Director Bios
Crysta Caulkins-Clouse, M.F.A.
Co-Director, crysta@bigrigdance.org
Crysta Caulkins-Clouse has performed, taught and choreographed nationally and internationally in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and New Zealand working with artists such as Jordan Fuchs, D. Chase Angier, Rebecca Bryant, Mary A. Chase, Sarah Gamblin, and Mark Dendy. Upon completing her M.F.A. in dance at Texas Woman's University where she served as the Department Recruitment Coordinator and earned the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Student Award, she joined the Adjunct Faculty at Richland College and North Central Texas College to teach technique and performance classes. Recently, Crysta built a new dance program and Performing Arts Academy at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas following the National Academy Foundation models. Currently, Crysta specializes in health and fitness for new moms as a certified instructor for Fit4Mom Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre classes while also teaching, performing, and choreographing as Co-Director of Big Rig Dance Collective in Denton, TX and across the DFW area.
Co-Director, crysta@bigrigdance.org
Crysta Caulkins-Clouse has performed, taught and choreographed nationally and internationally in Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and New Zealand working with artists such as Jordan Fuchs, D. Chase Angier, Rebecca Bryant, Mary A. Chase, Sarah Gamblin, and Mark Dendy. Upon completing her M.F.A. in dance at Texas Woman's University where she served as the Department Recruitment Coordinator and earned the 2011 Outstanding Graduate Student Award, she joined the Adjunct Faculty at Richland College and North Central Texas College to teach technique and performance classes. Recently, Crysta built a new dance program and Performing Arts Academy at Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas following the National Academy Foundation models. Currently, Crysta specializes in health and fitness for new moms as a certified instructor for Fit4Mom Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre classes while also teaching, performing, and choreographing as Co-Director of Big Rig Dance Collective in Denton, TX and across the DFW area.
Whitney Geldon, M.F.A.
Co-Director, whitney@bigrigdance.org
Kansas native Whitney Geldon’s work emerges from the immediacy of the body, through dance, installation, and pedagogical practice. She holds an MFA in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, where she received the Excellence in Choreography Scholarship Award. Whitney has been a recent guest artist at Kansas State University, Eastfield College, Tarrant County College, Flatlands Dance Theatre, Texas Dance Improvisation Festival, and Movement Fundamentals Coalescence. She has performed works by international artists such as Amii Legendre, Rebecca Bryant, The Equus Project, D. Chase Angier, Jordan Fuchs, Sarah Gamblin, Mary A. Chase, and Kathy Dunn Hamrick. Currently, Whitney is a Co-Director of Big Rig Dance Collective and Adjunct Professor at University of North Texas, as well as Co-Coordinator for TWU’s Community Dance Center, where she teaches community members of all ages to explore the art of dance.
Co-Director, whitney@bigrigdance.org
Kansas native Whitney Geldon’s work emerges from the immediacy of the body, through dance, installation, and pedagogical practice. She holds an MFA in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, where she received the Excellence in Choreography Scholarship Award. Whitney has been a recent guest artist at Kansas State University, Eastfield College, Tarrant County College, Flatlands Dance Theatre, Texas Dance Improvisation Festival, and Movement Fundamentals Coalescence. She has performed works by international artists such as Amii Legendre, Rebecca Bryant, The Equus Project, D. Chase Angier, Jordan Fuchs, Sarah Gamblin, Mary A. Chase, and Kathy Dunn Hamrick. Currently, Whitney is a Co-Director of Big Rig Dance Collective and Adjunct Professor at University of North Texas, as well as Co-Coordinator for TWU’s Community Dance Center, where she teaches community members of all ages to explore the art of dance.
Amanda Jackson, M.F.A.
