This dynamic group was formed through the joint efforts of Candess Giyan and Melanie Lynch-Blanchard, to present innovative choreography, challenging training opportunities for dancers of all levels, repetory concerts and multi-media productions.

Zoetic’s work has been chosen for inclusion in the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, the First Glance Festival, and the Inman Park Dance Festival.

Co-Artistic Directors
Candess Giyan >>EMAIL
Candess is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Zoetic Dance Ensemble. She is originally from Colorado, where she trained and danced professionally with the Denver Contemporary Dance Theater. Locally, Candess has danced with the Kris Cangelosi Dance Project and Gathering Wild Dance Company. Candess recently received her 200-hour yoga certification at Kashi Atlanta through the National Yoga Alliance, and was the recipient of a 2006 Individual Artist Grant from the Dekalb County Office of Arts Culture and Entertainment. As Co-Director of Zoetic Dance Ensemble, Candess has developed educational programming for children and professionals alike. She currently teaches at the Georgia Dance Conservatory, Dance South Studios, and coordinates the Zoetic Creative Movement Program for Children as well as modern dance classes for professionals at The Gym at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead. Candess' choreographic credits include Westside Story Gordeville for TBS, numerous musicals for Dad's Garage Theater, and a variety of pieces for Theatrical Outfit, the Midtown Music Festival, Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Inman Park Festival, Brookwood High School, and North Atlanta High School. She is also honored to have received an invitation to choreograph for Spelman College and Kennesaw State University.

Melanie Lynch-Blanchard >>EMAIL
As Co-Artistic Director of Zoetic, Melanie has created new works that have been shown in the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, the Inman Park Dance Festival, and various productions at Dad’s Garage Theater and for Theatrical Outfit. Her work is also included in the repertory of Full Radius Dance. Melanie is an accomplished arts administrator with over ten years experience in non-profit cultural institutions. As a firm believer in having it all, just not all at once, Melanie put her career on hold three years ago. She now lives in the moment caring for two little girls and two big dogs. Her most recent accomplishments include potty training, reciting Goodnight Moon from memory, making a meatloaf while holding a baby and dodging projectile baby puke. Melanie has served on review panels for the Southern Arts Federation and City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. She also maintains affiliations with Americans for the Arts, the Georgia Assembly of Community Arts Agencies and the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts. She will very occasionally act as a consultant to keep her brain from dripping out of her ears. Melanie was named as one of the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s "Faces to Watch" in the Arts in 2003, and was the recipient of the 2002 Emerging Artist Award in Dance from the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.

Coordinator of Education and Outreach
Ellen McCollister >>EMAIL
In 1995, Ellen graduated with honors from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in modern dance. After graduation, Ellen moved to Atlanta to begin her professional dance career with the Kris Cangelosi Dance Project. With KCDP she performed extensively, including the Fringe Festival in Atlanta and New York City, the Jazz Dance World Congress in Buffalo, NY, and the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival. Currently Ellen is in her eighth season with Zoetic, sits on their Board of Directors, and serves as the Coordinator of Education and Outreach. Ellen is also on faculty for Zoetic, teaching professional level contemporary dance classes. Since the fall of 2002, Ellen’s choreography has been seen in Zoetic’s concerts during the First Glance Festival in Atlanta, at Dad’s Garage Theater, at The Beam, at Seven Stages and also during the Modern Atlanta Dance Festival at the 14th Street Playhouse. Currently Ellen is spearheading an effort to create a statewide dance festival in Atlanta, The Georgia Dance Festival (GADF). In 2006 Ellen completed a 200-hour certification to become a registered yoga teacher (RYT) through the Yoga Alliance. Ellen also teaches Modern and Jazz to students of all ages and choreographs for the student company at The Susan Chambers School of Theater Dance in Lawrenceville and Alpharetta. Starting in the 08-09 season Ellen will also be on faculty, teaching Modern at Georgia Dance Conservatory in Marietta.

