Madelyn Bakken
Founder/ Director/ Company Member
Madelyn Bakken is from Mayer, Minnesota where she attended Mayer Lutheran High School. Before college, Maddie attended PAC where she received her first modern dance exposure. She currently has a Theatre and Dance Honors major from Gustavus Adolphus College. At Gustavus, Madelyn has been exposed to multiple forms of movement including continuum, modern, jazz, ballet, and many more.
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She has had many opportunities to create work. Her most recent work was selected for presentation in the adjudicated concert at the American College Dance Association festival and in the Spring Dance Concert at Gustavus. With the experience at ACDA, Madelyn wanted to create a company with the strong bond of dancers she worked with. She is hoping this company touches those who witness the work the same way it touches herself.
PC: Tim Knox
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Kasey Dumonceaux
Co Director/ Company Member
Kasey will be graduating this spring from Gustavus Adolphus College with a B.A. in Dance
Honors. She began dancing at the age of three training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and
hip hop. She found a passion for teaching beginning at eleven years old and has pursued it ever since. She attended Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists for high school where she
began her training in modern, many world dance styles, and choreography.
At Gustavus, Kasey has had the opportunity to greatly expand her training in modern, composition, and pedagogy.
As she ends her college career, she looks forward to embarking on this new journey with 8:20
Dance Company.
PC: Gustavus Marketing
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Megan Witte
Company Member
Megan is currently a student studying Dance Honors and Theatre at Gustavus Adolphus College.
She is an instructor and Choreographer at Shooting Stars Dance in Cloquet, Minnesota. Her repertory includes Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Ballet, and Tap as well as many other forms.Â
Megan is joining 8:20 as her first professional endeavor.
PC: Amber Lange
Maddi Miller
Company Member
Maddi is from Northfield, MN and attended Northfield High School. For 16 years, she attended Division Street Dance (formerly Dance n’ Fitness). In the later years of her early dance career, she also performed The Nutcracker with Twin Cities Ballet and was fortunate enough to participate in the Ballet Royale of Minnesota Summer Intensive.
After years of training in ballet, lyrical, jazz, and tap, Maddi started school at Gustavus Adolphus College where she got her first exposure to modern dance. While at Gustavus, she has been given many opportunities to dance for faculty and student choreographers. During the fall of 2018, she had the honor of choreographing a site specific piece for Nobel Conference 54: Soil: A Universe Underfoot. She is now a Dance Honors major and hopes to continue to explore her artistic identity and creative voice through movement and choreography.
PC: Mckayla Murphy
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Giovanny Barrera
Company Member
Giovanny Alexander Barrera Rea is from St. Louis Park, Minnesota but originally from small, hot, Amazonian town in Ecuador called Sucua. He is a Gustavus Adolphus College graduate coming in Spring 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology and a minor in dance. His life has always been influenced by the world of Latin social dance, but his strong passion for dance began in his freshman year spring semester of college when he took a beginning modern dance course. Something about that course sparked an interest within him for the world of dance, which is where his journey began.
He began to take more dance courses like jazz, global dance, ballet, and modern dance.
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He was also given the opportunity to choreograph and perform for the Gustavus dance concerts. He has been dancing intensively and has been part of the Gustavus Dance Company for almost four years now. In the time he has been dancing, he has realized how much he's come to value the world of dance and how much it has influenced his life. By being part of the 8:20 Dance Company, he looks forward to dancing with other amazing dancers and choreographers, and hopes to keep pursuing dance and everything it has to offer.
PC: Tim Knox
Jack Fischer
Company Member
Jack Fischer is from Roseville, MN. He is currently a Junior at Gustavus Adolphus College pursuing a dance major. He began dance with his studio 'Out on a Limb' a few years back.
Jack loves dance and the type of escape and voice that it gives him. He specializes in improvisation and theatricality within his movement. He is excited for this new endeavor with 8:20 Dance Company and can't wait to see what will unfold in the future.
PC: Tim Knox
Annie Carlson
Company Member
Annie began dancing at the age of four. She danced competitively at a studio where she trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, hip hop, and contemporary.
Annie now attends Gustavus Adolphus College where she has been actively involved in the dance department, and one of her majors is Dance. She has also taught, assisted, and choreographed for the studio she grew up at. Dance has been a prevalent part of Annie’s life, and she is grateful for the opportunity to continue dancing with the company!
Hannah Saunders
Company Member
Hannah Saunders began dancing at The Dance Connection in Rosemount, Minnesota at the age of two. There, she studied a variety of styles including tap, jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, hip-hop, and ballet.
Currently, Hannah is a student at Gustavus Adolphus College pursuing a degree in biology and dance. She is very excited for the opportunity to dance with 8:20 Dance Company!
Mia Massaro
Company Member
Mia Massaro is graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2019 with a double major in Dance with Honors and Psychological Science.
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Her passion for dance began in her studies at Youth Dance Ensemble and School, pushing her to pursue additional performing opportunities in college at Gustavus Adolphus College. There, she became a member of the Gustavus Dance Company where she had opportunities to work with student, professor, and guest choreographers. Throughout her time in school she had the opportunity to perform in Gustavus Dance Concerts, Christmas in Christ Chapel, and at the American Collegiate Dance Association.
PC: Stan Waldhouser
Kelly Montgomery
Company Member
Kelly Montgomery is from Apple Valley, Minnesota and now attends Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter where she is studying Elementary Education and Dance. She attended Betty Jo’s Dance Center where she trained in ballet, modern, jazz and tap dance and then later trained in classical Ballet and modern at Ballet Royale Minnesota.
Before coming to Gustavus, Kelly took a gap year in which she spent two months living in Cambodia. During this time, she got to perform, share work and learn with people from several different countries. At Gustavus Kelly has been able to continue her modern training as well as perform and work with new and growing artists. She is excited to be part of a company with so many amazing artists and performers.
PC: Gustavus Marketing
Kiah Bakken
Marketing Manager
Kiah Bakken is from Mayer, Minnesota. She currently attends Concordia University Wisconsin with a double major in Early Childhood and Special Education.
Early in life, Kiah always had a talent for art and creativity. While she is not pursuing her talent in art in a specific way, she is always looking for opportunities to share it with others. 8:20 Dance Company has allowed her to use her creativity through the logo, merchandise, and other marketing opportunities. Kiah is excited to continue to use her talents and work alongside with her sister to help fulfill her dreams and the dreams of other dancers!