Erin Cardinal (Founder/Director, Choreographer, Dancer) has been dancing most of her life. In her younger years, she was the director, choreographer and star of many backyard and family room productions in which she recruited most of the neighborhood talent to perform for apprehensive, yet supportive family and friends. After graduating from the University of South Florida, Erin joined Pedro Alejandro Dance in NYC. After returning to Tampa, she co-founded Moving Current. Since then she has had the honor of creating and teaching dance for 10 years. Besides working with Moving Current, Erin has also performed with Gaudere Danza at the Danspace Project/St. Mark’s Church in New York, NY and traveled to Castano Primo, Italy dancing with Jeanne Travers and Dancers at the International Festival of Music and Art. Erin is a past recipient of the Hillsborough County Emerging Artist Grant, Dance Magazine Award for Outstanding Performance Nominee, and voted Best Dancer & Best Choreographer from the Weekly Planet. She has been the Guest Choreographer at the University of South Florida choreographing both new modern and ballet works, for St. Petersburg College and Hillsborough Community College. Erin has served as a dance faculty member at the Howard W. Blake High School for the Arts, Tampa, FL. Her additional teaching credits include various residencies and workshops for dancers and movers of all ages, Dance Masters of America, USF and St. Petersburg College. She is a member of the National Dance Education Organization and a certified professional teacher with the state of Florida. She shares a home with her loving and supportive husband, two boys and two golden retrievers.
 

Katie Cole (Director/Dancer) is a dancer, choreographer and aerialist. She began dancing at the age of four. In 1993, she attained a BA in fine arts specializing in modern dance, from the University of South Florida. While challenging her dancing desires in New York City, she received a scholarship for Intensive Study with Jennifer Muller’s company, “The Works”, and also performed with Elizabeth Streb Ringside in “Free Flight” and as a contracted aerial performer with Aerial Effects. Katie’s performance credits include USF and the Florida Dance Festival, 1999 and 2003, in Miami, and her choreography has been presented by USF and Moving Current. She has been with Moving Current since 1997. Katie continues to nurture her love and passion for self-expression through dance, fulfillment through the exploration of movement and continuously challenging the possibilities and the boundaries that exist. Katie is thoroughly enjoying motherhood, her greatest achievement is her son Dalton and her greatest challenge is raising him.
 

Brian Fidalgo (Dancer) is a 3rd generation Tampanian. He has been an active member of the Arts in Tampa for 16 years, performing with numerous local companies including Fusion and the Spanish Lyric Theatre. His recent endeavors include dancing in the Strictly Seattle Festival, as well as projects in Utah, New York, L.A. and Columbia. He has had the pleasure of working with Amy O’Neal, Sara Sweet Rabidoux, Elsa Valbuena, Amii Legendre and Lynne Wimmer. Brian is also an alumnus of Blake High School. He would like to acknowledge his family for their continuous support.
 

Kelly Rayl (Dancer) was a level eight gymnast and a springboard/tower diver before attending the Florida State University on an academic scholarship. She graduated from FSU in 2000 with a B.S. in Chemical Science, a minor in psychology, and new found longing to dance. In 2004 Kelly received her B.F.A. in dance performance from the University of South Florida. While attending USF she received numerous talent scholarships and the Bill Hug Choreography scholarship. Her choreography has been presented in the USF faculty fall concert 2004, the American College Dance Festival 2004, and the 2004 New Ground concert. She wrote and mange a project called "Natures Beauty as an Expression of Art" which was supported by the Mayors Beautification Grant, CANDO. INC, the City of Tampa, and the Polk County School Board. In April 2005, she danced for Jeanne Travers' "Visions of Peace" in Paris, France. She is currently teaching Modern Dance and Choreography at Blake High School. Kelly has danced with Moving Current since 2004.
 

Courtney Smith (Dancer) has been dancing for years unending, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Her passion and persistence lies in the world of modern dance and she is determined to perpetuate its existence via her 5’2’’ frame. She received a BFA in Dance from the University of Florida. She is a teacher of various movement styles and has her own company, Moving Ethos, which has performed around the country. Her choreography has been described as ‘very physical, cool, athletic, 3D movement vocabulary’ with a ‘prickly emotional context’ and has been performed around the country. She is currently performing with Moving Current Dance Collective, Michael Foley Dance, Fuzion Dance Company and Gaudere Danza.
 

Shana Perkins (Dancer) a native of Canada, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Modern Dance from the University of South Florida. She recently relocated to Tampa, returning from the Indianapolis area, where she was a principal dancer for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. She has had the opportunity to work David Dorfman, Gabe Masson, Joe Goode, Nathan Dryden, Lynne Wimmer, Augusto Soledad and Paul Matteson. Shana has performed her own choreography (modern) at the International Cultural Affair, Tunisia, Africa, and the Florida Dance Festival, Miami, FL. She has choreographed and performed (jazz/modern) in commercial dance; Coca Cola (NFL 2007) and Misconceptions (2008). She performed with the Gorilla Theater in 2007 playing "Bertha" in Polly Teale's, Jane Eyre. Shana is the director of the Orange Grove Middle Magnet School of the Arts Dance Department. She just received the Individual Artist Grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County and the Bates Dance Festival Teachers Fellowship. Two beautiful children and an amazing husband keep her pushing forward to explore new dance!

