Kristina's fascination with storytelling through dance began at an early age and she has choreographed ballet and contemporary works for companies across Chicago, Washington DC, and Richmond. Her works have been presented at multiple festivals and she has created dances for film.

Trained classically with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, she has performed professionally with Louisville Ballet, American National Ballet, Chicago Ballet, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Albany Berkshire Ballet, Nomi Dance Company, Winifred Haun & Dancers, ClancyWorks Dance Company, Company E, and Motion X Dance DC, among others.

Transplanted to Richmond in 2018, after the birth of her first son, she continues to perform as a founding member of Conflux Dance Theater and currently serves as the Artistic Coordinator as well as sharing her love of dance through teaching at West End Academy of Dance and Virginia Commonwealth University.

She is excited to explore all that FALLOW can offer as a multimedia, immersive experience and has loved partnering with Lindsay Benson Garrett in presenting their first full evening work!

In a fallow seasonNaps! I often need more alone time and silence and try to remember that there's a season for everything. Sometimes it's ok to move more slowly.

Lindsay is an interdisciplinary artist, dancer, and designer whose work connects dance, film, and visual communication. She holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design with a minor in Dance and Choreography from VCU, with additional training from Richmond Ballet, Joffrey Midwest, and American Ballet Theatre. She has performed with Conflux Dance Theater, rva dance collective, Gin Dance Company, and appeared in Virginia Repertory Theatre’s Cinderella.

A 2024 Virginia Dance Award recipient, Lindsay collaborates often with Motion X Dance Company to produce multimedia contemporary dance shows. She teaches dance at West End Academy and serves as Partner of Strategic Creative at Copper Note.

Lindsay once planned to adopt 300,000 honeybees. Just before committing, she gave birth to adorable twin redheads and settled for planting lots of flowers, which frequently end up in backyard pots of fairy soup.

In a fallow seasonSometimes I think of myself as a plant: making sure I have enough sunlight, water, and fresh air. I also take time to fertilize my spirit with art and good food.

Julie Davis is a dancer, movement instructor, arts administrator, and mom of four who made her way back to the stage after an 11-year hiatus. She trained at the Otto M. Budig Academy of Cincinnati Ballet and danced professionally with Cincinnati Ballet and Richmond Ballet before taking a rather extended intermission to raise humans. She now performs as a company artist with Conflux Dance Theater, where she also serves as Advancement Coordinator.

Julie holds a degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Regent University and is a certified barre and Pilates instructor. When she’s not dancing, teaching, fundraising, or driving someone somewhere, she enjoys living room dance parties with her husband and kids, moderately priced bourbon, and making impulsive decisions about pet ownership. Recent additions include a chinchilla and a dog.

In a fallow seasonPrioritize alone time — it’s the way I recharge.

Colleen Edwards trained at the Boulder Ballet Academy in Colorado, under the founder, Barbra Demaree as well as Jon Prinz, Ana Claire and Lucia Martin. She was a founding member of Robert Sher-Machherndl’s Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet as a trainee. She went on to earn a B.F.A. in Dance from Boston Conservatory, where she studied with Denise Pons, Luis Fuente, Donna Silva, Jennifer Scanlon, Tommy Neblett, and Leslie Woodies.

In her professional career, Colleen has performed soloist and principal roles in ballets such as Cinderella (the Winter Fairy, Fairy Godmother, and a stepsister), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena), The Nutcracker (Dew Drop Fairy), Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy), and Stavna Ballet’s The Wizard of Oz (the Wicked Witch). She has also performed as a soloist in Les Sylphides.

Ms. Edwards has enjoyed dancing in diverse companies including Urbanity, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Portland Ballet, North Atlantic Dance Theatre (where she served as ballet mistress), and Savannah Ballet Theatre, and she was a founding company member of Conflux Dance Theater in Richmond, Virginia. She is a recurring guest artist with Stavna Ballet, where she also serves as ballet mistress and rehearsal director.

Colleen has taught in New York, Louisiana, Maine, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Virginia. She continues to challenge her students in both technique and performance.

