THE ENQUIRER —"Enlightening" /
CITYBEAT —"Best Dance Company Pushing the Envelope" /
THE COURIER —"Hitting Its Stride" /
THE COURIER —Top 25 Nonprofit Performing Arts /
THE ENQUIRER —"Most memorable dance" /
CINCINNATI MAGAZINE —"Made Cincinnati a Modern Dance destination" /
ALL ABOUT THE ARTS / RAFAEL DE ACHA —"Cutting edge work" /
Mutual Dance Theatre
Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers is the result of a 2021 merger between Contemporary Dance Theater (est. 1972 by Jefferson James) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (est. 2007 by Jeanne Mam-Luft). Both organizations began as performing troupes, but in the early ‘90s, CDT dissolved its company and focused on presenting national artists and supporting local artists. The two organizations recently joined to create the aptly-named Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers.
Mutual Arts has honored and combined the priorities of both founding organizations: a virtuosic and viable local company and the presentation of Modern and Contemporary Dance from across the States (and sometimes, beyond). Through these and many other programs, MDTAC acts on its values for connecting across barriers and uplifting diverse voices.
The Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series continues to bring the vision of its founder, Ms. James, to life by bringing nationally-significant dance to Cincinnati. Recently, this include the first-ever performances in Cincinnati by Whim W’Him, Ballet Hispánico, RUBBERBAND, Blue13 Dance Company, Sidra Bell Dance Company, and others.
The local resident company is what we refer to as Mutual Dance Theatre, and it has received accolades from Cincinnati Magazine, CityBeat, the League of Cincinnati Theatres, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. The company has performed in Virginia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, and the Dance St. Louis festival. Originally focused on choreography by its founding artistic director Jeanne Mam-Luft, the company is now a repertory company, creating and re-staging works by a highly diverse mix of both national and regional artists. This includes Nat Wilson (Yue Yin Dance Company), Sirui Liu (Cincinnati Ballet), Achinta S. McDaniel (Blue13 Dance Company), Kyle Sangil (Dance Magazine 25 to Watch 2025), McKinley Willis (Dallas Black Dance Theatre), Sarah Gamblin (Bebe Miller Dance Company), Amii Legendre (Pat Graney Company), Victor Lewis, Jr. (PHILADANCO!), Countess V. Winfrey (Dayton Contemporary Dance Company), Shane Ohmer (Phantom of the Opera tour), Sidra Bell (Sidra Bell Dance New York), and Cecilia Benitez (Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre).
jeanne
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, JEANNE MAM-LUFT
Jeanne Mam-Luft is the Artistic and Executive Director of Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers and founder of the MamLuft&Co. Dance-side of the organization. Mam-Luft holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Texas Woman’s University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. Mam-Luft studied at American Dance Festival and Bates Dance Festival (on full scholarships), as well as at Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed School of Drama, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, and Point Park University. Her training includes study with Sarah Gamblin (Bebe Miller Dance Company), Mary Williford-Shade (Dance Alloy), James Caton (Ballet Metropolitan), Melissa M. Young and Nycole Ray (Bruce Wood Company, Dallas Black Dance Theatre), Ming-Lung Yang (Trisha Brown Dance Company), Tatiana Baganova (Provincial Dances Russia), as well as many others. As an artist-producer, Mam-Luft has produced dozens of evening length and nearly 100 shorter works (35 of which she was lead choreographer). She was the first and only dance artist to be named a City of Cincinnati Arts Ambassador Fellow in support of an original dance-for-camera she choreographed, filmed, and edited. She has been the curator of the Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series since 2021. She is certified in Labanotation from the Dance Notation Bureau and is also a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional. She served on the board of OhioDance for 6 years and has been a grant panelist for the Ohio Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Kentucky Foundation for Women. Mam-Luft has served on juries for Full Radius Dance (Atlanta, Georgia) and The Cincy Fringe Festival, among others. She was raised in Texas after her family escaped the Khmer Rouge genocide. Most of her works are inspired by her family’s experiences, the need for belonging and connection, as well as the unique physical and emotional range that dancers are capable of. Her choreography has been performed in Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Mam-Luft is also a graphic designer, photographer, and sewist.
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR, HANNAH WILLIAMSON
Hannah Williamson is celebrating her 10th seasonas an MDT company member! Williamson first came to the company as a student at just 14 years old. Today, she guides the company’s daily rehearsals, serving as répétiteur and rehearsal director, leveraging her razor-sharp memory and learning speed. Hannah is a treasured member of the Mutual Dance Theatre leadership and rehearsal directed for over 30 pieces (serving over 22 choreographers from across the nation) in addition to creating 4 works for the company. Williamson was an apprentice for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. In addition to a choreographic residency with Columbus Modern Dance Company, Williamson’s choreography has been included in the Yes! Virginia Dance Festival, Synergy Dance Series, and more. She has served as a faculty member for her alma mater Wright State’s prestigious dance company.
