Artists
Core Artists
Heidi Keller-Phillips: Executive and Artistic Director
Heidi was born and raised in the Boston area, where like most childhood stories there was a tree and somebody was fat. Only in this story there was a boatload of ballet which brought Heidi places like Boston Ballet, Butler University, and Laban Centre in London. Enter love. That force brought her back to Indianapolis after returning home to attend massage school and dance for several Boston-based choreographers. Marriage, Motus, 2 kids, and 10 years later, she is home in Indy, kicking it whenever she can. (Heidi would like to thank her husband and parents for their unwavering support over the years).
Michelle Buchanan
Michelle is a recent transplant to Indianapolis, and discovered Motus in 2009 when she performed in Broken Fragile Mind. She moved here from San Diego, where she was a member of Butterworth Dance Company, and participated in various local productions including Trolley Dances. She has also lived and danced in Hawaii where she was a choreographer and dancer for various local performances including Still Frame in Motion and The Boundless Tour, and Oregon where she found her love of modern dance at Oregon State University. She began her dance training in ballet and performed with the Eugene Ballet Company. Michelle is excited to be a part of such a dynamic group, and is eternally grateful for the love and unending support of her husband Sean and her son Dylan.
Debra Silveus
Debra is an Indiana native dancer and choreographer. She graduated from the Jordan College Academy of Dance and then moved to New York. In New York she received a BFA in dance from The State University of New York at Purchase. Some of her performing experiences include works from choreographers Neil Greenberg, Jacqulyn Buglisi, Larry Clark, Stephanie Tooman, Lin Hwai Min, and group and solo work by Shen Wei. At Purchase she furthered her dance training and her choreographic voice. Since returning to Indiana she has been choreographing her own work, and producing performances both independently and with Motus. She has recently created and opened the White Rabbit Cabaret with her sister, Becky Silveus. Debra also teaches modern technique and improvisation at Anderson University.
Katelin Ryan
Katelin was the recipient of a fine arts tuition scholarship in dance from Ball State University, and graduated in 2004 with degrees in dance performance and psychology, and minors in theater, educational dance, and women’s studies. She was a member of Ball State Dance Theatre, and was honored to receive the Lynette Jordan Schisla memorial scholarship. Katelin relocated to New York City in 2004 to pursue a MA in Psychology from the New School for Social Research. Taking full advantage of the vibrant and diverse NYC dance scene, she primarily studied at Peridance and Dance New Amsterdam, and was fortunate to have opportunities to dance on the stages of several community-supported venues including Galapagos Art Space and Triskelion Arts. She moved back to the Midwest in the summer of 2007 and auditioned for her first Motus production, KIN, less than a week after moving to Indy. In recent years, Katelin has also performed with The (Re)Collective Company, Susurrus, and Kenyetta Dance Company. Katelin earned her 200-hour Hatha yoga instructor certification through Integral Yoga Institute in 2006 and teaches the yoga classes at MotuSpace.
Stefanie Squint: Director of Operations
Stefanie Squint began her journey in the art of dance in her hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana at the age of 7. In May of 2007, Stefanie received her degree in Dance Performance from Ball State University. During her tenure at BSU she performed with Ball State Dance Theatre and was awarded several scholarships. Through Ball State Dance Theatre she worked with several artists including David Wick, Bill Evans, Tobin Del Cuore and Sara Semonis. In 2007 Stefanie was invited to perform in the American College Dance Festival in Athens, OH. Her choreography has appeared in many Ball State student dance showcases including “Junior and Senior” Dance Showcase and “Summer Showcase”. Following graduation Stefanie has performed with Wellspring/Cori Terri and Dancers, Motus Dance Theatre and The White Rabbit Cabaret’s in house performance group, Hasenpfeffer. She currently teaches at Indy Dance Academy, and her choreography has been awarded special recognition for style at regional and national dance competitions.
