Ianka Hou is a super senior at the University of Iowa who majors in dance and minors 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.

Jacqueline Raquel Bass is a Renaissance Woman in the making. Dance has been the stable force in our life where she has ebbed and flowed between swimming, karate, piano lessons, ice skating, and Girl Scouts. After the first year, Jaki was never so on the road to confidence as that year. She has served as a demonstrator, costume logistics assistance, costume inventory, and everything in between. The Academy is Jaki’s extended family who has molded and formed her into a force that will be reckoned with. Her range of techniques from classical ballet, Gaga, Martha graham, St. Denis, Limon, Doris Humphrey; just to name a few. Jaki grew with this family, and along with her entire family, they are grateful and blessed for every moment and experience to the Academy, and to both Stephanie and Mike. Her journey continues to her growing extended family, the University of Iowa Department of Dance. Over the past two years, Jaki’s voice has grown to an undoubtedly force from the curriculum and opportunities to express herself. However, as she continues her life journey, she takes with her a steady foundation, the ability to dispense sage advice and dance in her soul. 

Keren Alfred is an artist and an environmentalist. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, she is fascinated with learning about the land and often says that her interest in the environment is in her blood. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Book Arts at the University of Iowa’s Center for the Book (UICB). Keren is particularly drawn to papermaking, letterpress printing, and calligraphy. Prior to UICB, she majored in Environmental Studies at Brown University and worked for an environmental non-profit that focuses on land conservation along the eastern seaboard of the US. Her artwork builds on her environmental background to show the ways plants influence culture – particularly in the Caribbean. Her hope is to get more people to pay attention to the land around them and to learn to take care of it.

Daniel Nerger is a recording artist, record label manager, pianist, producer, composer, and music educator based around Boston, MA. He received his degree from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee in piano performance in 2019. While there, in addition to his extensive study of solo and chamber repertoire, he also worked as a music director, pit player, and piano teacher. While still at school he also starting teaching at Musicians Playground, a music studio located in downtown Boston, where he is currently the lead piano instructor. Since graduating, he has branched off into the larger spheres of composition and electronic music, in the process starting Out to Lunch Records, an experimental record label, the main ambition of which is to give its artists as much creative control over their material as possible. Through the label, Daniel released his debut album under the moniker Respites from Silence in January of 2021, a project he wrote and produced. The album is an experimental work combining extensive found samples, several other instrumentalists and vocalists, and his own piano and electronics. He continues to also be an active pianist and collaborator with prominent Boston based composers and musicians.