Meet the Artists

gwen benitez is a brown-bodied dance artist, choreographer, teaching artist, and writer based in the East Bay. She is a 2025 MFA Candidate in the Dance, Creative Practice program with Saint Mary’s College of California. Their dance work has been presented in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Francisco. gwen’s choreographic and written work is centered on unearthing the interdisciplinary narratives that can be discovered in complex relational trauma recovery. Through dance performance, visual media, narrative, and sound, gwen yearns to further understand and provide their individual voice and their family’s history to the recovery process.

Rebekah JoAnn Guerra, an American choreographer, is the driving force behind Ballet Opéra de Guerra. With a profound commitment to collaboration, Guerra leads a company that works alongside multidisciplinary artists, utilizing the stage as a place for uncensored BIPOC narratives. Guerra's choreographic culture is a rich tapestry woven from classical ballet, dance theatre, Afro-Latinx contemporary dances, and the movement language of Ohad Naharin, known as Gaga. Her works invite audiences to embody introspection, empathy, and reciprocity, creating transformative experiences through the language of movement.

Clark has always been teaching and making films. His foray into the film industry began at 18 years old as an intern at Clever Films, an LA-based production company that made some of the most iconic music videos of the early aughts (Jay-Z, Dru Hill, The Black Eyed Peas, Bone Thugs). During his second summer at CSU Chico, Clark returned to Hollywood to work as a screenplay coverage writer for actor Ryan Reynolds. After graduating with a BA in Spanish from CSU Chico, Clark moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, to teach 2nd grade.

Upon returning to the US, Clark continued to work as a professional filmmaker, often as a sound recorder and production assistant on music videos, documentaries, and branded content films for companies such as MTV, Ray-Ban, Yours Truly, Vimeo, Pitchfork, Oakley, Amazon Music, and Reef. Between film jobs, Clark remained active as an educator, often substitute teaching K-12 or picking up long-term sub jobs.

After 20 years of working in entertainment and education, Clark decided to combine his two passions by pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting at UC Riverside. As a graduate student, Clark taught six quarters in the Film and Theatre Department and was an after-school drama instructor for G.L.U.C.K.— an arts outreach program for elementary and middle school students. He also directed fourteen theatre productions and six short films at UCR— including the annual department film in which he was selected to work with the award-winning cinematographer Dean Cundey, ASC (Jurassic Park, Halloween, The Mandalorian). Clark’s scholarly work included developing courses in documentary production, screenwriting, playwriting, and Asian American cinema.

Clark has received funding from the National Association of Latino Independent Producers and Veterans Affairs for his social documentary work and mentorship from HBO and PBS. Clark also holds accolades from the Legacy Film Festival on Aging, Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Filmfest, New York Latino Film Festival, Oaxaca International Film Festival, Sundance Labs, A3 Foundation, Cannes Short Films Corner, Dances With Films, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Clark is a fourth-generation Californian with Cantonese roots in San Francisco's Chinatown and South Side Irish roots in Chicago. Clark identifies as Hapa. When he’s not making films, he produces music and DJs under the alias The Bins.

Severin Sargent-Catterton (she/they), of Ellicott City, Maryland, grew up immersed in various Western dance techniques before setting sights on modern dance. Studying under Marilyn Byers, Severin practiced Nikolais technique before moving to Salt Lake City to continue her dance studies at the University of Utah. During her completion of her Honors Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of Dance, Severin performed works by Anouk Van Dijk, Eric Handman, and others. She also performed Outdoors, Noa Zuk and Ohad Fishof, with Repertory Dance Theater during their Fall 2019 season. Post graduation, Severin taught at Johns Hopkins University.  She has performed with sonderIMMERSIVE, Interdisciplinary Arts Collective, Myriad Dance, and Deseret Experimental Opera. Severin continues to create and move for various artists around the Salt Lake Valley. Severin is the Touring and Grants Manager for Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company; and has worked with the company since 2016.

