Megan Burgess is a dancer and arts administrator originally from Western New York. As a recent graduate from The College at Brockport with a B.F.A. in Dance and B.A. in Communication Studies, Burgess had the opportunity to combine her love of modern dance with the way in which people communicate on an interpersonal and organizational level. Burgess is also passionate about world travel. Having traveled to 11 countries, she is intrigued by the way in which dance unifies people of all backgrounds. She recently completed an internship with the American Dance Festival, working as the Schedule and Faculty Intern under Shannon Drake, and she is excited to continue growing and learning as the Company Management Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow.

Marissa Finkelstein graduated from Muhlenberg College in May 2018 receiving her B.A. (Honors) in Dance and Business Administration. Finkelstein’s choreography has been shown at Muhlenberg College, Florence University of the Arts, Triskelion Arts, and the American College Dance Association. During her senior year, Finkelstein taught creative dance in public schools in Allentown, Pennsylvania and conducted research on culturally relevant pedagogy in competitive dance settings. Finkelstein interned with the New Jersey State Council of the Arts in 2017 and was a School Programs Intern at Jacob’s Pillow in Summer 2018. Currently, the School Programs Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow and a Teaching Artist at Berkshire Pulse, Finkelstein hopes to eventually establish her own dance company devoted to creation, performance, and educational outreach.

Derek Keifer is excited to be joining the Pillow this season. His background is in theatrical design and production with an emphasis in lighting. Keifer received a B.A. in Music from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, and an M.F.A. in Lighting Design from Ohio University.  While at Ohio University, he has had the pleasure of working with both the School of Theater and School of Dance. This experience has left Keifer eager to use his knowledge and training to benefit dance production. Keifer’s design work has been seen in Northern Pennsylvania, Southern Ohio, Western Massachusetts, New York, and Washington D. C. Keifer most recently finished a summer season as the Lighting Intern at Barrington Stage Company. 

Lydia Murray is a graduate of the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, where she performed for Pope Benedict XVI with MOMIX and danced lead roles in The Nutcracker and Spring Gala. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communication from Marist College, and has attended summer intensives on scholarship at Dance Theatre of Harlem and Ballet Hispánico. Her dance modeling work has appeared in Oprah Magazine and the Huffington Post, among others. Murray served as a Program Assistant at Marist College, where she aided in coordinating study abroad programs in London, Dublin, and several other cities worldwide. She recently interned on scholarship at American Ballet Theatre, where she assisted the Associate Director of Education and Training.

Julia Timko is a performer and writer who recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Theatre Arts. While at U of M, Timko worked as a workshop facilitator for the Prison Creative Arts Project, doing theater and creative writing with incarcerated men and women in southeast Michigan. As a performer she has been involved with various groups; including the Rude Mechanicals, The University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and Avon Players. Prior to arriving at the Pillow, she worked in elementary special education, supporting students in an autism classroom. She is deeply passionate about making arts accessible to all kinds of communities and is thrilled to be doing that work as the Community Engagement Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow.

Clayton Willis graduated in May of 2018 with a B.F.A. in Dance and a minor in Art History from George Mason University. Professionally, he has served as a Company Management intern and Ted Shawn Circle Concierge and Board Liaison at Jacob’s Pillow before taking on his current role as Program Fellow/Assistant to the Director. Additionally, he has worked with organizations such as The Washington Ballet, Taubman Museum of Art, the Southwest Virginia Ballet, and the Jefferson Center Jazz Institute. A native of Roanoke, VA, Clayton has dedicated his personal and professional life to advancing art forms, especially dance, through both performing and administrative roles.