DESIGN TEAM
No piece of any puzzle is more important than another.
Provided our collective ideas harmonize with the established pillars of the work, we empower ethereal worlds to have mass, momentum and impact.
George Staib,
Choreographer
Born in Tehran, Iran, George Staib is of Armenian descent and has been living in the United States since the age of ten. He began his dance training at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, then went on to earn an MFA in dance and choreography from Temple University. Company credits include: Ann Vachon/Dance Conduit, Coriolis Dance Company, Gathering Wild Dance Company, and Paula Kellinger and Dancers. In addition, the fall of 2006 provided Staib the opportunity to perform with the José Limón Dance Company as a guest artist in their re-creation of Missa Brevis.
In 2001 Staib joined the dance faculty at Emory University where he teaches contemporary and ballet techniques, choreography, and a seminar created to examine the impetus and practice of consuming and making art. He serves as an adjudicator for and was an 18-year member of the executive committee for the American College Dance Association, and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA. Since relocating to Atlanta, GA, Staib's work and teaching have been commissioned across the United States resulting in his recognition by Dance Teacher Magazine in 2014 as one of the top five dance educators in the country. As added service to the field, Staib is a contributing writer and critic for ArtsATL.
Staib is a two-time recipient of Emory’s prestigious Winship Award, taking him to Tel Aviv in 2011 to study Gaga, release technique with Iris Enez, and Jerusalem to conduct choreographic workshops. In 2016, Staib and the company were invited to Stockholm to perform and teach at Södra Latins and BalletAkadamien, and subsequently created new work for Saraceno Dance.
Since the founding of staibdance, he and the company have been awarded funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Emory University Research Committee, The Latham Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts and The Vail Family Foundation.
In addition, staibdance curated and produced the first-ever Atlanta Multicultural Dance Festival, created a summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy, now in its 11th year and hosted a 10-part podcast series titled Secret Architecture: the process of process, and a 12 part docuseries titled Meaning and Movement that features culturally based artists from across the country.
Staib’s most recent accomplishments include promotion to the rank of Professor of Practice at Emory University, engagement as an educator with ImmerseATL, recognition by the Atlanta Regional Commission as an Arts Leader of Metro Atlanta, and in the summer of 2022, Staib served as a faculty member and choreographer for the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC.
photo by Daylilies Photography
Gregory Catellier, Lighting & Set Designer
Catellier has been working in the field of contemporary dance for thirty years. This includes dancing in works of his own and others, choreographing dances for students and professionals, and designing lighting and sets for dances. He teaches dance, choreography, and design at Emory University. He has also supported dance artists and dance festivals through technical support and dance organizations through advising on dance facilities and technical challenges. Catellier earned a BA in dance from Arizona State University and an MFA in dance from The Ohio State University. He is living proof that a dance education can provide a well-rounded education and an investigative approach to the world. He believes firmly in the power of dance to transform those dancing and those watching the dance. He also believes firmly, that we all need to take steps to mitigate the environmental crisis, battle for environmental justice, and take personal responsibility for our effects on the natural world. He continues to work on making his work and life less of a burden on the environment. He say’s “please, stop burning stuff.”
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT, fence,
w i s h d u s t, Attic, Name Day
photo by Lori Teague
Ben Coleman,
Sound Designer & Composer
Ben Coleman is a British multi-disciplinary artist residing in Denver, CO. His practice is rooted in sound and performance making, but often plays with other media, including music, text, video and installation. Coleman grew up in theatre and music, forming his first bands in London while studying contemporary performance. Moving to the US in 2006, he dedicated some eventful years to musical projects- later returning to performance alongside new roles as composer, sound designer and installation artist. His practice now embraces curatorial projects, and frequent collaboration with choreographers, visual artists, and theater practitioners. His work has been presented by institutions including the High Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, Understudy, Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Contemporary, Redline Contemporary Art Centre, Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia, Gibney Dance, Dashboard, Georgia Institute of Technology, Flux Projects, Zuckerman Museum of Art and Emory University. Coleman’s work has been featured by Hyperallergic, Wire Magazine, Vice, Pitchfork, The Denver Post, ArtsATL, Burnaway and WABE Atlanta. He is a resident alumnus and board member at Redline Contemporary Art Centre, Denver. Visit him and his work at www.bencolemansounds.com
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT, fence,
w i s h d u s t
photo by Jenna Maurice
Milton M. Cordero, Video/Projection Designer
Milton is thrilled about making his staibdance Company debut with ARARAT.
Cordero started his career in film and theater at a very young age. Eventually, he explored the use of multimedia in live performances, which led him to develop a career as a projection designer and co-found MCordero Designs. Cordero’s projection designs have been seen on stages in New York, Atlanta, and Puerto Rico.
Favorites credits include: Anna in the Tropics (Bay Street Theater, NY), Hands Up (Alliance Theatre, GA), In the Heights (Choliseo, PR), The Nether (Emory Theatre, GA), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Aurora Theatre & Horizon Theatre, GA), Tierra Mia (Gibaro de Puerto Rico) and El Burlador de Sevilla (Teatro Círculo, NY).
