Ornate Company Dancers
Zoe Shyda
Trainee
Hi! My name is Zoe and this is my first year as a trainee with ORNATE. From age 6 through my senior year of high school, I took dance classes with Jonestown Dance Studio and have had the wonderful opportunity of teaching worship dance classes there. When I graduated from high school, I knew that I wanted to continue in my passion for sharing the Gospel of Jesus through dance. When my mom discovered ORNATE Dance Theatre, I truly felt this was what God was calling me to. I am so thankful for this amazing group of fellow believers who share in this desire to spread the Word of God and point each other to Jesus. I am so excited to see the incredible ways that God will be at work this season!
Timnah Krauter
Company Dancer, Creative Team
Hey! I’m Timnah.
The core of my being thrives off communicating God’s truth and shedding His light on everyday struggles we all face through the powerful venue of dance. It’s a way I can relate to everyone who is watching—that the struggles they face, I face too—but the hope I have in God, they can have too!
Dance is such a powerful way to share a message and ORNATE’s program trains, prepares, and sends out the dancer fully equipped in heart, mind and body to share the truth of God to people around the world. This witnessing is done through dance virtually, at on site kids’ camps, and performances all while sharing Christ’s love.
Traveling with my dance companies, Citylight and ORNATE, to Africa, Brazil, Switzerland and the United States and sharing Christ has not only changed hundreds of lives but has also changed mine! So often as I went to minister the love of Christ to people all around the world, I found myself instead being bathed in God’s love and having my eyes opened to His Global love for His world and people.
Gods truth and love is being shared all over the world in so many ways, and I’m so excited and honored God would have me share Him through dance to His World!
Miriam Fulton
Apprentice
Hello! My name is Miriam and I am excited to be back for my fourth season with ORNATE!
I started dancing at Good Samaritan Dance Academy in Paoli at ten years old where I learned that dance is the way I best express myself. I took a few years off for college, but felt the call to return to dance. After looking around at various options, I landed on ORNATE, which has been a great way to grow in my technique as well as artistry as a Christian dancer.
Dancing in ORNATE has given me such a powerful opportunity to express the truth of Christ through dance. With both our local outreach and trips to South Africa the past three seasons, I was able to see God’s hand work in the lives of those we ministered to as well as all of us dancers. I look forward to seeing how God grows all of us in ORNATE this season, both in our faith and our technique.
Meredith Vieira
Company Dancer, Creative Team
I started my relationship with Jesus in the same timeframe as I started taking dance classes, when I was around 10 years old. Because of this, the way I commune with God has most often been through movement. This has led me to many beautiful experiences and opportunities to train in safe spaces and minister through the arts globally. I was part of Arrows International dance company for 6 seasons, where I had the gift of training, teaching, choreographing, and performing across the U.S. and abroad.
I have seen firsthand the way that dance can speak to the hearts of others, and I believe that healing and transformation can take place when we allow God to lead our art, our choreography, and our training in class day to day. I value meaningful storytelling that brings hope and reveals God’s character. I love the way art can bridge gaps in language, culture, and background. I’m grateful for the open doors that have come through dance to travel and experience the many rich and diverse cultures He created!
I am full of anticipation for all that God will continue to do through this community!
Lysion Vieira
Company Dancer, Assistant Director
My journey in dance began as a deep desire to express myself more fully with the Lord. As an introverted child, I often struggled to find the right words to communicate, feeling uncomfortable in doing so. In that space, dance became a way for me to connect with the Lord, igniting a passion for movement and storytelling. Through His guidance, I had the opportunity to earn a degree in Dance Education, exploring various dance styles and certifications that have helped shape me into a versatile dancer. I’ve been blessed to dance professionally, teach, and choreograph both in Brazil and internationally. God has taken me to over 15 countries, where I’ve shared His love and heart through the arts. I am incredibly grateful that all of these experiences have been about Him, not just for my personal growth, but to glorify His name and lead others closer to Him. It is with this heart that I feel called to ORNATE, to continue being led by His love and grace. I am excited to share His love with others and inspire our community through the arts, allowing people to experience Him in new ways and with different senses.
Kearin Bryant
Company Dancer
Hi, I’m Kearin!
I grew up in McDonough, Georgia, and fell in love with dance at the age of four. From the very beginning, I sensed the Lord had a special call on my life—inviting me to share His heart with the world through the beauty of dance. Along the way, I’ve been blessed to train with Exalt in the Arts, Into the Light Ballet, and the Giselle DiBlasi School of Ballet, and to perform in many productions and musicals that shaped both my artistry and my faith.
In 2022, I took a leap of faith and moved to Pennsylvania to join ORNATE and to teach at Cavod. These past few years have been such a rich journey of growth—learning to walk more deeply with Jesus and discovering the fullness of who He has created me to be. With ORNATE, I’ve had the incredible privilege of traveling to Cape Town, South Africa three times, to Kenya once, and to New York City for Project Dance over the last three seasons. Each of these experiences has reminded me of how powerful dance can be as a vessel of hope, joy, and truth.
As I step into my fourth season with ORNATE, my heart is overflowing with expectancy for all the Lord is going to do—not just in me, but through this beautiful company. I can’t wait to see the stories He continues to write through the gift of dance.
Kayla Benson
Trainee
Hi, I’m Kayla! This is my second season with ORNATE and I’m so excited to see how God continues to move. I live in West Chester, PA and for as long as I can remember, God put missions, local and overseas on my heart.
There is something so sweet about sharing the freedom and joy of the gospel through movement, whether teaching at the local studio I trained at or rehearsing with ORNATE at Cavod – it’s all worship and it all points to Him!
Declaring the mighty name of Jesus both in or outside of the studio, with words or with movement, is what I love most about the ministry and mission of dance.
