ORNATE Company Dancers

Timnah Krauter

Assistant Rehearsal Director, Company Dancer

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, Cavod 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!

Shenandoah Hall

Administrative Assistant, Company Dancer

Hello! I’m Shenan. I’m excited to be joining ORNATE as a dancer for my 4th season and as the Administrative Assistant for the 2024-2025 season! I have been with Cavod Performing Arts since 2013 and have had the opportunity to perform both locally and internationally with ORNATE, Citylight Dance Theatre, and Catalyst Dance Collective. ORNATE has allowed me to continue my training in technique, expand my abilities as a choreographer, and deepen my walk with Jesus. I am particularly passionate about missions, and I love having numerous opportunities throughout the year to combine my love for the Lord and the fine arts in collaboration with various churches and ministries worldwide. I have had the privilege of traveling with Cavod’s different international mission teams to Switzerland, Brazil, NYC, and most recently South Africa. I am excited and ready for everything the Lord has in store for me this season!

Miriam Fulton

Apprentice

Hello! My name is Miriam and I am excited to be back for my third 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 trip to South Africa last season, 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

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, allowing me to travel and experience the many rich and diverse cultures He created!

My husband and I relocated to PA this year to teach for Cavod and join Ornate, and I am SO excited to be part of all that God is doing through this community!

Lysion Vieira

Company Dancer

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 I started dancing at the age of 4. I knew from an early age that the Lord had called me to be involved with missions specifically through the art of dancing. I’ve had the opportunity to train with Exalt in the Arts, Into the Light Ballet, and Giselle DiBlasi School of Ballet. I have had many opportunities to perform in different productions and musicals throughout high school. I moved to PA in 2022 to join ORNATE as well as to teach at Cavod. Through this experience, I have grown so much in my relationship with Jesus, and in my identity in who He has called me to be. I have had the opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa twice with ORNATE as well as NYC with Project Dance for the past two seasons. As I enter into my third season of ORNATE, I am so expectant to see what the Lord is going to do in me, but also through the company.

Kayla Benson

Trainee

Hi, I’m Kayla!

This is my first year as a trainee with ORNATE and I am so excited! Growing up dancing, my heart for movement has only increased over the years. I’m looking forward to growing in artistry and technique and, especially, thrilled to continue growing in worship through dance. My prayer is that every movement, both in the studio and out, honours and reflects our Creator – movement that reflects His peace, mercy, goodness, and grace.

With ORNATE, the missions aspect also tugs on my heart. Since I was young, I have had a love for the nations and especially reaching them through avenues like music, education, art, and especially, dance! After several local missions trips and one overseas, I’m excited for the many outreaches and missions trips with ORNATE.

Cheers to a season full of peace, practice, pirouettes, and praise!

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 nineteen years old and have grown up dancing at Cavod. I’ve been dancing for ten years and have been part of Citylight Dance Theatre the past two years and really enjoyed going on local outreaches, sharing the gospel through dance. After graduating high school, I wanted to continue my dance training in a way that glorified God and I felt Him lead me to Ornate because of their heart to use dance as worship and ministry to others. God has given me such a heart for dance and for ministry and I am so excited to be a part of Ornate and watch as God uses me to move hearts and bring people closer to Him.

Hannah Stoltzfoos

Trainee

My name is Hannah Stoltzfoos and I am 18 years old. I have danced at Cavod for over 11 years and have been on City Light Dance Theatre for the past few years. I love dance and acro, but also have a love for animals and am currently working towards getting certified as an animal groomer. I also work for New Holland Coffee Company and enjoy my job as a barista there. In the past being on City Light, I got the opportunity to use dance as a tool to witness and share the love of Christ to others. I’ve happily excepted my role to dance with Ornate this year because it has given me that same opportunity to use dance as a witnessing tool. Ornate has also allowed me to not only grow as a dancer in my technique, but also in my relationship with God. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to take the gifts I’ve been blessed with and share the love of Christ internationally as well.

Dorene Stauffer

Trainee

Hi! My name is Dorene. I am so excited to be apart of Ornate this season! I danced at Cavod for five years and was apart of Citylight Dance Theatre for two of those years. I feel the Lord has called me to this season to be a light and to share his love through dance. I am passionate about using dance to glorify the Lord. Dance draws me to the heart of God and is a powerful and beautiful way to share the gospel. I am so excited and expectant for what the Lord will do through this season!

Bella Imchen

Apprentice

Hey! I’m Bella!

I am so honored and excited to be apart of ORNATE this season!

I was dancing for 6 years, then took a gap year for missions, but truly felt the Father calling me to this season of ORNATE.

I have a deep love for the creative arts and using dance as a form of prayer and intercession for the nations. My desire for this season is to not only grow in my technique and style of movement, but to attain a deepening love with the Father from a place of undignified worship, and to grow closer and see the movements of the Father’s heart for us.

I am so so excited to run alongside ORNATE and see how the Father reveals Himself through this season!!