Founded in 2009 by artistic director Mari Meade, the Mari Meade Dance Collective (MMDC) is a contemporary dance company based in NYC. Often collaborating with costume designers, actors, writers, musicians, and scientists, MMDC aims to give audiences a uniquely well-rounded experience, speaking to their physical, emotional, and intellectual sensibilities. Drawing upon anthropological research, Meade uses repetition, rhythm, and character development to create sincere, atmospheric, occasionally irreverent work that is technically challenging.
Since its inception, MMDC has presented works through the Kenan Fellowship at Clark Theatre at Lincoln Center; Dance:Access at Danspace St. Mark’s Church; STUFFED at Judson Memorial Church; Battery Dance Festival; Chez Bushwick AIR’s at CPR; FLICfest; Westfest at Westbeth; Splitbill at Dixon Place; Comedy in Dance Festival at Triskelion Arts; Wired Arts Fest; First Look at Brooklyn Ballet; Hatch Performance Series at The Works; and the CHIN Project at the 92nd Street Y. National and international performances include the New Orleans Fringe Festival (LA); Asheville Fringe Festival (NC); REVERBdance Festival (Boston, MA); Katlehong Arts Center (South Africa); and Lake Studios Berlin (Germany).
Mari Meade
Artistic Director, Choreographer
Mari Meade is an educator, choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Mari Meade Dance Collective / MMDC . Meade has received the New York Choreographic Institute (an affiliate of New York City Ballet), UNCSA Development Residency, the Kenan Fellowship at Lincoln Center Education and was an Artist in Residence at Chez Bushwick, Triskelion Arts, CUNY Dance Initiative, and Lake Studios Berlin. She has shown work at Clark Theatre at Lincoln Center; Danspace; Judson Memorial Church; Joe’s Pub; Battery Dance Festival; Triskelion Arts; ChopShop: Bodies of Work (WA); New Orleans Fringe Festival; Asheville Fringe Festival; Baltimore Dance Invitational; Lake Studios Berlin; Katlehong Arts Center (South Africa). She has been awarded a Brooklyn Arts Council regrant, and a “New Work” and Su Casa grant from Queens Arts Council. Her contemporary dance company, Mari Meade Dance Collective/ MMDC, is approaching their tenth year, and has performed nationally and internationally. MMDC's "dialogue" (excerpt) won Spoke the Hub’s Winter Follies (NYC), and was a top ten national finalist at McCallum Theatre’s Choreography Festival (CA). The evening length run of “dialogue” premiered to sold out audiences in June 2018. Mari Meade is also a board member of the Kenan Institute for the Arts and the Associate Director of the UNCSA’s Choreographic Institute. She has been commissioned by Amalgamate Dance Company, One Day Dance and CounterPointe. She is a teaching artist for New York City Ballet and Dancing Classrooms. She is a graduate of UNC School of the Arts.
Allison Beler
Dancer, Collaborator
Allison Beler, originally from Metairie, Louisiana, holds a BFA in dance performance and choreography from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a founding member of MMDC and has previously danced with Barbie Diewald, Sarah Berges, and Christy Walsh. Allison is currently a teaching artist for New York City Ballet and Dancing Classrooms.
Dia Dearstyne,
Social Media Manager
Originally from Auburn, NY, Dia is happy to call Brooklyn home. She holds a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In addition to being a company member with MMDC, Dia has danced for Karen Peterson and Dancers, Amanda Hinchey & Dancers, Rachel Rizzuto's touche pas, and Ivy Baldwin Dance. She is also a certified Nutrition and Wellness coach. You can find her at wellwellwellnutrition.com
Breanna Gribble,
Associate Artistic Director
Breanna Gribble, a founding member and Associate Artistic Director of MMDC, began her pre-professional dance training at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. She graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, with a BFA in dance performance, BS in geophysics, and a math minor. In addition to MMDC, Breanna has been a member of the following dance companies during her time in NYC: touche pas, Chocolate Dances, Caliince Dance, and Da-On Dance. She is also proud to contribute as a trustee of the Board of Directors for the Idyllwild Arts Foundation.
Misuzu Hara
Dancer, Collaborator
Misuzu Hara is from Japan. She started learning classical ballet at the age of three and modern jazz dance at fifteen. She pursued her study in dance at Showa Academy of Music College in Japan where she majored in classical ballet. Upon graduation from College, she taught ballet technique to youth. At the same time, she was active as a dancer and performed in many projects in Japan. In 2009, she moved to New York where she has been working with Jennifer Archibald, OUI Danse, and White Wave Dance Company. She has also worked with Nathan Trice, Lindsey Dietz Marchant, Oliver Steele, and Max Stone, among others.