His goal is to keep exploring and contributing to bringing the Latin theater to the next level, as well as honoring God with his talents.
You can follow Milton on IG @mcorderodesigns or www.miltoncordero.com
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT
Amelia Hayes, Costume Designer
I have been creating clothing and costumes for over 30 years. I come from a long line of makers and have been making clothing since someone first gave me a pair of scissors and a pile of fabric scraps. Some endeavors have been more successful than others. Some ideas flew to the stars and some fell apart in pathetic, whimpering heaps. I have always been drawn to ideas around conservation and low to zero waste, recycling, reuse, and remaking. I love nature and color and tend to cringe at overused motifs and designs. I love the history of clothing and fabric, particularly in a sociological context.
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT
Jimmy Joyner,
Costume Designer
Jimmy is an Atlanta based dancer, teacher, maker, and supporter of fellow artists. Jimmy is interested in the intrinsic healing quality of performance, specifically for queers in the
south. Jimmy is a 200 hour certified yoga instructor, a Distinguished Fellow with Hambidge Center for Arts and Sciences, a 2020 MINT Studio Artist, a co founder of Nashville Design House, and a team member with Fly on a Wall, a platform for innovative performance that supports artists working in the realm of performance. Jimmy is a recent graduate of University of the Arts and holds an MFA in Dance. Jimmy’s work encompasses movement, process as performance, creature creation, and world building.
jimmyjoyner.com
flyonawall.buzz
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT
photo by Christina J Massad
John Merritt
John Merritt is a freelance costume designer for theatre and a costume buyer/shopper for Film & TV Production based in Atlanta, GA. John received his Master’s of Fine Arts in Costume Design at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (‘21) and his Bachelor’s of Arts at University of Southern Indiana (‘18) Atlanta credits: Macbeth (Kennesaw State University) The Other Shore, Blood Wedding, Lysistrata (Emory University) A Third Way, (Actor’s Express) Native Gardens (Stagedoor Players) Dido & Aeneas (Atlanta Baroque Orchestra/Staibdance) Regional costume design credits include Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Imbroglio (Great River Shakespeare Festival) Detroit 67’, People Where They Are, Airness (Clarence Brown Theatre) Anon(ymous), Crumbs from The Table of Joy, The Glass Menagerie, Fool for Love, Venus in Fur (University of Southern Indiana).
Works Collaborated On: Dido & Aeneas for the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra
Rosalind Staib, Costume Designer
Rosalind Staib is the Managing Director of Theater Emory at Emory University, and has been at Emory for over 23 years. Rosalind has stage managed and costume designed for several Atlanta area theaters, including Out of Hand, 7 Stages, Synchronicity, Whole World Theatre, and Theater Emory. A graduate of Dickinson College, she holds dual degrees in Dramatic Arts and Fine Arts. Rosalind is an active singer with both Collegium Vocale Community Chorus and University Chorus at Emory. She is a founding member of the Board of Directors of staibdance. A native of Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Georgia with her husband and two dogs.
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT,
w i s h d u s t, Attic
Amber Bradshaw, Dramaturg
AMBER BRADSHAW (she/they) is an Atlanta native, a Southern queer and a fierce believer in the power of storytelling. She is a new play dramaturg, educator, experienced moderator, dancer and playwright with a sole focus in new works and script development (with an emphasis on multi-disiplinary work). Amber also loves to work as a dance dramaturg. In Atlanta they have worked with Actor’s Express, Emory University, Kennesaw State University, Synchronicity Theatre, the Alliance Theatre, the Center for Puppetry Arts, Out of Hand Theatre, Out Front Theatre, Gathering Wild Dance, Staibdance and Theatrical Outfit. Since 2006, Amber has directed, dramaturged and produced play readings and workshop performances as a freelance artist in Atlanta. That experience led her being hired as the Managing Artistic Director of Working Title Playwrights. As part of her role with WTP, Amber directs and dramaturgs annually, moderates regularly for all WTP programs, teaches a year-long New Play Development Dramaturgy Intensive and hosts a podcast about New Play Development and process work called TABLEWORK: HOW NEW PLAYS GET MADE (available to steam on all your platforms). In addition to her playwriting they have co-produced and written several original works (A virtual dance piece- Chords Bare, co-choreographed with Nadya Zeitlin; Circa 50 with Gathering Wild; Learning to Fly with the Center for Puppetry Arts and Identified: A Queer Variety Show! with choreographer/performance artist Corian Ellisor). Amber is a founding member of I.D.E.A. ATL (Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in the Arts Atlanta) a collective of artists committed to providing J.E.D.I. education, facilitation and training for our arts community. She is a proud member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (lmda.org) and the 2020 Class of the Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta (ALMA).
Works Collaborated On: ARARAT
Photo by Royce Soble