Dancers
Taylor Michele Barker, received her BFA in Dance from the University of Florida/New World School of the Arts and graduated Summa Cum Laude. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, she began her training at the Miami Conservatory. While there, Taylor Michele studied ballet and performed various roles in classical repetoire, including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. After over ten years of attendance, she was accepted into New World School of the Arts College Dance Division. While at New World, Taylor Michele performed, studied, and directed rehearsals for works by Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Daniel Lewis, Robert Battle, Gerard Ebitz and Peter London. She has had the pleasure of training under such teachers as Robert Pike, Marianna Alvarez, Ruth Wiesen, Rosario Suarez, Peter London, and Gerard Ebitz. Taylor Michele Barker began her aerial training in 2010 under the direction of her husband, Ty Barker (NWSA Alumni 2007). With fabric as their focus and their passion, the two developed an aerial silks duet that was premiered in Rainbow Circus' production of Seaside Cirque in the summer of 2010. They can be seen performing at local venues and charity events in North Miami, Florida. Taylor Michele has danced for the Florida Grand Opera and has had the opportunity to perform in the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. She is overjoyed to be involved in Next Step Dance's performance season.
Dylan Machado, completed his high school education at the Academy of Arts and Minds where he studied dance for less than half of his high school career under Karin Zoeller-Bejerano. Discovering a new found love for dance, coming from a theater based background, he was blessed to have guest teachers during his senior year in the dance department, such as Hannah Baumgarten, Diego Salterini, and William Crowley. Being exposed to new styles of dance, Dylan is an aspiring artist learning more and more each day about performing and the professional life of a working dancer. He made his professional debut in the summer of 2011 with Next Step Dance. Dylan also received a scholarship to attend the summer intensive and to perform at the Little Haiti Cultural Center sponsored by Dance Now! Miami. He is currently enrolled at New World School of the Arts where he wishes to receive his BFA in Dance from the University of Florida. Dylan was honored to be the only student selected from the freshman class to perform in the premiere of Peter London's new work, The Women of Picasso, which was performed at both New World School of the Arts and the University of Florida's World Dance Festival.
Vanessa Marie Nicholson, began dancing in high school at New World School of the Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona. She also trained at Ballet Arizona, Marymount Manhattan College, New World School of the Arts, and Hunter College. Vanessa has a Professional Training Program certification from the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She is trained in Graham, Horton and Limon techniques, as well as ballet, jazz, flamenco, Laban movement analysis, and circus arts. In Miami, Vanessa is a professional modern dancer, stiltwalker, mime, animator, impersonator, and performance artist. Her professional credits include Animate Objects Physical Theater, Mosaico Flamenco, Momentum Dance Company, Next Step Dance, Rhythmic Rapture, Blending Cultures, Rainbow Circus, and is a founding member of Ballet Etoile.
Skyler Rodgers, received his BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts. He is a trained dancer, figure skater, and certified personal trainer. Skyler is trained in various ballet, jazz, and modern techniques. He has performed in the Philadelphia Opera Company's production of AIDA as well as dancing a leading role in Capricco, a ballet staged by Philadelphia's Rock School of Ballet. In addition to concert dance, Skyler enjoys dancing in various hip hop and Afro-Haitian styles. Most recently he was able to perform with the Mexican pop star, Lucero. As a figure skater, Skyler has competed nationally and has performed as a principal performer internationally in a variety of skating productions. Nowadays he spends his time training clients in fitness, coaching ice skating, teaching dance, and performing when possible.
Pioneer Winter, (dancer/guest choreographer), a Miami native, holds a B.A. in Psychology and a Masters in Public Health and Epidemiology. He has created work for the Int'l Fringe Arts Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, Museum of Contemporary, Little Haiti Cultural Center, Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami Beach Convention Center, and Bass Museum of Art. FL Dance Masters accredited, Pioneer began dancing with Edwin and Gaile Holland, later coached by Michael Langlois, with additional training at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He has worked with Jubilee Dance Theatre, Dance Now! Miami, Next Step Dance, Brazz Dance Theater, Ballet Etoile and has performed on tour in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain and Mexico City. Pioneer's projects find their niche in the portability of the messages and how themes discussed maintain significance and identification within current social climate. His work includes, Reaching the Surface, an evening-length work reducing HIV/AIDS stigma with artists either infected or affected by HIV; Phallussy in the Arsht Center's Miami Made Weekend; 42: A Stonewall Prospective presented at the Bass Museum of Art; and Miami Open Stage with his piece Mother-Son(days). Pioneer also works in film and believes this contributes to the community at-large, rather than relying on an already-knowledgeable arts community. Most recently, Pioneer was accepted into Legal Art Miami's 2012-2013 residency program for Miami-based artists. He is happy and honored to now guest choreograph for Next Step Dance this evening.
Tina Zoeller, received her dance training while attending