Jenny Thomas
Jenny is happy to be back and dancing again in her hometown. She graduated from Jordan College Academy of Dance where she was the recipient of the Peggy Dorsey Memorial Scholarship and the 1995 Prelude Award winner in dance. After attending the Ohio State University on merit scholarships, she graduated with a B.F.A. in Modern Dance. She had the opportunity to perform with the Burklyn Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland and also performed work by Israeli choreographer Barak Marshall for the International Choreographers Program at the American Dance Festival. After she relocated to New York City, she studied and performed with various independent choreographers and with the Shadow Box Theatre. Jenny earned her Yoga teacher certification through the Yoga Zone (formerly BeYoga) in New York City. Upon her return to Indianapolis, she was one of the founding members, dancers, and choreographers for the (Re)Collective Company at the 2008 iNDYfRINGE Festival.
GUEST ARTISTS:
Georgeanna Smith: Piloxing
Georgeanna Smith is a local performer and company member of NoExit Performance. A lifelong dancer, her choreography has been seen at Heritage Christian High School, Pike High School, Cedarville University, Butler University, The Children’s Museum, and NoExit. She has performed as a dancer for Susurrus, NoExit, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Smith has taught dance at Cedarville University, as well as wrote and implemented a dance program for the “Rock Stars, Cars and and Guitars” gallery at The Children’s Museum. She is one of a small number of certified Piloxing instructors in Indiana, and she is excited to bring this dynamic and fun workout to Fountain Square!
Heidi Eads: Ballet
Heidi brings to Motus a lifetime of experience as an artist and teacher of dance, visual and literary arts. She was one of a nucleus of dancers who became the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre–Indianapolis’ first professional ballet company. She then went on to dance professionally with the Stuttgart, Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Nuernburg Ballet Companies in West Germany and with the Hartford Ballet in Connecticut. She has taught for many years. Among others at: Indiana University, Jordan College of Music, Butler University, Ohio State University, Ballet Internationale, Russian Ballet of Indiana, Windfall Dancers, Indianapolis School of Ballet, Herron School of Art and Design, G. Scotten Studio, and Children’s Ballet Theatre of Danville. Her sincere desire is to bring to all ages and levels of ability an experience of the joy and beauty of the art of dance.
Jenee’ Michelle: Burlesque
An Entertainer? That’s what her parents thought when they watched her sing and dance with a piano-man at Disney Land when she was just 7-years-old. Jenee’ started her dance career as many young dancers do, after school at a local studio. She danced in pageants, she danced in theater productions, heck, she even danced for Engelbert Humperdinck! As a teenager Jenee’ found herself at an audition for a Vegas-style show, and landed a part in the Beatles Tribute show, “Twist and Shout” in Lake Tahoe, NV. Ten days after that show closed, she opened Sugar Babies with Rip Taylor and Juliet Prowse. After working at various showrooms all over Las Vegas, Jenee’ found herself on a 14-hour flight to Japan where she sang, danced, and imitated Marilyn Monroe for a year long production. Jenee’ also produced and choreographed a number of shows and events while abroad. Today Jenee’ teaches burlesque at various studios locally and all over the Midwest. She continues to perform with her own local dance group “Pur The Company” as well as regionally in the greater Chicago area. Jenee’ also owns her own publicity firm, Pur Publicity.
Sara Yanney-Chantanasombut: Beginning Modern Technique
Sara is a former Core Artist with Motus Dance Theatre. She received her BA in Dance from the University of New Mexico in 2003, graduating with departmental honors and receiving the Friends of Dance Scholarship and the Barbara Kiker Award for Excellence in Dance. She has performed with the Blue Tribe African Dance Company, The Bill Evans Dance Company, the Blythe Edens Dance Company, The New Mexico Contemporary Dance Alliance, and SMAG Dance Collective. In the summer of 2006, Sara and her husband relocated to Indianapolis and she founded Jump Into Motion Dance Academy, which brings affordable dance classes to over 500 children at their child care centers, schools, and community centers. She is also teaching Dance History at Ball State University.
