03/17/2026
MEET THE CAST:
Kate Spence (Dancer) is a dancer and choreographer based in the Twin Cities. She has performed with Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Children’s Theatre Company, Collide Theatrical Dance Company, Portland Ballet, and Berkshire Pulse. Kate holds a B.A. in English and Dance from Colby College, where she directed and performed an original choreopoem inspired by the work of Ntozake Shange. In addition to performing, Kate engages her passion for education with Breakthrough Twin Cities and the UMN Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature. She is honored to make her Contempo Physical Dance debut alongside such kind and dedicated artists.
Joseph Wurm (Dancer) is thrilled to be working with Contempo Physical Dance for the first time. Since graduating from the University of Minnesota’s Dance program in 2019, Joseph has been balancing working in the field of human services by day with a life in the performing arts by night. He has worked with CREO Arts and Dance, Ballet Minnesota, AMP, and performed in several independently produced, original musicals. He hopes you enjoy the show and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future of Maharu!
Olivia Young (Dancer) was born and raised in Minnesota and began her dance training in Rochester. She studied at several schools including Allegro School of Dance, Minnesota Youth Ballet Academy, and The Dance Lab. Continuing to develop her artistry, Olivia trained as a Trainee with Ballet Co. Laboratory and currently studies at Concept Pavielle under the mentorship of Pavielle Versalles. Olivia has also had the opportunity to work with Netflix and Snoop Dogg in the Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party on Christmas Day in 2025. She is thrilled to be performing with one of her dream companies in the Twin Cities, Contempo, for the first time.
Nathan Gehrenbeck-Miller (Dancer) was born and raised in South Minneapolis. He graduated from Macalester College in 2023, where he studied Spanish, Psychology and Dance. In 2022, Nate studied abroad in Costa Rica – it was there that his deep passion for movement was born. Since 2024, Nate has performed and choreographed with 8:20 Dance Company, taught dance classes through the Mpls Community Education program, worked as a Care and Safety Team member at Dance Church Mpls, and presented informal works around the Twin Cities. Nate is so excited to be performing with Contempo for the first time in Maharu.
Mary Mailand Schlichting (Dancer) is a born and raised Minnnesota dance artist. She completed her BFA at Macalester College in Theater and Dance, having had the privilege to represent the program at the Kennedy Center and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Mary has collaborated and performed with various artists and groups, including Crash Dance Productions, Amez Dance, Analog Dance Works, Ruby Josephine Dance Theater, eMartin Dance, among others. She and artist Jessalyn Finch engage in an ongoing collaboration, blending the worlds of movement and the visual arts, most recently with the premiere of their short film Embodied Landscapes. Mary values work that is dynamic in quality, narratively driven, and emotionally complex. She is honored to perform with Contempo Physical Dance, as her 6th project with the company.
Aneka McMullen (Dancer) is an independent performing and teaching artist who lives to dance through life, inspire & connect with all people through her passion for movement of all types. She hails from Minneapolis and holds a BFA in dance from The Ohio State University. Her extensive dance experience spans more than two decades and includes dynamic skills in performance and instruction in the genres of West African, Afro Modern, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical & Liturgical. Aneka is a co- founder and artistic director of Epitome-No Question, an open Old Skool Hip Hop dance ensemble dedicated to celebrating the community conscious roots of Hip Hop culture through dance theater. She is also a member of BLAQ, an Afro Modern observance based dance company in the Twin Cities as well as a former teaching artist with the Ordway’s Dance to Learn program. Additional company work includes Minneapolis based Maria, Colleen & Kids (Young Dance), Black Pearl, Threads Dance Project, Brkfst Dance Company (In New Company), Ananya Dance Theater (Women in Motion) and C Dance Company in Columbus, OH. Her work has been featured in Lori Carlos’s Late Nite Series, Minnesota Mosaic (Pantages Theater), Black Choreographer’s Evening (Intermedia Arts), the ground-breaking B Girl Be-Women In Hip Hop festival, the 2019 Special Edition of the award-winning Rooted Hip Hop Choreographer’s Evening & Sistah Solo, the 2018 16 Feet: Splashes of Dance Choreographer’s evening, and most recently, Body Prayers 2021 Choreographer’s Evening for Walker Art Center. Aneka has been awarded the Cultural Community Partnership grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board & the Momentum New Dance Works grant from the Jerome Foundation. Currently, she is happy to have come full circle to be teaching company class & Afro Modern with Young Dance and excited to be dancing with Contempo Physical Dance!
Gibran Murrieta (Dancer) is a Mexican-American dance artist from San Luis, Arizona, currently based in the Twin Cities. He holds a BA in Dance from St. Olaf College (‘25) with concentrations in Management Studies and Race and Ethnic Studies. Murrieta apprenticed with Arena Dances, completed Summer Study at Gibney Dance Company, and performed with Meridian Movement Company. He has danced in works by Matthew Janczewski, BRKFST Dance Company, and Kyle Marshall. In every work, he investigates identity, memory, and cultural heritage through movement.
Kayla Scholfield (Dancer) is a performer and choreographer from Colfax, Wisconsin. She graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Dance. Along with dancing for Contempo Physical Dance, she is seen at Timberwolves and Lynx games dancing with the 612 Crew. She teaches and choreographs for local dance studios, musicals and show choirs in the Wisconsin-Minnesota areas. This is her first show with Contempo Physical Dance. She is thrilled to work with such talented artists and is excited to show you all of their hard work!
