Laboratory Dancers
Our Mission
Laboratory Dancers is an inclusive artist collective that provides Chicago with accessible and affordable dance performance, education, and interaction. We strive to make dance accessible to newcomers and engaging to those already familiar with the art form.
Rooted in sensation and experiential-based movement, we explore the intricacies of our lived experiences and the broader societal dynamics that shape them. We firmly believe in the power of collective creativity, fostering a collaborative spirit within our dancemaking process and actively seeking partnerships with other artists across various mediums. Together, we strive to create work that engages and inspires audiences while fostering meaningful connections and dialogue. We want to make visitors feel comfortable inside the venue and riveted inside the work.
Our Story
Established in 2009 by a group of college friends, Laboratory Dancers was born from a desire to make dance accessible. We brought movement to atypical spaces, aiming to de-formalize dance and create exposure in unconventional settings. Since then, we've expanded our works to venues including Links Hall, Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, Viaduct Theater, The Den Theatre, and Athenaeum Theatre. Our curiosity and sense of adventure have taken us on two successful tours and inspired collaboration with a diverse range of local and national artists. As we've evolved, welcoming new dancers and choreographers, expanding our conception of accessibility, and growing in our creative processes, we remain steadfast in our commitment to inclusivity and innovation.
Meet The Lab Rats
Alex Subak (she/her)
Alex has been creating and performing music and dance in Chicago since 2005. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, she co-founded the Laboratory Dancers with Emily Lukasewski. Their shared passion to make modern dance more accessible has driven Lab Dance to perform all over Chicago at bars, art galleries, cafes, and theaters. Some of her favorite performances have been at Hamlin Park, Links Hall, The Athenaeum Theatre, The Ball Hall, The Burlington, the Den, and the Fulton Street Collective. When she isn’t immersed in Laboratory Dancer's endeavors, she is the front woman for Chicago grunge band badcandy, back-up singer for Chicago blues/rock band Local Motive, personal trainer, martial artist, and domestic violence support advocate.
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Erika Farkvam (she/her)
Erika Astrid Farkvam grew up dancing at the Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park, IL., where her love of dance began. She moved to Tucson to attend the University of Arizona, where she received her BFA in Dance. While in college, Erika had the privilege of studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and in Ghana, West Africa. Upon graduating, Erika danced and choreographed for New ARTiculations Dance Theater, engaging in work that was relevant to social and environmental issues within the Tucson community. Since returning to Chicago, Erika has performed for Momenta, Darling Shear, Kate Corby Dance, Laboratory Dancers, The Fly Honey Show, Erin Kilmurray, Duo Tandem, Daiva Bhandari, RE|dance Group, and Jessica Kondrath. In addition to working at Trader Joe's, Erika currently dances for RE|dance Group and Laboratory Dancers.
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Michael O'Neill (he/him)
Michael O’Neill graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Performance and Choreography from Ohio University’s School of Dance. He currently resides in Chicago, IL where he has danced over the past decade with companies such as We Stand Sideways, Mordine & Company Dance Theater, RE|dance Group, Kelly Anderson Dance Theatre and Same Planet Performance Project. Michael is very excited to be performing again with Laboratory Dancers and to share his own work amongst this talented collective of artists!
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Lisa Leszczewicz (she/her)
Lisa Leszczewicz currently moves and shakes with Laboratory Dancers and El Bear Theater. She also plays a bunch of instruments and snuggles cats. If you want to know more about her artistic endeavors, come find her in the crowd! party on, dudes!
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Cheryl Cornacchione (she/her)
Cheryl Cornacchione holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Southern Mississippi. Upon graduating, Cheryl moved to Chicago where she has performed with BONEdanse, CORE Dance Project, Hope Goldman, We Stand Sideways Dance, Erin Kilmurray, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble, and was an artistic collaborator with The Runaways Lab Theatre. Cheryl has been a company member of RE|dance Group Group since 2022, she has been a core company member of Kelly Anderson Dance Theater since 2014, and has been performing for and collaborating with Laboratory Dancers since 2013. Cheryl spends the rest of her free time on her other passion - helping others get strong and move better through personal training!
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Beth Berta (she/her)
Beth Berta earned her BA in Dance from Columbia College of Chicago and became a founding member of Laboratory Dancers. Aside from performing with the Lab Rats at various venues in Chicago, Portland, Minneapolis, Columbus, Ann Arbor, and Seattle, Beth has studied with Susan Marshall & Company and had the privilege of working with Kaitlin Fox and CUBE ensemble. Beth believes in using movement as a catalyst for healing, connection, and self-discovery, so she recently took a break from dance performance to complete her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and pursue a Dance/Movement Therapy credential. Now working as a therapist, Beth is awed by the creative process and finds joy in collaborative and improvisation-based dancemaking.
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Haley Bergschneider (she/her)
Haley is a founding member of Laboratory Dancers and has choreographed and performed in several projects since its conception in 2009. She has dabbled with other dance projects including Subconscious Development Motion Project and Trip the Dark. While residing in Portland, OR, she experimented with screen dance, collaborating with filmmakers and contributing choreography for local Portland music videos. Haley also studies and teaches Integral Yoga and works in Montessori education, guiding children to internalize a visceral experience of peacefulness.
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
Kait Dessoffy (they/them)
Kait Dessoffy is super psyched to be dancing with Lab Dancers again this year! They've been really lucky to dance with a bunch of cool companies and choreographers in Chicago, most recently Sandra Kaufmann, Such Creatures, Nick Graves, Mandy Milligan, Lab Dance, and more! Kait also teaches dance for kids and adults and Kilbourn and Maplewood Parks! For more on that, check out their website: www.kaitdance.com
photo by William Frederking
Zach Bird (he/they)
Zach Bird is a Chicago based performer, artist, and communist. He holds a B.F.A. in Dance Studies and Improvisation from the University of Iowa. While not reading Karl Marx, Zach enjoys long walks on the beach and collaborating with his Chicago compatriots. He has had the pleasure of dancing for/with Mordine and Company, Hedwig Dances, Kelly Anderson Dance Theater, RE|dance, The Evanston Dance Ensemble, The Fly Honey Show, AJA Talents, Earlyn Sherry-Whitehead, Monica Thomas, Brady VanPatten, Kitch Annette, Lauren Linder, and his mentor Jennifer Kayle. He's beyond excited to be joining the Laboratory Dancers. "The less you eat, drink, and read books, the less you go to the theatre, the dance hall; the less you think, love, theorize, sing and paint, the more you save your capital. The less you are, the more you have; the less you express your own life, the greater is the store of your estranged being." Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels.
photo by Matthew Gregory Hollis
