Dharmini Piekarska is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans multiple genres and modes of delivery. A former English Open Ten Dance champion, she hails from a background of dancesport competition. She holds a Certificate in Sports and Health Studies from LMU and is currently a student at the University of Iowa Department of Dance and a returning member of UIDC 2021. Outside of her education, she has also appeared in several film productions including Dr. Strange, Bourne V, and Ready Player One. She is keenly interested in exploring different somatic approaches to teaching dance. Through her studies, she hopes to challenge double standards and empower those from diverse backgrounds. Her favorite points of interest are body mechanics, and female empowerment through dance, be it through studio work, stage, or screendance content. As a student choreographer, she hopes to use this medium to bring joy and thoughtful reflection to her audience. She is proud and blessed to be a part of this dance community!

Ianka Hou is a super senior at the University of Iowa who majors in dance and minors in psychology. She will be graduating in the spring semester in 2021. Ianka is a dancer, a young choreographer, and a young dance film creator. She believes that dance is rooted in life, so we should not distance dance from the current world. Thus, she hopes to use dance to bring people's attention to the present society's issues. She also likes to talk about personal stories through dance, which helps her find closure with her past. She believes that dance is a universal language that brings closure to people. Finally, she thinks dance allows her to be passionate about life and always gives her new adventures to explore.