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Guest Artists
Please meet our lovely and talented dancers, pianist, and our phenomenal collaborators/artists for our first international tour in Hannover, Germany (June 2026)!
Juan Enrique Roque Irizarry Jr.
Artistic Director/ Founder/ Choreographer/ Dancer
Juan Enrique Roque Irizarry Jr. (He/Him) is a professional dancer and choreographer from Chicago and is the Artistic Director, Founder, Choreographer, and a Company Dancer for Neocortex Dance Theatre Company (NDTC). He began as a theatre, musical theatre, sports, and martial arts enthusiast in middle school. Being in musical theatre, dance was not his bailiwick. Since he was atrocious at dancing, he wanted to strive for it. He started training with Joffrey Ballet (Gallery 37 and After School Matters) and Culture Shock Chicago at 17 and obtained a BA in Anthropology and Sociology with a minor in Dance Studies from Knox College in 2015. At Knox College, he was awarded the John Hofsas Prize in Dance, the TRIO Persistence award, TRIO Scholarship, Dance Scholarship, and Theatre Scholarship.
Through ongoing education, he is developing expertise in trauma counseling and through Envision Unlimited, he is currently pursuing his CRSS and CPRS certification to become a peer support specialist. He recently achieved an MFA in Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as an Advanced Opportunity Program Fellow in 2025. He is also a dancer and collaborator with Sildance Acrodanza, a dance instructor, and a magician's assistant for The Great Frankini. As a versatile dancer trained in multiple techniques and styles, such as modern, contemporary, jazz, street jazz, ballet, hip-hop, heels, Asian folk dance, West African, improvisation, somatics, (acro) yoga, and some aerial, Juan Enrique has performed nationally in cities such as Chicago (IL), Evanston (IL), Milwaukee (WI), Davenport (IA), Galesburg (IL), Springfield (MO), St. Louis (MO), and Kalamazoo (MI), and toured internationally in countries such as Cuba, Germany, Mexico, and Ghana. He has worked with various companies, residencies, and projects, like Identity Performing Arts, Rainbow Children Dance Collective, Innervation Dance Cooperative, and Movement Revolution Dance Crew, and was a work-study at Visceral Dance Center for five years. Juan Enrique is passionate about exploring dance, pedagogy, psychopathology, and mental health awareness, using his platform to help destigmatize mental illnesses.
Francisco Melendez
Guest Artist
Francisco (Franky) Melendez is a dance artist originating from El Paso, Texas. While living in El Paso he trained with Champion Dance Studio and El Paso Conservatory of Dance. He went on to perform with the El Paso Ballet Theatre and Human Nature Contemporary Ballet. He moved to Chicago in 2019, where he continued his professional development training from the Ruth Page Center For The Arts, Joel Hall Dancers & Center, and from the Chicago Movement Collective as a Claire Bataille Legacy Program student. He then went on to be an apprentice with Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater in 2022, and he danced as a performing apprentice with the Chicago Repertory Ballet from 2022 to 2025. Franky is currently a Chicago based freelance artist with companies like AJA Talent, Neocortex Dance Theatre Company, and other independent projects, with a focus on exploring queer art and expression.
DEREK QUESADA
Guest Artist
Derek Quesada is a Chicago-based dance artist, performer, and storyteller whose work bridges contemporary movement, musical theatre, and expressive narrative. Originally rooted in a multidisciplinary performance background, Derek developed his artistry through extensive training in dance and theatre, cultivating a movement style grounded in emotional authenticity and musicality.
Since relocating to Chicago, he has continued his professional development through classes, workshops, and collaborative projects across the city’s vibrant dance community. Derek has performed in both concert and theatrical settings. He is currently working with Matter Dance Company and Silvita Acrodanza and now Neocortex Dance Theatre Company.
In addition to his performance career, Derek is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration and the intersection of movement, identity, and storytelling. His artistic interests center on creating work that reflects both character and meaningful expression while fostering connections with audiences. He holds over ten years of case management where he supported individuals in the world of Developmental Disability; and he continues to advocate for this population as a registered nurse in Chicago.
TIMOTHY TSANG
Guest Artist
Timothy Tsang is a queer Chinese American dance artist whose work bridges movement, cultural memory, and embodied research. Raised in Shanghai and Chicago, he approaches contemporary dance as a structure that holds multiple timelines, intersecting identities, and global circulations. His choreography has been commissioned and presented at the Auditorium Theatre, Links Hall, and the Edge Theater, and he has performed with South Chicago Dance Theatre, Mordine & Company Dance Theatre, and The Seldoms. Currently pursuing his MFA in Dance at the University of Michigan, Tsang is a recipient of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies Fellowship and Rackham International Research Award. His current research investigates the legacy of Leslie Cheung and the aesthetics of queer Chinese cinema.
FRANK J. GLAB
Artistic advisor/Pianist
Frank J. Glab (The Great Frankini) attempts to raise the vibration of the world through his artistic accomplishments. He holds an MFA in music and is an accomplished pianist, organist, and vocalist. He works regularly as a choirmaster in church music with a penchant for early music. Frank is also an award-winning magician and collector of vintage magic equipment and stone lithography. Frank is also a cranio-sacral therapist and is the Artistic Advisor and Pianist for Neocortex Dance Theatre Company (NDTC). Frank attempts to bring healing as well as entertainment through all his artistic disciplines.
ALLEN RUSSELL
Musician
Allen Russell is a violinist, composer and instructor based in Milwaukee, WI. He began his musical studies on the violin at age 5, and studied at the String Academy of Wisconsin with Mimi Zweig and David Becker before later going on to study with Jerome Franke and Dr. Bernard Zinck. Allen has performed with his Hot Swing quartet Swing Chevron at festivals such as the Midwest Gypsy Swingfest, as well as historic venues such as the Green Mill. With the string quartet Tontine Ensemble, Allen has participated in premiering the new works of modern composers and has had his own compositions performed in collaboration with Milwaukee Ballet, UWM Dance, Danceworks Inc., and Water St. Dance. Allen is a registered Suzuki Violin instructor and holds a Master of Fine Arts in String Performance and Pedagogy from UW Milwaukee.
ALEX YASINOVSKY
Video Artist
Alexandra Yasinovsky is a visual storyteller living in Chicago who has a multicultural background that influences her work. She creates videos for live performances trying to add another dimension to the show and works with artists in different artistic projects.
OCEAN BETWEEN
MARIANNA BUCHWALD
KRISTIN HEIKE
KRASSUNARTIG E.V. CHICAGO MASK ENSEMBLE
HARRO D.B. SCHMIDT
CEM KOC
FRANZ BETZ
HEINER SCHLOTE
