Company Artists
Tyler Choquette
Tyler Choquette (they/them), originally from Southern California, began their dance training at the Orange County School of the Arts in the Classical and Contemporary Department under the direction of Steven Hyde. Tyler later trained under the guidance of Jayne Persch, Theo Ivey, Ariana Gonzales, Stephanie Mehuys, and Tyson Garner while performing with San Diego Unity Dance Ensemble under the direction of Tarua Hall and Tessandra Chavez. Since their move to New York to attend the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, Tyler has performed in Mr. Ailey’s “Memoria” for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s 2017 season at New York City Center, the Table of Silence 9/11 Ritual in Lincoln Center directed by Jaclyn Buglisi, and in new works by choreographers such as Amy Hall Garner, Gregory Dolbashian, Nijawwon Matthews, and Lisi Estaras. They have worked with Francesca Harper on William Forsythe’s “Limb’s Theorem”, performed for Dionna Pridgeon at Dixon Place along with premiering Isaac Iskra’s works, “Tilted Glass” and “Nefeliba”, commissioned by Mare Nostrum Elements. Tyler has traveled with JUNTOS Dance Collective to Mexico and has continued outreach closer to home in addition to teaching toddlers to young adults throughout New York and New Jersey. Currently, Tyler is a company member of Nimbus Dance Works under the direction of Samuel Pott, McKoy Dance Project directed by Derick McKoy Jr., alma Collective co-founded by Kat Bark and Bianca Dam and Inclined Dance Project under Kristen Klein. They are excited to collaborate as a performer for another season with Smashworks Dance alongside such inspiring artists!
Laurie Déziel
Laurie Déziel (she/her) was raised in a small village in Québec, Canada. Her parents were two martial artists that quickly taught her discipline and the importance of embracing movement as a life practice. She trained in a variety of dance styles at her small town studio, then deepened her training in contemporary and modern dance at L’école de danse contemporaine de Montréal, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre and graduated from The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. That summer she got hired to work with different companies including Smashworks Dance under the artistic direction of Ashley McQueen and has been a proud member ever since. After five years of performing in the hustling city, she moved to Los Angeles curious of her life’s transition from the on-stage to the on-camera tv & film world.
Laurie consistently questions the physicality and expressivity of her body by exploring the limit of her instrument’s fullest potential. With the beginnings of her dance and her martial arts movement background, Laurie has built a toolbox of skills that have broadened her range as a performer landing her work as an actor, creature, stunt double and contortionist. She is currently challenging her craft with aerial apparatuses in the goal of creating expansion for her future as a performer and sharing new ways to tell a story to her audience. Laurie finds rooted peace and inner soul grounding in her daily yoga and teaching practice. “The union of the mind-body spiritual and emotional connection is a lifelong discovery I am fascinated by. Yoga has organically influenced my dance movement nuances.”
Manon Hallay
Manon Hallay (she/her) was born in France. She started dancing in the Conservatoire of Tarbes and went to Bordeaux at 13 to study in a pre-professional course with Christian Conte and Martine Chaumet. Two years later, she was accepted to the Royal Ballet School of Antwerpen and worked with choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Micheal Shannon, and Charles Jude. She moved to New York at 18 to integrate the Alvin Ailey School as a scholarship student for three years. After graduating, Manon worked as a teaching artist, freelanced, and danced for choreographers like Jeffrey Page. She has been part of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theater since 2015 and Smashworks Dance for the past five seasons. In addition, Manon is the founder of Move Better LLC. Her mission is to support dancers in creating sustainable training and nutrition systems to promote durable and healthy careers. She is a NASM-certified personal trainer, corrective exercise specialist, nutrition coach, and Pilates instructor. She now teaches Barre, Pilates, and conditioning classes at Equinox all over NYC and shares her passion for movement with many people.
ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE (2024-2025)
Louisa Pancoast
Louisa Pancoast is a dance artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a graduate of the Certificate Program at Peridance, New York, NY, and included in the inaugural group at the Barton Movement's Axis Connect. In addition to Smashworks, Louisa has had the privilege of performing for Yvonne Rainer, Sommer Ulrickson, Claus Guth, Pat Catterson, Diego Funes, Cleo Mack, Pramila Vasudevan, Michelle Thompson-Ulerich, Emily Bufferd, Jacqueline Dugal, Monica Hogan, Yuki Hasagawa, and Joyce King. Louisa’s choreography includes Strange Girl Dances, at Garvey|Simon, HouseBroken at -the gallery LTD-; Pinch Back at Main Window, DUMBO, Are you not entertained? at The Boiler, an adaptation of W.B. Yeats' play Purgatory produced by Plaxall Gallery, Long Island City, and First in Half, Then in Quarters, produced by Mixily Presents. She has also co-authored "Human-Drone Partnering for Dynamic Dance Performances with Increased Physicality" with Dr. Nialah Wilson-Small and "Implicit collaboration with a drawing machine through dance movements" with Alexandra Bremmers. In addition to performing, Louisa holds her B.A. in English Literature and Art History from New York University.
Dr. Nialah Wilson-Small, PhD
Nialah Wilson-Small, PhD, is an Industry Assistant Professor at NYU in the Tandon School of Engineering. She teaches Mechatronics and other robotics courses in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. Her research centers coordination algorithms for multi-robot systems and human-drone interactions. Specifically, she studies how drones can use tactile feedback to influence human motion. Her work is at the cross section of design, human-robot interaction, and autonomy. She earned my PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University where she became the first Black woman in the university's history to do so. She also earned an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University.
https://www.nialahwilsonsmall.com
Katie Rolph, Intern (FSU School of Dance)
Katie Rolph is a dancer and interdisciplinary artist originally from Wilmington, Delaware. Katie currently attends Florida State University on both academic and artistic scholarship where she is earning her BFA in Dance with a minor in Communications. She has also danced professionally with both the Tallahassee Ballet and the Wilmington Ballet. Katie enjoys dance film and projection, having premiered several dance projection films in collaboration with io Ermoli at the Digital Graffiti Festival in Alys Beach, Florida. Katie recently moved to New York City to finish her last semester with Florida State’s School of Dance in the ARTS in NYC program. She is thrilled to spend the semester as an intern with Smashworks Dance!