Company Member Taylor Bennett is from Aiken, SC, in her fourth season with the company, her first as a full company member. A senior at the College of Charleston double majoring in Dance and Early Childhood Education, As a dance major, Taylor has performed in faculty and student works since she arrived in Fall 2019. In Spring 2021 and 2022, Taylor choreographed for the student dance concerts Finding Place and Wanderlust. For the past two summers, Taylor worked at Camp Ballibay, where she taught, choreographed for dance concerts and musicals, and assisted setting Annex Dance Company repertory on the campers while the company was in-residence. Taylor stays involved with the dance students of the Lowcountry through her instruction with Dance Moves of Charleston.

Company Apprentice Natalie Benton is a freshman at Trident Technical College working toward her Associate in Arts before transferring to a 4-year college in the hopes of pursuing psychology or dance. Natalie recently graduated from the School of the Arts as a dance major and practiced outside of school at Dance Moves of Charleston for 10 years. She is very grateful to have worked with Annex before and gives thanks to the company for allowing her to be a part of amazing experiences such as this!

Cathy Cabaniss originally hails from Youngstown, Ohio where she began dancing with Ballet Western Reserve. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, where she had the opportunity to perform the works of Lar Lubovitch, Helanius Wilkins, Teena Custer and Jose Limon. Cathy moved to Charleston in Spring 2011, and started dancing with Annex that Fall. As an educator she has experience teaching all levels, ages and genres of dance. Cathy has taught many times for Annex Dance Company, including Endless Mountains Dance Camp when the company is in-residence during the summer. Cathy was a company member with Annex Dance Company from 2011 to 2019 and rejoined the company in 2023.

Company Apprentice Glenna Durbin is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in History and in Theatre, with a Performance Concentration as well as a minor in Dance. Glenna performed with Annex in Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Stelle Di Domani series in 2023. She has been dancing with Annex since, making this her first season with the company. Glenna has studied modern, tap, jazz, and musical theatre, but her deepest roots are in ballet, where she studied the Cecchetti method, completing Cecchetti exams up to Grade 5. Outside of Annex, Glenna is the Director of Youth Ministries at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church.

Company Member Jordan Giancursio was born in Charleston, South Carolina. She attended Charleston County School of the Arts as a dance major. Jordan is a graduate of The College of Charleston, double majoring in Dance and Theatre, with lighting concentration. Through this program she has performed many historical works. Jordan has been working on videos in order to inspire a new form of artistry in collaboration with story telling and dance. Her latest works- “Glory Comes” with music from the motion picture Harriet; “Selah” with music from Kanye West and “Freedom” with Music by Ranky Tanky, Marcus Amaker’ “Subversive Film” and Wade Davis a “World Renown Cellist” –CNN. This is Jordan’s first second season with Annex Dance Company.

Company Member Sydni Shaffer, from Hampton, SC is in her sixth season with Annex Dance Company. Sydni attended the College of Charleston as a Dance Major with Concentration in Performance and Choreography. While a student at the College of Charleston, she performed with the company in Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Stelle Di Domani series. In 2018 during her senior year of college, Sydni joined the company as an apprentice, then later as a company member in 2020. In addition to working with Annex, Sydni is an instructor for Dance Moves of Charleston where she teaches modern and choreographs for the Dance Moves Youth Company. One of Sydni’s favorite things about being a member of Annex Dance Company is the opportunity to work with local public schools through Engaging Creative Minds, an organization that facilitates arts integrated learning in our community.

Company Member Margaret Winterstein is from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has been training in dance for over 20 years years, spending her summers attending dance intensives in New York and California. Margaret received a B.A. at the College of Charleston in Dance and Theater in 2018. While in school, Margaret was an apprentice with Annex Dance Company. Since then she has been serving as the Artistic Director of Baylor School’s dance program as well as teaching middle school curricular dance in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She also was a member of the Pop Up Project, a professional adult dance company, training and performing around Chattanooga. Margaret has now returned to Charleston and is an instructor at Dance Moves of Charleston and a choreographer for the Dance Moves Youth Company. Margaret is in her second season as a company member!

Company Member Bethany Willis is a native of Charleston, SC. After graduating from the College of Charleston with a BA in Psychology and Dance, concentration in performance and choreography in December 2019, she joined the company as an apprentice. This is Bethany’s fourth season as a company member. Beginning her dance training at Metro North Dance, Bethany trained in the Cecchetti method of ballet for 11 years and passed Cecchetti Exams 1-6. After this experience, she started training at the Robert Ivey Ballet Academy in the Vaganova method, beginning in 2013. While in high school, Bethany was able to take classes and perform with Annex Dance Company through a collaboration with the Robert Ivey Ballet. Bethany has studied ballet and modern dance under the mentorship of Carroll Thompson, Michael Wise, and Olga Wise. Bethany continues to serve the lowcountry’s dance students as she currently teaches at Robert Ivey Ballet, Summerville Home Education Enriching Programs, Lowcountry Christian Co-op, and House Theater.

Production Manager Brice Flowers is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a BA in Dance, concentration in Performance and Choreography. Having worked with the company during the 2018 and 2019 Maymester residencies at the College of Charleston, Brice is now in her third season with Annex Dance Company. During the 2019 residency, Brice’s choreography was selected to be presented at Piccolo Spoleto. In addition to dancing with Annex, Brice is a Manager at Dance Moves of Charleston, and a choreographer for the Dance Moves Youth Company.

Company Administrator Genese Gee-Schmidtke came to the Charleston community from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. This is her second year with the Annex Dance Company. A teacher of the fine and performing arts for over 11 years, with students ranging from  K-12 to adult collegiate learners, she is eager to step back into an administrative role for Annex. When not with Annex Dance Company, Genese teaches for the College of Charleston in both the Theatre and Dance Departments, and her own fine and performing arts program called OurCornerArts. Through this program students discover their inner truths and actively display their positive creativity through productions for social change and community awareness. 

Administrative Intern Halle White is a junior at the College of Charleston double majoring in Arts Management and Dance (Performance/Choreography). She is very honored to have the opportunity to work closely with Annex in an internship position.