Current Board Members

“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Carly Schaub

Board President, Grant Coordinator

Pronouns: She/Her

Carly is a dance artist residing in Salt Lake City and teaches Ballet, Modern Dance/Contemporary, Early Court Ballet and Screendance. She works as an adjunct faculty member at Westminster University, and Salt Lake Community College. She also teaches young students at Wasatch Arts Center as well as individuals living with Parkinson’s in the regular open classes hosted by Westminster University and Deseret Experimental Opera.

Carly currently serves as Board President of Deseret Experimental Opera (DEXO) and has helped produce/choreograph/direct many shows with the performing arts non-profit. She is a regular teacher and dancer with Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative which is also under DEXO’s programming.

She moved to Salt Lake City to attend graduate school at the University of Utah earning a B.F.A. in Modern Dance with Screendance Certification. She earned a B.F.A. in Theatre and Dance from the University of Wyoming. Prior to graduate school, Carly danced, choreographed and served as the Education Coordinator at Northern Plains Dance in Bismarck, ND which led her all over the state performing and guest teaching and choreographing numerous musicals for Sleepy Hollow Summer Theatre and Bismarck State College.

Photo Credit: Deanne Landreaux

Kaitlynn Killian

Board Vice President

Pronouns:

Photo Credit:

Kaitlynn is. . . Killian-it!

Michaela Gerard

Board Secretary, SLBC Founder

Pronouns: She/They

Originally from Boise, Idaho, Michaela moved to Salt Lake City to attend the University of Utah and graduated with a BFA in Ballet as well as a BS in Psychology. Michaela danced locally with Municipal Ballet Co, later becoming a founding member of Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative, and the Deseret Experimental Opera Board secretary. Michaela is a U of U Fine Arts Ambassadors and enjoys the opportunity to continue learning from and collaborating with so many talented alumni, as well as dancing and collaborating with other local dancers, artists, and musicians.

Photo Credit:

Sarah Rinderknecht

Board Treasurer

Pronouns:

Photo Credit:

Sarah. . . Say Rah!

Megan Fotheringham

Board Member

Pronouns:

Photo Credit:

Megan. . . Meg-Can!

Past Board Members

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

- Margaret Mead

Luke Swenson

Founder, Board Member 2013-2023
Philosopher Emeritus
Meagan Bertelsen

Secretary of the Board, Developer
Emmett Wilson

President 2017-2019, Board Member 2020
Emmett Wilson is a dance artist, choreographer and director for DEXO. Born and raised in Houston, Emmett moved west to complete a BFA in Modern Dance at the University of Utah, minoring in Environmental Studies and Portuguese. Emmett’s involvement with DEXO began when they performed a dancing migraine in The Heavenly City (2015). They have since choreographed and directed Red Lake (2016), and is excited for future DEXO productions.
Emmett also jams with the improvisational dance and music ensemble, Porridge for Goldilocks, and has a solo performance project, LadyPrince is Yung&Bizzy. Wilson’s work has been presented at the The Barn (Houston), 12 Minutes Max (SLC), Mudson (SLC), Speakers Corner (SLC), Dumke Blackbox Theater (SLC), Jupiter XI Apparel (Chicago), and The Pilot on Navigation (Houston). Their writing can be found published in loveDANCEmore and 15 Bytes. Emmett is thrilled to choreograph in an operatic context in which various artistic languages simultaneously speak: making nonsense and creating meaning.