The Movers
Stephanie Laager (Founding Member, 2005 – Present)
Stephanie Laager is proud to be one of the founding company members of Black Label Movement! A graduate of St. Olaf College, she received her BA degree in Biology and Dance in 2002. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota in May of 2006. Dr. Laager earned her license to practice pharmacy in July 2006, and is currently a full-time float pharmacist for Target. In other dance endeavors, Stephanie was a company member of ARENA Dances. Stephanie was recently married and is enjoying life with her husband!
Megan McClellan (Founding Member, 2005 – present)
Megan McClellan “has legs from here to Bemidji” (City Pages) and a career that’s spanning the globe. So far seen on three continents, her performances have range from pounding out percussive dance with Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum, to dancing the contemporary repertoire of Black Label Movement and Shapiro & Smith Dance, to executing the tango in a Los Angeles night club. Besides dancing for others, she co-founded the dance and theater company Sossy Mechanics with her husband Brian Sostek. Together they created the award-winning shows Trick Boxing and Pieces of Eight, and continue to tour them internationally. Her “energetic and charismatic” style (Metro U.K.) has been employed by the Guthrie Theater, Walker Art Center, Chicago Opera Theater, Minnesota Opera, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Nautilus Music-Theater, Illusion Theater, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Hijack, Theater Latte Da, Mixed Blood Theater, 3-Legged Race, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre, Keane Sense of Rhythm, and Elysian Fields Entertainment among others. Ms. McClellan is a recipient of a 2003 McKnight Artist Fellowship in Dance administered by the Southern Theater and funded by the McKnight Foundation.
Eddie Oroyan (Founding Member, 2005 – present)
Eddie has been with BLM since its genesis; he also dances with Shapiro & Smith, and Zenon Dance Company. He experience spans Creach/Company, Keith Johnson, Maggie Bergeron, Eva Mohn, Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum, and Metropolitan Ballet. Eddie received a 2010 McKnight Artist Fellowship. He was featured as “Dance Artist of the Year 2006” in City Pages and given honorable mention in the Star Tribune’s 2006 Artist of the Year. Eddie’s choreography has been recognized and performed in ACDFA Gala concerts and at the Bryant Lake Bowl, Phipps, Varsity, Southern, and the McGuire theatres in the Twin Cities area. His work has also been commissioned in several Twin Cities Arts schools, UW-River Falls, and Hamline University, while his piece, “Melisma,” was presented at the 2006 Choreographer’s Evening. His latest exploration, “Brown Rocket,” was performed at the May 2007 BLB – 9 X 22 and was developed in the 2008 Momentum Series.
Miriam San Juan Castro (2005 – present)
Miriam graduated with a BA in dance from the University of Minnesota in 2005. While at the U of MN she performed in works by Hannah Stillwell, Carl Flink, and Marge Maddux. She danced in BLM’s inaugural and third seasons at the Southern Theater. She lives in Seattle, WA with her fiance Kevin and their two cats. She is currently attending the University of Washington to obtain a Masters in Occupational Therapy.
Bryan Godbout (2006 – Present)
Bryan has been with BLM since the inaugural season in summer of 2006. He started his training in the great city of Minneapolis where, in 2006 he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in Dance and a second major in Theater Arts. While at the U of MN Bryan had the pleasure of performing in works by Carl Flink, Shapiro and Smith, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunnigham, Doug Elkins, Jerome Robbins, Marge Maddux, Matt Jenson, Charles Moulton, Zoe Sealy, and many more. Outside of the U of MN he has worked with Zenon Christopher Watson Dance Company, Becky Heist, Tina Anderson, Matt Jenson’s New and Slightly Used Dance, Shapiro and Smith, Metropolitan Ballet, Nautilus Musical Theater, Ashland Production, Ethnic Dance Theater as their ‘Nutcracker’, and others. Working with Carl and the Black Label Movers is Inspiring, Challenging, Athletic, and Virtuous, all of which are qualities he enjoys very much, and he would like to thank of all of them for the work done together thus far. He would also like to thank his family and wife for always believing in him. He looks forward to the future with Black Label Movement.
Kaori Kenmotsu (2007 – Present)
Kaori Kenmotsu attended Washington University in St. Louis where she began her modern dance training. She finished her undergraduate degree at the University of MN with a History and Japanese degree. Kaori also received her MFA in dance at the University of Wisconsin. Her choreography has been seen on stage at the Anne Simley Theater, E.M. Pearson Theater, Barbara Barker Center for Dance, Red Eye Collaborative, Patrick’s Cabaret, and Intermedia Arts. She has worked with Mu Performing Arts, 10,000 Dances Dance Company, Pangea World Theater and Gomez Dance as well as with several local and national choreographers. She is currently Assistant Professor of Dance in Hamline University’s Theatre Department and is the Artistic Director for the Hamline Dance Ensemble. She is a former roster artist for COMPAS’ WAITS (Writers and Artist in the Schools) Program and teaches creative movement, dance and yoga extensively in the public schools and community settings. From 2000 – 2007, she was the co-artistic director of Young Dance , a modern dance company for youth ages 7 – 18 year old. In 1998, she was the education coordinator for San Francisco choreographer Joanna Haigood for her Minneapolis residency sponsored by the Walker Art Center. Her organizational experience includes Program Director for the Metro Regional Arts Council, Development Organizer for the Central Neighborhood Improvement Assn, Minneapolis Arts Commissioner, and board member for PASS (Partner Arts and Schools for Students).
Laura Selle Virtucio (2007 – present)
Laura Selle-Virtucio holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota. She performs professionally with Shapiro & Smith Dance (joined in 2001) and is in her third year with Black Label Movement. Laura also danced with Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theater (joined in 1999). Laura is a recipient of a 2007 McKnight Fellowship for Dancers and a 2007 Sage Award for Outstanding Performer. In addition to performing, she teaches in the Dance Program at the University of Minnesota and at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Patrick Jeffrey (2010 – present)
Patrick Jeffrey recently received his B.A. in Dance from Gustavus Adolphus. He is a mover and a choreographer. Pat has had many pieces produced in CHOREOGRAPHERS GALLERY: New Horizons, including: “Crawl“, “Broken Ties“ and “Flirting with Fire“. While in college he was a member of the Gustavus Dance Company. Pat is influenced by: Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner, Melissa, Rolnick, Jeffrey Peterson and Laura Selle Virtucio. His family is also an inspiration for his choreographic voice. Pat is excited about BLM because the movement is challenging and exciting not only to dance but also to watch. He hopes to continue to grow as a technical mover as well as further develop his own choreographic voice.
Past BLM Movers
Crystal Runk (2010 – 2011)
Julie Brant McBride (2010 – 2011)
Leslie O’Neill (Founding Member, 2005 – 2009)
Jamie Ryan (Founding Member, 2005 – 2008)
Melissa Alness (2006-2009)
Kurt Blomberg (2008 – 2010)
Joanie Mix (Professional Apprentice 2006 – 2008)
Kalli Schmuecker (Professional Apprentice 2006 – 2008)
Anat Shinar (Professional Apprentice 2007 – 2008)
