Eve Schulte is a dance artist and administrator based in Minneapolis, MN. She grew up training in ballet and modern at Minnesota Dance Theatre, and transitioned to company member in 2007. In 2009, she joined James Sewell Ballet, where she has also served as Artistic Associate (2017-2020) and currently as Executive Director.
She hascollaborated with physical theater group Live Action Set, which is pioneering innovativeimmersive and interactive moving stories. She has taught at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp many summers and twice served as co-director for their International Ballet Ensemble. She has been teaching various forms of dance for over two decades, and has performed or taught in France, Germany, Denmark, Canada, nationally in 17 states, and in 30+ Minnesota communities.
Her choreographic work“Any Offered None,” developed as part of JSB’s Ballet Works Project, was nominated for a 2016 MN Sage Award for Outstanding Performance. Eve also holds a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota. “Dance should allowpeople to shed and discover many things about themselves, whether participating on stage or from the audience. The ways in which it can permeate one’s heart are boundless.”
Jarod Boltjes is a Minnesota native from Adrian, MN. He started his dance training at Saint Mary’s University where he also obtained his BA Degree in Dance Performance and Studio Art. His formal dance training began at the age of 18 in college where he had the opportunity to train and perform internationally with Rose Bruford College in the U.K. and The Gaiety School of Acting in Ireland. Upon arrival to the Twin Cities, Jarod has worked with several local companies; Contempo Physical Dance, Twin Cities’ Ballet, Collide Theatrical, and St. Paul Ballet to name a few. If he is not in the dance studio, you can find him leading class as a certified barre and yoga instructor or under the big top tent coaching and choreographing for Circus Juventas.
Kaylie Bullock received her early training at Kansas Dance Academy. As a student she had the honor of being a Koch Cultural Trust recipient. She attended Texas Christian University’s School of Classical and Contemporary Dance on scholarship, graduating with honors. She recently completed her seventh season with Central Illinois Ballet as principal dancer. During her time with CIB, she had the privilege of dancing a diverse repertoire. Some of her favorite roles include Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, Cinderella in the title role, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Myrtle in Gatsby, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Black Swan pas de deux. In addition, she has performed with Ad Deum Dance Company, Storling Dance Theater, and Common Thread Contemporary. Kaylie has been teaching pre-professional students for over a decade. She also loves creating opportunities to take dance classes into under-served communities.
Shohei Iwahama is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator and is currently a member of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. He holds an MFA and BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University, where he served as a Returning Professional Graduate Teaching Assistant. Shohei began dancing under the tutelage of Miyako Kato in Tokyo, Japan, and eventually performed for her company, Miyako Kato Dance Space. In 2006, he received a one-year grant from the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan to study at The Ailey School in New York City. Shohei has worked with NobleMotion Dance, James Sewell Ballet, and Hope Stone Dance as a company member. While performing with JSB, he had the privilege of performing works by guest choreographers such as Sharon Eyal of L-E-V from Israel, Norbert De La Cruz III, and Loni Landon. Shohei has also worked with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Earthen Vessels (Sandra Organ Dance Company), Minnesota Dance Theatre, and many other choreographers and collaborators in the United States and Japan. As a choreographer, he has choreographed works on James Sewell Ballet, NMD2, and Kingwood Dance Theatre. In 2012, he appeared in the New York Times Bestseller photography book, Dancers Among Us by Jordan Matter. Shohei was named Houston Press’ 100 Creatives 2013 and a recipient of the Minnesota SAGE Award 2015 as an Outstanding Dance Performer.
