MEET THE COMPANY

Rachel was born in Southern California. As a young child, Rachel moved to Las Vegas where she was raised and began dancing at a local studio. Rachel studied dance at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and graduated in fall of 2013 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. While attending UNLV, Rachel recieved many scholarships and awards acknowledging her hard work and devotedness in the College of Fine Arts.

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Right out of college, Rachel began her professional dance career with Contemporary West Dance Theatre under the direction of Brenard H. Gaddis. Rachel grew to the status of Principal Dancer while with CWDT and performed many lead roles such as lead in Ulysses S. Dove's "Vespers" Milston Myers "Ebony Concerto" and many lead roles in Mr. Gaddis' works.

Rachel is also known for her work on many prestigious dance companies and dance studios through out the country and on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2024 Rachel became one of the founding members of Elemental Dance Company, where she currently dances. Alongside her dance career, Rachel runs the entertainment costume department at BUZZ, a major production company based out of Las Vegas where she gets to organize and create elaborate costumes for some of the biggest parties on the Las Vegas strip. 

Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Ryan began his dance training at Wilmington Dance Academy and Northeast School of Ballet. In 2020, he enrolled at The Conservatory at Northeast School of Ballet and had the opportunity to perform many ballets and contemporary works with Northeast Youth Ballet, as well as performing in The Urban Nutcracker with City Ballet of Boston. In 2023-2024, he attended the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he performed a variety of works such as: Jose Limon's "Chaconne" restaged by Kurt Douglas; Dan Wagoner's "Plod", reconstructed by Randy James and Gwyneth Jones; and "Help you. Help me." by Kevin Lau. Ryan danced with Contemporary West Dance Theatre for their 2024-2025 season. He is excited for his first season with Elemental Dance Comapny! 

Makenna is a Las Vegas and began her training as a future dance scholar at School of Nevada Ballet. While a student, she performed in various professional productions with Nevada Ballet, including various rolls in The Nutcracker. I

n 2020, Makenna joined Ballet120 under the direction of Benjamin Tucker, and in 2022 she joined Nevada Ballet Theatre II. While dancing with Nevada Ballet she performed in Ben Stevenson's Dracula, James Canfield's The Nutcracker, Serenade, Francisco Gella's Moonlight Serenade, and Ben Stevenson's Swan Lake.

Makenna enjoys sharing her passion of dance and is currently a dance teacher at Las Vegas Dance Academy and Studio 305. 

Haley, originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, started her dance journey at Bunker Dance Center. After graduating from Las Vegas Academy, she continued her professional dance training at Arts Umbrella under the direction of Artemis Gordon. There, she earned the emerging artist scholarship from the RBC Canada Council, participated in the Young Choreographers Program with Crystal Pite, and performed works by Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Hofesh Shechter, and Nacho Duato. Haley has attended workshops such as Netherlands Dans Theater, Batsheva's Gaga workshop, Springboard Danse Montreal, San Francisco Conservatory, and The Banff Centre of the Arts. After working and apprenticing with Kidd Pivot for two seasons, she went on to dance professionally with BodyTraffic for three seasons. She freelanced with companies including Chuthis, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, LA Dance Project, Ballet BC, Ballare Carmel, and Alejandro Cerrudo. Named a cultural ambassador by the Obama Administration, she toured and taught in Algiers, Algeria. In 2019, she co-founded HD Theatre, a contemporary company based in Southern California. For over a decade, Haley has taught, choreographed, and led workshops-- her choreography earning two students the YongArts Award. She recently launched a mentorship program for dancers pursuing post-secondary training and remains dedicated to sharing the transformative power of dance in all forms. She is excited to begin a new season with Elemental Dance Company in Las Vegas this fall. 

Kaysha was born in raised in Santa Cruz, California, where she started dancing at the age of three at the International Academy of Dance, under Shannon Cullem-Chipman. Her journey led her to Las Vegas, where she attended Las Vegas Academy of the Arts for high school, and deepend her artistry through intensive training with Arstwork Studio Company under Avree Walker. Her dedication and talent earned her a position as an apprentice with Contemporary West Dance Theatre, directed by Bernard Gaddis, where she had the opportunity to perform works for many acclaimed choreographers such as Hope Boydkin (Crashing Through), Claude Alexander III (Love Song), Tommie-Waheed Evans (You/I), as well as works by Gaddis and Walker. Currently pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kaysha trains under Louis Kavouras, Jason Hortin, and Hayley Meier. While at UNLV she had the opportunity to perform in Erik Hawkins' Agathlon as part of the first all female cast. As well as being able to tour Seoul, South Korea, where she performed States of Form, organized by Hortin and Meier. 

Mateo is a fusion-style dancer blending the emotional depth of contemporary with the raw energy of street styles. Trained in both company and commercial dance, he brings versatility, precision, and presence to every stage. Known for expressive storytelling and adaptability, Mateo thrives in both concert dance and industry settings. With a drive to push creative boundaries and to build connections with audiences, Mateo continues to evolve through performance, choreography, and genre-crossing collaborations. 

Zephaniah is Las Vegas-born enigma who uses their flexibility and texture to find the beauty of extremes in movement. They began their dance journey at K.O. Knudson, then proceeded to become an alumni of Las Vegas Academy of the Performing Arts. They've danced with two local studios in pre-professional programs before graduating and accepting a job offer from Vitacca Ballet in Houston, Texas, for their 2023-2024 season. Now Zephaniah has returned to Sin City to grow even further past their limits.