in community theater productions. Her professional network coupled with her personal passion for the creative arts widens the reach of MashUp, uniquely positioned at the crossroads of digital marketing, technology and entertainment.

  • Stephanie is the Director of Operations for one of fashion’s most powerful retailers based in Los Angeles. With over 15 years’ experience in the fashion and apparel industry, she has worked for other notable companies such as Fast Retailing and LVMH. Her expertise focuses on designing policies, supply chain management, private security, strategic planning, and implementing technology solutions. She also brings an extensive dance background to the table. Stephanie studied under the Balanchine method of ballet with the New England Ballet Company and Boston Ballet for a combined total of 20+ years. In her 20’s she expanded her dance repertoire into contemporary roles, participating in festivals such as, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The 5x5 Dance Festival, Berkshire MASS MoCA, among several others. In her spare time, she is a certified yoga instructor and studying for her master’s in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University. Stephanie’s operational expertise, extensive performing arts knowledge, and a passion for bringing positive change to the community, make her a welcomed addition to MashUp’s Board of Directors.

  • Emily Wanserski has worked with cultural nonprofits, for-profit entertainment entities, higher education institutions, and multiple public agencies. With over 10 years of experience in LA's creative economy, she collaborates with entrepreneurs and artists to bring light to immediate action items that get them closer to their vision. Selected clients, projects, and employers include: the Annenberg Foundation, Arts Bridging the Gap, Barak Ballet, Boeing, Chicago Bulls, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, City of West Hollywood, Heidi Duckler Dance, Intel, Jim Henson Company, LA Contemporary Dance Company, LA Follies, MashUp Contemporary Dance Company, Nike, Royal Shakespeare Company, Suarez Dance Theater, Sundance Film Festival, University of Southern California, and UP Productionz. An active member of the LA dance community, Emily served on Dance/USA's 2018 LA Conference Host Committee. In collaboration with Laura Berg + Gracie Whyte of WHYTEBERG and choreographer Madison Hicks, Emily launched JUMPSTART/LA, an intensive program crafted for early career dancers and choreographers in July 2022. JUMPSTART/LA aims to not only empower artists with a deeper understanding of LA’s dance ecosystem, but also provide insight on essential entrepreneurial and financial skills. Emily has taught at AMDA, CalState LA, Santa Monica College, UCLA, and the University of Michigan, and she was honored to be part of the Artist Campaign School's inaugural cohort in 2017. Emily holds dual degrees, BA in Political Science & BFA in Dance, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Creative Collaborators

  • Photographers

    Kelly Mustapha-Kellett, Bree McCool

  • Videographers

    Nathan Kim, Alex Laya, FD Media, Sam Chavez

  • Artists

    Curious Minds LA, Sarah Ford, Tina Marrin, Farron Feiner, Leah LaGrange, Meg Peterson, Tanya Aguiniga, Maceo Paisley, Erin Dennison, Bria Dorsen, Joey Guthman

  • Choreographers

    Marissa Osato, Carissa Songhorian, Madison Hicks, Haley Bergeson, Shenandoah Harris, Waeli Wang