Ally (she/her) is a dancer and educator from West Dundee, IL. She attended University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where she studied dance performance, choreography, theory, and pedagogy. After receiving a BFA in Dance summa cum laude, BA in English, and M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, Ally began teaching K-12 Dance with Chicago Public Schools. Ally is passionate about making inclusive and safe dance education more accessible.

Avery Wilde (they/them) aims to be an authentic mover and an honest artist. They obtained a BFA in dance with a modern concentration from Point Park University. While living and studying in Pittsburgh, they danced with Shana Simmons Dance. In 2023, they moved to Chicago to start dancing with Noumenon Dance Ensemble and later, Modern Marvels Dance Company and 773 Dance Project. While living in Chicago, they’ve also had to chance to perform and work with The Seldoms, Echo Modern Dance Collective and Sildance Acrodanza.

Deirdre Dillon (she/her) is a lifelong mover and performer originally from Leesburg, Virginia. After graduating with a BFA in Acting from Shenandoah Conservatory, she moved to Chicago where she rediscovered her love of dance. Starting with improvised solos in various comedy variety shows, ten years on she has had the opportunity to perform with and choreograph for various groups around the city including Duncan Dance Chicago, Modern Marvels, and Matter Dance Company (2017-present).

Emma Barnhart (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher from and based in Chicago, IL. Emma is in her fifth season with Noumenon Dance Ensemble, and also dances with Modern Marvels Dance Company, Lucid Banter Project, and THWACK Dance. She previously danced with dollop dance theater and Joffrey CE’s Strobel Program. Emma has presented choreography at Trifecta Dance Festival, Elpis Dance Festival, Detroit Dance Race, and the Going Dutch Festival, and was a cohort member of See Chicago Dance’s Dance For Camera Production Residency. Emma teaches and choreographs at a studio and various schools for after-school programming. Emma graduated from Hope College summa cum laude with a BA in double majors Dance Performance and Choreography and Sociology.

Julie Ferrell-Olson (she/her) holds a MSc in Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, UK, a BFA in Dance from the University of Kansas, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois Chicago. Her choreographic repertoire has been presented at Links Hall in Chicago, the University of Kansas, Anderson University, UIC, and was accepted to be presented at the EXCHANGE Choreography Festival in Tulsa, OK. Julie has performed works by Melissa Thodos, Autumn Eckman, William Gill, Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak, Pat Graney, COHEN/SUZEAU, James Moreno, and Alia Simon-Montijo, and is currently working with Noumenon Dance Ensemble and THWACK dance.

Kara Farmer (they/them) is a mover, graphic designer, and creative from Jacksonville, FL. After graduating from Colorado Mesa University with a BFA in Graphic Design, Kara moved to Chicago to join Noumenon Dance Ensemble and pursue other dance opportunities. They strive to be an authentic mover, connecting feeling with dance.

Madison (they/them) is a first-generation Filipino American artist from Chicago, IL. They began training at Northwest Ballet Academy before earning a BFA in Dance (Modern concentration) and a minor in Digital Marketing from Point Park University in 2024, performing works by Jessica Lang, Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, Robyn Mineko Williams, Mike Tyus, slowdanger, and others. Madison has attended summer intensives with companies such as Martha Graham, Hubbard Street, Gus Giordano, and Visceral Dance Chicago, where they completed the 2024/2025 trainee program under Caitlin Cucchiara.
Now freelancing in the Chicagoland area, Madison uses dance to foster connection and change. They are excited to join Noumenon for their first season, bringing their cultural heritage, curiosity, and unique movement vocabulary into performances to inspire dialogue and bridge communities.

Ari (he/him) graduated from Tulane University in spring of 2024, where he studied dance as a second major and performed in shows with the dance department. Before moving to Chicago, he participated and performed at the LINK Contemporary Dance Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah and interned at the Bates Dance Festival in Lewiston, Maine. Ari is thrilled to be dancing with Noumenon this season!

Camille Nichols (she/her) was born and raised in Chicago, IL and is a current undergraduate student at Northwestern University. She grew up training under Homer Bryant at the Chicago Multicultural Dance Center where her classical ballet background morphed into a love for contemporary and modern dance. For Camille, dance has always been a mode of nonverbal storytelling and viewing personal experience through an artistic lens. This is Camille’s 3rd season with Noumenon.

Elliott (he/him) is originally from Zeeland MI and trained at Turning Pointe School of Dance and the Zeeland High School Dance program. He graduated from DePaul with a bachelors in physics and was a member of the DePaul University dance team for four years. He is currently completing a work/study program at Puzzle Box dance studio.

Faith (she/her) began dancing at the age of 8 and quickly fell in love with the artistry and athleticism of dance. She went on to receive her Bachelor of the Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Upon graduating in 2014 she moved back to the Chicago land area.
Faith has been with Noumenon Dance Ensemble since 2015. With NDE she has grown her artistic and technical skills and has performed works by numerous choreographers. Since joining, she has advanced to a Senior Company Member and the Company’s first Rehearsal Director. Faith enjoys the opportunity to perform in venues around the city for a company that promotes diversity and inclusivity. She also teaches dance during the week where her goal for each class is to create a healthy and positive environment for her students that allows them to learn to admire each style while growing as artists themselves.

Kaelen Gouveia (he/they) is from Oahu, Hawaii. In 2022, they graduated from Towson University with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography and a B.S. in Psychology. After graduating, he moved to Chicago to further his training with the Ruth Page Pre-Professional Development Training Program. Since moving, they have worked with Noelle Kayser, Jenna Polluck, Kia Smith, Paula Sousa, Jessi Stegall, Joey Martinez, Banks Performance Project, The Seldoms and more. They have been a company dancer with Hedwig Dances for two years and this will be their first season with Noumenon Dance Ensemble. Kaelen can't wait to experience all that this season has to offer.

Kaylah King (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer and teaching artist based in Chicago, IL. She received her BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University in May 2022. She began training in Houston, TX under the direction of Sherese Campbell. King has showcased original choreography in the SHSU undergraduate showcase “Dances @ 8” as well as presented her film “ARE YOU OKAY” in DanceWorks Chicago’s Virtual DanceChance. Furthermore, her piece “Les Funérailles Du Jazz” was featured at the closing piece in the Barnstorm Dance Festival in May 2022. She has had the honor to learn and work with a variety of acclaimed dance artists; Some of these notable choreographers include Joshua Manculich, Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Shonna Hickman-Matlock, Kevin Ward and Alexis Diggs. She has been a member of Red Clay Dance Company and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Second Company. King is currently a dance artist with Noumenon Dance Ensemble and Praize Productions Pro Rize Elite.

Nadia Cohn (she/her) is a Chicago native and has trained in various styles of dance for 12 years. She started dancing under the tutelage of Homer Bryant at Chicago Multicultural Dance Center where she also danced competitively and earned multiple awards and recognitions for her achievements in performing. Nadia loves the aspect of being able to express her vulnerability and emotion artistically through dance.