In a fallow seasonIn a Fallow season I try to listen to what my body is asking for, warmth, hearty foods, and coziness. I'm trying to embrace the seasonal living that we should do naturally.

Olivia Gotsch (she/her) is a student of the human legacy of dance as spiritual practice and biological necessity. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her training at Hyde Park School of Dance, spent summers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and studied anthropology and dance at Vassar College. She performed with Conflux Dance Theater for several years and taught as a resident artist at Richmond Movement Center. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s in geography at the University of Missouri and dancing with Columbia Ballet.

In a fallow seasonI try to remind myself that I can't move forward without letting past experiences settle and disintegrate into usable material. A warm (and caffeinated) beverage doesn't hurt either!

Frances Kimmel, BA, ISMETA, AmSAT, CMA, BMC, CTP, BFL

Frances has a diverse background in dance and the healing arts.

Her interdisciplinary path into Somatic Movement practices led her to build a thriving private practice specializing in Trager Psychophysical Integration/Bodywork and teaching The Alexander Technique for 25+ years.

Her inspiration is fed by her passion for movement and a deeply curious spirit.

Frances is grateful to be a part of this collaborative project.

In a fallow seasonI take warm baths with Epson salt & lavender in the evenings.

Celina Merrill is a professional dancer based out of Richmond, VA. Celina started her dance training at West End Academy of Dance and went on to train with the School of Richmond Ballet as well. Upon high school graduation, Celina pursued a higher education at the University of Cincinnati where she earned a BFA in Ballet Performance. Celina has explored many avenues of dance, from training in classical art forms to commercial dance to luxury event entertainment. In the midst of pursuing her own performance career, Celina fell in love with teaching dance and sharing her love of movement with others. Today, Celina is a Conflux Dance Theater company member, a dance instructor at multiple studios around Richmond and she continues to perform at luxury events.

In a fallow seasonOne way I care for myself in a Fallow season is with grace. It’s so easy to beat yourself up or feel weak when you need a moment to rest and recover. In Fallow seasons, I give myself grace in the moments where I might feel weak or not good enough and I embrace the time to take care of myself.

Katherine Nies is a genre-blending concert pianist, vocalist, recording artist, and music director whose roots run deep in jazz, classical, and folk traditions. Raised on a mix of her mother’s Peruvian and Puerto Rican folk guitar and her father’s jazz piano, she brings a soulful, improvisational spirit to everything she plays.

Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Katherine received her classical training under Hsien-Ann Meng, Gerda Bansleben, and Marianna Prjevalskaya. She studied creative writing and playwriting under award-winning authors Susan Letzler Cole and Sarah Harris Wallman.

She has collaborated with artists from Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, jazz legend John D’earth, and two-time Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin—most recently performing at Carnegie Hall with Distinguished Concerts International. She was recently featured as the piano soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with the Albemarle Symphony. Katherine’s work with Charlottesville Ballet includes Dancing Through the Looking Glass, RBG, and Sorrowful Songs. Her recent projects span symphonic collaborations, original ballet scores, and indie releases including Storms in My Attic, sweet blue, yellow silk, and keeping violets.

Katherine also works as a choir director, coach, and creative director.

In a fallow seasonListening to the music that inspired me when I was a child/teen. Just like it’s wonderful to return to old places you used to go to all the time as a kid, returning to the songs feels just as special for me. Little touchstones that root me and help me not forget.

Amelia Virtue (she/her) is a dancer, educator, choreographer, and researcher from Morgantown, WV. She began her training at her home studio, Kat and Company Dance Studio, before continuing at American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Ellison Ballet. She later attended Ellison Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Nashville Ballet’s year-round programs, performing with Cincinnati Ballet and Nashville Ballet. Amelia holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from VCU.

She taught with Kansas City Ballet and currently teaches at Richmond Academy of Ballet and Aspire Dance Academy, while researching human-robot creative investigations at VCU.

A founding member of Conflux Dance Theater, Amelia is thrilled to return for her fifth season with the company. She is grateful to be part of the presentation of F A L L O W!

In a fallow seasonI care for myself by allowing myself to rest. I focus on giving myself permission to just ‘be’ rather than constantly perform, allowing my body and mind the time they actually need to recharge.