The Artists of Riedel Dance Theater

Jonathan Riedel (Choreographer, Artistic Director)bagan choreographing professionally in 1999. In 2002, he staged his breakaway hit, The Unsightful Nanny on the Limon Dance Company and in 2003 he founded Riedel Dance Theater, presenting its inaugural season in NYC and Italy. His work quickly became known for its taut, intelligent humor and poignant dramatic power. DanceView Times proclaimed it "brilliant," "profoundly moving," and having "an ingenuity and timing that would make Petipa jealous." He was the first choreographer to professionally stage Erik Satie's controversial, Uspud: Un Ballet Cretien. He has since created additional works for Limon, the Purchase Dance Corps, the Yard, the Good Moves Consort; and has developed choreography and character movement for the video game, Godessia, produced by Artware.

A native of Rye, NY, began dancing at the age of 17 and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. He prospered in a career with the Limon Dance Company from 1996 to 2006, touring globally and performing works by such renowned artists as Doris Humphrey, Antony Tudor, Donald McKayle, Murray Louis, Jiri Kylian, Lar Lubovitch, Doug Varone, and Mark Haim. He has also been featured in many of Jose Limon's masterpieces including Chaconne, Orfeo, Psalm, There is a Time, and The Moor's Pavane. Heralded by critics, he was labeled "the Limon Company's reigning male star" by Allan Ulrich of the San Francisco Examinerand Tobi Tobias of ArtsJournaldeclared him to be "surely one of the most fascinating dancers the company has harbored."

Mr. Riedel has received the Choo San Goh Award in support of his work as well as funding from The Greenwall Foundation, The Frances Alexander Foundation, and The New York State Council on the Arts and a Harkness Space Grant.  Currently, he is developing his a full evening-length performance based on the works of Edward Gorey for 2009.  

Lisa Iannacito (Associate Artistic Director and Dancer) joined Riedel Dance Theater in 2005 and became Associate Artistic Director in 2007. While at The Yard this summer, she taught company class and performed works by Patricia Nanon, Catherine Miller, and Jonathan Riedel. She is a graudate of the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance where she had the opportunity to perform works choreographed by Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon and Pascal Rioult. In 2001, she toured Spain with Kazuko Hirabayashi and Ballet Contemporaneo de Burgos. She has also enjoyed dancing with the Albany Berkshire Ballet, Beth Soll, Dusan Tynek Dance Theater, and in MCDT's The Nutcracker. She continues to perform with Lydia Johnson Dance and teaches for them at Far Brook School in NJ. Ms. Iannacito earned her Pilates certification at The Kane School of Core Integration and currently teaches at Boom Fitness, the 92nd St Y, Mang'Oh Yoga, and the School at the Mark Morris Dance Center.

Julia Kelly (PR/Development Consultant, Dancer) hails from Hampton, VA, and is now a converted Brooklynite. She holds a degree in Dance and Theatre from Barnard College of Columbia University, where she trained with Risa Steinberg, Donlin Foreman, and Karla Wolfangle. Julia has had the privilege of performing the dances of Jose Limon, Doris Humphrey, Martha Graham and Paul Taylor, as well as contemporary work by Elisa Monte, Alan Danielson and Geraldine Cardiel, among others, in venues throughout New York City, including The Joyce. She joined RDT in 2007, and is also a member of the Propel-her Dance Collective.

Roxane D’Orléans Juste (Costume Designer, Guest Artist) a native of Montreal, Canada, has been a member of the Limón Dance Company since 1983. She has also performed with the Eleo Pomare Dance Company and Annabelle Gamson Dance Solos. Ms. D’Orléans Juste’s choreography has been presented by Toronto Danceworks, Shoenberg Dancycle, DiaCenterfor the Arts, L’Agora de la Danse, The Yard, and the Museé du Quebec. She was honored with the Canadian Dance Award, Le Prix Jacqueline Lemieux (1980), and is the recipient of several grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Foundation for Creation in Fine Arts. An active master teacher, she also stages José Limón’s choreography for companies and ensembles around the world, and was appointed Artistic Associate. She performed in Riedel Dance Theater's Inaugural Season in 2003.  Roxane has designed costumes for five of RDT's projects.

Kathryn Alter(Dancer) hails from Juneau, Alaska. After attending Interlochen Arts Academy, she went on to graduate from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance with the highest honors in 2001. In 2003, Ms. Alter joined the Limón Dance Company, She has had the privilege of performing works of Jose Limón, Doris Humphrey, Jiri Kylian, Lar Lubovitch, Susanne Linke, and Jonathan Riedel. In addition to dancing with the Limón Company, Ms. Alter is a founding member of the Riedel Dance Theater, and has enjoyed projects with Alan Danielson and Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater. Her choreography has been presented in New York City at a variety of venues, including the Limón Studio, Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theater, the DUMBO Arts Festival, and SUNY Purchase.

Kristen Arnold (Dancer,) a native of New Jersey, received her early training at the School of American Ballet. In 2006, she graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. While at Princeton, she performed in works by Ze'eva Cohen, Rebecca Lazier, Jessica Lang, and Gabri Christa, and she also danced with the American Repertory Ballet Company. In 2007, she attended the Yard under the direction of Patricia Nanon, working with Jonathan Riedel and Catherine Miller. Ms. Arnold is currently pursuing her MFA in Dance at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and she is honored to be dancing with RDT.

James Brenneman III (Dancer) He has recently be seen with Sue Bernhard Danceworks and New York Baroque Dance Company, and has performed nationally and internationally with Limon Dance Company and Limon West Dance Project under Gary Masters. While attending UC Irvine, he was a charter member of Donald McKayle's Etude ensemble. Since then, he has worked with Dance Through Time, Kim Epifano, Cabrillo Music Festival, Tokyo Disneyland, Silver-Brown Dance, and Pascal Rioult Dance Theater. His own choreography has been presented by Limon West, Santa Cruz Dance Gallery, UC Irvine, SF Int'l AIDS Conference, the ACDFA Gala Concert, and in New York by the Gay Gotham Chorus and DUMBO Dance Festival. He joined RDT in 2007.