Ensemble Members
Cortney Alexander >>EMAIL
Cortney Alexander has been dancing and performing for as long as she can remember. She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona where she trained with C&C Dance Center, Ballet Arizona, and Dance Incorporated. After high school, Cortney danced in the Alice Cooper European Tour for three months. She then attended the University of Arizona where she studied dance under world class instructors from companies such as The Bella Lewinsky Company, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, River North, Ballet Russes, and The Houston Ballet. Cortney also performed professionally with The Charles Darwin Experience and with Quicksilver Productions Theater Company. In 2005, she graduated with honors with a double major in Dance and History. Since moving to Atlanta, Cortney has performed with Divided Like Saints, Duende Dance Theater, Immerse Dance Co. and Zoetic.

Beth Lewis Lightfoot >>EMAIL
Beth graduated with a BFA in Dance from the University of Georgia in 2006. While at UGA, Beth was a member of CORE Concert Dance Company under the direction of Bala Sarasvati. Beth has worked with artists such as Matt Kent and Emily Milam Kent, Pilobolus, Elsie Smith of Cirque de Soliel, and Sean Curran. Her performance experience includes a tour in China, St. Marks Church, NYC, three regional American College Dance Festivals, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC for the ACDFA in 2006. Beth has also attended the American Dance Festival and the White Mountain Summer Dance Festival for summer intensive work. She is originally from Thomasville, GA.

Amanda Thompson >>EMAIL
Amanda is an (almost) native of Atlanta. While attending Pebblebrook High School for the Performing Arts, she was selected to participate in the Governor’s Honors Program in dance. She has been trained in several styles of commercial and concert dance, including bellydance. Amanda has performed with Bacchus Productions, Studio Dance Theater at Agnes Scott College, and choreographed and taught for several local dance studios. Amanda has a BA in International Relations from Agnes Scott College and a MA in Public Administration from Georgia State University. After achieving her dance dream of performing at the Fox Theater, she decided to become the Planning Director for the City of Decatur, Georgia. In the future, she hopes to fly onstage and use her Planning Director powers to provide more affordable housing for dancers who want to live in Decatur.

Amber Thompson >>EMAIL
Amber is a native of Atlanta who has been dancing all her life. She most recently studied at Point Park College where she trained in the technique and repertory of Hubbard St. Jazz Dance Chicago and worked with several choreographers such as Doug Bentz, David Storey, Margo Sappington and Kevin O'Day. Amber is currently teaching at Dance South Studios, Atlanta Ballet, and for Zoetic's Children's program. She has also choreographed for Brookwood High School, were her work has been performed at the National High School Dance Conference in Baltimore.

Jessica Sias Wilson >>EMAIL
Jessica Sias Wilson is a professional performing artist in dance, musical theater, and television. She has appeared in numerous national commericals, toured nationally with OKLAHOMA!, played Winifred Utley in CBS’s A Season in Purgatory, and most recently appeared on the WB‘s One Tree Hill. She graduated summa cum laude from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Dance Performance where she performed the works of Paul Taylor, Agnes de Mille, Lynn Taylor-Corbet, and Laura Dean . She continued her graduate studies in dance at Laban Centre London where she studied choreography under Rosemary Butcher and Valeri Preston-Dunlop. While in London, she performed in projects for contemporary choreographers Athina Vahla and Marina Collard. Upon returning to Atlanta, Jessica completed her comprehensive Pilates certification and currently teaches privately at CORE in Buckhead. She will be completing her certification to teach GYROTONIC® in March of ‘08 and is concurrently working toward her GYROKINESIS® certification. She has danced for local companies Duende Dance Theater and Divided Like A Saint’s, and had the honor of Performing with The Limon Company when they toured here in 2006. She established Immerse Dance in January of 2005 to explore her own artistic voice and to challenge herself to make work. Jessica is thrilled to join Zoetic Dance Ensemble this season. To have weekly contact with a community of dancers right here in Atlanta is very satisfying and worthy of celebration!

