ArtLab J I
At the core, ArtLab J explores humanity’s fundamental nature through honest observations and natural reactions, leading to artistic movement and performance. Through dance and culture, ArtLab J seeks the diversity of individuals, focuses on personal and community growth, and strives to discover the positives of our society’s behavior and emotions.
ArtLab J I is a professional dance company made up of advanced, technical dancers who perform across Metro-Detroit. Artists in the company will take class and rehearse new and historic work to maintain technique and explore new creative outlets. Under the ArtLab J family, this company of dancers includes the highest caliber of talent and experience in contemporary, ballet, and other dance styles.
Photo by John Sobczak
ARTISTS
Elizabeth Kalesavich, began dancing in Rochester Hills, MI at the age of 9. She trained under Eisenhower Dance Detroit and attended Point Park University where she trained on scholarship for her BA in Modern Dance Studies. Libby has had the pleasure of performing works by Brian Enos, Dwight Rhoden, Luke Murphy, Garfield Lemonious, Mark Morris, Jess Hendricks, MADBOOTS DANCE, and she was an apprentice for Take Root. She received scholarships to train with Complexions Contemporary Dance, Vim Vigor, Hubbard Street, and North West Dance Project. Libby believes that dance is at the root of all human connection and experience and that there is a space for everyone in movement. She is the ballet master at Suburban Ice Rochester where she cross trains figure skaters off the ice in ballet and modern. She is very excited to be joining Art Lab J I for her second season!
Tyler Korff is a 2021 Western Michigan University alumni with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. While at Western he was given the opportunities of working with Seyong Kim, Whitney Moncrief, Jeremy Blair, and Kelsey Paschich, and performing in Melaine George’s Passage Play, George Balanchine’s The Four Temprements, Mike Esperanza’s Bystander, and Alyssa Boone and Alyssa Brutlag’s Wisteria. Tyler has also attended a Peridance Blueprint Summer Dance Intensive in New York City, as well as a Giordano Dance Chicago Workshop while attending Western. After graduating he moved back to his hometown of Redford, MI and began working with Metro-Detroit companies such as ArtLabJ, Eisenhower Dance Detroit, and Suttle Dance Company. While working with ArtLabJ he has performed at the Detroit Dance City Festival, the Korean American Artists or Detroit Festival, Oakland Dance Festival, and Detroit Dance Race. He’s also traveled overseas with ArtLabJ, to Austria to perform in the A!ko Dance Festival in 2022. He has attended New Dance Fest and was able to work with Stephanie Pizzo, Molly McMullen, NewBrese Dance, Jessica Tomlinson, and Shannon Gillen. Tyler has also been given the opportunity of being cast in Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s youth company Nutcracker as a guest artist, as well as being the Nutcracker for Fenton Ballet Theatre and Rochester School of Dance’s’ rendition of the Nutcracker. Tyler was also a chosen dancer for a Metro-Detroit dance calendar project created by John Sobczak, Stephanie Smith Hall, and Stephen Leonard entitled Dancing For Myself Detroit, that showcased dancers from multiple dance companies in the area. Tyler is excited to be performing with ArtLabJ for his third season and can’t wait to get the season started.
Rebecca Otmanowski started dancing when she was 4 years old. She continued her training at Oakland University where she recently graduated with a BFA in dance performance and a BA in Psychology. There, she found her choreographic voice and was awarded the Outstanding Choreography Matilda Award her senior year.
Rebecca’s work has been shown at the American College Dance Association, the Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival, and Detroit Dance City Festival. She was recently selected as an emerging choreographer at Eisenhower Dance Detroit’s NewDanceFest, where she created and presented work on the participants. Rebecca also performs professionally with Contexture Dance Detroit and ArtLab J. She teaches and choreographs for all ages and styles, and continues to develop her artistic and choreographic style at every opportunity she gets.
Riley McClain grew up in Battle Creek, MI where she began dancing at 3 years old. She trained and competed in various dance styles including jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and ballet. Riley received her BFA from Oakland University in December 2022. During her time at OU she was an intern with TakeRoot dance company where she assisted in their fundraisers and Dance for Parkinson’s outreach program. She performed with Oakland Dance Theater for three years and with Oakland Repertory company during her senior year. Riley worked with several guest artists including Stephanie Pizzo and dancers from Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Diavolo LA, Sandra Torijano, and more. Her choreography was shown at American Dance Association in March of ‘22. Recently she has been involved with ConteXture Dance Detroit as an apprentice and performed with them in their “Joy” concert, Detroit Dance City Festival, and Oakland Dance Fest. Riley is joining ArtLab J for her second season and looks forward to the upcoming performance opportunities.
J.A. Kirk began dancing at 13 in Orlando, Florida. They are a 2019 Interlochen Arts Academy alum where they had the opportunity to be in works by Elisa Monte and Yoshito Sakuraba. They recently just graduated from Alma College where they received a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Physiology and Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. While at Alma College they had the pleasure of being in works by Cisco Graciano, Winston Dynamite Brown, Ben Munisteri, Rosely Conz, and Kayt MacMaster through the Alma College Dance Company. In their final year, Kirk completed the 2023 Gibney Dance Winter Study in New York City with grants from their college. They also worked as a project assistant for a site-specific dance presented at the PBB Disaster’s 50th Anniversary Conference this past spring. They most recently were a member of Third Coast Dance Company. Kirk is joining ArtLab J for their first season and is excited to see what the year will bring!
Lilly Menendez stared dancing at Sheryl’s School of Dance at the age of 3. She has been dancing with ArtLabJ since 2014 and at age 13 was a part of ArtLabJ II. After graduating high school, she joined the Detroit Pistons Dancer for 2 seasons (2019-2021). She has also had experience in music videos and backup dancing, with NayLuma and Lizzie Blazquez. She then went on to study at Broadway Dance Center for their Professional Semester, mentored by Sheila Barker and studying under, Phil Orsano, Josh Assor, Karla Puno García, Lizz Picini, Hayden J. Frederick, Yuka Kameda, Dorit Kopple, Sheila Pomroy, Nijawwon Matthews, Keenan Cooks, Yvonne Marie Sain, and Hector Lopez (2021-2023). Lilly has also been a part of the BDC choreography lab, dancing for Mason Lee and Matty Mahoski. She is so excited to be starting her first season as a part of ArtLabJ I and having the opportunity to teach classes at the ArtLabJ studios.
2023-2024 Performances
September 10th, 2023 3:00 P.M. :: Detroit Dance City Festival at Detroit Institute of Arts
October 27th, 2023 :: Michigan Art Education Association(MAEA)
November 17-18th, 2023 :: Oakland Dance Festival
December 6th, 2023 :: New Lab
February 2nd, 2024 :: Empowering Dreams Through Art and Dance
March 2nd, 2024 :: RADFest
March 9th, 2024 :: Collage Concert with DDC Dance
April 13th, 2024 :: ArtLab J Brunch at Ferndale Project
May 4th, 2024 :: AAPI Celebration Show at at Detroit Institute of Arts
May 18th-19th, 2024 :: ArtLab J Gala
June 2nd, 2024 :: Palmer Park Art Fair
June 8th, 2024 :: Spring Dance Concert
September 6th-8th, 2024 :: Detroit Dance City Festival at Detroit Institute of Arts
Booking Info & Workshop & Audition: dance@artlabj.com
If you have any questions, please email us at education@artlabj.com
GALLERY
