ABOUT
Space. Time. Energy. Art.
Qualia Dance Collective seeks to explore the qualities of space, time, and energy as catalysts for movement and art and performs the choreography of Fiona Scruggs.
Fiona’s background is in ballet, so her movement is grounded in principles of line and technical precision. The work she creates explores creative narratives of visual art and often possesses a surrealist quality, inviting her audience to envision new worlds.
We perform in local venues and festivals to stay connected to our Berkshire neighbors and form stronger bonds with our nearby communities. Dialogues with the audience following performances are integral to engaging with our community and bridging access into the artistic process.
Our work is poetic and classical, smart and inventive.
We aim to awaken the imaginations of everyone we meet.
ARTISTS
FIONA SCRUGGS
(SHE/HER)
Founder / Artist
Born in Tübingen, Germany, Fiona Scruggs is a dancer, choreographer, researcher, educator, and writer. Fiona's choreography has been presented at the 5x5 Dance Festival (CT), The Foundry (MA), Bard College at Simon's Rock (MA), Berkshire Theatre Group (MA), Chesterwood (MA), Berkshire Busk (MA), Choreography on the Edge (NY), the New Rochelle Arts Fest (NY), Salzburg International Ballet Academy Gala (Austria), Hudson Valley Academy of Performing Arts (NY), and Radford University (VA). She is currently a Teaching Artist Fellow through the Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Youth Development program and is an American Ballet Theatre Certified Teacher for Pre-Primary through Level 5. Fiona is a teaching artist at Berkshire Pulse, the Director of Communications & Marketing at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and a contributing writer for The Berkshire Edge. She is the former School Programs Coordinator at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, where she researched, wrote, and curated an archival collection about The School at Jacob’s Pillow’s 90-year history and legacy. Fiona received a bachelor's degree in dance education, summa cum laude, from Radford University, where she received several fellowships and grants to conduct research and choreography in France and the U.S. on the life, career, and legacy of Josephine Baker, which she has presented at numerous regional conferences.
VERONICA BONE
Artist
Veronica Bone is a Pittsfield-based choreographer, teacher, and performer. After achieving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance at Indiana University, Veronica moved to Western Massachusetts to work at Jacob's Pillow. She then worked at Berkshire Theatre Group as the Fundraising and Outreach Associate. While there, Veronica served as an artistic associate for the Actor Intern Program. She taught daily dance classes and choreographed site-specific performances. She now teaches at Berkshire Pulse and works on artistic projects with local dance artists.
JORDYN CORMIER
Artist
Jordyn is a multidisciplinary creative artist—working in film, word, theater, and movement. She earned her BFA in Contemporary Dance from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she had the honor to perform the timeless works of Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow, and Alwin Nikolais. Her first foray into filmmaking was her thesis project, A Piece for Assorted Lunatics (a feature-length silent dance film, set to a live jazz trio performing Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon), which premiered in Boston to wide acclaim. Since then, Jordyn has enjoyed a uniquely wide breadth of creative work—from copywriting to theatrical movement coaching to managing the production of an indie film with an Oscar-winning director. In 2017, she founded her company—Whimsy Media—through which she has created numerous short dance and narrative films, written 900+ published articles, and developed engaging brand voices for multi-million dollar companies. As a freelance performing artist, she has performed with Prometheus Dance, Anna Reyes Dance, Jo-Me Dance Company, and as an independent artist in site-specific improvisational works. She is excited to be moving with Qualia Dance Collective.
GILLIAN EBERSOLE
(THEY/THEM)
Artist
Born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Denver, Colorado, Gillian Ebersole (they/them) is a dancer and choreographer, as well as a poet, dance critic, and researcher. Gillian graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles with a dual degree in Dance and English. Performed on stages in Los Angeles, Denver, and Paris, as well as in Berkshire County, Gillian’s choreographic work merges a love for language and for movement. Gillian trained with Denver contemporary dance company Wonderbound, Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Whyteberg, Gibney, and Bill T. Jones. Drawn to the communal embodied experience, Gillian is a certified yoga instructor and has taught both dance and yoga in studios and community spaces. Gillian is a Teaching Artist Fellow as part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Youth Development program and on the Modern Dance staff at Berkshire Pulse. Currently, Gillian works for Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival as the Marketing Coordinator for Community Engagement and The School. In free time, Gillian loves to write and publish poetry, drink Earl Grey tea, and take photos of sunsets.
CECILIA KITTROSS
Artist
Cecilia Kittross is a recent high school graduate who has been dancing for about 14 years. She has been dancing primarily at Berkshire Pulse since 2016 and has been a part of the Young Choreographers Initiative at Berkshire Pulse since 2018. She plans to attend Vassar College starting in the fall of 2022.
KENDRA LASSOR
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Artist
Born and raised in the beautiful Berkshires, Kendra was captivated by the world of dance and the arts at an early age. Classically trained in ballet from the age of four, Kendra continues to enjoy the ongoing pursuit of arts and movement education through performing and teaching with local dance companies. She also enjoys traveling and exploring unique and beautiful places with her family.
SHANNON NULF
(SHE/HER)
Artist
Shannon Nulf is a movement artist and arts administrator whose work reflects her commitment to human connection and community building. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a BFA in Dance and minors in Movement Science and Performing Arts Management, Shannon spent her time pursuing her degree as a dedicated community member and attentive mover. At U-M, she has worked with artists Urban Bush Women, Rosie Herrera, and Joel Valentin-Martinez, U-M Faculty Missy Beck and Charli Brissey, and MFA candidates Fabiola Torralba, Sydney Schiff, Kelly Hirina, Jen Peters, and Melissa Brading. She is also a dance educator and has taught a wide variety of styles and levels at various locations, including at Berkshire Pulse, having studied dance education and pedagogy at U-M. Currently, she is working at Jacob’s Pillow as a Community Engagement Fellow and rehearsing, teaching, and creating work locally in the Berkshires, including with artists Gillian Ebersole and Fiona Scruggs.
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HANNAH GELLMAN
(SHE/HER)
Dramaturg
Hannah Gellman (she/her) is a theater-maker, arts educator, and dramaturg. Previously, she has worked across the Berkshires with BODYSONNET Dance Collective, Berkshire Theatre Group, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Playwrights Lab, and at the Great Barrington Farmers Market. As a current MFA student in the Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism program at Yale University, she been the dramaturg for productions of Twelfth Night, Hedda Gabler, and soft apples. She holds a BA in English from Carleton College. Developing new work and being part of the local artistic community are two of her favorite things, so she is thrilled to be on the Qualia team!