Dancers
Liz Chang
As a native of Philadelphia, Liz began her formal training at the North Carolina School of the Arts where she graduated from high school. She received her BA in Dance from The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago in June 2004. She also studied at Drexel University, the America Ballet Theater Summer Intensive, the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. Liz has performed with the Carolina Ballet, the Philadelphia Ballet Theater and the Drexel Dance Ensemble. Upon moving to Chicago, Liz has worked with many local choreographic and improvisational projects such as Poonie's Cabaret at Link's Hall and Chicago's Improv Festival at the Chicago Cultural Center. She has worked with Luna Negra Dance Theater, the Seldoms and Chicago Opera Theatre on their production of Nixon in China. Liz began dancing with Attack Theatre in 2007.
Simon Thomas-Train
Simon Thomas-Train, originally of Keene Valley, NY, received his BA in Dance with a minor in Architectural Studies from Middlebury College in 2009. Simon’s introduction to dance came through an extensive past in competitive athletics and an interest in the visual arts. After competing nationally and internationally as a cross-country skier, Simon was recruited to ski for the Division 1 ski team at Middlebury College. Shortly after reaching Middlebury, Simon wandered into his first dance class. He continued his dance education there under the direction of Andrea Olsen and Penny Campbell and outside of it at numerous summers at the Bates Dance Festival and the American Dance Festival. He also studied in the MADE in France program, interning and creating with various European dance and theater artists including Compagnie Au Cul du Loup and Cie Blicke and spent a semester studying under David Dorfman and Lisa Race at Connecticut College. Most recently, Simon continued his working relationship with the Vermont-based dance company Big Action Performance Ensemble (Big APE), under the direction of Tiffany Rhynard. As a founding member of the company he performed across the country and continues a working collaborative relationship. He also spent 9 months dancing for Studio Eclipse, a Brussels-based dance company, performing across western Europe at festivals in Holland, Belgium and France. He intends to keep working with Studio Eclipse as his busy schedule with Attack Theatre allows. He is thrilled to be working with Attack Theatre and getting to know Pittsburgh. This is Simon's first season with Attack Theatre.
Dane Toney
Originally from West Virginia, Dane graduated with a BFA in dance from Point Park University. While in school, he had the opportunity of working with numerous faculty members and guest artists including Dawn Stoppiello of Troika Ranch and Doug Varone of Doug Varone and Dancers. Before college, he trained intensively with Toneta Akers-Toler, founder and artistic director of the West Virginia Dance Company (WVDC). Dane has also spent 14 summers with Theatre West Virginia's Outdoor Drama Company and has performed as a guest artist with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange and the WVDC. He is currently on faculty with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre school. Dane began dancing with Attack Theatre in 2008.
Ashley Williams
Ashley recently relocated to Pittsburgh to start a new life with her best friend and husband, Joe. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Ashley spent 6 seasons dancing and touring with Prometheus Dance, a modern dance-theater company in Boston. Originally from Colorado, Ashley's training includes 13 summers at the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School, a BA in Dance (CU-Boulder), and graduate studies at the Rotterdamse Dansacademie in Holland. Along the way, Ashley also went to school for a "serious career" earning a BS in Aerospace Engineering (CU-Boulder) and an MS in Electrical Engineering (MIT), and to her parents' chagrin, she has been dancing happily ever since . . . however, she does still spend her free time investigating the biochemical properties of cartilage using magnetic resonance imaging. Ashley is honored to be performing and creating art with Peter and Michele and is thrilled by the opportunity to work with Attack Theatre's amazing dancers and collaborators. Ashley began dancing with Attack Theatre in 2007.