FLOCK

FLORIAN LOCHNER and ALICE KLOCK

Alice Klock and Florian Lochner discovered their co-creative magic while serving as dancers and Choreographic Fellows at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2017, they created FLOCK, through which they perform their own work and co-create new choreography for film and stage. Their most recent international tours include their productions “Somewhere Between” (named one of Chicago Tribune’s top 10 shows of 2023)  and “Quest”. As a team, they have choreographed for multiple dance companies, universities, and cultural institutions, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Whim W’Him,, GroundWorks DanceTheater, Backhausdance, Orsolina 28, Ballet Idaho, University of Michigan, Seattle Dance Collective, the Goethe Institut, the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA, and the 92nd Street Y. Every year they create a new work for the Freilichtspiele Schwäbisch Hall in southern Germany where they are company in residence.

ALICE KLOCK

CO-DIRECTOR, CO-CHOREOGRAPHER, DANCER.

Alice Klock trained at numerous ballet company schools, Interlochen Arts Academy, and the Alonzo King's Lines BFA program. She joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in 2009 where she danced until 2018. She has been a winner of numerous choreographic competitions including Hubbard Street's International Commissioning Project, NW Dance Project's Pretty Creatives International Choreographic Competition, and Whim W’him’s Choreographic Shindig. In 2017 she was named Hubbard Street's Choreographic Fellow and in 2018 was named one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch. She performs and creates internationally as FLOCK with her artistic soulmate Florian Lochner.

FLORIAN LOCHNER

CO-DIRECTOR, CO-CHOREOGRAPHER, DANCER.

Florian Lochner trained at Ballettschule Malsam in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Mannheim, where he was the recipient of the Birgit Keil Dance Foundation scholarship. Lochner earned his master’s degree in the performing arts and joined Gauthier Dance Company in Stuttgart in 2011. He received a “Best of the Season” nomination in Germany’s “Dance for You!” Magazine in September 2013. He joined Hubbard Street in August 2015, and in the Fall of 2017 was named a Hubbard Street Choreographic Fellow. In 2017 he created FLOCK with Alice Klock through which he continues to perform, teach, and create.

LIANE AUNG - DANCER

From Southern California, Liane is a freelance artist residing in the NYC/NJ region. She has had the pleasure to collaborate, create and travel on tour with Flockworks Dance, Yin Yue Dance Company (YYDC), Alejandro Cerrudo, Seattle Dance Collective (SDC), Schoen Movement Company, Erica Essner Performance Co-Op, KT Neihoff, Entity Contemporary Dance Company, PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, NVA & Guests and Helene Simoneau Danse (HSD). 

Before her freelancing career, Liane spent six seasons in Seattle, WA with Whim W’Him Contemporary Dance Company under the direction of Olivier Wevers. With Whim, Liane had the opportunity to perform and collaborate in original creations with Joseph Hernandez, Ihsan Rustem, Maurya Kerr, Yin Yue, Flockworks Dance, Miceala Taylor, Ethan Colangelo, Mark Caserta, Penny Saunders, Banning Bouldin, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Danielle Agami, Larry Kegwin, Brendan Duggan, Zoe Scofield and Sidra Bell amongst others. 

Liane received her education in Dance at the University of California, Irvine where she graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance and a Minor in Digital Arts. At UCI, she worked alongside the late Donald McKayle in his Etude Ensemble performing his legendary works. Liane has also participated in The San Francisco Conservatory Intensive and the Alvin Ailey Intensive to continue growth in her training. After UCI, Liane was honored to jump into her dance career with Backhausdance in Southern California where she spent five seasons with Backhausdance. With Backhausdance Liane performed original works & repertoire under the direction of Jenny Backhaus. 

KEVIN J. SHANNON - DANCER

Kevin J. Shannon is a freelance artist, dance educator, ceramic artist, artistic facilitator, and stager. He has worked with creators such as Brian Brooks/Moving Company, FLOCK, Danielle Russo, Hélène Simoneau Danse, kNonAme/Roderick George and Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists. Shannon trained at Baltimore School of the Arts, School of the American Ballet, and Miami City Ballet, among others. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and was a longtime company member of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he performed principal roles in works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Victor Quijada, and Twyla Tharp, among many others. As an educator, he has led and programmed the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago Summer Intensive and was on faculty for the Gibney Pro certificate program in New York City under the direction of Alexandra Wells. He is currently a guest teacher for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, José Limón Dance Company, and Gibney Company. Shannon has been a visiting artist for the School of The Art Institute of Chicago and a guest educator for the University of Chicago. Shannon is a certified IMAGE TECH for dancers™ teacher. He has also had the privilege to stage the works of Robyn Mineko Williams, teach master classes for FLOCK, and be the artist liaison for Springboard Danse Montreal where he facilitated a community of 120 dancers, 10 principal companies, 4 emerging artists, 2 resident choreographers and 1 fellow from around the world. 

ROBERT RUBAMA - DANCER

Robert Rubama (They/He) is a graduate of George Mason University with a BFA in Dance. They have worked with The Metropolitan Opera, Haus of Bambi, Groundworks Dance Theater, Carolyn Dorfman Dance, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and Alejandro Cerrudo. Robert was an artist in residence at The National Building Museum, The Floor on Atlantic, and The Homeport Art House. Their recent work has been with Orange Grove Dance, Flockworks Dance, Yin Yue Dance Company, LaneCo Arts, and the Mark Morris Dance Group.

Robert is an independent choreographer, and their work has been performed by Company E Dance, Spark Movement Collective, Bucknell University, Cleveland Dance Project, Jane Franklin Dance, Luna Dance Company, and Terre Dance Collective. Robert is an animal lover, a daydreamer, and loves the color black.