Javan Mngrezzo relocated to Minnesota in 2021 by way of Portland, OR. He graduated from Western Oregon University in three years, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science in Dance and Sociology. At present, he dances with James Sewell Ballet, ARENA Dances, and Rhythmically Speaking. He has previously been a company dancer with Black Label Movement, Collide Theatrical, Threads Dance Project, Dar Vejon Jones Dance Ensemble, and BodyVox. He has also had the privilege of performing as a guest artist for numerous companies such as HATCH Dance, Analog Dance Works, Ballet Co.Laboratory, Heidi Duckler Dance, Cynthia Gutierrez’s Company Movimiento, and Dar Vejon Jones Dance Ensemble. Javan is a certified instructor of The Ellové Technique®; he has taught at many studios in Oregon and Minnesota. This season Javan is teaching at Hothouse MN and Out on a Limb.
Connor Simone is a Twin Cities dancer, performing artist, and IT specialist. He received training at Stage Left Dance Center, Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, the TU Dance School, and the University of Minnesota. Connor has previously danced with TU Dance and Threads Dance Project. Additionally, he has performed works by artists such as Marcus Willis, Kjara Wurst, Gregory Dolbashian, Berit Ahlgren, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma, Will Couture, Carl Flink, Sidra Bell, and Maurya Kerr among others. Alongside performing, Connor has worked for several arts organizations across the Twin Cities in IT and web development and is also teaching ballet and modern classes for Eleve’ Performing Arts Center. He will receive his BA in Dance with a minor in Computer Science from the University in the Fall of 2021.
Hettie Stern grew up dancing with the Hopkins Youth Ballet in Minnesota. She graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College with a BA in Cognitive Science. While at Carleton, Hettie performed with the college’s modern dance company, Semaphore and modeled for Jennifer Bader’s Ballet in Motion: A Moving Visual Guide to Performing Ballet Technique. After college, Hettie trained for a year with the Limón Dance Company and interned with the José Limón Dance Foundation in New York City. Other training highlights include summer intensives at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Ballet Austin. Hettie recently earned an MEd in Learning Technologies from the University of Minnesota.
Born and raised in Minneapolis Minnesota, Olivia Thornton trained at Hopkins Dance Company for 15 years under the direction of Leslie Daly. Olivia’s pre-professional training included summer programs with Milwaukee Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet. After graduating in 2018, Olivia continued her dance education at The University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. Majoring in Ballet Performance, Olivia had the privilege to dance roles in Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations, Cinderella, Balanchine’s Serenade, and several other modern pieces. In 2020, Olivia joined Ballet Fantastique as an Apprentice for the 2020-2021 season and continued dancing with Ballet Fantastique as a Company Corps in 2021-2022. Olivia will be continuing her work at Grand Jete as a pointe shoe fitter as well as teaching at Hopkins Dance Company this season. Olivia is grateful to be dancing back home and excited to be joining JSB.
Emily Trapnell graduated with her BFA in Dance at University of Iowa, earning both Honors and Distinction, and became a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa society. After graduating, Emily became a trainee with Visceral Dance Chicago where she trained and performed with the company. Recently, she has performed with Inaside Chicago Dance; as a soloist at the Ailey Theater for the American Dance Guild; and internationally in Trinidad and Tobago with COCO Dance Festival. Emily has previously performed with Minneapolis Ballet Dancers, Curio Dance Company, and Metro Dance Center. Other highlights include performing in the world premiere of the opera “Karkinos”, Iowa Dance Festival, Hancher Illuminated, and holding a soloist role in the touring UI Dance Company season in 2021. She has also enjoyed performing virtually with Mark Morris Dance Group, LA Contemporary Dance Company, and Mark DeGarmo Dance in the midst of Covid. Emily has received training with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Orsolina ‘28, Mark Morris Dance Group, Oklahoma City Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Emerge 125 (formerly Elisa Monte Dance), LA Contemporary Dance Company, and Jacob Jonas The Company. As a choreographer, Emily debuted her own choreography at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Englert Theatre’s Marquee Lighting Ceremony, Mark DeGarmo’s “Dance for their Futures”, Minnesota’s Boom Dance Festival, Iowa Dance Festival, and University of Iowa’s BFA Showcase. Emily is the Social Media/Communications/Website Manager for Iowa Dance Festival and InterDance.
