Kindling: An Evening of Dance - Coming January 2024!
Meet our Collaborators
Tina Diaz
Choreographer, Dancer
Tina Diaz (she/her), from New York, graduated with a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Psychology from SUNY Purchase. She was awarded Purchase Colleges’ Outstanding Senior Award for her excellence in academics and artistry within the dance conservatory. In New York, Tina performed in works by choreographers such as Merce Cuningham, Jose Limon, Andrea Miller, Hannah Garner, Nicole Wolcott, Skyla Schreter, and Meagan Ahern. Since moving to Chicago, Tina has danced for The Rooted Space Company and Moonwater Dance Project performing works by Katie Carey, Mackenzie King, and Stefany Cotton.
Her choreography has been shown at New York Live Arts, Arts on Site (NYC), and Downtown Art (NYC). In addition, she has created works for New Dances, Dance in the Parks, Evanston Dance Ensemble, and The Seldoms.
Jamie Greco
Choreographer, Dancer
TL,DR Jamie Greco lives her life like she cooks her stews: improvised using carefully selected ingredients, observed and stirred up often, and in awe of the magic created by time and being left alone.
Jamie Greco grew up in the Chicago area and studied dance at the Joffrey Academy of Dance and Ballet Chicago. Jamie graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Ballet and a minor in Nutrition from the University of Utah. After completing an accelerated course of study in three years, Jamie lived in San Francisco for a year where she was a member of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program. While there, she also worked as a choreographic assistant for Carmen Rosenstraten and developed a dance criticism course for young dancers with Professor Molly Rogers. Jamie was a member of the Hubbard Street Professional Program in its final season. In May 2020, Jamie and her collaborators decided to fill a void in the Chicago dance community for under-employed and freelance dancers like herself. The cooperatively-run dance company, Little Fire Artist Collective, was born out of the chaos and uncertainty of the global pandemic.
Adeline "A" Else
Choreographer, Dancer
Adeline “A” Else (they/them) is a movement practitioner of artistry and authenticity. They have worked with an abundance of renowned choreographers including Mark Caserta, Meredith Dincolo, Joseph A. Hernandez, Alysia Johnson, Noelle Kayser and Terence Marling. Professional credits include; COMMON Canvas, DanceWorks Chicago, Luminous Tour, Symbiosis Arts and The Lyric Opera. They strive to create environments of radical love, empathy, and benevolence.
Exploring creativity through an intellectual study; conversations and choreography. A gentle approach to heavy lifting. The thesis to my movement practice is radical love. Offering my whole self so others may offer theirs. Encouraging joy, play, expansion and connection. Because what is dance without such? Without generosity, community and care? We are all works of art. Corny as one could say, on the contrary I offer passion.
Moments that bring joy and pleasure are a candle with an inviting book, the patience process of cooking, talking to the trees, getting lost in a creative project and a hug from a friend. Forever grateful to experience life and its abundant moments.
in collaboration with
Isabella Limosnero
Choreographer
Ashley Rivette
​Ashley Rivette (she/her) is a Chicago based dance artist originally from the DC, Maryland, Virginia area. She began her training in Stuttgart, Germany, where her family was stationed for eight years. In 2021, Rivette received a BFA in Dance from Shenandoah Conservatory. She apprenticed with Christopher K. Morgan & Artists during their 2019 and 2020 seasons. After graduating from Shenandoah Conservatory, Ashley joined DanceWorks Chicago (DWC) under the direction of Julie Nakagawa for two seasons. Some of her DWC repertoire included works by Robert Battle, Charissa-Lee Barton, Joshua Manculich, Mark Caserta, Demis Volpi, Hanna Brictson, Drew Lewis, and Brian Enos. She was a member of the 2022 NewDances company, performing works by Chicago artists Trey Johnson and Marco Pizano. Rivette currently is a dancer and serves as an Administrative Assistant for Boykin Dance Project founded by Brian Josiah Martinez.
Ashley is so excited and grateful to be collaborating with Little Fire!
Isabella Limosnero
Choreographer, Dancer
Heyo, I’m Isabella! I recently moved to this land known as Chicago in July, 2021 from the Ohlone land, known as the California Bay Area, where I grew up. In 2020, I finished my training at Alonzo King Lines in San Francisco, where I met some really cool people. Some of which led me to Little Fire!
Besides dancing/choreographing, I find pleasure in laying in the sun, designing and sewing tote bags, learning new crafts, taking a long time to cook a good meal, eating said meal, petting dogs, laughing, and people-watching in new places.
in collaboration with Adeline "A" Else
Charlique C. Rolle
Choreographer
Hey.
I'm Charlique.
I'm many things in many places to many people at all times.
But mostly I'm just trying to be me.
Here. Now.
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​
Peace + Blessings,
Charlique C. Rolle (she/her)
Celine Spinka O'Brien
Choreographer, Dancer
Celine grew up training in her hometown of Redding, California. She is a graduate from Butler University with a major in Dance Pedagogy and a minor in Strategic Communications. She spent summers training at The Jillana School, Long Beach Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Met, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and River North Dance Chicago. In 2014, she traveled abroad with Butler Ballet to perform in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. She has been fortunate to work with teachers and choreographers such as Patrick Hinson, Derek Reid, Susan McGuire, Frank Chavez, Lesley Telford, Mike Gosney, Ronn Stewart and David Maurice among others. Since moving to Chicago in 2016, she has danced with Elements Contemporary Ballet and Cocodaco Dance Project.
Celine currently dances and is PR Director for Moonwater Dance Project.
Jessi Stegall
Choreographer
Jessi Stegall (she/her) is a dance-theatre artist based between Chicago, IL and Boston, MA. She has been an artist-in-residence at Boston Center for the Arts, Harvard ArtLab, Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project, National Parks Service, and was recently featured as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2022). Her choreographic work has been featured at Boston Center for the Arts, the Dance Complex, Ballet Rhode Island, Motion State Dance Film Festival, Tufts University, and Cambridge Art Association. In 2024, she will premiere “The Theremin Vignettes”, an evening-length work, at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, MA. As a dancer, Jessi has performed works by Raja Feather Kelly, Jill Johnson, Ilya Vidrin, Ali Kenner Brodsky, Mariel Pettee, and Jamila Glass. In addition to her work in dance, Jessi holds an M.S. in Ethics from Harvard University with a focus in Narrative Ethics, a B.S. in Expressive Art Therapy from Lesley University, and is an alumna of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
"I currently approach dance-making as an act of ode: expressing curiosity for and paying homage to worlds built by others. The manifestation of this approach results in somewhat bizarre physical interpretations of real stories and artifacts that have been historically dismissed or overlooked. My guiding mission is to provide audiences an entry point into fields, studies, and narratives that they are not likely to encounter elsewhere. My work demands a high level of musicality, precision, and virtuosity. I believe my work is distinct in its rhythmically challenging and complex timing, strong incorporation of breath and vocal sound, and clear character development in nonlinear form. I infuse my work with humor and heartache, always aiming to produce high caliber work that is at once technically rigorous and wholly human."