Claire Dieringer
CLAIRE DIERINGER (Company Member) is a 2016 graduate of Kent State University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Magna Cum Laude. Claire also studied at American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina with numerous teachers in styles from all over the world. In 2017, Claire joined Mutual Dance Theatre (when it was MamLuft&Co. Dance) after training in New York. Claire served the Director of the Dance Program at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp in Pennsylvania, and she now holds the role of Mutual Arts’ Studio Director and Programs Manager. In 2019, she performed in Géographie, a multi-week installation by French choreographers Annie Vigier and Franck Apertet (les gens d’Uterpan) at the Contemporary Arts Center, as well as in the Area Choreographers Festival (Contemporary Dance Theater). Claire’s choreographic works have been chosen to be presented in the Synergy Dance Series and at Northern Kentucky University’s Dance ’24 performance. Claire is dancing with MDT for her 10th season!
Linda Garza
LINDA GARZA (Company Member) is a 2022 graduate of Miami University where she received her Bachelor of Science in both Chemical Engineering and Engineering Management. During her time at Miami, she also earned minors in environmental engineering and dance. Prior to joining Mutual Dance Theatre, Linda was a member of Miami University’s Dance Theatre (under Lana Kay Rosenberg) where she performed in a variety of pieces by both student and guest choreographers. Some of her favorite pieces from her time in the company include “A Pep Talk for This Life” (choreographed by Bessie-winning and internationally-acclaimed Joanna Kotze) and “The Kids Are(‘nt) Alright” choreographed by Liza Torrence. Linda is a fourth-year company member with Mutual Dance Theatre.
Julia Gundzik
JULIA GUNDZIK (Company Member) is originally from Oxford, Ohio and began her early dance training under Claudia Rudolf Barrett at Ballet Tech of Ohio. She continued at the Washington School of Ballet before dancing professionally at Cincinnati Ballet, Moving Arts Summer Dance Company (Kansas City) , and Smuin Contemporary Ballet (San Francisco). Some of Julia’s favorite experiences include dancing in works by some of the most well-known choreographers today: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Written and Forgotten, Christian Denice’s Intra, David Morse’s Our Story, Matthew Neenan’s The Last Glass, Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16, and Septime Webre’s Alice in Wonderland. In addition to her performance career, one of Julia’s passions is sharing the joy of dance through choreography and teaching. She has choreographed for ArtsWave events, Cincinnati Ballet’s Second Company, Kansas City’s Creative Intersections, and Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s Choreography Workshop. As an educator, Julia has taught throughout the Cincinnati area, designing multimedia classes that encourage dancers to refine their artistic voices. Through her work, Julia has found purpose in exploring the ways that movement can convey meaning, and she enjoys sharing this process with others. She is excited to join Mutual Dance Theatre in 2026-2027 for her first season!
Kaleigh Hampton
Kaleigh Hampton (Company Member) is originally from Louisville, Kentucky. She began her training with ballet, Modern (Limón and Graham), jazz, and tap dance. She then went on to earn a double degree, a Bachelors of Arts in dance and a Bachelors of Science in exercise science, from Western Kentucky University. During her time in college, Kaleigh spent her summers training with some of the nation’s most prominent dance companies, including Complexions Contemporary Dance, Hubbard Street of Chicago, and New Dialect. Additionally, Hampton was awarded the Faculty Undergraduate Student Engagement Grant and presented a choreographic work about how gravity affects anatomical structures within different dance genres. Kaleigh is excited to dance her third year with Mutual Dance Theatre!
Ana Hart
ANA HART (Company Member and Visual Production Assistant) was born in Osijek, Croatia and joined Mutual Dance Theatre in 2021. Since then, she has been featured in solos by Cecilia Benitez (Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre) and Rosie Herrera herself, Sidra Bell (Sidra Bell Dance New York), Hannah Williamson and Steven P. Evans (Mutual Dance Theatre), and numerous others. She has also performed in works by Terrence Marling, Braeden Barnes, Adeline “A” Else, Christian Warner, Matt Pardo, Gregory Dolbashian, Ryan Corriston, Stephanie Liapis, Darla Stanley, and Chien-Kuei Chang (Chang Dance Theatre). Ana attended the b12 Berlin Workshop Festival, GroundWorks DanceTheater Winter Intensive, Sidra Bell Dance New York MODULE Satellite, and American Dance Festival. Her choreography has been presented at the Synergy Dance Series, OhioDance Festival, and Mutual Dance Theatre’s Up-Close ‘24. Her work has been described as “cinematic” and “dynamic and dimensional.” Ana graduated from James Madison University with degrees in Dance and Media Arts & Design (Interactive Design).
