COMPANY ARTISTS
Delainey Bailey (Wayne City, IL) is a St. Louis based professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer in her third season with MADCO! She graduated summa cum laude from Lindenwood University in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance with a specialization in Contemporary and a minor in Dance Studio Management. During her undergraduate years, she trained under Tricia Zweier, Janet Strzelec, Amy Gammon, Arianna Russ, and Mariko Kumanomido. Delainey teaches and choreographs for the competition team at On Your Toes Dance Studio, and works as a choreographer for Weissman Dancewear Solutions. In addition to MADCO, Delainey’s performance experience includes Space Station Dance Residency, Dancers Making Moves Living Gallery, Detroit Dance City Festival, Water Street Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, and National Dance Week St. Louis. Delainey is eager and inspired for MADCO’s 51st Season!
Cassandra Callahan (Chicago, IL) has lived in North Carolina, Michigan, and now Missouri. Cassie uses dance as an expression of a story, experience, and emotion, sharing her contagious energy and passion for dance with all who know her. Teaching since 2014 Cassie is currently teaching and co-directing at RJs Dance Studio. In 2021, she graduated Cum Laude from Western Michigan University with a B.F.A. in Dance and a minor in Business. Cassie has been recognized for her choreography numerous times including having her works performed in Disney World and working with veterans creating the interactive pieces. Cassie relocated to St. Louis as a trainee with formerly The Big Muddy Dance Company under the direction of Brandon Fink, quickly establishing a passion for the city and its dance culture. She is excited to be coming back to MADCO in her 5th season as a Company Dancer and as the newly named Company Manager.
Olivia Cesarano (Phoenix, AZ) is a dance artist based in St. Louis. She grew up training at Tempe Dance Academy before attending the University of Arizona’s dance program for two years. Olivia joined Lamon Dance in Vancouver, BC and also worked alongside Dance Novella as an emerging artist. She has worked with artists from around the world including NDT, Batsheva, Kidd Pivot, Gothenburg Ballet, and many others. As a dual citizen and passport holder of both the US and the EU, she recently attended the Nuova X and NOD ICD programs in Turin, Italy. Her long term goal is to become an artistic director for either an established or her own professional dance company. She is currently looking to choreograph and share her work with the world as she continues in her second season with MADCO.
Sidney Cowles (Ames, IA) began dancing at age three, training in ballet, jazz, acrobatics, pointe, tap, and modern/contemporary. She earned her B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Iowa, performing in works by Shannon Alvis, Eloy Barragán, Todd Rhodes, Armando Duarte, and Christopher‑Rasheem McMillian. She was featured in the University of Iowa Dance Gala (2020–2022), Hancher Illuminated (2021), and the Iowa Dance Festival (2022). After graduation, Sidney joined Saint Louis Dance Theatre (formerly The Big Muddy Dance Company) as a trainee for one season, and was invited back the following season to train, dance, and perform in multiple company productions, including works by Norbert De La Cruz III, Jamar Roberts, Kirven Douthid‑Boyd, and Brandon Fink. Sidney is thrilled to continue performing in the St. Louis area, and she welcomes opportunities to collaborate and further develop her artistry as a dancer.
Julia Dawson, from San Diego, CA, began her training at the California Ballet School, later studying in the Conservatory Program at the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, IL, under the direction of Karin Ellis-Wentz and Kyle Seguin. Julia went on to earn her BA in Mathematics, with a Correlate in Dance Performance, from Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she was a member of the Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre, lead by John Meehan, Stephen Rooks, and Miriam Mahdaviani. With the company, she performed in original works by Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Amy Hall Garner, Mike Tyus, Yoshito Sakuraba, Leslie Partridge-Sachs, Skyla Schreter, and Souleymane Badolo. Most recently, Julia was a Trainee with Saint Louis Dance Theatre, performing in works by Brandon Fink, Carly Vanderheyden, Geoff Alexander, Adam Parson, and Ashley Tate. In her second year, she had the opportunity to perform with the company in works by Norbert de La Cruz III, Jamar Roberts, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, and Stephanie Martinez, as well as in their collaborations with Jazz St. Louis and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Julia is thrilled to be joining MADCO for their 26-27 season.
