THE TL> MICAELA TAYLOR
COLLECTIVE FILM & STAGE WORKS
Photo by Grace Landefeld
JESSIE LEE THORNE
Jessie Lee Thorne is a freelance dancer/choreographer based in Los Angeles. She started her training at The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and continued at The Boston Conservatory. After receiving her B.F.A in Dance and Choreography, Jessie spent two years in Italy touring with the Imperfect Dancers Company. She has traveled the world performing works by Walter Matteini, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Doug Varone, Robert Moses Kin’, Adam Barruch, and Micaela Taylor. She has premiered her own choreography at The Boston Conservatory and The American College Dance Festival. Jessie is happy to be on her second year with The TL Collective.
MATT LUCK
Matt is a freelance dancer and choreographer based in Los Angeles, CA. He has appeared in various television series and award shows including; The Academy Awards, The AMAs, and Glee. In addition to commercial endeavors with Clear Talent Group, he has performed with musicians, RY X, Jens Lekman and Richard Walter is currently choreographing stage pieces for Figs Vision. He is presently dancing for The TL Collective, Freemove Dance, and LA’s modern duo, Whyteberg and has taught classes throughout Europe in London, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy. Matt is looking forward to his third season with The TL Collective.
JENNIFER LACY
Jennifer Lacy began her dance training in her hometown of Virginia Beach, VA. In 2016 she received her BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. After graduation, she continued her training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the direction of Summer Lee Rhatigan. She has had the honor of working closely with and performing works by Bobbi Jene Smith, Alex Ketley, Jesse Zaritt, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Katie Swords-Thurman and Douglas Becker. She is now an LA based artist, having worked with choreographers such as Danielle Agami, Sabrina Phillip, and Micaela Taylor. She is excited to begin her second season with The TL Collective!
Gianna Todisco is a professional dancer based in Los Angeles, CA. Todisco graduated cum laude from Loyola Marymount University with a BA in Dance. After graduation, Todisco continued her studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. Along with dancing on stage, Todisco works commercially – recently appearing in Kanye West's operas, “Nebuchadnezzar” and “Mary” choreographed by Jacob Jonas. In addition, she joined Tyra Banks’ newest project “Modelland” as Dance Captain assisting choreographer Micaela Taylor. Other commercial credits include dancing in the live tour visuals for the Straight Up Paula Abdul Tour 2018, two national campaigns for VANS Women’s Apparel, and has appeared in music videos for artists such as Tinashe, Wild Belle, and Raveena Aurora. She made her opera debut in the Pulitzer Prize winning opera, p r i s m, composed by Ellen Reid and choreographed by Chris Emile. In LA she has worked with companies such as No)one. Art House, salt dance co. and Carlon Productions. Gianna joined The TL Collective in 2018.
GIANNA TODISCO
AUSTIN TYSON
Originally from Portland, OR. Austin received his BFA from NYU - Tisch School of the Arts. Post university, Austin joined Andrea Miller’s Gallim Dance where he was involved with numerous creations, and toured with the company nationally and internationally. Austin then went on to perform in Punchdrunk’s critically acclaimed, Sleep No More, where he eventually became a rehearsal director. Most recently he has been seen on stage in the Broadway National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof and with MADboots Dance in City Center’s Fall For Dance. Austin is currently based in Los Angeles and is represented by Bloc LA.
Nathan Makolandra began dancing and choreographing in Greenville, South Carolina. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes and was a recipient of the Hector Zaraspe Award for choreography (2012). In 2011 he placed 1st runner up for the Capezio Award for Choreographic Excellence. Upon graduation Nathan moved to Los Angeles to become a founding member of LA Dance Project. There he collaborated on original works with Benjamin Millepied, Kyle Abraham, Shannon Gillen, And Justin Peck. He danced the works of William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Martha Graham, and Merce Cunningham. As a choreographer, he has created original works for L.A. Dance Project, LA Contemporary Dance Company, AMDA Los Angeles; as well as having had choreography featured on So You Think You Can Dance and the International Dance Festival in Palm Springs. He has had the pleasure of leading workshops focusing in floor-work , improvisation, and repertory around the world. He is a CrossFit L1 Trainer and new company member to both the TLCollective and Nickerson Rossi Dance.
NATHAN MAKOLANDRA
STEPHANIE DAI
Stephanie Dai is a Los Angeles based performer and a 2019 inaugural graduate of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Her diverse background in hip hop, contemporary, ballet, and conceptual improvisation has allowed her to headline events with hip hop crews such as Miniotics, be featured in the music videos of CL and Julia Stone, and perform as a soloist in the original works of Bill T. Jones and Sonya Tayeh. Stephanie continues to work in both commercial and concert dance contexts and has most recently performed with the JA Collective in their latest full length show “Wrenz Kaloogy” at the Odyssey Theatre.