Front Row From Left:
Jennifer Meek, Jan Bartoszek, Kirsty MacKellar, Maray Gutierrez (front right)

Back Row From Left:
Victor Alexander, Philip Edgecombe, Mei-Kuang Chen, Justin Deschamps

Photo by Eileen Ryan
Ms. Bartoszek founded Hedwig Dances in 1985. In 1997, Bartoszek was awarded for her outstanding Contribution to the Dance
Community by the Chicago Dance Coalition and the Ruth Page Foundation. She was          acknowledged for "keeping the spirit and
vision of MoMing alive through her work at the Chicago Cultural Center, serving as an educator, mentor, presenter, administrator and
promoter of dance in the city with inspirational excellence."

Her choreographic achievements have also been recognized through grants and fellowships from numerous organizations including the
National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Bartoszek was included in
"100 Women Making a Difference" by Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine in recognition of her artistic and civic contribution to the
Chicago community.

Bartoszek has twenty years’ experience as a performer, choreographer, teacher and mentor in Chicago. Throughout her career,
Bartoszek has fostered a spirit of collaboration with other art forms as well as other artists — combining choreography, visual art, text,
and music to creative innovative, highly theatrical dances. As a leader in the dance community, Bartoszek has served on the Advisory
Board of the Arts and Business Council of Chicago, the Illinois Arts Council dance panel, and the Board of the Chicago Dance Coalition.
Mei-Kuang Chen, Previous Artistic Associate and Company Member. Mei joined Hedwig Dances in
1999 and has performed, taught and choreographed for the company. Born in Taiwan, she
received her early dance training in Chinese opera dance and ballet. She moved to the United
States in 1993 and has since received her MFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and her BFA in Dance from Ohio State University. Mei teaches dances at the
Hedwig School, Robert Morris College and numerous studios in the Chicago area.
Victor Alexander, Company Member, is a native of Pinar del Rio, Cuba. He was trained at the National Dance School in Havana and has studied
with distinguished teachers such as Donald Mckayle, Chuck Davis, and Jeffrey Bullock from the United States. dancing for ten years with Danza
Contemporania de Cuba, has toured throughout Europe, the United States and the Caribbean and has performed in British television and
productions of Aida for the Venice operas. He has participated in the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, The International Dance
Festival in Germany and the International Ballet Festival in Genoa, Italy. He has been dancing with Hedwig Dances since relocating to Chicago
in 2002.
Maray is a native of Havana, Cuba. Maray began her training at the Paulita Concepcion Vocational School of the Arts in
Havana. and continued her studies at the National School of Dance in Havana. dancing as a principal dancer for ten years
with Danza Contemporania de Cuba, she has toured throughout Europe , the United States and the Caribbean and has
performed in British television and productions of Aida for the Venice operas. She has participated in the American Dance
Festival in North Carolina, The International Dance Festival in Germany and the International Ballet Festival in Genoa, Italy.
She has been dancing with Hedwig Dances since relocating to Chicago in 2002.
Kirsty MacKellar
Kirsty MacKellar is a native of Australia and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wyoming. She
has trained under Bill Evans at the University of New Mexico, under Patricia Dickenson, with Ballet Theater of
New Mexico and Shira Greenberg of Keshet Dance Company. Kirsty joined Hedwig Dances in 2004.
COMPANY BIOS

Mei-Kuang Chen

Victor Alexander
Maray Gutierrez
Jan Bartoszek, Founder and Artistic Director
Justin Deschamps
Justin began dancing late in college in the Seattle area.  From there he has been on the Eastern side of the
States for the past seven years pursuing dance (ballet) in such cities as Pittsburgh, Richmond and Annapolis.
 He just recently moved to Chicago to join the Lyric Opera and has now found himself with his first modern
dance company, Hedwig Dances.
Jennifer graduated magna cum laude from Point Park University with a concentration in jazz and
modern dance.  She has had the privilege of performing the works of Daniel Ezralow, David
Parsons, Sean Curran, Margo Sappington, Lauri Stallings, Lar Lubovitch and Ann Reinking.  While
in Chicago she has performed with Thodos Dance Chicago, Lucky Plush Productions, Concert
Dance and Hedwig Dances
Jennifer Meek
Recent Additions: Joseph Ensign and Zach Zube