Annie Mae Mitchell (Lafayette, LA) attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts with a Concentration in Dance in May of 2018. Annie is entering her 5th season with MADCO. Since joining the company she has had the privilege to re-stage her piece She’s My Spiderweb for Dare to Dance, a two-week intensive at the University of Iowa, and in this season’s fall concert SET. Additionally, Annie debuted an original piece, A Loud Hum, at MADCO’s Hope Alive: Moving Stories in the Fall 2024.
Julia Lucarelli (She/They - Briarcliff Manor, NY) she trained at Logrea Dance Academy in Ossining, NY for a majority of her dance education, focusing on ballet, pointe, jazz, and contemporary. Julia holds a BA in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University’s Jordan College of the Arts. They continued their classical ballet training there, as well as learning Taylor-based modern. She has worked with choreographers including Jennifer Archibald, Maria Konrad, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, and Brandon Fink. They also teach ballet and contemporary at various studios in the St. Louis area. She is excited to begin her first season at MADCO!
Chloe Ryherd (Bethany, IL) graduated from Lindenwood University with a BFA in Dance, specializing in Contemporary, and a minor in Dance Studio Management. Starting dance at age two, Chloe trained for 14 years at Studio B Legacy in Decatur, Illinois before continuing her studies at Lindenwood. Her versatility was showcased in multiple university dance concerts and she earned two National Titles with Lindenwood’s Lion Line Dance team at the 2021 UDA College Nationals, serving as Co-Captain in 2022. Chloe's performance experience includes the Water Street Dance Festival, Gus Giordano Dance School, and the American College Dance Association. She also held leadership roles as President of SYNERGY, a student-led dance organization, and as Administrative Assistant to the dance department head. Chloe is excited to perform for her third season with MADCO.
Ryah Truss (Fairview Heights, IL) began her dance journey at the age of 8 at Adam’s School of Dance, which later became Dynamic Fusion Dance Center in O’Fallon, IL, where she participated in charity events, competitions, conventions, parades, and more. Ryah received her B.A. in Dance from Southeast Missouri State University, where she worked with various guest artists and performed in main stage and second stage works. Her achievements include recognition on the President's List and graduating Magna Cum Laude. Ryah is a freelance dancer as well as teacher and choreographer at DFDC and Pointe of Surrender Dance Studio. She is excited to continue with MADCO in its 51st Season.
APPRENTICES
Mady Buerck (She/Her) is a Dancer, Choreographer, and Creative based in St. Louis. She graduated in May of 2024 from the Conservatory of the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. In 2022, she also received a Bachelor's in Communications with an emphasis in Professional Communication from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Upon graduating, she joined Saint Louis Dance Theatre, formally known as Big Muddy Dance Company, where she completed two Trainee Seasons. She has worked closely with and performed works by a variety of professionals, including Kirven Douthit-Boyd, DaveX, Carly Vanderheyden, Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson, Gary Abbott, Kam Sanders, Ray Mercer, Nicole Clarke Springer, and Christopher Huggins, among others. She is the Creative Director, lead choreographer and instructor for Studio E Dance. She has choreographed on the Saint Louis Dance Theatre Trainees the past two seasons and, also, presented her choreographic work at MADCO’s 2026 Dare to Dance Festival and at Resilience Dance Company’s 2025 St. Louis Contemporary Dance Festival. She completed a choreographic residency with Space Station in August of 2025, and has traveled throughout the country, teaching and choreographing for both creative and competitive projects. She is thrilled to be joining MADCO for their 51st season!
Grace Ferrell earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in Digital Marketing from Lindenwood University. She began her dance training at the age of three and later competed with Starbound Dance Company, where she also discovered her passion for teaching, assisting, and choreographing. In 2023, she earned a national championship title in Open Hip Hop at UDA Nationals and served as captain of the Lion Line Dance Team during the following season. Her choreography was featured in the 2024 Fall Dance Concert and was selected for presentation at the American College Dance Association. Grace is passionate about fostering growth through innovation, collaboration, and artistic excellence, and she looks forward to continuing her journey as an artist, educator, and choreographer.
Jasmine O'Connor is a dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Saint Louis, Missouri. She began her dance training at a young age and has continued to develop her artistry through performance, choreography, and teaching. Jasmine recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she has trained in modern, ballet, jazz, hip hop, and improvisation. Throughout her collegiate career, she has performed in works by faculty, guest artists, and student choreographers. In addition to performing, Jasmine is passionate about exploring the connections between dance and science, with a particular interest in how movement and chemistry can inform one another. She looks forward to continuing her work as a performer, educator, choreographer, and interdisciplinary artist.
