CREATURE WORKS YOUTH

Creature Works Youth offers performance opportunities and training rooted in the signature artistic approach of Creature Works. Led by Creature Works company choreographer and director Kelsie Steil, the program invites young dancers into a creative process that values emotional clarity, collaboration, and embodied storytelling.

Drawing from Kelsie Steil’s background as both a choreographer and an experiential educator working with youth in outdoor and group-based settings, Creature Works Youth places strong emphasis on trust, communication, and ensemble connection. Training integrates movement, character work, and team-building practices that support confidence, curiosity, and mutual care.

Through intensives, workshops, and performance-based experiences, dancers engage in a process that is physically rigorous, creatively expansive, and grounded in the belief that young artists thrive when they feel supported, challenged, and seen.

An all-youth (Portland Youth Dance) piece by Kelsie Steil of Creature Works

UPCOMING PROGRAM

Creature Works Youth Winter Intensive

The Creature Works Youth Winter Intensive is a week-long immersive experience for intermediate to advanced dancers who are ready to deepen their training and participate in the creation of original work. Led by choreographer Kelsie Steil, this intensive introduces dancers to contemporary technique, partnering, and a theatrical, character-driven creative process.

Throughout the week, dancers will train, collaborate, and build an original piece that will be shared in an informal presentation for family and friends at the end of the intensive. This program offers young dancers a firsthand look inside a professional rehearsal process, while maintaining a supportive, age-appropriate, and engaging environment.

Intensive Details

Where:

The Dance Annex Studio

647 US Route 1, York, Maine (Meadowbrook Plaza)

Less than one mile from I-95, York Exit #7

When (Maine February Break 2026):

Monday 2/16: 10:00–2:00
Tuesday 2/17: 10:00–2:00
Wednesday 2/18: 10:00–2:00
Thursday 2/19: 12:00–4:00
Friday 2/20: 1:00–5:00

Break for snacks and costume change

6:00 PM showing for family and friends

Who:

Intermediate to advanced dancers ages 13–17

Cost:

$325

What Each Day Includes

Pilates conditioning with Kelsie Steil, director of Creature Works and a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor
A physical therapy workshop and injury prevention education with Dr. Laura Hohm
Daily contemporary dance technique and partnering
Lunch break
Choreography and collaborative creation of the final work

Creature Works is thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Laura Hohm PT, DPT, CFMT, for our upcoming Creature Works Youth Winter Intensive.

Dr. Hohm is Maine’s only Certified Functional Manual Therapist™ (CFMT), bringing extensive, specialized manual therapy expertise to her practice.

Her deep expertise in dance medicine is rooted in her experience as a Company Physical Therapist for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School. She has also provided elite care to dancers from leading international companies including American Ballet Theater, The Royal Ballet, and Cedar Lake, as well as pre-professional programs, including Ellison Ballet and Gelsey Kirkland Academy.

This comprehensive background provides her with an unparalleled understanding of the unique demands and challenges of intensive training, ensuring that her students and clients receive elite, focused care designed to enhance performance, optimize function, and effectively prevent injury.

Photo credit: Rose Hutchins

FAQs

Who is this program for?

Creature Works Youth programs are designed for intermediate to advanced dancers ages 13–17 who are interested in contemporary dance, performance, and creative exploration. Dancers should be comfortable learning choreography and working collaboratively.

What is contemporary partnering?

Contemporary partnering focuses on shared weight, balance, trust, and responsive movement between dancers. It emphasizes clear communication, safe technique, and mutual awareness rather than lifts for spectacle. All partnering is taught progressively and with a strong focus on safety and consent.

Is this program safe for my child?

Yes. Physical safety, emotional safety, and clear communication are central to the program. Training includes proper warm-ups, strength-building, and rest. Partnering and contact work are introduced thoughtfully and age-appropriately.

Does my child need prior partnering experience?

No prior partnering experience is required. Skills are introduced step by step, with clear instruction and support.

What makes Creature Works Youth different from other programs?

Creature Works Youth combines contemporary dance training with character work, theatrical exploration, and experiential learning practices. Kelsie Steil’s background as an experiential educator informs the pedagogy, placing emphasis on trust-building, group cohesion, and creative agency alongside technical development.

Will there be a performance?

Yes. Each intensive culminates in an informal presentation where dancers share the work they have created during the week with family and friends.

What should dancers bring each day?