EMILY KRENIK - DANCER

Emily is from Los Angeles, California where she began dancing at her local dance studio, DC Dance Los Angeles. She is a graduate of the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program where she had the opportunity to perform works by Alice Klock and Florian Lochner, Maurya Kerr, Robert Moses, Carmen Rozestraten, Amy Seiwert, and more. Over the years, she has attended programs including Orsolina28 where she worked with FLOCK and Juliano Nunes, DanceItalia, LA Contemporary Dance Company, Whim W’him Contemporary Dance, and more. As a freelance artist, she has worked with Tess Hewlett, and Laurie Sefton, among others, in Los Angeles and currently dances with Flockworks Dance. She also works as a dance teacher, GYROTONICⓇ instructor, and Personal Trainer.

FAY VAN BAAR - DANCER

Fay van Baar, a Dutch native, received her Bachelor's degree in Dance from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. She joined Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) in 2015 and performed with NDT 1 until July 2024. Throughout her time at NDT, Fay was a part of creating over 20 new works with renowned choreographers, including Marne and Imre van Opstal, Damien Jalet, Sharon Eyal, Marco Goecke, Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Yoann Bourgeois, and many others.

In addition to her career as a dancer, Fay has choreographed works for stage and film both within and outside NDT. She was honored with the Dansersfonds prize for her "mature, unforced presentation, subtle musicality, and clear affinity with the atmosphere and energy that a choreography seeks to evoke."

ABDIEL FIGUEROA REYES - DANCER

Born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Abdiel Figueroa Reyes moved to the United States in 2011. In 2016, they joined Contemporary West Dance Theater under Bernard H. Gaddis and participated in International Association of Blacks in Dance events, which shaped their artistic perspective. Shortly after, Figueroa became a member of Hubbard Street’s Professional Program (HS Pro) and later joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a company member from 2019 to 2024. Recognized for their commitment to highlighting the queer Latin-American experience, Figueroa was named a 2020 Dance Magazine “Top 25 to Watch,” a Princess Grace Award Winner in 2022, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Local honoree for their work towards therapeutic dance. Transitioning to choreography, they have set works for BOYKIN TWO, Little Fire Arts Collective, Visceral Dance Programs, Hubbard Street Inside/Out, and the University of Chicago TAPS program. 

MAREN SAUER - DANCER

Maren Sauer is a Swiss dancer from Germany who received her training at ZHdK University of the Arts. She completed an internship at Theater Münster, where she was invited as a guest dancer in the following season alongside her freelance career. Maren performs works for the Nunzio Impellizzeri Dance Company and additionally serves as a rehearsal assistant for project #takeoff at the Zurich Opera House. She also works for Danse Suisse in Switzerland and is a certified Pilates mat instructor.

KYRIAKI BAKALI - APPRENTICE

Kyriaki Bakali is a professional dancer and dance teacher based in Athens, Greece. She is a graduate of Niki Kontaxaki’s Professional Dance School and is currently a dancer with Mikaela Kanzafiri’s Anima Libera Dance Company. She has participated in various intensives and has worked with Alice Klock, Florian Lochner, Mikaela Kanzafiri, Igal Perry, Sidra Bell, Felix Landerer and Vasko Nasonov among others.

AIN TOMINAGA - APPRENTICE

Ain Tominaga is a Japanese dancer and choreographer based in Berlin, Germany. She has performed with the DART Dance Company in the new creation The One AND Lonely by Jiri Pokorny, appearing at Berlin's Pfefferberg Theater and London's Sadler’s Wells Lilian Baylis Studio. She was a member of the KK ART PROJECT in Japan, performing works by renowned choreographers such as Dimo Kirilov Milev, Masa Kolar, Yuka Oishi, and Kosuke Yamamoto, while also creating her own pieces, including About M, Sakura Sakura, The 6 Trajectories, and An Ending, A Beginning.

Ain also worked as a residence dancer at Dance Base Yokohama, participating in productions like Night Shades by Jiri Pokorny, Kal directed by Kenta Kojiri. As a freelance dancer, she has performed in various projects such as The Musical Offering by Akiyoshi Nita and FLOATING FLOWERS by Po-Cheng Tsai.

Her training includes contemporary dance and ballet at DART Studio Berlin, Arts Umbrella in Canada, and the Conservatoire de Strasbourg in France. She has also participated in multiple intensives worldwide and was an apprentice with Ballet Edmonton.

Notably, Ain performed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony and appeared as a guest dancer in Theater Nordhausen's production of Sleeping Beauty in January 2025. She recently launched a project called Heno Tanz in Berlin, with its first performance held in December 2024 and the second scheduled for February 2025.

JULIE E. BALLARD - TECHNICAL DIRECTOR/LIGHTING DESIGNER

Julie E. Ballard, USA829 is a professional lighting designer an ETCP certified electrician and theatrical technician. She is affiliated with IATSE Local 2 and the Actors’ Equity Association and was previously the Stage Manager and Properties Master for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Additionally, Ms. Ballard is the owner/operator of OverlapLighting, a freelance production company specializing in production/stage management, lighting design and photography.  She has designed for the Charlotte Ballet, Ballet West and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She has freelanced for two decades in and around the Midwest, touring regionally, nationally and internationally with Hubbard Street, Pilobolus, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and David Dorfman Dance, among others. Her designs have been seen by theatre audiences in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Siberia and South Africa. Ms. Ballard holds degrees in Theater (BA, 1999) and Lighting Design (MFA, 2004) from Kent State University and the University of Florida, respectively. Visit her portfolio at overlaplighting.com