Erica Lessner (Dancer) is thrilled to be dancing with Moving Current! In December, 2007 she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance from the University of South Florida. While there, she was lucky enough to be able to participate in the first annual Dance in Paris program directed by Michael Foley, and receive a scholarship to assist a month long summer dance intensive at New York City's Dance New Amsterdam. She is very grateful to the faculty of USF Dance for facilitating her love for movement and choreography and giving her the means to pursue a career in both. A gymnast turned dancer, Erica still has a hand in both activities, keeping up her love of the sport through coaching a competitive team. She hopes to continue to dance professionally, choreograph, and eventually go on to get her Master of Fine Arts in Dance and teach at the college level.

Tina Tidwell (Dancer) graduated with her Dance Degree from the University of South Florida with a secondary emphasis in Psychology focusing on Body Image Disturbance in dancers. During her time at USF, she was president of the Dance Education Organization and worked with artists such as Janis Brenner, Stacy Spence, Jennifer Archibald, Lynne Wimmer, and Gretchen Ward Warren. Tina studied abroad in Paris, France with Michael Foley, Richard Siegel, and Jennifer Fleanor and performed a self choreographed solo and duet drawn from her experiences immersed in Parisian life. Upon returning to the States, she produced, choreographed, and performed in Mosaic Dance Concert at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Tina currently teaches modern dance at Highland School of Dance and works in Arts Administration as the Music Coordinator of the Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. She is very excited to be taking the next step in her life with Moving Current.

Katrina Asmar (Apprentice Dancer) is 21 years old and was first inspired to start dancing after she attended the Broadway Theater Project in 2005 and 2006. She began taking hip-hop, ballet, jazz, tap, and lyrical at Frank Rey Dance Studio. Katrina later fell in love with modern dance, after starting her dance degree at Hillsborough Community College. She studied modern and choreography with Christina Acosta and ballet with Richard Ploch. They have molded her into the refined dancer she is today, and Katrina will be forever grateful for the knowledge they have passed on to her and so many other dancers. Katrina has performed in the HCC dance ensemble, in pieces choreographed by Christina Acosta, Carol McCoy, Janis Brenner, and Paula Kramer. While she strives to be a professional dancer, Katrina also wishes to keep singing and acting professionally. She hopes to attend Florida State University as a BFA dance major by next fall, and is so excited to have become a part of the amazing Moving Current family.

Marion Baldeon (Apprentice Dancer) has been dancing for twelve years. She graduated in 2006 from Howard W. Blake High School, where she attended the magnet program for dance. Here she had the opportunity to perform choreography from Albena Arnaudova, Marilyn Banks, Erin Cardinal Wright, and Kelly Rayl. Now Marion attends Hillsborough Community College where she is continuing her dance career, dancing under Christina Acosta, and Richard Ploch. Upon graduation, Marion intends to continue on to obtain her M.A in dance, and furthering her career in it.

Casey Hicks (Apprentice Dancer), a Tampa native began dancing at 9 years old, studying jazz, tap, lyrical, hip-hop and ballet. He continued his training at Howard W. Blake High School for the Performing Arts in modern, ballet and choreography. During his four years at Blake, Casey had the opportunity to dance in work by Christina Acosta, Erin Cardinal Wright, Susan Olson, Michael Foley, Marilyn Banks, Laura Stauderman and Matthew Caudill. Casey is currently furthering his dance education at Hillsborough Community College. At HCC he has worked with Christina Acosta, Richard Ploch, Diana Migdoll and Janis Brenner. For the last 3 years, Casey has been a dance instructor for the Frank Rey Dance Studio and Director for the Frank Rey Showdancers and Coach for the Frank Rey Competition Team. He is excited to have the opportunity to work with the Moving Current Dance COlelctive and further his modern dance training. Casey’s future plans include becoming a professional dancer in the modern and entertainment dance fields.

Loralinde Wright (Apprentice Dancer) has been trained in numerous styles of dances: such as ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, and modern since the age of six, and has performed with companies such as The Miami City Ballet, and The Florida Orchestra. After graduating high school, she attended Hillsborough Community College where Loralinde had the opportunity to perform in pieces choreographed by Christina Acosta, Janis Brenner, Paula Kramer, and Carol L. McCoy. This past summer she received her A.A degree. Loralinde is looking forward to continue her dance studies with The University of South Florida in the upcoming year. She is excited to dance with Moving Current for her first season.

 
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