Natalie Border is a lover of all things movement. With dance being a prominent movement form in her lifestyle, Natalie revels in the connection between the mind, body and spirit. Natalie calls the Utah mountains home, however, craves to live near the ocean someday. Natalie received her BFA from the University of Utah in 2015 and has since worked as a freelance artist where she has collaborated with choreographers, Nick Blaylock, LAJAMARTIN, Satu Hummasti, and Daniel Clifton among many others. Natalie participated in Snow College’s Juilliard Summer Intensive as well as Northwest Dance Project’s Launch program. She has guested in Repertory Dance Theater’s Emerge show and produced her own show, Nomad. Natalie danced for SALT Contemporary Dance in 2018 and had the privilege of working with artists such as Brendan Duggan, Penny Saunders, and Jenni Gordon. From 2019-2021 Natalie was a company member of Vim Vigor, a New York physical theater company, under the direction of Shannon Gillen. Natalie looks forward to continuing to dance, create, perform, and spend time outdoors while cultivating connection with those she loves. She is a Taurus as well as a Projector in Human Design. Natalie is currently working on a screen dance film of her own and dancing for artist Nichele Woods. 

José Miguel is a promising, versatile, and passionate young tenor. Born in the picturesque wine-centric city of Santa Cruz, Chile, he takes immense pride in merging his Latin sensibilities with a wide range of classical and popular repertoire. Through his vibrant lyric voice, José Miguel creates an enchanting and unique ambiance that deeply resonates with listeners. This innate ability to forge a deep connection with audiences through heartfelt interpretations has earned him widespread admiration and acclaim.

Based in the United States, José Miguel holds a prestigious Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Utah. During his time there, he excelled as a distinguished member of the renowned Marriott Graduate Vocal Quartet, imparting his expertise as a sought-after voice instructor and teaching the seminar "The World of Opera."

Celebrated for his unforgettable portrayals, José Miguel has brought iconic characters to life on stage, exploring the complexities of roles such as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème and the captivating Duke in Verdi's Rigoletto. From Costa Rica to Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico to Austria and Italy, José Miguel's artistry has fascinated audiences worldwide.

In the summer of 2022, José Miguel unveiled his beloved project, "Arias of the Vine," an exceptional series of intimate concerts. Acting as a musical sommelier, he meticulously curated delightful wines, thoughtfully paired with exquisite repertoire. The inaugural edition of this unique venture, set against the lovely backdrop of Lodi, California, left audiences yearning for an encore.

José Miguel's artistic vision extends beyond his exceptional vocal abilities, encompassing his remarkable talent as a stage director. In 2021, he made his directorial debut with Falla's El retablo de maese Pedro, driven by his personal mission to promote and bring Hispanic works to life.

Currently,  José Miguel is wholly committed to his freelance career, diligently pursuing his own professional development, strategizing new renditions of "Arias of the Vine," and mentoring aspiring and professional singers through his esteemed private voice studio.

Nathaniel Skinner is a composer and producer based in Salt Lake City, Utah, known for his distinctive fusion of cinematic, dark, and experimental music.

By fusing piano, electronics, and foley techniques, he crafts soundscapes that aim to evoke complex emotions and spark curiosity. His music is a unique exploration of rich textures, intertwining diverse styles and compositional techniques to construct powerful and immersive narratives.

Nathaniel's work find its truest home in collaborative work, such as a project with dancers/directors Irishia Hubbard and Kellie St. Pierre, where Nathaniel composed the soundtrack for their screendance "The Weight of Salt", which was an official selection for the 2023 3rd Women in Dance International Film Festival with 7artscafe at Yokohama, Japan. Another highlight was his work with visual artist Peter Anderson, where Nathaniel created a score for an animated series of digital paintings that delve into the profound impact of nuclear testing and bombings at Los Alamos, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki.

Nathaniel has also satisfied his desire for creative expression through solo work, musical collaboration across styles and genres, remixes, and his own production of short films and animations which accompany some of his pieces.

Ava Kostia is a singer-songwriter, actor, director, and multi-media artist. Since earning her degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Ava has performed and written for stage and screen productions across the U.S. and United Kingdom. Her original music, written under the moniker ‘St. Moan’, is available online, as well as her collaborative projects ‘Banshee Twin’ and 'Roberta'.

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Insta: @st.moan / @avakostia
Website: www.stmoan.com / www.avakostia.com

Jezrael Gandara is a filmmaker originally from the border city of El Paso, TX. His work is heavily influenced by his Mexican American upbringing at the border and his current residence in the Bay Area. Jezrael seeks to develop unique visual poetry, rhythmically exploring the themes of culture, race, and identity. He seeks to tell stories that are beautiful as they are impactful.

