Kesha McKey, Artistic Director of KMDP is a choreographer, educator and performing artist in New Orleans. After graduating from NOCCA she received her BS from Xavier University of LA and her MFA in Dance Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is the founding Artistic Director and Choreographer of KM Dance Project and has directed and produced concerts such as Moving Through, Vessels, Taken and Distorted Images for which she received a Big Easy Classical Arts Award as well as several nominations. Kesha has also had the honor of presenting choreographic works for the 2018 Urban Bush Women Summer leadership Institute Opening Performance, 2018 Women in Dance Conference at New York University, the Packard Foundation 2018 Summit, Junebug Production’s Power of the Black Feminine, Alternate Roots’ 2016 Roots Week, the Big Bang Educational Conference, the Courageous Conversations Summit, the Guantanamo Public Memory Project and the Dance for Social Change Festival. Kesha is one of three recipients of the 2018 Contemporary Arts Center Artist Residency, a 2016 Dancing While Black Choreographic Fellow and a scholarship recipient of 2016 Jacob’s Pillow Improv Traditions and Innovation. She was one of two 2015 recipients of The Distillery Artist Residency Fellowship at the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans where she began developing her work Boschimanne: living curiosities, which was selected and performed at the 2016 Peridance Capezio Center APAP Showcase in New York City.

Kesha has also directed multi-disciplinary productions such as the Vagina Monologues and The Origins of Life on Earth with Ashé Cultural Arts Center and has been a featured performing artist and rehearsal director for New Orleans dance and theatre companies such as Lula Elzy Dance Theatre, Junebug Productions, Kumbuka African Drum and Dance Collective, Chard Gonzalez Dance Theatre, Prophecy Dance Company, and Exhibit Dance Collective. She has studied dance at various institutions in New Orleans as well as received scholarships to study at The Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute, Bates Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, The Broadway Dance Center, and Celebration Barn Theater. She has had the wonderful honor and opportunity to work closely and study with well renown artists such as Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Chuck Davis, Richard Gonzales, Lynn Simonson, and Anne Reinking. She has served as a faculty member of the Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute since 2011 and is currently a dance educator at NOCCA. Kesha continues to nourish her artistic talents and grow as an accomplished performer and educator as she teaches, choreographs and performs throughout the country.

Catherine Caldwell, Associate Director of KMDP, holds an MA in Arts Administration from UNO and is currently a member of the dance faculty at NOCCA and Dancing Grounds. She is a lead artist with Junebug Productions and a Yoga Alliance certified teacher. Catherine has trained with UBW’s SLI and Choreographic Center, the Bates Dance Festival and the Martha Graham School Teacher Workshop. She currently performs with KMDP and shares a 2016 Big Easy Award.

Chanice Holmes is a New Orleans native dancer, performer, choreographer, educator earning a BFA in Dance from Hollins University. She has worked with Urban Bush Women, Ballet Hispanico, Forsythe, Complexions, T. Lang, Dr. John, Gris Gris Krewe, KM Dance Project, Narcisse|Movement Project, Activism Dance Theater, B.U.K.U Dance Krewe and is signed to Schooling Talent Agency. She is a dance instructor at Arise Elementary, Dancing Grounds and NOBA, under her brand IAMCHANICE.

Jeremy Guyton is a dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist currently serving as the Youth Programs Director at Dancing Grounds. A Los Angeles native, he attended Georgetown University where he received a B.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies in 2012. Most recent credits include Foreign to Myself (Goat in the Road Productions) and Gomela/ to return (Junebug Productions).

Kristal “M2DaE” Jones is a New Orleans native, choreographer, performer, working artist, and Architectural Designer. She is currently an adult Hip Hop instructor and special events coordinator with Dancing Grounds and offers both youth and adult workshops. Kristal performs with Artivism Dance Theater, is signed to Schooling Talent Agency and serves as founder and Director of B.U.K.U. Dance (Be. U. Know U.), a hip hop krewe and motivational brand.

Milli Brown, a New Orleans native, trained under the direction of Kris Cangelosi at Cangelosi Dance Project and danced in the professional company for eight years. In 2016, Brown graduated from SLU with a degree in General Studies with a concentration in art and minor in dance. She has since moved back to New Orleans to pursue her dance career and is currently dancing with KM Dance Project.

Teddric Matthews is a native of Houma, LA, and has lived in New Orleans for three years. He earned a bachelors in Theatre from NSU, and a masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Xavier University of New Orleans Production credits include Into The Woods, The Buddy Holly Story, White Christmas, The Nutcracker, CATS, various dance ensembles and concerts.

Aminisha Ferdinand is a native of New Orleans, working with KID smART to integrate theater & dance into school curriculum while collaborating with arts educators on race and power in teaching.  Following twelve years in the field of arts education, Aminisha is re-emerging as a performing artist with a developing lens on honoring her multiple identities through text and movement. She has performed in theater and film in New York, Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Edward Spots a New Orleans native, graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Fine Arts, then toured with Ailey II, Urban Ballet Theatre, Delaware Dance Company, the Claudia Schreier Project and the Marigny Opera Ballet. He has trained at the Washington Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School, NOCCA, NORD/NOBA, Schramel Conservatory, and The Ailey School. He has appeared in Dance Magazine, Essence Magazine, on So You Think You Can Dance, NY Times, Bulgaria Dancing with The Stars, and the National Geographic.

Celine Seiber

Celine is a N.O. native began her training at Kelly's school of dance and Crescent City Gymnastics. She furthered her training at NOCCA and NOBA and has had the opportunity to perform with the Martha Graham project, Nutcracker and many projects in the N.O. dance community. She is a senior at NOCCA and plans to graduate, attend college and major in dance. She is very happy to be working with KM Dance Project under the supervision of her mentor Kesha McKey. 

Ceylon Seiber

Ceylon Seiber a N.O. native began her training at Kelly's school of dance and Crescent City Gymnastics. She furthered her training at NOCCA and NOBA and has had the opportunity to perform with the Martha Graham project, Nutcracker, NBA Stingers and many projects in the N.O. dance community. She is a senior at NOCCA and plans to graduate attend college and major in dance. She is very happy to be working with KM Dance Project under the supervision of her mentor Kesha McKey.