What is the Kinetics Youth Ensemble?
The Kinetics Youth Ensemble (KYE) contains four performing student companies for dancers in grades 4-12. The KYE offers students an opportunity to rehearse and refine concert dance works in preparation for performances in the Winter & Spring. The KYE engages the community in performances and workshops throughout the year.
Please see the information below for admission requirements for each Kinetics Youth Ensemble company:
- Dancers in grades 4-7 during the upcoming school year
- No audition needed
- Rehearses one hour per week – Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm
- Annual Dues: $180
- Enrollment Requirement: 2 different Leveled classes per week in any genre (ex. Jazz & Tap)
- No audition required for dancers who are going into grades 8-12 in the upcoming school year, grade 7 by audition only
- Rehearses 1 hour per week – Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm
- Annual Dues: $200
- Enrollment Requirement: 2 leveled class in any genre (ex. Contemporary Modern & Hip Hop)
- Open to dancers who are going into grades 8-12 during the upcoming school year
- Admission by audition only
- Rehearses 1.25 hours per week – Wednesdays 6:45-8:00pm
- Annual Dues: $220
- Enrollment Requirement: 3 leveled classes in any genre (Ex. Contemporary Modern, Ballet & Jazz)
- Open to dancers who are going into grades 8-12 during the upcoming school year
- Admission by audition only
- Rehearses 1.5 hours per week – Wednesdays 7:30-9:00pm
- Annual Dues: $240
- Enrollment Requirements: 3 leveled classes in any genre (Ex. Ballet, Hip Hop & Jazz)
- Apprentice Company Dancers may be invited to understudy or perform with the Kinetics Dance Company in addition to other opportunities beyond the required Winter and Spring performances. KDC rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9pm & Sundays 9am-12pm. Dancers will not be called called to KDC rehearsals on a weekly basis and will be given notice for their requested attendance.
Auditions for KYE’s 2023-2024 Season
Participating in the Kinetics Youth Ensemble involves a commitment to class and rehearsal beyond normal class expectations and is intended for dancers who wish to hone their technique and performance skills. Time commitments are composed of weekly rehearsals and some pre-scheduled weekends. Additional rehearsals may be called in preparation for performances. In addition to their weekly schedules, ensemble members will have the opportunity to work with different choreographers in a variety of dance genres, perform throughout the year at various venues in the community, attend the annual Howard County Community Dance Festival (a weekend of master classes and performances culminating in a student showcase), perform in Youth Ensemble productions in the Winter and Spring, and have their work featured in the Kinetics Spring Showcase.
Directors
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Alex J. Krebs (AK)
Associate Artistic Director -
Levi Coy (LC)
KYE Repertory 2 Director, KDT Faculty, KDC Dancer -
Teresa Whittemore (TW)
KYE Pre-Repertory Director, KDT Faculty
Alex J. Krebs (AK)
Associate Artistic Director
Alex J. Krebs has distinguished herself as an artist and educator throughout Maryland for over a decade. Holding a BA in Dance from UMBC, she is now the Associate Artistic Director of Kinetics Dance Theatre, a non-profit dance organization located in Ellicott City, MD. She directs the Kinetics Youth Ensemble, a non-competitive student dance company for students in grades 4-12. Alex also assists KDT Artistic Director, Liz Quinones, with Kinetics Dance Company and the operation of Kinetics Dance Theatre.
In addition to working with KDT, Alex is also a Senior Adjunct of Dance at Howard Community College, where she has been the Assistant Artistic Director of HCC’s Dance Company for 5 years and teaching classes for dance majors and non-majors for 8 years. With a broad performance resume including work with Baltimore Dance Project, LucidBeings Dance and Masala Soul Project, Alex has performed in and created works for notable showcases (Megopolis Music Festival, Baltimore’s Artscape, The MD Choreographer’s Showcase and more).
Alex was awarded MDEA’s “Dance Educator of the Year – Teaching Artist” for 2022. It is Alex’s goal to instill confidence and creativity in her students and collaborators of all ages. She feels strongly that dance education is reciprocal, and that she learns from her students every day.
Levi Coy (LC)
KYE Repertory 2 Director, KDT Faculty, KDC Dancer
Levi Coy is originally from Indiana and graduated from Ball State University in 2019 with a BFA in Dance. He soon moved to Baltimore to pursue his dreams of dance and has been seen doing work with The Collective Dance Company and Kinetics Dance Theatre. Levi currently teaches and choreographs with the Kinetics Dance family in his second year there. He is thankful for an amazing season and is looking forward to future projects!
Teresa Whittemore (TW)
KYE Pre-Repertory Director, KDT Faculty
Teresa graduated Magna Cum Laude with her BA in Dance and Pre-Physical Therapy from University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2020. She attended her undergraduate program under full scholarship as a member of the Linehan Artist Scholars Program. Knowing early that she wanted to pursue a career in education, Teresa completed the Teaching Academy of Maryland in 2016, through which she studied child development, curriculum, pedagogy and theories of education. Teresa instructs students in Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, and dance conditioning. She has completed the Lisa Howell Teacher Training and is certified in teaching Progressing Ballet Technique, both of which have contributed to her wholistic approach to teaching that centers anatomy, physiology, injury-prevention, psychosomatics, and above all else, healthy dance training.
In addition to her focus in education, Teresa has received the honor of presenting her choreographic works When Eve and Eve Bit the Apple and Giving Skin at the American College Dance Association’s Regional Conference. Both works were adjudicated and selected for the ACDA Gala Concert. Her work, Spoon Theory, was also selected for presentation through New York based Arts By the People.
Teresa has been a part of the Kinetics community in nearly every capacity over the years. She started out as a student right here at Kinetics and fell in love with our warm, familial community. She began volunteering administratively and assistant teaching under Jodi Guzewich in 2012. Teresa interned under Kinetics’ former School Director from 2014-2016, and she began teaching in 2014. Throughout college, Teresa continued instructing at Kinetics and served as both the Interim School Administrator, and the Assistant School Manager through Kinetics’ transitions of direction. In Spring 2021, Teresa completed her first year as a Kinetics Youth Ensemble director, working with Pre-Repertory.
In addition to teaching at Kinetics, Teresa has been on the teaching faculty at JMD Studios, C-Unit, EMC Performing Arts Studio, and Expressions Performing Arts, and regularly guest-teaches at Design in Motion Dance. In the Fall, Teresa will be the director of her own Ballet Company at Expressions Performing Arts, where she will be setting a classical ballet production and coaching students for the Youth American Grand Prix.
