Stephanie Dorrycott, Artistic director
Stephanie Dorrycott is a passionate dancer, choreographer, and educator and is the founder of Motion X Dance Company. Born and raised in the DC area, Stephanie trained extensively in ballet, modern, and jazz and went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Shenandoah University in 2009. She received the Excellence in Choreography Award upon graduation and was later honored as an alumni with the Rising Star Award in 2017. As a dancer and performer, Stephanie has had opportunities to work with notable choreographers and teachers including Debbie Allen, Frank Chaves, David Parsons, Janice Brenner, Elijah Gibson, and Jana Hicks. In addition she has performed for the Red Hat Society Gala and the 2023 Childhelp Shining Stars Gala. Her choreography has been seen throughout the region with choreographic accolades including the Monticello Award through Regional Dance America and choreographic commissions from Shenandoah University, Joy of Motion Dance Center, Georgetown University, Metropolitan Youth Ballet, and Festival Ballet Virginia. Motion X has been presented at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, The Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center, The Grace Street Theater in Richmond, VA, and The Charlotte Ballet Theater in Charlotte, NC. In 2019 her work, Turning Point, was presented at the 36th Annual Choreographer’s Showcase at the University of Maryland. That same year, Stephanie was invited to teach at the 2019 Kennedy Center REACH Opening Festival. As a dance educator, Stephanie has taught across the region specializing in contemporary and jazz technique to children and adults of all ages. Stephanie has extensive experience working with children of all ages and has a gift for inspiring children to love the art of dance. She is a former faculty of the Metropolitan School of the Arts and is currently serving full time as the Associate Director of the Greater Washington Dance Center.
2023 company artists
Kourtney is a native of Winchester, VA. She graduated cum laude from Bucknell University with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Dance and holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Her career in the dance field has been multifaceted including administrative, performance, and teaching roles. Kourtney has performed with Beth Elliott Dance Group, Dancethos, darlingdance, DC Contemporary Dance Theater, Dustyn Martincich, Heart Stück Bernie, Karen Reedy Dance, NetCo Dance Company, Motion X, Therese Gahl, and Washington Reflections Dance Company. She also performed as a guest artist with Company E including tours to Kazakhstan and Cuba. She’s worked for dance organizations such as Dance/USA and The Washington Ballet. Kourtney currently works in alumni engagement at Sidwell Friends School and is obsessed with her dog, Clarence. This will be Kourtney's fourth season with Motion X Dance Company.
Gena is from King George, VA, and grew up as a competitive dancer training in multiple styles including jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, modern, and musical theater. Gena was a University Scholar at George Mason University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2018 with a B.F.A. in Dance and a Minor in Arts Management. She graduated from Arizona State University in 2021 with a B.S. in Health Sciences with a concentration in Healthy Lifestyle Coaching and Fitness Science. Gena has over 9 years of experience teaching dance in the DMV area and currently runs her own online fitness and nutrition coaching business, A Stronger Tomorrow LLC. She has performed locally with RawArts Dance Company, Company Danzante, and Ash and Elm Dance Company as a company dancer. Gena's is thrilled to be joining Motion X Dance Company for her first season!
Madelyn graduated in 2018 from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. There, she had the privilege of working with numerous notable creators including: Sidra Bell, Jesse Zaritt, Bobbi Jean Smith, Thaddeus Davis, Kim Bears-Bailey, and Katie Swords Thurman. Through the University, Madelyn had the privilege of attending “Camping 2017”, a two-week workshop platform in Paris hosted by the Centre National de la Danse. After graduating, Madelyn continued dancing as a freelance performer in the Philadelphia area, and she even had the pleasure of participating in a music video that was featured in the 2020 film “Aviva”. In 2019, Madelyn moved to the Washington DC area to pursue a dance career. She has had the pleasure of working as a guest artist with Danzante dance company, and she has been a company member with local company Ash & Elm Dance for three seasons. Madelyn looks forward to her first season with Motion X Dance Company!
Caitlin is from Fairfax, VA. She trained at the Center for Ballet Arts (CBA) and was a member of the Ballet Arts Ensemble under the direction of Debra Savage. While studying Communication at George Mason University, Caitlin was a member of the Dancin' Unlimited Jazz Dance Company (DUJDC) under the direction of Marilyn York. Caitlin is currently a tap and jazz teacher at CBA and is the director of the Ballet Arts Tap and Jazz Ensemble (BATJE), formed in 2022. Outside of dance, she manages client engagement and marketing for meeting service providers, MeetingMakers and Dancing with Markers. This is Caitlin's first season with Motion X.
Originally from Philly, Maia is a lifelong dancer having trained at the Accademia dell' Arte in Arezzo, Italy, Goucher College, BalletNova Center for Dance, Steps on Broadway, Signature Theatre, and the Washington Ballet. Maia has originated and performed roles in works by choreographers like Matthew Neenan, Diane Coburn Bruning, Christian von Howard, and Milton Myers. She has also performed locally with Synetic Theater (Cyrano de Bergerac & Beauty and the Beast), Imagination Stage (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), and as a company member with Gin Dance Company and Therese Gahl & Company. Maia is also a graphic designer and spends the time she's not in the dance studio running her design business and cuddling her cocker spaniel, Poe. This is Maia's first season with Motion X.
2023-24 Guest & Student Dancers
Naomi Hill began her dance training at Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) in Alexandria, VA. During this time, she performed as a company member with MSA’s Youth Jazz Company iMpulse under the direction of Sara Hart and apprenticed with Motion X Dance DC under the direction of Stephanie Dorrycott. After graduating high school, she continued her dance education at Chapman University in Southern California both in and out of school. She served as president of the Chapman University Tap Ensemble and appeared in the short film In A Beat. Naomi has also performed in music videos for artists including Francesca Maria and Yanni Burton. She now teaches at her alma mater MSA and is thrilled to be dancing with Motion X Dance Company again this season.
Christina Gleason is a Danish-American who began dancing at the age of 3. She received most of her formative training from Metropolitan School of the Arts and went on to receive her BFA in Dance from George Mason University in 2019. Since graduating, Gleason has danced with DEVIATED Theatre and Gin Dance. Christina is also a passionate educator and teaches for Metropolitan School of the Arts and a public elementary school in Northern Virginia. This is her first season as a Guest Artist with Motion X.
Gabby is from the Fairfax county area and is currently a student at South Lakes High School. She has been at Greater Washington Dance Center for 9 years now studying dance styles including ballet, modern, and jazz. Gabby has participated in programs including the Kennedy Center Masterclass series for contemporary and Ballet Hispanico’s 2023 summer intensive as well as performing in multiple shows with Festival Ballet Virginia. This is Gabby's first season as a student guest artist with Motion X.
Zoe is a student at the Greater Washington Dance Center and is a soloist with Festival Ballet Virginia. She has had the priviledge of performing a number of lead roles including Clara and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker and the Dormouse in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This is Zoe's first season as a student guest artist with Motion X.