Melissa Younker (she/her) is an artist with a multifaceted dedication to dance; directing, choreographing, teaching, learning, performing and designing costumes. Her experimental approach combines her multi-disciplinary experiences to create and collaborate in solo, ensemble, site-specific, video, and theatrical performances. She is driven by curiosity: engaging in processes that are intimate, sentimental, and unrestrained.

Originally from Southern California, Melissa received her BFA from California State University, Long Beach in 2014. From 2014-2020, she was a full-time dance artist with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. During that time, she toured throughout the US and France performing dance works by over 20 internationally acclaimed choreographers including historical repertory by Alwin Nikolais with Nikolais Dance Theatre. In 2018, Melissa traveled to Mongolia and South Korea as a cultural ambassador with DanceMotion USA℠, a cross-cultural exchange program of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered by BAM ® (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Currently, Melissa is a founding member of Heartland Collective, a multi-disciplinary collective with collaborations in dance, visual arts, music, and performance that started in 2019. Additionally, she collaborates with project based movement groups And Artists (SLC), Brolly Arts (SLC), Oriantheate Dance Company (Paris), and Ballet Opera de Guerra (SLC). As a dance artist, she has worked with choreographers Adam Barruch, Jonah Bokaer, Ann Carlson, Daniel Charon, Mehdi Farajpour, Rebekah Guerra, Molly Heller, Tzveta Kassabova, Raja Feather Kelly, Stephen Koester, Joanna Kotze, Andrea Miller, Mitsu Salmon, Doug Varone, Netta Yerushalmy, Yin Yue, among others.

Melissa’s work is always always an exchange of ideas - a sharing of wonder.

Born and raised in Billings, Montana, Rachel Miller works as a movement artist and teacher based in Salt Lake City. Rachel graduated from Utah Valley University as the first student to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a Modern Dance and Ballet dual major. While in her undergraduate program, she participated as a guest artist with Salt Lake City’s Repertory Dance Theatre and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company in both historical and contemporary works. Since graduating, Rachel has worked with modern/contemporary dance companies Fem Dance Co and Creators Dance Project, as well as contemporary/dance theater company Oquirrh West Project. In addition to working with local dance companies, Rachel has performed with numerous independent projects in Salt Lake City and as a guest artist with Repertory Dance Theatre. Aside from her experience performing, Rachel has taught through the University of Utah’s Tanner Dance Studio program and Arts In Education program, as well as at Elite Dance Studio in Holladay and choreographed for Viewmount High School’s Dance Company and Wasatch Arts Center.

Loren Khan is originally from Syracuse, New York.  She began her dance training at Rae's Institute of Dance, where she had the opportunity to perform in various shows, including well-known productions like The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, Magic Toy Shop, and excerpts from Coppelia. At the age of 16, Loren made the decision to pursue ballet professionally and continued her training at Ballet and Dance of Upstate New York under the direction of Kathleen Rathbun. During her time there, she had the chance to perform with the associated company, Syracuse City Ballet, in productions such as Dracula and The Nutcracker. In 2021, she became a trainee with SCB and had the opportunity to perform excerpts from classical ballets like Le Corsaire and Swan Lake. After graduating from high school, Loren ventured across the country to attend the University of Utah's ballet program. During her time here, she has performed new works by Bashuan Williams and worked with Rebekah Guerra on presenting her thesis in the performance of Bolero Lxs Fridas. She also has performed classical repertoire, including restagings of ballets like Flower Festival, The Sleeping Beauty, and La Vivandière, which were restaged by Christopher Alloways-Ramsey.

Kendall MacMillan is a dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker. She grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where she trained at The Florida Ballet under Linda Reifsnyder Jenkins and Roberto Forleo where she also started her choreographic exploration. Kendall is a student at the University of Utah for Ballet and Film & Media Arts where she is investigating the conceptualization of the combination of dance and film. Kendall has had the chance to dance with/for the Jacksonville Symphony, the University of Utah Symphony, dancers from The Florida Ballet, dancers from the University of Utah, Jennifer Archibald, Desmond Richardson, Meg Paul, Susan Dodge, Sayoko Kanode, and more. These experiences have shaped the way Kendall strives to move, create, and encompass her art through movement and film.