Artist Bios - Paul Taylor Dance Company

The Company 

LAUREN LOVETTE (Resident Choreographer) personifies the intertwining of dance and choreography, moving seamlessly from one to the other. In spring 2022 she was invited to be the first-ever Resident Choreographer for the Paul Taylor Dance Company and creates new work on the Company annually. Born in Thousand Oaks, CA, Lovette began studying ballet at the age of 11. She enrolled at the School of American Ballet as a full-time student in 2006 and from 2009-2021 she danced with the New York City Ballet, quickly rising to the role of principal dancer. 

Lovette began creating dance as a ballet student, and as a principal dancer at New York City Ballet, she choreographed for the 2016 Fall Fashion Gala. She was awarded the Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU in 2018, and a year later created a second work for the Fashion Gala. In addition to the Taylor Company and NYC Ballet, her work has been commissioned and performed worldwide with a full-length Romeo + Juliet at Leipzig Ballet, and regionally at American Ballet Theatre, Vail International Dance Festival, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Oregon Ballet, Colorado Ballet and showcased in a self-produced evening, “Why It Matters.” Lovette received the Clive Barnes Award for dance in December 2012, was the 2012-2013 recipient of the City Ballet Janice Levin Award and won the School of American Ballet’s Mae L. Wein award for Choreography in 2024. In 2023, Lovette joined the Nantucket Dance Festival as Co-Artistic Director. 

ROBERT BATTLE’s (Resident Choreographer) journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida, where he showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program. From there he attended Miami’s New World School of the Arts and then the dance program at The Juilliard School where he met his mentor, Carolyn Adams. He performed with Parsons Dance from 1994 to 2001, and set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle founded Battleworks Dance Company in 2002 which performed extensively at venues including The Joyce Theater, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow. A frequent choreographer and artist in residence at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1999, he set many of his works on the Ailey Company and Ailey II. In July 2011 he was personally selected by Judith Jamison to become Artistic Director of Ailey, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. During his 12 years as Artistic Director he expanded the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Mauro Bigonzetti, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Paul Taylor. He also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. He stepped down from the position in 2023. 

Mr. Battle was honored as one of the “Masters of African American Choreography” by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, and he received the prestigious Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in 2007. He is a recipient of the 2021 Dance Magazine Award and has honorary doctorates from The University of the Arts, Marymount Manhattan College, and Fordham University. Mr. Battle was named a 2015 Visiting Fellow for The Art of Change, an initiative by the Ford Foundation. In spring 2025 he was invited to be a Resident Choreographer for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. 

BETTIE DE JONG (Rehearsal Director) was born in Sumatra, Indonesia, and in 1946 moved to Holland, where she continued her early training in dance and mime. Her first professional engagement was with the Netherlands Pantomime Company. After coming to New York City to study at the Martha Graham School, she performed with the Graham Company, the Pearl Lang Company, John Butler and Lucas Hoving, and was seen on CBS-TV with Rudolf Nureyev in a duet choreographed by Paul Taylor. Ms. de Jong joined the Taylor Company in 1962. Noted for her strong stage presence and long line, she was Mr. Taylor's favorite dancing partner and, as Rehearsal Director, has been his surrogate in the studio and on tour for more than 40 years. In 2019, she received the 2019 Balasarawati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching Award from American Dance Festival for her substantial contributions to the sustainment of the Taylor legacy. 

CATHY MCCANN (Rehearsal Director) was a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company for 13 years. Among the 18 dances Mr. Taylor made on her were Mercuric Tidings, Brandenburgs, Musical Offering and Sunset. She was featured in five Taylor television specials, including the 1991 Emmy Award-winning Speaking in Tongues. In 1991, Mikhail Baryshnikov invited her to join the White Oak Dance Project, where she performed works by Mark Morris and Lar Lubovitch. Ms. McCann has staged Taylor dances for American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and Washington Ballet, among others, and her own choreography has been presented at New York City Center. She has been a faculty member of Adelphi University, Barnard College and Hofstra University, and has taught at the American Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. She was appointed Director of Taylor 2 by Mr. Novak in March 2019. She became Rehearsal Director in March 2020. 

