Costume Designer

Cathy was born and raised in La Habra, California by Southern parents who always directed her to follow her curiosity. Her whole life as an artist has been to find that access into the genius of the world. Be it through sculpture and installation work, costumes for dance and film or writing and performing music, her curiosity has lead to that genius; A place of wonder and beauty which she has been making for over 40 years. One of the great things that has happened over time has been this making of things which has crossed over into powerful collaborations with other artists, dancers, choreographers and musicians. THAT is the genius. Being able to see her work form into something bigger, something unpredictable and magical. "It has made my work and my friendships stronger. It has made my love of the process of making art solid and profound."

Creative Director / Choreographer

Adrianna is the Artistic Director of SOULSKIN Dance which has premiered works at Dance Mission Theater, PUSHFest, SjDANCEco, Mark Foehringer Dance Project, Santa Barbara HH11 Dance Festival, and was commissioned by the Aspen Art Museum in 2016 to create a site-specific work for SOULSKIN as part of the museum’s Alan Shields exhibit . Adrianna danced professionally in New York City with Battery Dance Co, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Co, Mark DeGarmo & Dancers, and worked with Bella Lewitzky, Milton Myers, Jonathan Wolken, Brenda Daniels, Risa Steinberg, and Mary Jane Eisenberg. As Artistic Director of MEFTAS Dance Theatre in NYC, her choreography was presented at Joyce SoHo, the Cunningham Studio, The Riverside Theatre, Mulberry Street Theater, the Downtown Arts Festival, Trisha Brown Studios, Movement Research, Theater for the New City, Dance Space, and the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO. She was on faculty for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet for ten years, and guest faculty for Alonzo King LINES Ballet. In April 2019 SOULSKIN Dance premiered Parallel Dialogues in Boulder and premiered a new ballet, Golden Mean to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus Art Movement at Dance Mission Theater. Adrianna was commissioned for two dance films, Shelter in Place (2020), and CLOSER (2021) and the Ballet Phoenix Rising for the Aspen Fringe Festival. Closer was presented alongside SOULSKIN's The Awakening at Dance Mission in Fall 2021. She is a GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Specialized Master Teacher and has been practicing the method for 30 years

Filmaker & Videographer

Jaco Strydom (Filmmaker) is a filmmaker and visual designer based in Los Angeles. He has created dance films, visual projection designs and installations for Dance Brigade, SoulSkin Dance, Axis Dance Company, and PERSpectives Dance. He was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award in 2019 for the installation of “Sin Palabras II: The Butterfly Effect," choreographed by Krissy Keefer. In 2021 he created a 30-minute dance film with choreographer Adrianna Thompson — “Closer” premiered at Aspen FallFest and was also shown in San Francisco. His collaboration with Axis Dance, "Roots Above Ground” choreographed by Marc Brew, toured Germany, Dubai, and the US in 2021/2022 and was featured on the The Joyce's digital streaming platform.

Composer

Roxy Roller was born and raised in the Bronx,NY and is proudly a self trained musician. He fell in love with Rock N' Roll at an early age and was influenced by the first wave of glam rock bands like T Rex, Kiss, Queen and Bowie. He knew then at a young age what he wanted to do with his life. He traveled around as a young man with a group of gypsies learning the ways of the road and life on the streets. He ended up settling in Athens ,Georgia. He formed his first band there Naked in the Rain and worked in collaboration with many artists, soaking up the fertile creative environment of that unique southern town. Roxy then moved his band to San Fransisco at the height of the Lollapalozza nation and work at the Warfield Theater for Bill Graham Presents for 5 years.He met his wife Barbara during this period and moved to LA. for a year.They collaborated together on a few pieces that was performed with The Lula Washington Dance Theater and The Well Tempered Ballet. As well they performed their collaborations/creations at various rock venues and art galleries in Los Angeles. NYC was calling and for Roxy. It was a time to focus on recording. He turned his attention to loops, drum machines and sound scapes.The factories, noise, and industrial environment of 4th Ave Brooklyn and NYC reflected into his work. He was Inspired by early industrial music like Einsturzende Neubauten and Test Department as well as Lou Reeds Metal Machine Music. He immersed himself in musical creation, solitude, recording music and oil painting as opposed to public performance. It was a time of introspection. Since he has returned to the West coast he has been a prolific performer. His band Lucabrazzi was voted by SPIN Magazine one of the top 10 unsigned bands in 2010. Lucabrazzi was know to be the hardest working band in the Bay area for many years. He also played bass for Meat Hook and the Vital Organs and they were know to be the most dangerous band in the Bay area!! Mixing Glam, Gutter Punk and Industrial.. He then joined forces with punk legend Steve Ricablanca from VIKTMS and co fronts the band Pleasure Parade. He also plays in a bands with his wife Barbara Koch XoX. His booking company Chromespider Presents has booked countless bands, performers and events over the past decade. Roxy is also a radio personality and has worked on FCC Free Radio and Mutiny Radio in the Mission. Composing original music for Golden Mean is his first collaboration with SOULSKIN.

