FESTIVAL CONCERTS

Noelle Kayser
Chicago, Illinois

Noelle Kayser is an award-winning choreographer, director, and multi-disciplinary performer based in Chicago. She is the inaugural resident choreographer for Open Space, a Whim W’him Choreographic Shindig Recipient, and a BalletX Choreographic Fellow. Noelle has created work for companies including Dance Aspen, DanceWorks Chicago, MADCO, Visceral Dance Chicago, and SALT II among many others. She served as a guest Ballet Mistress at the Lyric Opera, was the founding rehearsal director and administrator for PARA.MAR Dance Theatre (2022 Dance Magazine Top 25 to Watch), and named one of NewCity Magazines’ “The 50 People Who Really Perform for Chicago”.

In addition to her choreographic work, Noelle has performed works by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Ihsan Rustem, Wen Wei Wang, Danielle Agami, Robyn Mineko Williams, Kevin O’Day, and Alice Klock, among many others. She has had the privilege of dancing with companies such as NW Dance Project, LED Boise, Open Space Dance, and Visceral Dance Chicago among others. She has taught for organizations such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Goodman Theatre, and Visceral Dance Chicago. Noelle has narrated 16 audiobooks for Audible, appeared in advertising campaigns, and acted in stage productions at The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and The Alliance Theatre among others. Most recently, she won the 2024 Jeff Award for Best Ensemble for her performance as Selene in The Penelopiad at The Goodman Theatre and Best Actress in a Short at the Idyllwild Film Festival for her role in Anna Long’s Death in the Desert .

Joshua Whitehead

Salt Lake City, Utah

Joshua Whitehead is from Chesapeake, Virginia. He joined the Ballet West Academy as a trainee in 2009 and joined Ballet West II in 2010. He was promoted to the main company in 2012 and Demi-Soloist in 2016. With Ballet West, Joshua has danced the leading roles of Renfield in Stevenson’s Dracula, The Rite of Spring, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Carmina Burana, The Hunt, Tides (Archibald) Soloist, The Nutcracker, Bottom in Bintley’s The Shakespeare Suite, to name just a few.

Throughout his career as a professional dancer, he’s had the privilege of creating contemporary pieces on Ballet West, Ballet West trainee program and artEmotion with music composed by him. Working with renowned choreographers, and artists across various genres of dance. This exposure has allowed him to develop a versatile skill set that encompasses classical ballet, contemporary dance, hip-hop, and more. His ability to adapt to different styles while maintaining artistic integrity has been instrumental in creating captivating performances that resonate with audiences.

Rhaine Marquardt

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Rhaine Marquardt is originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She began her early training with YYC Dance Project and Alberta Ballet School, where she received an artistically rigorous and highly versatile dance education. In 2022, Rhaine commenced her post secondary education at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, a recipient of the USC Kaufman Artistic Excellence Scholarship and the USC Glorya Kaufman Endowed Scholarship. She is currently completing her third year as a BFA Dance Major and Business Minor, receiving recognition for her academic and artistic prowess through The National Society of Leadership and Success and in being nominated for her position as Co-Director of the Southern California Choreographic Collective. Throughout her time at USC, Rhaine has had the opportunity to present work at various proscenium showcases, immersive experiences, and for film.

In addition to her choreographic pursuits, Rhaine has had the privilege to work with renowned artists including Darrell Grand Moultrie, Bret Easterling, Stephanie Troyak, Saleemah Knight, and Kyle Abraham. Rhaine has also trained at a multitude of intensives including Complexions Contemporary Ballet Academy, UNCSA Professional Studies Program, Laguna Dance Festival, and Hubbard Street Dance. A passionate teacher and mentor, Rhaine has had the opportunity to teach and choreograph in Los Angeles and Calgary, as well as for the Trinity Laban Dance Conservatory in London, England. She has also had the opportunity to perform in various professional corporate, luxury fashion, and fundraiser events for companies including Hermes, WestJet, and The Reassembly.

For Rhaine, choreography is a playful arrangement of space and a careful manipulation of the world around us, culminating in an experience that encapsulates feeling and evokes emotion in audiences. She is eager to continue investigating dance as movement research, expanding the boundaries of performance art and bridging the gap between physical embodiment and emotional experience.