MADELYN HO, M.D. is from Sugar Land, Texas, where she began dancing at Kinard Dance School with Shirley McMillan and later trained with BalletForte under the artistic direction of Michael Banigan. She graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in Chemical and Physical Biology. While there, she was awarded the Artist Development Fellowship and attended the Taylor School Winter Intensive. She was a member of Taylor 2 from 2008 to 2012 and left to attend Harvard Medical School, during which time she was a guest artist for Alison Cook Beatty Dance and performed with Urbanity Dance. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Spring 2015 and completed her Doctorate of Medicine in May 2018. 

KRISTIN DRAUCKER was born in Washington D.C., and grew up in York, Pennsylvania. She began her training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under Marcia Dale Weary. In 2005 she was awarded a Fellowship to study Horton and Graham at The Ailey School. Since moving to New York City, she has danced with Michael Mao Dance, ArmitageGone!Dance, New Chamber Ballet, and at Bard's Summerscape in Les Huguenots. In 2009 she joined the 50th Anniversary International Tour of West Side Story and in 2010 performed in Tino Sehgal's KISS at The Guggenheim Museum. Ms. Draucker began creating dances in 2014 and has shown her work in New York, Philadelphia and as part of the LaMAMA Umbria Festival in Spoleto, Italy. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Winter 2017. 

LEE DUVENECK grew up in Arlington, Texas, where he trained with Anne Oswalt and Gwen Price. In 2010, he earned his B.F.A. in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University, where he studied with Taylor alumna Ruth Andrien and jazz dance icon Danny Buraczeski. While in New York, he has danced for Annmaria Mazzini, Mari Meade and Jessica Gaynor. Mr. Duveneck joined Taylor 2 in 2012, and joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2017. 

ALEX CLAYTON grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, He received his B.F.A. in Dance with a Minor in Visual Arts from Stephens College in 2013. He was a Graham 2 company member from 2014 to 2015. He also performed with companies including 10 Hairy Legs, Abarukas Project, Curet Performance Project and Performa15. He served as Rehearsal Assistant for Paul Taylor American Modern Dance “Taylor Company Commissions” choreographer Lila York when she created Continuum in 2016. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2017. 

DEVON LOUIS, who hails from Washington, D.C., is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts. He attended the Ailey School as a recipient of the Oprah Winfrey Scholarship, and furthered his dance education at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival under the direction of Milton Myers. Mr. Louis has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Matthew Rushing, Christopher Huggins, Nathan Trice, Ronald K. Brown and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. He has also performed as a member of Ballet Hispanico’s junior company, BHdos; The Metropolitan Opera; and Nimbus Dance Works. Mr. Louis joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2018. 

JOHN HARNAGE, a native of Miami, Florida, studied dance at the Miami City Ballet School and New World School of the Arts. He was a Modern Dance Finalist in the 2010 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts YoungArts competition. In 2014 he graduated from The Juilliard School, where he performed works by Pina Bausch, Alexander Ekman, Jose Limón, and Lar Lubovitch, among others. He then began working with Jessica Lang Dance, and joined the company in 2015, performing and teaching around the world. He also performed as a principal dancer in Washington National Opera's 2017 production of Aida at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Harnage joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Fall 2018. 

LISA BORRES CASEY, a native of Staten Island, New York, is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts. At the Hartt School of the University of Hartford, from which she graduated in 2011, she studied with Stephen Pier and Katie Stevenson-Nollet and danced in works by Martha Graham and Pascal Rioult. She participated in Summer Intensives at the Joffrey Ballet School, Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and Parsons Dance, and has taught dance at The Hartt School. Since 2012, Lisa has been part of the selection process for Ballet Tech, Eliot Feld’s tuition-free school that draws its students from the NYC public school system, whose diversity reflects the full American spectrum. She has performed with Amy Marshall Dance Company, Elisa Monte Dance, DAMAGEdance, and Lydia Johnson Dance. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Spring 2019. 

