WHO WE ARE
For general inquiries please email board@vividmotion.org
Vivid Motion Dance’s Board of Directors handles the nuts and bolts of our non-profit company, so everyone else can let their creativity shine. The Board makes sure we maintain our 501(c)3 status; chooses the Artistic and Executive Directors (who run the day-to day operations); provides financial oversight and fundraisers so people can keep dancing; and organizes community building and volunteer appreciation events, so our people can keep connecting.
BOARD OFFICERS
ELLEN RATHBONE (she/her) President - Ellen is proud to be a founding member of Vivid Motion Dance. The organization has grown and blossomed beyond her wildest dreams. As a member of the board, she hopes to do her little share to help Vivid Motion remain as a place for so many creative and wonderful people to create and share and express themselves through the medium of dance. By day, Ellen is an Environmental Regulatory Specialist and all the time mother of 2. - president@vividmotion.org
BETH ALEXANDER (she/her) | Vice President - Beth grew up in the theater as her father was in charge of the theater at Bucks County Community College in PA. Seeing the dancers backstage at the theater made an impression that took a while to blossom. After moving to Maine and a hiatus from the theater, happenstance led her to see a flyer for Vivid Motion Dance auditions. She has learned so much from the variety of classes she has taken with Vivid Motion Dance, from modern to ballet to the acting method of dance. Vivid Motion Dance has become friendships, catharsis, dancing and joy for Beth and she can’t wait to see where it will go next. - beth@vividmotion.org
JUSTIN COLE (he/him) | Secretary - Justin Cole was led to Vivid Motion Dance as a non-dancer participant and found meaning in performing arts many years ago. He is pleased to continue finding meaning in helping provide performance opportunities for others through continued participation with Vivid Motion Dance. He brings a wealth of experience, including a degree in Humanities and Arts, with a theatre concentration, to help in direction of Vivid Motion Dance. - secretary@vividmotion.org
SEBASTIAN ROESNER (he/him) | Treasurer - Seb found dance late in life after seeing the 2016 Vivid Motion Dance summer show, Tales From the End of the World, and noticing how much fun the cast had dying on stage. After that, all it took was one of VivMo’s beginner classes to get him hooked for good. The time with the company has quite literally changed Seb’s life and he is eager to get involved on the board to help Vivid Motion Dance to remain a safe haven, for experienced and newly enchanted dancers alike. From his day job as a mechanical engineer, Seb brings a lot of project management and problem solving experience. - treasurer@vividmotion.org
BOARD MEMBERS
MJ EMERSON (she/her) - MJ has a varied theatrical background, always grounded in dance: the Dance Program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia; Theater Arts at the University of Southern Maine; the Bates Dance Festival, and more than a decade on staff at Konservatoriet Dance Studio, in Alfred Maine, under the direction of Lynne Penn Davison.
MJ loves teaching and working with dancers of all ages, but has a special affinity for working with adults of all dance levels. Classic jazz forms, modern (has trained in Horton & Graham technique) and ballet are her foundation, though she loves all kinds of dancing.
A founding member of Vivid Motion Dance and the second Artistic Director, MJ returned to the Vivid Motion board of directors in 2021 to help continue their mission. Professionally, she works with seniors as Activities Manager for a leading Southern Maine retirement community. - mj@vividmotion.org
BETTY WILLS (she/her) -Betty had to stop dancing at age 4 due to a health issue but never lost the desire. Fast forward to Vivid Motion’s beginnings where she was able to enjoy watching the creative efforts of her son and his partner. Then in 2015, a friend and Vivid Motion dancer encouraged Betty to audition for the Nutcracker Burlesque. She experienced kindness and support helping her gain dancing experience and has also choreographed for a couple of shows. Betty continues to support Vivid Motion Dance whenever possible and looks forward to serving on the board. - betty@vividmotion.org
DIRECTORS
JESSICA JANE MEANS (she/her) | Artistic Director - Jessica has been a dancer for over 40 years (FORTY!). She studied a wide range of dance forms including ballet, modern, jazz, and contact improvisation. She began belly dancing in 1998 and taught, choreographed, and performed for audiences throughout New England until she retired from belly dance in 2016. During this time she continued to pursue her love of all things dance. As well as founding Maine's first professional belly dance company, Naya's Trance, Jessica also choreographed with and danced for Vivid Motion Dance, Red Hot and Ladylike, Dirigo Dance Project and countless other side projects over the years. Beyond her work as a dancer, she also holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She has been teaching in Maine’s public schools and advocating for teens and young adults with disabilities since 2001.
As a member of the Vivid Motion Dance community since its inception Jessica has been a dancer, choreographer, stitcher, wardrobe designer, mentor to choreographers in training, collaborator, teacher, friend, and fan. She is deeply committed to the organization and its ongoing success. Through this company, she rediscovered her own potential as a dancer and she believes strongly in the company’s ability to share the transformative nature of dance with a variety of people regardless of age, size, ability, income, or experience. She has the good fortune of being able to say that some of her proudest moments, greatest challenges, and most memorable experiences have happened with Vivid Motion. Jessica thanks you for allowing her the honor and privilege of serving as Artistic Director. She looks forward to spending the next best moments of her life with all of you. - artisticdirector@vividmotion.org
JENN MAHER (she/they) | Executive Director - Jenn has studied music, dance and theater in one form or another for over 40 years. They have studied with the greats: River City Dance Center, Robinson Ballet, and University of Maine, learning Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Clogging, and Musical Theater Dance and Tap, which has always been their favorite. They also love musicals (and we mean LOVE) which led them to the theater. There they found opportunities to learn both on and off stage - from directing and producing, acting and choreographing, stage managing and box office, to lighting, set, props, and costume design and construction.
Jenn found Vivid Motion Dance shortly after moving to the Portland area and quickly became involved with the company as a dancer, choreographer, director, and board member. They were drawn to the way Vivid Motion embraces dancers of ALL varieties and the company's mission to encourage dance.
In their day job, Jenn exercises their creative muscles as a software engineer, coding web apps to solve unique, complex and often fascinating business puzzles. They also are an advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Tech industry.
They have worked with many arts and education focused nonprofits including presiding as President of the Board and Director of Long Memorial Music Academy, and as a board member of the Person County Arts Council in Roxboro, NC. Jenn is very excited to work as Executive Director, using their past experiences of arts organizations management to help Vivid Motion grow and flourish. - executivedirector@vividmotion.org