Who We Are

HANNAH WILHITE

CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR OF MISSION STANDARDS EMERITUS

Hannah Jordan Wilhite began dancing at a young age with Anderson Young Ballet Theater. She later attended Point Park University where she received a dual concentration BA in Jazz and Modern Dance, studying extensively with Doug Bentz, Judith Leifer-Bentz (Graham), Garfield Lemonius (Horton), and many others. Since graduating, Hannah has  worked as a company dancer with Sarasota Contemporary Dance, Kanopy Dance Company, Phoenix Rising Dance Company, Ballet Theatre of Indiana, and as a project-based dancer for Elizabeth Weil Bergmann's  Voices of the Holocaust. In addition to performing, Hannah has taught as adjunct dance faculty at Anderson University, teaching Modern, Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary Partnering, and Dance Composition, and has also taught Modern and Contemporary Partnering at ACDF (American College Dance Festival). Most recently Hannah has been working as a choreographer and rehearsal director for Crossroads Dance Indy.

EMILY MISER

CO-FOUNDER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Emily Miser began dancing at the age of six at The Children’s Ballet. She studied ballet and pointe under Deni Jacks, Robyn Wenrich, Edward Moffat, and Heidi Eads-Jones. At Anderson University she studied ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, and tap with Oybek Tashpulatov, George Salinas, Debra Silveus, Shauna Steele, Doug King and Kenny Shepard. She graduated summa cum laude and with honors with a BA in dance business. Her piece, “Compter Sur,” was presented at the American College Dance Festival in 2014, and her solo "Forever Night" received the Allen Choreography Award the same year. She additionally has worked with Sharon Wong, Lynn Peterson, Mocha Dance Project, and Jillian Godwin. Emily was a company member of Phoenix Rising Dance Company in 2016-2017. Emily is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique junior, senior, and advanced programs and teaches locally.

BRITTANY GAITHER

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Brittany (Branson) Gaither grew up in Anderson, where she trained and performed as a company member with Anderson Young Ballet Theatre Academy.  She went on to receive her B.A. from Columbia College Chicago where she majored in Dance Performance and Choreography. There she performed works by the great Merce Cunningham and Mark Morris. Afterwards, she went onto receive her masters in Teaching Education from Dominican University. She is a public school teacher for KIPP where she founded the dance program and created her own curriculum based on jazz and ballet technique as well as creative movement and modern.

SAMMI BOWYER

TREASURER

Sammi Bowyer began her childhood dance training at the Academy of Dance Arts in Middletown, Ohio.  She received her B.S. and M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Miami University of Ohio.  During her time at Miami, she danced and choreographed for Dance Theatre, a modern dance company affiliated with the university.  She currently works full-time as a school-based speech pathologist. She has performed with CDI since 2016 and also performed in Cultivate with Motus Dance in 2016.

ASHLEY YOUMELL

CO-FOUNDER/DIRECTOR OF PROJECT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Ashley graduated with a BA in Dance and a Business minor in 2012 from Ohio University. Since moving to Indianapolis, Ashley performed with Flamencóle at the 2014 International Festival. Additionally, she has performed with Motus Dance in Cultivate and Maze.
Ashley, along with Rebecca Lomax, won Cultivate in 2016 and is a co-artistic Director of Elisha Movement Christian Dance Company. Currently, she manages a branch for KeyBank and is outreach coordinator for Unconditional Ministries.

NICOLE DEAN

PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR

Nicole has danced and choreographed with Crossroads Dance Indy for two years and is currently serving as Crossroad’s performance coordinator. She is originally from Algonquin, Illinois, where she started dancing at the age of five and she received her BFA from Ball State University. Nicole has performed with Elisha Movement Christian Dance Company, Q Artistry, and as an independent artist around the Indianapolis area. Her work has been shown as part of IMAC’s emerging choreographers’ concert, Indiana Dance Festival, and many Crossroads performances. Nicole loves to share her love of movement with people of all ages and abilities.

TAYLOR BROWN

BUSINESS COORDINATOR

Taylor has been dancing since she was three years old and loves the opportunities it brings her. Dance has taken her all over the United States, from New York City to Los Angeles, and has introduced her to many inspirational teachers and choreographers. Taylor’s career highlights include being awarded Miss Dance Drill Team Illinois in 2010, Miss Illinois Drill Team Association in 2011, and performing at Madison Square Garden as a member and captain of the Butler University Dance Team. After relocating to Louisville, Kentucky in 2015, Taylor danced with several modern and contemporary dance companies, including three seasons with Moving Collective and a project-based dancer with Louisville Dance Series and Suspend Louisville. Today, Taylor is thrilled to be a part of Crossroads Dance Indy.

ALEX VASQUEZ

FRINGE CHAIR

Alex Vasquez attended Ball State and works in theater and dance. She can be seen performing locally.