JADA PEARMAN began dancing at the Motion School of Dance in Hamilton, Bermuda, where she trained extensively in all styles of dance. In 2013, Jada attended The Grier School in Pennsylvania, as a pre-professional dancer under the direction of Jocelyn Hrzic. Whilst at The Grier School, she worked with choreographers such as Jon Lehrer, Melissa Rector, Kiki Lucas, Phil Orsano, and many more. As a member of Grier Dance, she performed at the Palm Springs Choreography Festival, Steps on Broadway Choreography Festival and Koresh Artists Showcase. She attended summer intensives including Alvin Ailey, Point Park, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Hubbard Street. She earned her B.F.A. from the University of Arizona in Spring of 2019 where she performed works by Martha Graham, Larry Keigwin and others. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2019. 

JESSICA FERRETTI is originally from Port Chester, New York, started her dance training at Westchester Dance Academy. She graduated magna cum laude in 2019 from Marymount Manhattan College, where she performed works by Larry Keigwin, Jessica Lang, Michael Thomas, Loni Landon, Nancy Lushington, Pedro Ruiz, Chase Brock, and Tito Del Saz. She attended the Paul Taylor Summer Intensives in 2016 and 2018 and the Martha Graham Intensive in 2017. She joined Taylor 2 in fall 2019. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2021. 

AUSTIN KELLY is from Overland Park, Kansas, where he began dancing at Jody Phillips Dance Company and later studied at the University of Hartford’s The Hartt School where he graduated summa cum laude, earning a B.A. in Performing Arts Management with minors in Dance Performance and Business Management in 2021. He has performed works by Paul Taylor, José Limón, August Bournonville, Lar Lubovitch, and Stephen Pier. While earning his degree, he simultaneously studied Paul Taylor’s style through The Taylor School’s winter intensives, summer intensives, and virtual classes held during the Covid-19 pandemic. Austin danced with Alison Cook Beatty Dance after graduating. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Winter 2021. 

KENNY CORRIGAN is originally from Southwick, Massachusetts, and received his BFA from Point Park University. He has performed in Carmen (Houston Grand Opera), as Carnival Boy in Carousel (Riverside Theatre), An American in Paris (First International), Queen of The Night (NYC), Rock the Ballet – Sweetbird Productions, and Rasta Thomas’s Romeo and Juliet (International). He has also been seen on America’s Got Talent (Season 9 Semi-finals), Bad Boys of Ballet, MACYS Thanksgiving Day Parade as Jimmy Fallon’s body double, Saturday Night Live (Harry Styles), and a Swarovski commercial (Karlie Kloss). Kenny joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Spring 2022. 

GABRIELLE BARNES was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, where she began her dance training at the age of 4 and furthered her studies at Florida State University’s School of Dance, graduating with a B.F.A. in Dance in 2021. She is Balanced Body Comprehensively Certified Pilates instructor. She has performed works choreographed by Paul Taylor, Norbert De La Cruz III, Merce Cunningham, Jawole Jo Willa Zollar, Donna Uchizono, David Parsons, Trey McIntyre, Francisco Graciano, David Grenke, and Laura Halzack to name a few. Gabby has recently performed with The Heraclitus Project, Nanm: A Robenson Mathurin Dance Company, and Laura Halzack. She received a scholarship for the Taylor School in 2022 and joined the Taylor Outreach Ensemble in 2023. Gabrielle joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2024. 