Sean Hatch
Dancer, Collaborator
Sean Hatch, a New England native, started dancing at the age of 18. After changing majors and transferring schools, he received his BFA from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford under the direction of Stephen Pier. Upon graduating, he moved to New York City, where he joined the Mari Meade Dance Collective (MMDC). He has since performed nationally and internationally working with various artists including ChristinaNoel and the Creature, Erin Dillon and Dancers, Korhan Basaran, Project 44, Yoo and Dancers, and Daniel Gwirtzman. In addition to MMDC, Sean is also a company member of Megan Bascom and dancers.
Morgan Hurst
Dancer, Collaborator
Morgan Hurst is a freelance artist, non-profit arts administrator and teaches dance in the NY public school system. She received her BFA in Dance in 2014 from S.U.N.Y. Purchase, where she graduated with the Bert Terborgh Award. Morgan dances for MELD, Mari Meade Dance Collective, and Susie McHugh + Dancers. She has performed work at SummerStage, The New School, B.A.M., and at Jacob's Pillow. Morgan has had the opportunity to work intimately with Doug Varone, Luca Veggetti, Joanna Kotze, Kyle Abraham, Sidra Bell, John Higginbotham, Laura Aris of Ultima Vez, Shen Wei, Nimbus Dance Works, Sum Bones, Touche Pas, and the Cunningham Trust.
Isaac Owens
Dancer, Collaborator
Isaac Owens was born in Landstuhl, Germany, and raised in South Carolina. He studied contemporary dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and The Fine Arts Center of Greenville, SC, under the tutelage of Madame Jan Woodward. Isaac also dances as a full-time member of Periapsis Music and Dance (directed by Jonathan Katz) and is a regular guest artist for XAOC Contemporary Ballet (dir. Eryn Young) and touche pas (dir. Rachel Rizzuto). Isaac first became intrigued by dance watching performers in music videos and movies like The Wiz, Flashdance, and Fame. He constantly imagined himself performing for many audiences when he was younger. Isaac is grateful every day to see that dreams do come true.
Or Reitman
Dancer, Collaborator
Or is a professional dancer and versatile performer from Givatayim, Israel. He began his professional training at The Maslool Professional Dancers Training Program, where he performed repertory works by Inbal Pinto, Yasmin Goddar, Ronit Ziv, Barak Marshall, Sharon Eyal, Jiri Kylian, Angelin Preljocaj, Itzik Galili and Michael Getman. He was then accepted to The Ailey School. He was selected to dance with Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company in "The Oracle" and he also danced in "Pachamama" with Anabella Lanzu Dance Drama. Or finished his second season for Steps on Broadway Repertory Ensemble, where he performed works by: Bradley Shelver, William Forsyth, Sidra Bell, Lar Lubovitch, Mike Esperanza, Jae Man Joo, Julia Ehrstrand, and Francesca Harper. He was also chosen to be a part of several Video Dance Projects: "Shadows with heat" by Orit – Ben Shitri; video dance projects by stringdance+media, choreographed and directed by Christy Walsh; and "Solo Or", choreographed by Michael Getman for the dance film "D for Dimension."
Roza Savelyeva
Roza is a dance artist. Russian native since 1993 - Brooklyn based since 2017. She is currently dancing with Mari Meade Dance Collective, Touché Pas, Susie McHugh + Dancers, and Emily Wolfe in various venues around NYC. Her choreographic work has been presented by The Center for Design Innovation (NC), The Gather Gallery (NC), Hudson Guild Theater, Spoke the Hub, and Dixon Place. In the Fall 2018 Roza found The Borscht Collective, a group of artists supporting each other in their creative journey. Roza has re received a Certificate in Folk Dance from the "Kazan” Dance Ensemble, BFA'17 in Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Marc Witmer
Art Director
A native of New Jersey, Marc Witmer studied at the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago, where he received numerous design awards and spent his summers learning more about the fashion industry through various internships in New York. In 2003, Marc moved to New York where he currently lives and works. He has spent over a decade working with and learning from designers like Nicole Miller, Betsey Johnson, Carolina Herrera and Calvin Klein. Since then he has branched out and pursued his passion for makeup, photography and costume design. He currently collaborates with companies Project44 and Touchè Pas Dance, in addition to working with MMDC since 2009.