Co-Producer & Choreographer

JoLea Maffei is a master teacher of the Lester Horton Modern Dance Technique and has been teaching Horton in New York City for over thirty years. She currently teaches Horton in the Ailey School Professional Division and Fordham BFA Program, Steps Conservatory, Steps Academy and Steps on Broadway open classes. She has been on the faculties of Hunter College, Hofstra University, Marymount Manhattan College, New York University, City College of New York, Peridance Center, Ballet Arts at City Center and multiple other studios in New York City. Ms. Maffei has taught at many summer festivals including most recently the Ailey School Summer Intensive, Steps Academy Summer Intensive, The Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, and The Joffrey Summer Program.

Ms. Maffei participated in the Beta Group and holds an Inaugural Certification from the Ailey Horton Pedagogy program which launces to the public this summer, 2025.

Ms. Maffei served as the choreographic and teaching assistant to Milton Myers from 1988-98, demonstrating the Horton Technique, teaching, and assisting in setting his work at festivals and companies throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Ms. Maffei has had an extensive performing career dancing in and directing the Maffei Dance Company and the East/West Repertory Ensemble. She performed with Milton Myers Dance Company, the Larry Richardson Dance Company, Soulskin, The New York Ballroom Company in the work of Gary Pierce and Christian Holder, East\West Repertory Dance Ensemble where she appeared in her own work and the works of Milton Myers, Lonne Moretton, Rod Rogers, William Adair, Leni Williams among many others. In 2000 Ms. Maffei premiered a solo choreographed for her by Robert Battle entitled “Infirm” for Maffei Dance Company.

As a choreographer, JoLea Maffei has premiered work at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Theatre of The Riverside Church, the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado, the Clark Studio Theater, The Tribeca Center for the Performing Arts, the Cunningham Studio, and Hofstra University and Steps on Broadway and has participated in showcases throughout NYC. In 1997 she formed Maffei Dance Company which featured her choreography and continues on a project basis.

Originally from Michigan, Ms. Maffei graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance performance from the University of Michigan where she received the Gertrude Heubner Award for excellence in dance.

Website Designer & Social Media

RJ Carrier Duquette is a contemporary and heels dancer, cabaret artist, and movement educator based in New York City. Originally from New, Baltimore, MI, and a former software engineer, he now teaches Pilates and The GYROTONIC®️ Method - integrating principles of alignment and breath to nurture the joy of movement in others. In 2025, RJ began working with SOULSKIN Dance as a dancer, website designer, and social media manager, bringing his full toolkit to support the team and aid others in creating art.

General Manager

Katherine Nauman (she/her) is a Horton Technique instructor, arts administrator, and performer. 

Katherine was a founding member of SOULSKIN Dance (2013), as both performer and Company Manager, returning to the company as General Manager in 2024. Previous Arts Administration roles include: Engagement Project Manager for AXIS Dance Company (CA), Marketing Manager for SMUIN Ballet (CA), and Director of the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center (CA). 

She is currently on faculty teaching Horton at The Ailey School, the Joffrey Ballet School, and STEPS on Broadway. Katherine was a member of the Ailey Horton Certification Beta Group, and holds an Inaugural Ailey Teacher Certification in the Horton Technique. While living in San Francisco Katherine taught for LINES Ballet/BFA at Dominican University and LINES Ballet Summer and Training Programs (CA), and performed with Ray Tadio, SOULSKIN Dance and Mary Carbonara Dances.

Prior to her time in SF, Katherine trained, performed and taught in NYC. After graduating from The Ailey School, she was teaching and choreographic assistant to Horton master teachers Milton Myers and JoLea Maffei, and taught at Juilliard, LaGuardia High School, The Ailey School and STEPS. She danced for companies including: Stanley Love Performance Group, bopi’s black sheep/dances by kraig patterson, Maffei Dance Company, Glen Rumsey Dance Project, and Makram Hamdan Dance Company.