Cheyla Clawson (MA Sociology, MFA Modern Dance) is Associate Professor and Director of the School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University. Her modern dance pedagogy emphasizes Horton Technique, supported by her completion of the Horton Dance Technique Certificate Program at The Ailey School (2013–2020). Clawson’s choreography has earned national recognition, with her duets Anam Chara (2014) and nosuchSymbiosis (2016) selected for the American College Dance Association National Festival at The Kennedy Center. She has created works for universities across the U.S. and Mexico, including the University of Oklahoma, University of Central Oklahoma, and the University of Colima. Her research explores LatCrit Theory, intersectionality, and the psychological and political impact of Mexican American heritage. Clawson has been invited to present on BIPOC Dance Leadership at the 2025 American Dance Symposium (The Joyce/NYU) and the National Dance Education Organization conference, and will speak at the Dance Excellence in Administrative Leadership Symposium at the University of Maryland in 2026. At WSU, she serves on the University Assessment Committee and contributes to accreditation efforts, while nationally she works as a site visitor for the National Schools of Dance. Her work bridges choreography, scholarship, and leadership to advance inclusive performing arts education. 

Mina Estrada is a dance artist, educator, and community organizer who creates collaborative and improvisation-based performance experiences. She received her MFA in Dance from Temple University, and her choreography and workshops—rooted in contemporary movement and experimental practice—have been commissioned by college programs, studios, and professional companies including Spelman College, Grand Valley State University, Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, and Todd Rosenlieb Dance. Mina has served on faculty at Temple University, Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, Drexel University, Louisiana State University, and Wichita State University, where she also directed the dance program. While in Philadelphia, she performed in the Live Arts Festival, Philly Fringe Festival, and Collage Festival; received the New Edge Residency at the CEC; and worked with Jumatatu Poe, Silvana Cardell, Shavon Norris, and Leah Stein Dance Company. After relocating to the South, she served as Director of Artist Resources at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, while co-producing performance projects with CoCo Loupe through CKA: currently known as. She has studied intensively with Deborah Hay for the past nine years, deepening her experimental performance research. Now in Wichita, Mina is Managing Director of Harvester Arts and she continues to prioritize community building through Smack Dab Dance Lab.