Celeste Kennington
CELESTE KENNINGTON (Company Member) is a dancer and choreographer based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally from Springfield, Ohio, she trained at Ohio Performing Arts Institute from 2005-2019. She then graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from Wright State University in 2023. During her time at Wright State, she completed a season with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s second company under Shonna Hickman-Matlock. She has attended intensives at the prestigious Martha Graham School, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Stewart/Owen Dance, among other nationally-recognized companies. Kennington’s choreography credits include the Ohio Dance Festival, Synergy Dance Series, Suttle Dance Detroit, Wright State University’s Arts Gala, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance’s summer intensive. She is a regular cast member of the Dayton Dance Initiative summer project. After joining Mutual Dance Theatre, she had the opportunity to assistant rehearsal direct and perform featured solos and duets in choreography by Sirui Liu (Cincinnati Ballet), Nat Wilson (Yue Yin Dance Company), and Hannah Williamson, Jasmine Snellen, and Susan Honer of Mutual Dance Theatre). Kennington is a member of Mutual Arts’ Academy faculty, teaching Horton-based Modern. She is thrilled for her third year on the company!
Caroline Nymberg
CAROLINE NYMBERG (Company Member) was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a young dance student, she studied at Cincinnati Ballet, San Diego Ballet, and Company E. She graduated magna cum laude from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. During her time at university, she had the honor to perform and work with many esteemed artists, including Bill T. Jones, Hope Boykin (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre), Karen Reedy (Karen Reedy Dance), and Rob Kleinendorst (Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project). Nymberg was honored to also study with and assist Christopher d’Amboise (New York City Ballet and Broadway productions). Caroline has also performed at the OhioDance Festival. She is a sixth-year company member with Mutual Dance Theatre and during her time with MDT and has been frequently cast for featured solos and duets.
Hannah Williamson
HANNAH WILLIAMSON (Company Member and Rehearsal Director) is celebrating her 10th season as an MDT company member! Williamson first came to the company as a student at just 14 years old. Today, she guides the company’s daily rehearsals, serving as répétiteur and rehearsal director, leveraging her razor-sharp memory and learning speed. Hannah is a treasured member of the Mutual Dance Theatre leadership and rehearsal directed for over 30 pieces (serving over 22 choreographers from across the nation) in addition to creating 4 works for the company. Williamson was an apprentice for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. In addition to a choreographic residency with Columbus Modern Dance Company, Williamson’s choreography has been included in the Yes! Virginia Dance Festival, Synergy Dance Series, and more. She has served as a faculty member for her alma mater Wright State’s prestigious dance company.
GUEST ARTISTS
Jack FederinkoGUEST ARTIST
JACK FEDERINKO (Guest Artist) was born near Oklahoma City but moved often and thus had the privilege to learn from various mentors across the United States. In 2024, he graduated with a BFA in dance and academic honors from The Ohio State University, where he performed notable works by Merce Cunningham, Doris Humphrey, José Limón, and Sidra Bell. During his summers, Jack engaged in multiple programs including the Institute for Dunham Technique, José Limón Foundation, Water Street Dance Company, and Sidra Bell’s improvisational laboratory, MODULE, alongside Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Jack later toured in Brazil, where he premiered his work for the first time on the international stage. Here, he also instructed contemporary dance classes at Fundação Cultural da Bahia. Jack later joined WhirlWind Dance Company and performed as a company member for two seasons. He learned under dynamic artistic voices such as Joshua Manculich, Morgan Sandlin, Terrill Mitchell, and Hannah Bricston. Currently, Jack is a freelance artist collaborating with the OSU Department of Dance while also instructing dance at various studios and organizations in the Greater Columbus Area.
Sean FergusonGUEST ARTIST
SEAN FERGUSON (Guest Artist) is an artist, teacher and choreographer from Springfield, Ohio and holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Wright State University. While at WSU, he performed works by notable choreographers such as Elizabeth Ramsey, Stewart/Owen Dance and Kiki Lewis. Additionally, Sean was rehearsal assistant for Teressa McWilliams work “Exits”. His supplemental dance studies include Water Street Dance Festival in 2021. Sean was a member of Dayton Contemporary’s Second Company, DCDC2, for the 21-22 season. During his tenure at DCDC2, he performed in mainstage performances “Exposure”, “Crossroads” and “In Freedom.” He performed the first company’s in Tally Beatty’s “Stack Up” in 2024 and was then promoted to a Jeraldyne Blunden “JB” Fellow with DCDC for their 24-25 season performing in works by Countess Winfrey, Stafford Berry, and Crystal Perkins. Sean has also performed alongside Dayton Ballet and Dayton Opera in their production of Aida choreographed by Ms. Perkins. He had the honor of performing Sir Warren Spears’ “On The Wings Of Angels” for the NATO conference in 2025. In 2025, Sean’s choreography was selected to be performed at Regional Dance Of America Dance Festival as an emerging choreographer.
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Mutual Dance Theatre in Up-Close '26
December 3-12, 2026
Immersive, surprising, and human
Boca Tuya of New York City
February 26-27, 2027
Cinematic brainchild of rising star Omar Román de Jesús
Mutual Dance Theatre in Modern Mix '27
April 30 – May 1, 2027
Stunning talent in a tour-de-force of new and canon MDT works