Contributing Artists, Partners and Co-Founder
Candess Giyan >>EMAIL
Candess is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Zoetic Dance Ensemble. She is originally from Colorado, where she trained and danced professionally with the Denver Contemporary Dance Theater. Locally, Candess has danced with the Kris Cangelosi Dance Project and Gathering Wild Dance Company. Candess recently received her 200-hour yoga certification at Kashi Atlanta through the National Yoga Alliance, and was the recipient of a 2006 Individual Artist Grant from the Dekalb County Office of Arts Culture and Entertainment. As Co-Director of Zoetic Dance Ensemble, Candess has developed educational programming for children and professionals alike. She currently teaches at the Georgia Dance Conservatory, Dance South Studios, and coordinates the Zoetic Creative Movement Program for Children as well as modern dance classes for professionals at The Gym at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead. Candess' choreographic credits include Westside Story Gordeville for TBS, numerous musicals for Dad's Garage Theater, and a variety of pieces for Theatrical Outfit, the Midtown Music Festival, Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Inman Park Festival, Brookwood High School, and North Atlanta High School. She is also honored to have received an invitation to choreograph for Spelman College and Kennesaw State University.

Gary Abbott
Gary Abbott is the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Deeply Rooted Productions, Chicago. A native of Atlanta, GA, Abbott began his career as a dancer with Barbara Sullivan’s Atlanta Dance Theater. He is currently the Co-Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Deeply Rooted Productions with partners Kevin Iega Jeff and Andrea Haynes Johnson. Deeply Rooted expresses the African-American aesthetic through educational programs and dance/theater productions. Abbott has served as the Associate Artistic Director, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, and has performed with artists and companies such as the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Theatre and Rudy Perez Dance Theatre. In addition to Deeply Rooted, Abbott’s choreography has been presented by the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre and others. He has trained with Talley Beatty, Donald Byrd, Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle and many more. Gary Abbott is a native of Atlanta.

Alison Hastings
Alison Hastings’ Atlanta credits include MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet at Georgia Shakespeare, Women and War with Synchronicity Performance Group, Wizzer Pizzer at 7Stages, Die! Mommy Die!, Sleepy, 43 Plays for 43 Presidents at Dad's Garage, Why We Have a Body and Uncle Vanya with Savage Tree Arts Project. 

Kelly Hayes
Kelly Hayes, who has been called a “subtle frenzy” by The Martha’s Vineyard Times and a “flaming poppy” by The New York Times grew up outside of Chicago, Illinois, and earned a BFA in Dance from the University of Iowa in 1997.  Kelly is Co-Artistic Director, with collaborator Katy Orthwein, of New York based RedShift Dance, whose work, including two full length shows “The MONSTER Project” and “In Case of Rapture” has been shown in New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Georgia, and Wisconsin.  She also creates solo dances that have been presented in Chicago, New York, and Massachusetts and choreography for theatre including “As You Like It” for Opera House Arts in Stonington, Maine.

Franklin Lopez
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Frank has been media jamming since he started subMedia in 1994. Frank's CrimethInc inspired films have been screened worldwide and translated into several languages. His post-Katrina music video "George Bush Don't Like Black People" has been downloaded over one million times and counting. Most recently he worked as a TV producer for Democracy Now! Frank's work has been featured and/or written about in the New York Times, Wired, Contour, BET, Current TV, Free Speech TV, the Georgia Straight and Creative Loafing to name a few. You can view some of Frank's work on his website www.submedia.tv.

Other Creative Partners
Don Clark of Itaki Design Studio
Itaki Design Studio is a multidimensional design group. Working with space, whether it be virtual or real, we can provide solutions for any type of problem. Intently focused on corporate, business or personal identification, we can help define both the exterior and interior of your business or home. By working with everything from websites and information architecture to interior design and renovation itaki design can bring a wholeness and style to your image. Itaki has currently joined forces with Media VS Media.

Lighting Design and Production Management by Diane Lassila
Photography by Jeffrey Moore, Jenny Levine and Keiko Guest Photography

Board of Directors
Candess Giyan >>EMAIL
Melanie Lynch-Blanchard >>EMAIL
Cynthia McGuinness
Ellen McCollister >>EMAIL
Jerlyann Warner
Kate Warner
Matt Horgan
Alan Reese