LAUREN FLORES

Lauren is part of Moveo’s full-time repertoire company. Though this is Lauren’s second year with the company, she has been training since the age of seventeen. She was able to take back her teaching career after putting it on hold to more seriously concentrate on establishing herself as a dancer. Lauren loves lyrical and hip hop because “I feel they most accurately represent my personality.” Lauren continues to strive to reach her fullest potential as a dancer. She wants to “learn to dance for myself first, and hopefully move some people with my dancing along the way.” Lauren is also the owner of two businesses; a traveling dance program for young children as well as a photography business with her husband Don. She loves sports and traveling and says she is open to try anything at least once.

BRIAN BAKER

Brian – aka, Mighty – is on his second year with the Moveo Performing Company as a hip hop company member. As a b-boy, Brian brings with him over ten years of free style and performing experience. He is most passionate about b-boying, but has also recently developed an interest for other styles such as popping, locking, house, and other forms of hip hop. He says he is also developing an interest in free movement and lyrical variations of hip hop styles. Brian wishes to expand his repertoire of styles and “become comfortable in dancing in styles that I am not used to.” Brian is a double major in Marketing and Advertising at Portland State University and spends his spare time developing his skills as a DJ. He looks forward to creating “friendships and bonds with the company members” and hopes to get everyone into a cipher “and go until we drop.”

SAM CROSSLEY

Sam has been dancing in the Kelowna area for over eight years. Over those years, she has earned a number of scholarships including dancing at the EDGE Performing Arts Centre in Los Angeles, L.A. Dance Force, The Vibe, Rocky Mountain Dance Project as well as many cash scholarships. In 2008, she auditioned for and became part of Moveo Performing Company in Portland, Oregon. During her time with the company she was able to travel and perform around the U.S. in pieces such as; Monsters of Hip Hop, Mosaic (an international showcase), Whitman Colleges Best Dance Crew, All That Jazz Dance Studio 20th Anniversary show, where she performed with world class instructors such as Jillian Meyers, Wes Veldink and Scott Hislop. Aside from performing Sam has most recently choreographed for the award winning Canadian artist, Zane Gold, for the B.C. Interior Music awards. She has also worked with Pageants, Dance Teams, and teachers throughout the Okanagan for School District 23. In Sam’s years of teaching she has received many choreography awards in Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical and Musical Theatre at different competitions and festivals throughout the Interior. Sam loves performing, teaching and choreographing and continues to train in all forms of dance.

DAMON KELLER

Damon “Dae Dae” Keller has been dancing for 15 years and teaching for 11 years. He started dancing at a performing arts high school taking jazz, modern, ballet, tap and african styles. What kept Damon connected in dance was tap. Upon graduating high school; auditioned for the Broadway touring company Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk.After a year of teaching tap and hip hop at over 6 local dance studios, Damon landed a job in Los Angeles with TapSoundsUnderground under the direction of Gregg Russell. Moving to LA, Damon was on faculty at the EDGE Performing Arts Center, a dancer with Disney Entertainment as LaFeet at Disney California Adventure and doing numerous industrials in the industry.He also coached the Junior Blazer Dancers for Several Seasons and did industrials for Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Oregon Lottery and Macy’s.

Recently Damon performed at the Van’s Invitational Mt. Dew Tour, with Super Cr3w, season 2 winners of America’s Best Dance Crew, opened up for recording artist Jay Sean and in the works with choreographing for a local recording artist. He also works as a music engineer, editing music for dance studios and performing companies, on top of DJing for weddings, private events and birthday parties.

JENNIFER MCCLARY

Jennifer McClary is originally from Ashland, Oregon where she began studying dance at the age of five. She toured Oregon and California with the Oregon State Ballet and Beaverton Ballet beginning at the age of 11. Jennifer has received scholarships to many Dance Institutions around the US, and studied at The Orange County High School of Performing Arts, Tremain’s Dance Studio, Philadelphia Institute of the Arts, All That Jazz, Joseph Wyatt Dance Studio, The Edge and Broadway Dance Center where she has taught, managed the front desk and produced their student shows for 5 years. Jennifer is a graduate of Point Park College with a BA in dance, concentration in Jazz, where she worked and performed with famous modern/jazz companies from around the United States including Hubbard Street Dance Company, River North Dance and Pilobolus. In 2002, she performed with Tracie Stanfield’s company Synthesis Dance Project at International Dance Festival in NYC and performed for Michelle Barber at the Alan Awards in 2003. She choreographs, dances, judges and teaches classes with En L’Air Aerial Dance Theatre, Ticket to Broadway and other studios both locally and across the country. Jen was invited to Dublin Ireland in 2007 to perform and assist with pushing progress artistic director Calen Kurka, and was very excited to become a part of :pushing progress, the company because this company is dedicated, empowering and will truly impact audiences and individuals throughout time. As a new teacher of MVP she wants to encourage young dancers by empowering their abilities to excel in what she loves the most.

MELISSA SOARES

Melissa is a returning member of Moveo Performing Company.  She began her training at age 20 where she was able to gain knowledge and experience in most styles of dance.  It was with Moveo where she discovered her love for hip hip.  Melissa has danced on stages from Los Angeles to Times Square for Project Dance. She has done Industrials with Nike and performed at the Vans Invitational 2007 Mt. Dew Tour and recently on the same stage with SuperCr3w (America’s Best Dance Crew).  After performing and training with Moveo for 6 years she decided to take a break to explore her passion for teaching.  Her desire is to motivate and inspire people to always reach for higher goals, and seek their dreams regardless of the obstacles that may stand in the way.  She is excited to be back with Moveo and looks forward to expanding her experience and sharing her passion once again.

KACEY HRISTOV

Kacey started gymnastics with a performing tumbling group at about the age of 5 and then continued with artistic gymnastics till I was 9. She switched over to rhythmic gymnastics at 9 and was very competitive for about 6-7 years. Accomplishments would include state and regional champion for 4 consecutive years. Junior olympics I placed 13th the first year and 9th the second. Her first year at Nationals I placed 9th overall missing the national team by 1 tenth of a point and placed 5th overall  in 2000 making the national team and placed 2nd in one event. Since gymnastics she has taken a few classes here and there for jazz but not much else until Moveo. Her favorite styles of dance are primarily jazz and lyrical but she is starting to really like hip hop and breaking as well. Her other interest include designing performance wear for rhythmic gymnastics and coaching rhythmic gymnastics.