I am so excited for this season – may the movement we make reflect the Maker Himself!
Julie Wendler
Artistic Director, Company Dancer
Ornate Dance Theatre has been established to create a warm space for young artists to develop their technique and establish other life skills that will help to propel them in life. My heart’s desire is to train up young adults, who are passionate about using all their giftings to impact today’s culture for good.
I plan to come alongside each dancer and encourage them to seek out their full potential and put together an action plan for what they hope to achieve long term – not just as an artist, but as a person.
Ornate Dance Theatre is honored to operate under the covering of Cavod Performing Arts – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. In correlation to Cavod’s values and standards, my goal is that each dancer, teacher, and choreographer, etc. feels valued, uplifted, and nourished through this program.
Hope Asper
Trainee
Hello! My name is Hope! I’m twenty years old and have been dancing for eleven years. I have grown up at Cavod and had the opportunity to dance with Citylight Dance Theatre for two years before graduating high school. This is my second year as a trainee on ORNATE Dance Theatre. I have really enjoyed the opportunities to minister to the community and to the nations using the gift of dance God has given me. It has been a life changing experience getting to share God’s love all over the world through movement. Being a part of ORNATE has really ignited a passion to see more of the creative arts used in aspects of worship. Dance brings so much freedom to not only the people watching but to those dancing as well. I am so excited to be a part in another season of ORNATE and cannot wait to see what kind of breakthrough God is going to bring to peoples lives through our movement.
Gavin Haas
Company Dancer, Creative Team
Hey! I’m Gavin and this is my first season as a dancer with ORNATE Dance Theatre, although I’ve been involved with the company in years past as a choreographer, guest artist, and worship leader. I grew up at Cavod, and was involved both on the performing arts and the theatre sides. At age 14, I decided that out of dance, theatre, and music, I primarily wanted to pursue dance professionally. I trained at Cavod and participated in masterclasses and intensives throughout the east coast for the following two years. Once I turned 16, the door opened for me to pursue dance full time at the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory. After studying there for a year, I was accepted into the Richmond Ballet’s trainee program, where I was the 2022 recipient of the Malcolm Burn Award.
That same summer, I told the Lord in prayer that I ultimately wanted to follow the path he wanted for my life. Three hours after that prayer, I dislocated my left kneecap, resulting in a fully torn MPFL. I had to take off from dance for roughly 8 months, undergoing reconstruction surgery and physical therapy, making my return to dance at Project Dance New York 2023. After that I joined Zion Dance Project’s company for two seasons, ultimately moving back home to Lancaster in the summer of 2025. I’m passionate about creativity that stems from knowing that God loves us more deeply than we could ever realize. I feel called to ORNATE because I know it’s time for me to put my roots down back home, but that my time dancing is not yet complete; my desire is to minister through movement where words fall short and to bridge the gap to those forsaken by the world.
Emily DeRose
Trainee
Hi! I’m Emily, and I am super excited to be joining ORNATE for my first season as a trainee. Having danced at Cavod for the past fifteen years, I’ve grown in my passion for the arts and a desire to use them to encourage and bring truth to others.
Being involved with Citylight Dance Theatre for the last four years, I realized I wanted to continue in dance ministry. After I graduated, I felt God pulling me towards ORNATE because of their mission and heart for serving people.
I’m so thankful that I can use my passion for dance to be a light to others, and can’t wait to see how God uses ORNATE this year!
Dorene Stauffer
Trainee
Hi! My name is Dorene! This is my second season with ORNATE and I could not be more excited!
As a little girl, I was always drawn to dance. I did worship dance at my church but I always had the desire to pursue it further. I didn’t get the opportunity to fully pursue dance until I was sixteen. I signed up for my first ballet class in 2019 and have been dancing ever since. My heart for dance has always been to glorify the Lord. I am so honored that I get to be apart of sharing the hope and love of Jesus and getting to tell the story of all He has done for me. Not just with words, but through movement.
With ORNATE I have the opportunity to minister to others through local and global outreach. I traveled to Kenya and South Africa in Summer 2025. It was a life changing experience! God has expanded my heart for the nations and I’m so excited to keep growing in my walk with the Lord as well as my dance technique. All Glory to God!
Bella Imchen
Company Dancer
Hey! I’m Bella! I am so honored to be joining ORNATE for my third season this year! I have a deep love for the creative arts and using dance as a form of prayer and intercession for the nations. My core desire within this art is that we would see Davids rise up across the nations pursuing the Father through undignified worship. I had the opportunity to travel with ORNATE to South Africa in 2024 and experience a beautiful example of what that looks like as we ran with the local church to provide a creative arts camp for the children there! My desire this season is to keep pressing into the Father’s heart and experience the revelation of His heartbeat and what that looks like through movement. I am so so excited to run alongside ORNATE and see how the Father reveals Himself through this season!
Aubrey Pepper
Trainee
My dance journey started when I was young, taking worship dance classes at a local studio in Mechanicsburg, PA. This sparked a deeper curiosity, leading me to explore various other styles and to join Encountered Heart Ministries Youth Dance Company.
Being mentored by women who passionately pursued the Lord through this company laid the foundation for my decision to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Dance at Belhaven University. As a member of Belhaven’s Dance Ministry Ensemble, my passion for dance ministry flourished. I was blessed with the opportunity to be mentored and collaborate with incredible individuals dedicated to Christ while actively serving the city of Jackson, MS and the surrounding region.
As I prepared to graduate in 2025, I knew my path was to continue chasing after God’s heart through dance ministry. When the Lord speaks through the arts, the Love of God is displayed powerfully, drawing people directly to Him. I’m excited to see how the Lord will work in ORNATE and I am so delighted to be a part of the team!