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Welcome to the Bodies of Water Dance Collective. We are a transformative dance company born from the vision of providing emerging artists with a platform that compensates them equitably but also propels their entry into the dance community. Founded on the belief that dance is a powerful vehicle for storytelling, Bodies of Water pushes the boundaries of contemporary dance by seamlessly weaving together elements of theater, narratives, and immersive experiences.
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Our core values are transparency, collaboration, and a respect for artists' time. In this communal environment, artists are not just performers but collaborators, each bringing their distinct voice. As a collective, we emphasize the importance of nurturing an environment where creativity flourishes, and every member is valued.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Esther Pauline Farley
Artistic Director/Choreographer
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A storyteller at heart, Esther Pauline Farley is a multimedia artist, choreographer, and dancer who weaves personal narratives through the mesmerizing language of movement. Born in Downers Grove, Illinois, Esther discovered her passion for dance early on and has since nurtured it with an unwavering commitment to her craft. In 2021, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, with emphases on Choreography and Jazz Dance. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to perform work by renowned choreographers such as Katlin Bourgeois, Shannon Alvis, Monique Haley, Bradley Shelver, and Gabrielle Lamb.
As a choreographer, Esther's work has received multiple accolades and recognition. Her work has been presented by Detroit Dance Exchange, Might Dance Collective, and was selected to be performed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 2019. However, the highlight of Esther's artistic journey is the creation of Bodies of Water. This production marks Esther's first self-produced evening-length work. Through the show, she delved into human emotion, using dance and movement to explore the depths of life's currents. It's a testament to her artistic evolution and her commitment to pushing the boundaries of her craft. She’s extremely grateful and humbled for the immense love and support she has received from her family, friends, and Chicago community.
Ava Farley
Associate Director/Dancer
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Originally from Downers Grove, Illinois, Ava started her dance training at The Academy of Dance Arts under the direction of Ricky Ruiz. She had the privilege of furthering her dance education in programs at River North Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Visceral Dance Chicago. During this time, Ava had the opportunity to learn works by William Forsythe, Frank Chavez, Robyn Mineko-Williams, Penny Saunders and Nick Pupillo. Ava attended Marymount Manhattan College where she received her BFA in Dance with a concentration in Modern. At Marymount, Ava performed works by Ron K Brown, Angelica Stiskin, William Whitener and Maria Torres among others. During her college summers she spent time at intensives and guest performing with Contexture Dance Detroit.
Following graduation, Ava spent a year at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a member of HSPro. During that time Ava had the opportunity to work with and perform works by David Norsworthy, Rena Butler, Ohad Narahin, Jenna Pollack, and Peter Chu. In the spring of 2022 Ava joined Tristian Griffin Dance Company in Kansas City. With TGDC, Ava had the opportunity to travel and perform at several festivals such as Spring to Dance presented by Dance St. Louis and Newport Dance Festival presented by Newport Contemporary Ballet. While still continuing her work with TGDC, Ava also had the opportunity to perform in her sister, Esther Pauline Farley’s, directorial debut “Bodies of Water” in the fall of 2023.
Catie Armbrecht
Dancer
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Catie Armbrecht is a dancer and movement educator from Cleveland, OH. She holds a BFA in Dance from The Ohio State University, as well as a business minor, and a complete pre-physical therapy track. She has had the pleasure of working with choreographers such as Katlin Michael Bourgeois, Shannon Alvis, Eddie Taketa, and Daniel Roberts, among others. Her supplemental training at intensives include Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Visceral Dance Chicago, Groundworks Dance Theatre, and Whirlwind Dance. Catie dances professionally with Niko8 Performance and Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, and is a Polestar Pilates instructor, as well as an instructor of the GYROTONIC® expansion system.
Bennett Cullen
Dancer
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Bennett Cullen began his dance training in the suburbs of Chicago, and studied ballet through Arlington Dance Academy, Ballet Chicago and attended weekly class at the Joffrey Ballet. He continued his classical training at the University of Iowa mentored by Eloy Barragan, George De La Peña and Kristin Marrs. After leaving school, Bennett has since danced as a company artist for The Big Muddy Dance Company, Visceral Dance Chicago and Trifecta Dance Collective. Bennett Is currently a company artist with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre under the direction of Wilfredo Rivera.in his career he has had the privilege to perform works choreographed by Ohad Naharin, Brian Enos, Shannon Alvis, Stephanie Martinez, Monique Haley, Prince Lyons, Noelle Kayser, Katlin Michael Bourgeois, Nick Pupillo, Marguerite Donlon, Ramon Flowers, Sarah Olson, Marc Macaranas, and Eloy Barragan. Bennett has choreographed for The Big Muddy Dance Company and Trifecta Dance Collective as well as many festivals and Chicago based projects. Currently Bennett is a regional ballet instructor who teaches and coaches at a number of prestigious institutions and schools.
