Artistic Director | 2011-12 Dancers

COMPANY DANCERS

Liz Herbst Fransee returns to Wild Space for 2011-12 after her last appearance with the company in How To Get From Here to There May 2011. Past credits include: Past Present, Trace Elements, Speaking of Happiness, and A Place For Everything with Wild Space, guest artist in UWM’s Orpheus in the Underworld, and company member of Foothold Dance Performance.  Liz studied at the Milwaukee Ballet School before receiving her BFA in Dance from UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts.  As a figure skater, Liz is a national medalist and has received high ranks for her technical accomplishments.  Liz is also a fiber and textile artist, clothing designer, and owner of the art-wear company Ragademalion, www.ragademalion.com.

Angela Frederick is happy to join Wild Space for her fifth season with the company. After graduating with a BFA in Dance from UW-Milwaukee, Angela established her presence in the Milwaukee arts scene by teaching dance and gymnastics, and performing with various local companies including Danceworks, the Florentine Opera Company, Dale Gutzman Productions, and City Ballet Theatre/Signatures Contemporary Dance Company. While performing with City Ballet Theatre, Angela made her move to Chicago and began working with Kinetic Dance Theatre. During her time in Chicago she was a company member with Perceptual Motion Inc., Irreverence Dance + Theatre, and Jayson Dance Co. Angela has choreographed and appeared in work with Solstance, Around the Coyote Dance Festival, and Dance Chicago. Angela can be seen in the Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival’s award-winning film The Table. Since her return to Milwaukee she has performed the role of Margot in the Florentine Opera’s The Merry Widow and has been enjoying dancing and teaching for UW-Milwaukee, and Milwaukee Turners and for Wild Space at Lawrence University.

Laura Murphy has recently returned from 2 years of contemporary dance and choreographic studies in Poland, Germany, Austria, and England. While there, she danced with the Warszawski Teatr Tanca, touring Poland and Japan. She also collaborated and performed with local Warsaw artists to create Zerang.Piotrowksa.Murphy, an independent improv project. Prior to her journeys in Europe, Laura danced with Wild Space for 4 seasons and was the lead instructor and curricular development associate for the inaugural Wild Space / MPS Wellness residencies at Pierce Elementary School and Lincoln Center Middle School for the Arts. She also has performed for local choreographers including Wild Space alums Sofi Askenazi, Katie Sopoci, and Dan Schuchart, as well as Peggy Choy and Simone Ferro. Laura holds a BA in Dance and a BS in Conservation/Environmental Science from UW-Milwaukee. Laura would like to thank Deb and Wild Space for all the support and guidance, as well as a fabulous welcome back!

Jessie Mae Scibek recently graduated from UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. During her time studying at UW-Milwaukee, she performed in various faculty pieces including works by Dani Kuepper, Janet Lilly, Ed Burgess, Darci Brown Wutz, Luc Vanier, Ferne Caulker-Bronson, and Simone Ferro. She was also selected to perform Water Studies and Tensile Involvement, choreographed by Alwin Nikolai and reconstructed by guest artist Alberto Del Saz.  In the summer of 2010, Jessie Mae seized the opportunity to study dance and music abroad in Brazil. After returning from Brazil, she co-choreographed Oust the Clout, a piece which was presented in Danceworks’ Art to Art in 2010.  2011-2012 is Jessie Mae’s second season with Wild Space.  She is enjoying this opportunity to dance and loves working with the company.

Yeng Vang-Strath graduated with her BFA in Dance from UW-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts in 2010. She is ecstatic to be performing again with Wild Space. While at UW-Milwaukee, she danced for Simone Ferro, Elizabeth Johnson and guest artist Suniti Dernovsek in Always Merry and Bright.  She has danced and performed in San Diego with Mesa College, Jean Isaacs Dance Theatre, and Ballettiquette dance studio.  In New York, she studied at the Broadway Dance Center with various professionals, including Kat Wildish, David Howard, and Finis Jung. Yeng is a very happy individual who simply enjoys dancing, teaching, performing, learning and most of all, being with her family.