EMMY WILDERMUTH is originally from Littleton, Colorado, where she began her dance training at the Belliston Academy of Ballet. In 2021, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Modern Dance Performance and Professional Writing. She has performed internationally with programs in Barcelona and Beijing. Throughout her professional career, Emmy has performed as a company member of Kizuna Dance, rogue wave, and NewBrese Dance Project. Emmy has also created a collection of works for stage and film that has been presented at festivals throughout the country under the collective name dance WILD. In 2023, Emmy and her collaborator, Catherine Messina, founded the unKEMpT Dance Festival, with a mission to provide performance opportunities for artists, regardless of background or resources. Emmy joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2024. 

ELIZABETH CHAPA is from Barrington, Illinois, where she trained at Joffrey Ballet and A&A Ballet. She furthered her studies at Butler University, where she studied under Taylor alumna Susan McGuire. In 2020, Ms. Chapa was the recipient of the Eileen Poston Dance Scholarship award. After graduating with a B.F.A in Dance Performance in 2023, she began her professional career with Ballet Fantastique. She attended the 2023 & 2024 Taylor Winter Intensive, as well as the 2024 Taylor Summer Intensive. Elizabeth joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2024. 

PAYTON PRIMER is from Dallas, Texas, where she trained at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. While there, she was named a Contemporary/Modern Dance Finalist in the 2018 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts YoungArts competition. Payton graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University/The Ailey School with three degrees: B.F.A. in Dance, Anthropology, and International Studies with a concentration in Global Affairs. She has performed works by Paul Taylor, Robert Battle, Lar Lubovitch, Peter Chu, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Omar Román De Jesús, among others. Payton has danced internationally in Armenia, Georgia, and Germany, as well as nationally throughout the United States. She has also performed as a member of Gaspard and Dancers, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Adams Company Dance, and Taylor Outreach Ensemble. She joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Winter 2025. 

CALEB MANSOR is from Hatboro, Pennsylvania. He began his dance training at the age of 12 as a student of Metropolitan Ballet Academy and Company in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, where he first fell in love with dance. There, he had the opportunity to perform classical ballets as well as works by contemporary choreographers. Upon graduating high school, he attended George Mason University School of Dance, completed his B.F.A. in Dance, tried his hand at dancemaking, and learned and performed works by Lucinda Childs, Rafael Bonachela, Christopher d’Amboise, Hope Boykin, and Larry Keigwin, among others. Caleb then danced for Nimbus Dance Works in Jersey City from 2022-2025 under the directorship of Samuel Pott. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2025. 

PATRICK GAMBLE is a dancer with alopecia, born and raised in Queens, New York. Patrick was recently in the final cast of Punch Drunk’s Sleep No More. Previously a dancer with Ailey II for three seasons, Patrick began his dance training at the age of 5 in The Ailey School’s Junior Division. He graduated from the Ailey/Fordham BFA program with a double major in Art History. He has performed works by Robert Battle, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Hope Boykin, Baye and Asa, Andrea Miller, Rena Butler, Earl Mosley, and Francesca Harper. Patrick has also danced with artists such as Nona Hendryx, Mary J.Blige, and English conductor Simon Halsey. Additionally, Patrick has acted in Saturday Night Live, Gossip Girl, and HBO's Random Acts of Flyness. Most recently, he movement directed Fear of God and Players Magazine. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2025. 

ALFRED L. JORDAN II is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He began his dance training at the age of 12 at a local studio in his hometown. He later attended The Ailey School Summer Intensive, where he was awarded a full scholarship to continue his training in the school's Professional Division. Upon completing the program, he joined the internationally acclaimed Ailey II. Throughout his career, Mr. Jordan has performed nationally and internationally in works by Alvin Ailey and has collaborated with an esteemed roster of choreographers, including Robert Battle, William Forsythe, Francesca Harper, Christopher Huggins, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Ray Mercer, among many others. His dynamic artistry and versatility have allowed him to excel across both concert dance and theatrical productions. Following his tenure with Ailey II, Mr. Jordan expanded his artistic career through theatrical performances. He has also performed with Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet under the artistic direction of Jamel Gaines and with THE MNTRO PRJCT under the direction of Chalvar Monteiro. He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer of 2026.