artists
Casey Lee Thorne - Founder, Artistic & Executive Director
Casey Lee Thorne (she/her) is a dance artist, educator, and scholar based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thorne received her early training at American Repertory Ballet’s Princeton Ballet School, and graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet/Dominican University of CA BFA Program in 2010 as part of the inaugural class. In 2018, she received her MFA in Dance Studies from Mills College in Oakland, CA, and founded Inside Out Contemporary Ballet in 2012. Thorne was awarded a 2014-2015 Fulbright Fellowship to Israel, and served as Assistant Professor of Dance at Southern Utah University (2019-2020) and Associate Professor of Dance at Cabrillo College (2021-2023). Thorne was appointed Development Director at Stapleton School of the Performing Arts in San Anselmo from 2022-2023 and Individual Giving Manager at East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond 2023-2024. Currently, Thorne is Adjunct Professor of Dance at College of Marin and Dominican University of CA/Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program. She serves on the Alumni Board of Directors for Dominican University of CA, runs her own after school dance program in San Rafael, and continues to produce work for IOCB.
Rossi Walter, Jr. - Associate Director & Dancer
Born to American parents in Dallas, Texas (USA) and currently living in Japan, Rossi Walter, Jr. (he/him) offers diverse experience as a contemporary dancer, classical ballet artist, youth educator, wellness coach, personal trainer and new Les Mills BARRE instructor. A 2014 graduate of Harvard University, Rossi has studied and performed across the globe, including presentations to the Ministry of Culture of Israel and the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, de l’Ordre du Mérite, et des Arts in France. Rossi has shared in professional relationships with Urbanity Dance, Jerusalem Dance Theater, Inside Out Contemporary Ballet, La Manufacture, l’Ecole Professionnelle Supérieure de l’Enseignement de la danse, and Ballet North Texas. Rossi currently lives in Oita, Japan.
Linda Steele II - BELOVED Choreographer & Dancer
Linda Steele II, may she rest in peace, passed away suddenly in 2024. A beloved improvisational dance artist, movement creator, and storyteller Linda was formally trained in various movement languages including Western Classical Dance, Jazz, Tap, Flamenco, and Modern. She received her training from Marin Ballet and Marin School of the Arts before receiving her BFA from Dominican University of CA where she also studied Art History. Linda performed original works by Alonzo King, Drew Jacoby, Maurya Kerr's tinypistol, Sidra Bell, Katie Faulkner, LEVYdance, Inside Out Contemporary Ballet, Capacitor Performance SF, Mathis Reed Dance, dazaun.dance, and Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble, among others.
Linda II presented her movement in various festivals and art events including Ebony Magazine's renowned Ebony Fashion Fair. As a movement creator, she created numerous dance works/offerings, studied and choreographed dance for film and performed internationally with Urban Jazz Dance Company, Quimera Tribe, Corina Kinnear and others. She was always deeply grateful to have met and collaborated with such amazing artists. During the covid-19 pandemic, Linda studied at the University of Puerto Rico where she worked towards a Masters degree in Linguistics. Linda served as Executive Assistant for the Oakland Symphony prior to her passing. Her journey continues…
COLLABORATORS
LISA BOLING HUNTSMAN – Set Designer
BEN JUODVALKIS – Composer/Musician
MARK JANES – Interactive Lighting Designer
JEWEL MATHIESON – Poet/Dancer
GAGE LUKE - Graphic Designer
RICK DAVIS - Videographer