ROBERT SWINSTON (Assistant to the Choreographer) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended Middlebury College and The Juilliard School, where he received a BFA in dance. He has danced with the Martha Graham Apprentice Company, the José Limón Dance Company, and with Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theatre. He joined MCDC in August 1980. He has taught dance at Montclair State College, SUNY Purchase, The Juilliard School and the Merce Cunningham Studio. In July 1992 he became Assistant to the Choreographer. Swinston directs the activities of the CDF Repertory Understudy Group and its work with the Cunningham Educational Outreach Program. Since 1998, Swinston has instigated, helped, and/or overseen various Cunningham archival reconstructions including Suite for Five (1956–58), Summerspace (1958), Antic Meet (1958), Crises (1960), How to Pass, Kick, Fall and Run (1965), RainForest (1968), and CRWDSPCR (1993). He has assisted in the staging of Cunningham works on other companies, including Boston Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, White Oak Dance Project, Rambert Dance Company, and New York City Ballet. In 2003, Swinston received a “Bessie” Award for his performance in the revival of Cunningham’s How to Pass, Kick, Fall, and Run.

LISA BOUDREAU was born in Ontario, Canada and trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She became a member of the CDF Repertory Understudy Group in April 1994 and joined the Company in August 1994. She has been a member of the Merce Cunningham Studio faculty since 2001. Lisa's recent film/theatrical credits include Mikel Rouse's critically acclaimed The End of Cinematics. In 2005 Lisa received her certification as a yoga instructor.

JULIE CUNNINGHAM was born in Liverpool, England. She trained with Elizabeth Hill and then at Rambert School. She has worked with Ballet der Stadt Theater Koblenz, Germany. In March 2003 she became a member of the CDF Repertory Understudy Group and joined MCDC in July 2004.

EMMA DESJARDINS grew up and began her dance training in Providence, Rhode Island. She graduated from Barnard College/Columbia University in 2003 where she trained and performed with their Dance Department. Emma began dancing at the Merce Cunningham Studio in 2002, joined the CDF Repertory Group in 2004, and joined MCDC in January 2006.

HOLLEY FARMER grew up in Fresno, California. Hae Shik Kim was her first teacher. She has danced with Theatre Ballet of Canada, Oakland Ballet, and The Phantom of the Opera. She graduated with a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts in 1994, and in 1996 received her MFA from the University of Washington where she taught her thesis course on critical theory using literary models for dance studies. She joined MCDC in 1997. In 2004 she was awarded a “Bessie” for sustained achievement in the work of Merce Cunningham.

JENNIFER GOGGANS received her early dance training in her hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, and later continued her studies at the Nutmeg Ballet in Connecticut. In May 2000, she received her BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase. Jennifer has worked with the Louisville Ballet as well as MOMIX. Jennifer is currently a faculty member of the Merce Cunningham Studio and recently staged Cunningham’s Cross Currents on the Augusta Ballet in Georgia. She became a member of the CDF Repertory Understudy Group in January 2000 and joined MCDC in June 2000.

DANIEL MADOFF received his BFA in Dance from Purchase College in June 2006. He has danced for Kazuko Hirabayashi Dance Theatre, Nelly van Bommel, Lauri Stallings, and Pam Tanowitz. He became a member of the CDF Repertory Understudy Group in January 2005 and joined MCDC in August 2007.

RASHAUN MITCHELL was born in Stamford, Connecticut and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He started dancing at Concord Academy in Massachusetts and graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2000. He received the Viola Farber-Slayton Memorial Grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts in 2000. He became a member of the CDF Repertory Understudy Group in June 2001 and joined MCDC in January 2004. Since then he has danced with Pam Tanowitz, Chantal Yzermans, Donna Uchizono, and is currently collaborating with writer Ann Carson. Most recently Rashaun was the recipient of a Princess Grace Award: Dance Fellowship.

KOJI MIZUTA was born in Kochi, Japan and received his dance training in Tokyo. From 1989 he studied modern dance with Tatsuo Mochizuki and Kazuko Hirabayashi. He has had extensive performing experience in Japan and has won several awards for his dancing. In December 1997 he began studying at the Merce Cunningham Studio, and joined MCDC in the fall of 1998. He is a member of the Contemporary Dance Association of Japan.

MARCIE MUNNERLYN is from Portland, Oregon. She trained at Jefferson High School, Oregon Ballet Theater, and the Cornish College of the Arts. She became a member of CDF Repertory Understudy Group in June 2002 and joined MCDC in January 2004.

DYLAN CROSSMAN grew up in the south of France where he started training at the conservatory of Montpellier. At age 17, he entered A-M Porras's professional program. He graduated from the Laban Center BA program, London, with a scientific paper on the benefits of cross-training. In the U.S., Dylan trained at Burklyn Ballet Theatre (VT). In New York, he has worked with Sean Curran, Peter Kyle, and Eliza Miller. Dylan started working with the Cunningham Repertory Understudy Group in June 2007.