Abigail Stachnik is a dance artist, choreographer, and educator based in Chicago
where she performs with Symbiosis Arts and Still Inspired. She earned her BFA in
Dance with Honors from the University of the Arts in 2015 and joined the Lou Conte
Scholarship Program under the direction of Claire Bataille after moving to Chicago in
2016. Since then, Abigail has danced with various companies and projects including
Moonwater Dance Project, MitchellMovement, Jessica Miller Tomlinson Choreography,
Cocodaco Dance Project, Marlene Skog Dance, Chicago Repertory Ballet, and others.

Abigail has created new works for Movementum Dance Project, The LAUNCH Chicago,
Trifecta Dance Collective, and Simantikos Dance Chicago. Her choreography has also
been presented at Moonwater Dance Project’s Phases, Alluvion’s Emergence, Take Up
Space dance festival, the College of DuPage’s Choreography Showcase, and
Simantikos’ Choreo Kick-Of. Abigail loves to share her passion for dance by teaching
classes and intensives around Chicagoland. She currently teaches on faculty at Duet
Dance Academy and Talent Forum, and she directed the Moonwater Youth Company in
2021.

Laura Thurston is a Chicago-based dancer, choreographer, educator, and arts administrator with over two decades of experience in the field. She began her formal dance training at Northern Dance Theatre of Northern Illinois University and later earned a BA in Dance Performance from the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago in 2005.

Laura launched her professional career with Chicago Dance Crash, performing and training with the company for three seasons. She went on to work with Corpo Dance Company, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, and numerous independent projects throughout Chicago. She is a Co-Founder of Piel Morena Contemporary Dance, where she performed both locally and internationally for four seasons. In 2013, Laura co-founded Still Inspired NFP, an interdisciplinary platform connecting dance and visual art.

Since 2009, Laura has worked in arts administration, developing a wide-ranging skill set that includes public relations, grant writing, fundraising, data management, accounting, and event coordination. Her dedication to the arts extends into education—she has been teaching dance to children, teens, and adults in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs for over 22 years. She is passionate about helping students grow as individuals and as artists.

Currently, Laura serves as Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Co-Producer of Still Inspired, where she thrives on creative collaboration and the opportunity to support and elevate fellow artists. She is endlessly grateful for the love and encouragement of her husband, Andrew, and her two children, Parker and Clara, who inspire her to continue creating and fostering a more vibrant, inclusive world through the art of dance.