ARTISTIC TEAM & STAFF
Alyson Dolan
Artistic Director
Alyson Dolan has been recognized by The Austin Chronicle for her “stamina, concentration, and big jar of real that she brings to the potluck.” Her choreographic process is inspired by the people in the room, being especially intrigued by movers who have a strong sense of self and interest in collaboration.
Dolan is on faculty at Café Dance and St Edward’s University, and regularly creates dances with McCallum Fine Arts Academy. She has served on the faculty and/or been in residence at Texas A&M University, Texas State University, Northwest Vista College, St. Petersburg College, Booker Visual & Performing Arts High School, Bowie High School, as well as been an invited guest artist at Power for Parkinson’s, Austin Community College, Howard W. Blake High School for the Arts, New College of Florida, REVolutions Dance and several studios throughout the city and the greater Austin area. She has been a Teaching Artist with Forklift Danceworks, DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Youth Dance Program, Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Van Wezel Education Department, and the Early Learning Coalitions of both Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
Alyson often works with friend and colleague Leymis Bolaños-Wilmott and her company, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, where she has taught several times at their summer intensive for pre-professional and professional dancers as well as creates work for the company. She was their inaugural Resident Choreographer from 2012-2014 after serving as a company member and rehearsal director for four seasons. In 2024, Leymis , Alyson and composer Drew Silverman premiered an original evening-length work in Sarasota in collaboration with a strong visual design team.
Upon returning to Austin, Alyson went to work on a second evening-length piece in collaboration with her fellow KDH company members. Although bittersweet with it being the first show to not involve their fearless leader, Kathy Dunn Hamrick, SMOKE was a clear success for the group of five who were grateful to process the abrupt shifts in the company through their weekly practice together.
Alyson has been working with and learning from Kathy Dunn Hamrick from the moment she landed in Austin 12 years ago. With her now moving into the role of Artistic Director, this season is marked by dramatic change but also hope for what is to come, as well as immense gratitude and admiration for what has been created and shared with the Austin dance community (and beyond) over the last 25 years of KDHDC.
Drew Silverman
Executive Director / Resident Composer
Critically acclaimed composer, producer and interdisciplinary artist Drew Silverman creates music, sound design and visual productions, frequently presenting work with the dance community. Silverman is most inspired by how sounds and textures found in nature can merge sympathetically with sounds and textures made by machines, striving to retain the human elements in both.
The Austin Chronicle called Silverman's "Gorintō '' a "quintessential work which surpasseth all understanding with beauty". The project was also named on the Chronicle's 10 Favorite Arts Related Things of 2019. He also received a City of Austin grant to re-set Gorintō in Austin in 2024.
Silverman is extremely excited and honored to be a part of the next chapter of KDH Dance Company's history.
Natasha Small
Executive Director - Austin Dance Festival
Originally from Salisbury, North Carolina, Natasha Small graduated with a B.A. in Dance Studies from Appalachian State University. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the Austin Dance Festival, and is the Co-Director of ZATERO Dance, a modern dance company based in Austin, TX.
Since moving to Austin in 2015, Natasha has worked with multiple theatre and dance companies as a dancer, choreographer, and arts administrator. She also worked for the Department of Theatre and Dance at The University of Texas at Austin from 2015-2024. During her time at UT Austin, Natasha served as the Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator, Guest Artist Liaison, and Receptionist and Assistant to the Chair.
Stephen Pruitt
Technical Director
Stephen Pruitt, Resident Lighting Designer and Technical Director, has been working as a photographer, installation artist, designer, writer, director and performer for over thirty years, since abandoning a career in engineering which would have made him very rich by now.
Based in Austin since 1997, he is the resident production designer for Forklift Danceworks and Tapestry Dance Company a company member with the Rude Mechs and has designed for Salvage Vanguard Theater, A’lante Flamenco, Cirque Vida, Conspirare, and countless other theaters, dance companies, and events. Stephen has been the resident designer with KDH Dance for some large number of years and some large number of productions, each and every one of which has been the absolute best.
