A blurry image of three dancers in movement. They are caught mid-fall, with hands and elbows in front of their faces.

drift dance collective

about

Drift Dance Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the northeast Ohio/Cleveland area. We first met as members of our college dance company, and although we have each since moved into different career paths, we wanted to find a way to keep dance as a part of our lives. We believe that artistic expression, physical movement, and dance specifically are not things that should be reserved for a particular age or demographic. We meet regularly to choreograph new work, rehearse, and explore new ways of moving. Our primary movement styles are modern, postmodern, and contemporary, and we function as a "collective” instead of a hierarchical company structure. We are currently working on our third dance film, and are always exploring other ways to spread an appreciation of dance to our community and beyond.

Five dancers, dressed in black and barefoot, arranged in a dynamic shape with outstretched arms. They are surrounded by tall grasses and trees.

Read our Mission Statement or watch our latest project.

core members

Each member of our collective brings a unique set of ideas, skills, and life experiences. We are brought together by our love for dance, movement, and artistry. Read below for more details.

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Emily Baird

Founder & Artistic Director, Choreographer, Dancer

Emily Baird (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, and educator originally from Steubenville, Ohio. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Dance from The College of Wooster and is an alumna of the American Dance Festival Six Week School, where she performed in both the International Choreographer’s Residency Concert and the Student Concert. After graduating, Emily worked as a dance instructor in Chicago for several years before returning to Ohio to complete an M.S. in Kinesiology & Health with an emphasis on dance kinesiology at Miami University. In 2021, Emily was awarded the Doug Risner Prize for Emerging Dance Researchers by the National Dance Education Organization for her research focusing on the role of body awareness in collegiate modern and contemporary dancers. Her recent travels have taken her to the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London and the Women in Dance Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Emily currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Dance at The College of Wooster, where she choreographs for and directs departmental dance concerts and offers classes in choreography, modern dance technique, dance history, and movement for the performer. Emily is also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-500®). She holds professional memberships with the National Dance Education Organization and the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science.

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Gabrielle Croes

Outreach Coordinator, Choreographer, Dancer

Gabrielle Croes (she/her) is an intervention specialist and dancer-choreographer from Broadview Heights, Ohio who has been dancing since the age of three. She trained at various local dance studios, such as Royal School of Ballet and Cleveland Ballet Conservatory, until age 11 when she found her dance home at the DNA of Dance in Independence, Ohio. At the DNA of Dance, Gabrielle was trained in ballet, pointe, contemporary, modern, lyrical, and jazz, and also competed at local dance competitions. After high school, Gabrielle attended The College of Wooster, where she participated in their Dance Company throughout her undergraduate experience and also earned her B.A. in Neuroscience. After graduation, Gabrielle started work as an associate teacher at Monarch Center for Autism, but soon realized she wanted to delve deeper into the field and went back to school and earned her M.A. in Special Education in 2021. She now works in the classroom as an intervention specialist. Gabrielle has since continued her dance career as a performer with Cleveland Dance Project, where she has been an active participant in their showcases since their fourth season. Through choreographers she danced with for CDP, Gabrielle has had the opportunity to dance at CDP Company’s Community Collab Show and performed at the 14th Annual India Festival with Adrija Dance Company in the styles of Odissi (Indian Classical) and Bollywood.

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Madi Hunt

Administrative Coordinator, Choreographer, Dancer

Madi Hunt (they/them) is a dancer and choreographer from Nashville, TN who works in the field of International Education, most recently as a Database Manager and Information Specialist. Madi began dancing at the age of five because they wanted to do everything that their big sister did. Their big sister announced her permanent retirement from dance immediately upon the conclusion of her first recital, but Madi has continued ever since. In Nashville, Madi trained extensively in ballet, lyrical, and jazz (and somewhat less extensively in tap, pointe, and hip-hop), before discovering their love of modern dance in high school at University School of Nashville. As a student, they studied modern dance technique, improvisation, and composition, often choreographing multiple times a year for the program. Madi attended Interlochen Center for the Arts in Summer 2011, where they also received the prestigious Maddy Summer Artist Award. As a student at The College of Wooster, Madi was an active member of the Dance Company, where they choreographed their own work alongside dancing in both student and faculty pieces. Post-college, and amid personal challenges and a global pandemic, Madi is thrilled to have found Drift Dance Collective and looks forward to continuing making dance a part of their life.

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Claire Smrekar

Communications, Choreographer, Dancer

Claire Smrekar (she/her) is a legal professional and nature enthusiast from Willoughby, Ohio. Her first foray into movement began at nine years old and continued through high school as she studied and taught ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, choreography, and hip-hop at the Willoughby Fine Arts Association. In college, Claire was a dancer and choreographer for The College of Wooster Dance Company and, while abroad at The University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, participated in Dance Society and Found, an outdoor pop-up performance group. Claire holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a focus in Environmental Studies from The College of Wooster. Since graduating, Claire has taught dance in Cincinnati, OH and danced with Cleveland Dance Project for two seasons.

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Maria Witt-Kelly

Kinesthetic Wellness Consultant, Choreographer, Dancer

Maria Witt-Kelly (she/her), PT, DPT, is a pelvic floor physical therapist, Pilates instructor, and dancer-choreographer from Berea, Ohio. She began movement training 21 years ago, at Cleveland Dance Academy where she studied jazz, lyrical, ballet and pointe. She continued her movement education at The College of Wooster where she learned modern dance and choreographic techniques under the direction of Kim Tritt. Following an internship with Sunday Homitz, PT, at Body Technic Systems, Inc., in Solon, OH, Maria earned her Pilates mat and machine certification. Maria graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance from The College of Wooster in 2017, where she completed an independent study thesis investigating how Pilates prevents injuries during modern dance composition. Maria graduated with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Walsh University in 2021, where she earned awards in Clinical Excellence and Research Excellence. Maria is a certified Integrative Dance Instructor through Rhythm Works Dance Education and a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist along with being a member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science. Maria currently works as a pelvic floor physical therapist at Summa Health in Akron and Hudson, Ohio, and resides in Twinsburg, Ohio, with her husband (Matt), son (Makai), and dog (Sisu).