Lena Janes
Dancer/Actor
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Lena Janes is a dancer, actor, and choreographer, originally from Frederick, MD, and holds a BFA in Physical Theatre from Coastal Carolina University. Most recent professional credits include: Filthy Gorgeous fashion show (performer/creative director), A Christmas Carol (Belle), and the world premiere of Sherlock! the Musical (Wiggins); Lena is featured on the original cast recording of Sherlock!, which you can stream on Spotify. Lena has produced and choreographed numerous productions in the Frederick, MD, Baltimore, and Myrtle Beach areas including Dance Nation, Carrie, Heathers the Musical, and Be More Chill. Lena is repped by Big Mouth Talent.
Sydney Jones
Dancer/Guest Choreographer
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Sydney Jones (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and educator. She attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts for high school and received her BFA in dance from Point Park University. Since graduation, she has danced with South Chicago Dance Theatre, Inaside Chicago Dance, and Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, and performs as a freelance artist with Haley Tarling and Dancers and in the Dance For Life Finale. She has worked with choreographers including Kia Smith, Monique Haley, Ron de Jesus, Randy Duncan, Stephanie Martinez, August Tye, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Robert McKee, Shannon Alvis, Katlin Bourgeois, and Michelle Manzanales, among others.
Her choreography has been presented at multiple concerts, including New Dances 2020 with Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago, Trifecta Dance Festival, and Simantikos’s Choreo Kick-Off. In the spring of 2021, she won Inaside’s choreographic competition. Her choreography has been commissioned by Inaside Dance Chicago, Simantikos Dance Chicago, Movementum Dance Project, and Trifecta Dance Collective. Additionally, she is the Competition Coordinator for Dance on Broadway in Chicago and teaches at Artistic Pursuit in Westmont. She is thrilled to be a guest choreographer and dancer in Bodies of Water!
Miranda McGovern
Dancer
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Miranda McGovern is 24 years old and is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University. She is originally from Henderson, Nevada where she trained and danced competitively with The Dance Zone for fourteen years. During her time at Ohio State she participated in numerous shows as a performer, choreographer, and backstage help. She has performed in pieces choreographed by Daniel Roberts, Crystal Perkins and Countess Winfrey. In addition to faculty work, she has also performed in and choreographed student run concerts. In addition to training at OSU, she has trained with companies Ate9, Deeply Rooted Dance, Groundworks Dance Theater, DCDC, and Alluvion Dance Chicago. As passionate that she is about performing, she also has a strong interest for teaching in the dance world. She currently teaches for Forward Momentum Chicago and Design Dance
She is currently an apprentice with the Hiplet Ballerinas and is excited for her first season with Bodies of Water!
Amanda McLoughlin
Dancer
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Amanda McLoughlin is a Chicago based dancer from Chesapeake, Virginia. She received a BFA in Dance along with a minor in Integrative Approaches to Health and Wellness from The Ohio State University in 2021. After graduation, she trained at the Visceral Dance Chicago Summer Intensive then became a company member of Cultivate Dance Project in Columbus, Ohio. Amanda later moved to Chicago where she is now pursuing her career in dance. She is so excited and grateful to be a member of this Collective and looks forward to sharing her love for dance with the Chicago community.
Bruno Salgado
Dancer/Guest Choreographer
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Bruno is a performing artist and choreographer who trained under the direction of Diane Rawlinson in the Chicago suburbs. He earned his BA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. He has performed works by notable choreographers such as Victor Alexander, Sarita Smith Childs, Joshua Blake Carter, Joan Karlen, Michael Estanich, Jeannie Hill, Sarah Olson and Pamela Leudtke. He’s currently an ensemble member with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre. While in the company Bruno has had the opportunity to perform works by Shannon Alvis, Monique Hayley, and Katlin Bourgeois.
Bruno’s artistic statement and manifesto is as followed:
“I create from impulse. I create from the depths of my imagination where my child-like spirit can run free to explore, create, and inspire. My body is the instrument that liberates my creative mind to investigate emerging ideas through a physical manifestation of my artistic pursuit. It is a manifestation of abstract expression of context that can shift subtly or tip abruptly. Where we try to find the dark places, the unexamined corridors, things that we dream during the night that we do not dare to think about during the day.”
Michelle Skiba
Dancer
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Michelle Skiba (she/her) is a mover, maker, teacher, and facilitator from Chicago, Illinois. She received her formative training through The Joffrey Ballet’s Community Engagement Program and the Lou Conte Scholarship Program under the direction of Claire Bataille. Michelle furthered her training with close mentorship under Vanessa Valecillos along with summers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Hispánico, and Axis Connect. After graduating from Northwestern University, she trained at Hubbard Street’s Professional Program (HS Pro) under the direction of Alexandra Wells. There she performed works by Adam Barruch, Rena Butler, Peter Chu, Ryan Mason, David Norsworthy, Robyn Mineko Williams, among others. Some of her professional credits include Little Fire Artist Collective, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Niko8, and Dance for Life Chicago.
Artist Submission
Thank you to everyone who submitted for our second season. While all current positions are filled, please feel free to submit your materials and connect with us for future opportunities!