Current Roster of Dance Artists
Ayanna Churcher
Ayanna Churcher (she/her) is a Roseville Area High School senior and a full-time PSEO student at Augsburg University. She has extensive training in tap, ballet, hip-hop, musical theatre, and contemporary dance, and currently teaches at the Roseville School of Dance.
Ayanna’s recent performance credits include Cats: Young Actors Edition (2023), Alice by Heart (2024), and The Crucible (2025). She was the choreographer for Alice by Heart, She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition, and Twelfth Night (Taub). Among her favorite roles are Victoria in Cats: Young Actors Edition and Abigail in The Crucible.
After graduation, Ayanna will continue her studies at Augsburg University, majoring in Urban Studies and Sociology. Outside of academics and performing, she enjoys reading and hiking. She is thrilled to be making her debut with DanceCo!
Cassie Edlund
Cassie Edlund (she/her) is a nationally recognized public speaker, storyteller, singer, and actor. With training in acting interpretation and vocal performance, Cassie has performed in choirs, operas, one-acts, musicals, and plays across the country, including venues like Orchestra and Carnegie Hall.
Some of her favorite theatrical roles include Lion in "The Wizard of Oz," Narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Mae Peterson in "Bye Bye Birdie," and Mayzie La Bird in "Seussical the Musical."
Aside from performing, Cassie holds a master's degree in public health from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Her deep-rooted passion for health communication, nurtured through her eight years of competitive speech and debate, has driven her to use the art of storytelling to raise awareness around topics like environmental justice, body image, maternal health, and mental health. In her free time, Cassie volunteers her time as a speech team coach at local high schools and performs with the Minnesota Valley Women's Chorale.
Aneka McMullen
Dancer, Dance Educator and Choreographer, Aneka McMullen, hails from Minneapolis and holds a BFA in dance from The Ohio State University. Her dance vocabulary includes West African, Afro Modern, Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical, Liturgical & Improvisation/Freestyle.
Aneka is a co-founder and artistic director of Epitome-No Question, an open Old Skool Hip Hop dance ensemble dedicated to celebrating the community-conscious roots of Hip Hop culture through dance theater. Additional company work includes Minneapolis based BLAQ, Black Pearl, Threads Dance Project, In New Company (Brkfst Dance), Women in Motion (Ananya Dance Theater), Contempo Physical Dance, StrongMovement, and C Dance Company in Columbus, OH.
Aneka is a recipient of the Cultural Community Partnership grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Momentum New Dance Works grant from the Jerome Foundation.
Emily Pitts
Emily Pitts was raised in Minnesota, where she began training in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and hip hop. She received her pre-professional training from Minnesota Dance Theatre & School and began performing with the MDT company in 2019 through the present. Emily currently serves on the faculty of Minnesota Dance Theatre & School. She also choreographed and created works for student and professional local Twin Cities performances. Emily holds a B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development from the University of Minnesota.
Piper Rolfes
Piper is a recent graduate from Bryn Mawr College, where they studied dance, education, and Disability Studies. In their time at Bryn Mawr, they performed reconstructed works by Paul Taylor Company and Urban Bush Women and danced in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Piper currently works at Young Dance, assisting + teaching classes, and working the reception desk. Piper always welcomes new dance opportunities into their life and is thrilled to perform in their first DanceCo production! In their free time, Piper loves to listen to audiobooks and make grilled cheese sandwiches.
Maria Vitelli
Maria Vitelli grew up dancing in the Twin Cities, training primarily at The Dance Center and Project 52 Dance Company. She is now pursuing a BA in Dance at Webster University. She has had the privilege of working with Maggi Dueker, Beckah Reed, Michael Uthoff, Dawn Karlovsky, Ashley Tate, Xi Zhao, and Jennifer Cudnik. Maria has performed in the Twin Cities with Dance Co, Pacific Midwest Ballet, Legacy Musical Theatre, Minnsky Theatre, and Minnesota Dance Collaborative. She recently spent the summer in Chicago at the Gus Giordano College/Pro Intensive, where she trained under Lauren Giordano, Saying Eugene Peabody, Jimmy Locust, and Kim Morgan Greene. Maria also has a passion for creating work, and her choreography has been featured at 9X22 Dance Lab and in Webster University’s Creations Concerts in 2022 and 2023.
Blake Wiese
ler
Blake Wieseler (he/him) is a Twin Cities-based performer, choreographer, and educator with extensive experience in dance, music, and theatre. He specializes in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre, Ballroom, and global dance styles. His choreography has been featured in local theatre productions, youth companies, and collegiate showcases throughout Minnesota and South Dakota. A former featured performer with the South Dakota Ballet, Blake also held leadership roles with collegiate ballroom teams and currently serves on the faculty at the Roseville School of Dance.
In addition to his work in dance, Blake is an accomplished vocalist and theatre artist. He has performed with Border Crossing, Magnum Chorum, and the St. Olaf Choir, and has directed and music-directed youth theatre productions across Minnesota and South Dakota. He is the founder of RSVP Youth Theatre and has created arts programming for young performers in both community and educational settings. Blake holds a B.A. in Music, Spanish, and Education from St. Olaf College and teaches middle school choir and Spanish in Minneapolis.He's delighted to be joining DanceCo for their 2025 season!
