Dance Source Houston Announces 2023-24 Artists In Residence

Contact:
Mollie Haven Miller, Executive Director
mollie@dancesourcehouston.org
713.224.3262
www.dancesourcehouston.org

Dance Source Houston Announces 2023-24 Artists In Residence

HOUSTON, TX, October 10, 2023 – Dance Source Houston (DSH) is thrilled to announce the 2023-24 Artist In Residence (AIR) cohort, which includes Tarika Nath, Lauren Serrano, and Jadd Tank. This trio of local dancemakers will receive artistic and professional development, mentorship, and direct financial support over the next 9 months. Each choreographer will create a new 15 minute work to be presented in Barnstorm Dance Fest 2024, happening May 28-June 1 at Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston, serving as the culmination of their residency term.

“Our team is excited to work with this year’s cohort of AIRs, each bringing their own unique background, perspective and artistic vision,” said DSH Executive Director Mollie Haven Miller. “The AIR program provides dancemakers with meaningful resources and space to develop new work, investigate their creative practice annd process, and engage with fellow artists throughout the process.”

Begun in 2014, this year marks the 8th cohort to receive support through the program, which has supported a total of 32 dancemakers to date. Learn more about the 2023-24 Artists In Residence below. 

Meet the Artists In Residence

Tarika Nath is a Kathak dancer, performing artist, and dance educator based in Houston, Texas. She trained for 15 years under Guru Smt. Shiva Mathur, achieving the prestigious Kathak Pranam Certificate in 2015. She then completed additional training in Kalashram (Delhi, India) under the late Padmavibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj and Vidushi Saswati Sen, the world’s leading exponents in Kathak dance. Currently, Tarika is the Assistant Director of Shivangini Academy of Arts where she leads choreography at the largest Kathak school in Houston. 

Tarika’s solo and ensemble works have been featured in prestigious venues across North America. Most recently, she was selected to be a part of Silambam Houston’s YUVA 2023 Cohort and produced “Avikathita” – an original full-length production – at the Marie Spence Flickinger Fine Arts Center. She has performed in Madison Square Garden (NYC) and Wortham Center (Houston) with Kalashram Delhi’s touring company for “Romeo and Juliet.” In 2017, She portrayed the lead role in the Indian-adaptation of “Cinderella” by Shivangini Academy. Selected for the first ever New York Kathak Festival in 2019, Tarika produced solo work at Alvin Ailey Theatre (NYC). She later choreographed multiple pieces at Native East Studios (Toronto) for the Sadhana/Tarana Emerging Artist Series in 2022. Since then, her choreographies have also been showcased at MATCH, Hobby Center, and UT Austin. 

Tarika’s dancing utilizes the unique intricacies of the Lucknow Gharana to highlight contemporary themes within traditional storytelling.

Lauren Serrano is originally from Southern California. She attended Orange County High School for the Performing Arts for classical and commercial dance. Lauren graduated from University of California Santa Barbara with a B.F.A. in dance, and later received her Masters in Dance Education from Hunter College in 2015. While pursuing her passion in dance education she was fortunate to perform professionally with Santa Barbara Dance Theater in California. 

Lauren has had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Jennifer Muller, Young Soon Kim, Andrea Schermolly, Yusha Sorzano, Christopher Pilafian, Nancy Colahan, Stephanie Miracle, Brandon Whited, Edgar Zendejas, Pedro Ruiz, Mike Esperanza, Joshua Manculich, Francisco Graciano and Take Ueyama. Lauren recently graduated from Sam Houston State University with her M.F.A. While attending SHSU her self-choreographed solo “UNTITLED” won choreography awards including being nominated to represent the school at American College Dance Association and was selected to perform at the ACDA Gala performance. Her choreographic work has been selected to perform in festivals in California, New York, and at Barnstorm Dance Fest in Texas. She currently dances with NobleMotion Dance and co-directs NMD2 while serving as an adjunct professor in the Department of Dance at SHSU.

Jadd Tank’s passion for choreography and dance lies in the exploration of boundless possibilities in which objects, bodies and events relate to each other: the spaces we create and the identities that spaces create for us. Nurtured by the cultural intersection of Lebanese and Midwestern traditions, Jadd approaches contemporary performance art and creation with an aesthetic that reflects a versatile mélange – Mediterranean culture, dramaturgy, architecture and postmodern movement techniques.

Jadd Tank’s recent work includes Glimpses of a Future by Yaraqa (as a creative producer, choreographer, and performer) – now available on Netflix; The digital videos at the Dubai World EXPO 2021 Lebanese Pavilion (as a choreographer and product design lead); & dance theater performance titled “3rd Body” which has toured in Houston, New York City & Lebanon between 2020-present.

In addition to touring and performing internationally for award winning choreographers such as Michelle Ellsworth, Alias Guilherme Botelho and Maqamat Dance Theater, Jadd has choreographed for stage and film including director Susan Youssef’s feature film Marjoun & The Flying Headscarf (2021 Academy Award Consideration), & Music videos of Vladimir Kurumilian & Mashrou’ Leila, and Design House T Sakhi.

See more of his work at jaddtank.com or @jadd_tank

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About Dance Source HoustonAbout Dance Source Houston

Dance Source Houston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the diverse individuals and organizations working in the field of dance throughout the Greater Houston region by means of advocacy, inclusive community engagement and support services. Founded in 2005, Dance Source Houston is a resource for all things dance in the Greater Houston area and provides programs and services to address the evolving needs of the local dance community. Dance Source Houston is funded in part through support from The City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, Heimbinder Family Foundation, Houston Endowment, Mid America Arts Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, and Texas Commission on the Arts. Learn more at dancesourcehouston.org.
 

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