Co-Director, amanda@bigrigdance.org
Amanda Jackson is the Dance Area Head and Artistic Director of Maverick Dance Company at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is trained in Vedic Thai Bodywork and serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Dance Festival Alliance. Amanda recently presented choreography at M2DT's Made in a Day and collaborated with pianist, Jeff Lankov at the 2016 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival. In 2011, Amanda presented a gender-bending duet at Harvard University’s Conference, Educational Bodies: The Performance of Gender and Sexuality. She toured her work in Las Vegas in 2014, and in 2015, her choreography was voted “Best in Fest” at {254} Dance-Fest. Amanda has performed extensively in local venues and nationally with artists Rebecca Bryant (CA), Mark Dendy (NC), Sarah Gamblin (OK), and CholoRock Dance Theatre at The Kennedy Center. Her teaching credits include master classes and residencies at Texas Dance Improvisation Festival, American College Dance Association, University of North Texas, Flatlands DanceTheatre, ARC Pasadena, and Luther College in Iowa. Amanda holds an M.F.A. in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, where she earned the Excellence in Performance Scholarship Award and Pauline Bishop Leman Memorial Award for outstanding artistic contributions.
Co-Director, amanda@bigrigdance.org
Amanda Jackson is the Dance Area Head and Artistic Director of Maverick Dance Company at the University of Texas at Arlington. She is trained in Vedic Thai Bodywork and serves on the Board of Directors for Texas Dance Festival Alliance. Amanda recently presented choreography at M2DT's Made in a Day and collaborated with pianist, Jeff Lankov at the 2016 Out of the Loop Fringe Festival. In 2011, Amanda presented a gender-bending duet at Harvard University’s Conference, Educational Bodies: The Performance of Gender and Sexuality. She toured her work in Las Vegas in 2014, and in 2015, her choreography was voted “Best in Fest” at {254} Dance-Fest. Amanda has performed extensively in local venues and nationally with artists Rebecca Bryant (CA), Mark Dendy (NC), Sarah Gamblin (OK), and CholoRock Dance Theatre at The Kennedy Center. Her teaching credits include master classes and residencies at Texas Dance Improvisation Festival, American College Dance Association, University of North Texas, Flatlands DanceTheatre, ARC Pasadena, and Luther College in Iowa. Amanda holds an M.F.A. in Dance from Texas Woman’s University, where she earned the Excellence in Performance Scholarship Award and Pauline Bishop Leman Memorial Award for outstanding artistic contributions.
Lily Sloan, M.F.A.
Co-Director, lily@bigrigdance.org
A Michigan native, Lily Sloan received her M.F.A. in dance at Texas Woman’s University with the Outstanding Graduate Student award. Currently, she is a Co-Director of Big Rig Dance Collective and an Adjunct Professor at Texas Christian University and Texas Woman’s University, all while living in Denton, TX with her husband and son. She has performed and/or presented work across the United States and in Mexico, as well as in Italy, where she was a guest artist in site-specific dance at La Bella Vita Arts Workshops. She has performed works by choreographers such as Amii Legendre, Rebecca Bryant, Mark Dendy, Jordan Fuchs, and Sarah Gamblin. Simple Sparrow Dance Company, Flatlands Dance Theatre, and Texas Christian University have commissioned Lily’s choreography and her writing on site-specific dance has been published in the Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship. Lily sees dance making and performing as unique opportunities to problem solve in a physical and spontaneous way. She strives to continue exploring, performing, and creating innovative performances, often combining her interests in improvisation and site-based work.
Co-Director, lily@bigrigdance.org
A Michigan native, Lily Sloan received her M.F.A. in dance at Texas Woman’s University with the Outstanding Graduate Student award. Currently, she is a Co-Director of Big Rig Dance Collective and an Adjunct Professor at Texas Christian University and Texas Woman’s University, all while living in Denton, TX with her husband and son. She has performed and/or presented work across the United States and in Mexico, as well as in Italy, where she was a guest artist in site-specific dance at La Bella Vita Arts Workshops. She has performed works by choreographers such as Amii Legendre, Rebecca Bryant, Mark Dendy, Jordan Fuchs, and Sarah Gamblin. Simple Sparrow Dance Company, Flatlands Dance Theatre, and Texas Christian University have commissioned Lily’s choreography and her writing on site-specific dance has been published in the Journal of Emerging Dance Scholarship. Lily sees dance making and performing as unique opportunities to problem solve in a physical and spontaneous way. She strives to continue exploring, performing, and creating innovative performances, often combining her interests in improvisation and site-based work.
/© Big Rig Dance Collective LLC. All photos by Jesse Scroggins.
