Mark, born and raised in South West Philadelphia, graduated from the University of the Arts School of Dance with a BFA in 2010. They danced professionally with international touring companies Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Les Ballets Jazz De Montreal and Camille A. Brown & Dancers since then. 

Mark has been awarded the Philadelphia Rocky Award for Outstanding Dance Performance, The Patrick Swayze Scholarship from Complexions Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet Choreography Award and Outstanding Choreography Awards from Youth American Grand Prix. Mark was recently named a 2023 Princess Grace Award Winner in Choreography. Mark was a 2018 Emerging Choreographer at Springboard Danse Montreal and premiered their first full evening length work ‘BIG KID’ at Gibney NY POP Performance Series in February 2019. 

Mark was commissioned to for new works on American Ballet Theater (ABT/ABT Incubator), Pennsylvania Ballet II, Grace Dance Theater, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance with partner Mikey Morado, Atlanta based company Kit Modus, Whim W’Him Seattle Contemporary Dance, Peridance Youth Ensemble and DanceWorks Chicago. Mark was named the 2019/2020 EMERGE Award Recipient with Gibney Company & Springboard Danse Montreal. With this award, Mark was commissioned for a new creation on Gibney Company in Spring 2020. Mark has presented work at Wanderlust Dance Festival, The Austin Dance Festival, Dance Gallery Festival, The Banff Center for Performing Arts Choreographic Gesture, The Boston Dance Festival, Steps On Broadway Choreography Lab and the Brooklyn Dance Festival. They have also created work on the University of the Arts School of Dance, The Ailey School and Pace University. Mark was co-director of The Thriving Artist Project from 2017-2020, a program offering a free Pre-Professional experience to young dance artists. He was also on faculty teaching Ballet, Contemporary Ballet and Movement Research at Dance industry Performing Arts Center. 

Mark currently is Artist in Residence at University of the Arts School of Dance, Contemporary Faculty at Gibney Dance NY & Peridance Capezio Arts Center, a guest artist with MindLeaps and a freelance educator, dancer and choreographer. Mark is creating new work for their own project BigKid Dance, a small dance company based in Philadelphia.

“My mission is to create safe space for myself and for people to come together, make art, move, share culture, live out experiences together and truly be themselves. To grow as a community and reconnect us to ourselves, our world(s) and each other.”

From ballet training in his native Belgium, Olivier learned the beauty, passion and discipline of the art. On coming to North America at age 19, he discovered the exhilaration of many new dance forms. As a principal dancer, first with Royal Winnipeg Ballet and later, for most of his dancing career, with Pacific Northwest Ballet, he acquired his strong conviction that dancers are the heart and soul of a company. As such they, and artists in general, must live at the very center of the process, their dignity, psychological and creative growth and safety deemed just as essential as their technical accomplishments.

During his years of performing in classical and contemporary works by choreographers from around the world, Olivier also discovered the thrill of making dances and how imaginative story-telling and movement exploration connect to caring about individuality and physicality. Creating dances fed his perennial curiosity. It became “my way to express myself and, during the process, to be able to learn more about the human condition, start dialogues, touch people and share ideas, reflecting on our times and our humanity.”

Michael’s critically acclaimed lighting and scenery has been seen in venues all over the USA, Europe, and Asia, ranging from opera houses to amphitheaters to circus tents to hay barns. The 3-time New York Dance and Performance Award winner has designed lighting and scenery for many dance companies, in the USA, Australia, Finland, Sweden, Cuba. He designed lighting and video for the 2015 Presidential Scholars Awards, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Michael has also been Senior Scenic Designer on two Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts, as well as the 2015 Lincoln Awards at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for Uplight, Inc, based in NYC. Some of his performance photography has been published in Liz Lerman’s book “Hiking the Horizontal”, as well on the websites and marketing materials for Bebe Miller Company and Rachel Tess Dance.

Becca Blackwell is a talented and versatile professional in the world of performing arts, making their mark as a dedicated Production Stage Manager for Whim W’him. With an extensive background in stage management, lighting design, and stagehand work, Becca has made a significant impact on the Seattle dance scene.

As a Production Stage Manager, Becca orchestrates the behind-the-scenes magic, ensuring smooth and flawless performances. Their organizational prowess, exceptional communication skills, and ability to handle high-pressure situations make them an invaluable asset to the Whim W’him team. Becca’s meticulous planning and coordination allow the creative vision to come to life on stage seamlessly. Additionally, Becca’s talents extend to lighting design, where their keen artistic vision and technical finesse have contributed to the creation of captivating visual experiences on stage.

With a diverse skill set, unwavering dedication, and a passion for the performing arts, Becca Blackwell continues to shine as a vital force in the industry. Their contributions, both as a stage manager and lighting designer, have left a lasting impression on audiences and fellow professionals, solidifying their position as a respected and sought-after talent in the Seattle dance community.