East Carolina University
Friday, 10/10
11:00am-1:00pm
Dirk Lumbard, Tap
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL
Saturday, 10/11
4:00-6:00pm
Marlayna Locklear, Contemporary Jazz
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL
Saturday, 10/18
9:30-11:00am
Kevan Sullivan, Contemporary Jazz
VIRTUAL
Saturday, 11/1
10:00am-12:00pm
Kevan Sullivan, Ballet
VIRTUAL
Wednesday, 11/26
12:00-2:00pm
Kevan Sullivan, Int Contemporary Jazz
IN-STUDIO & VIRTUAL
Tuesday, 12/2
6:00-8:00pm
Marlayna Locklear, Horton Tech
VIRTUAL
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
The School of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to providing undergraduate students with superior, professional training in theatre and dance. In our rigorous, conservatory-style training within a liberal arts setting, students are taught and mentored by a diverse faculty of active professionals, who work to prepare them intellectually, artistically, and practically, to be leaders in their chosen profession.
Dirk Lumbard
Dirk Lumbard has taught dance, theatre dance and scene study at NYU’s CAP 21, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), Sallie B. Howard, and at masterclasses at University of Michigan and Sarah Lawrence. As a performer, he has appeared on Broadway in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Music Man, Imaginary Friends, On Your Toes, Barnum and Sugar Babies. Off-Broadway credits include Dames At Sea, Flora the Red Menace and She Loves Me. National tours credits include The Wizard of Oz, Grand Hotel, Crazy For You and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He is the recipient of Broadway World Award, Stratford Theatre’s Tyrone Guthrie Award, Canada’s Stage Door Award, and Chicago’s Jefferson award. He served as Assistant Choreographer for the Broadway and London West End productions of On Your Toes and co-choreographed the Off-Broadway production of Dames At Sea. His director/choreographer credits have included productions at The Guthrie Theatre, The Paper Mill Playhouse, St. Louis MUNY, Pioneer Theatre and Cape Fear Regional Theatre, among others. He assisted famed choreographer, Agnes de Mille with productions of Rodeo and The Informer at American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey and Winnipeg Ballet Company, creating tap/step-dance sequences, which the company still performs. He has been a judge for the Triangle Rising Stars for several years. During the early years of the AIDS crisis, Lumbard produced and directed gala benefits including Dance For Life at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and a fashion/ variety benefit at Carnegie Hall for Designers Against AIDS. He has performed in numerous theatres around the country and numerous productions regionally at North Carolina Theatre and Cape Fear Regional Theatre. He’s performed on television on Home Improvement (which he also choreographed), Deadline and Alice In Wonderland.
Marlayna Locklear
Marlayna Locklear hails from Milwaukee, WI, where she began her formal dance training at the age of 12 with City Ballet Theatre. She went on to graduate from Milwaukee High School of the Arts before earning her BFA in Ballet and Jazz from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. A trailblazer in her field, Marlayna was one of the founding members of The Milwaukee Dance Connection and has built a distinguished career performing with renowned companies including Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Owen Cox Dance Group, NuWorld Contemporary Dance Theatre, Robert Moses’ KIN, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and the San Francisco Opera, where she has appeared in multiple productions.
Her stage career has brought to life works by some of the most celebrated choreographers of our time, including Christopher Huggins, Dwight Rhoden, Ron Brown, Donald Byrd, Ronen Koresh, Donald McKayle, Diane McIntyre, and Ray Mercer. Beyond the concert stage, Marlayna’s work extends to film, with performances in Lizard Song—currently making rounds on the international festival circuit—and the James Franco film Blood Heist.
A nationally sought-after freelance artist, she teaches and choreographs at universities across the country and is the founding director of Indurance Dance Intensive, which provides immersive training experiences for aspiring dancers. She also judges dance competitions and teaches at festivals nationwide, including the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) and the American College Dance Association (ACDA).
Certified in the Zena Rommett Floor-Barre® technique, Marlayna is currently completing her MFA in Choreography and Performance at Montclair State University. Both on stage and in the studio, she is dedicated to advancing the art of dance, mentoring the next generation, and representing the power, artistry, and longevity in the field.
Kevan Sullivan
Kevan Sullivan is a dance performer, choreographer, and educator from Milford, Connecticut. He began his formal training at the Lee Lund Studio of Dance, where he studied ballet, modern, jazz, and tap under Lee Lund. In 2009, he was awarded the Director’s Talent Scholarship—a full-tuition award—to attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. There, he trained with esteemed faculty including Zane Booker, Kim Bears-Bailey, Christine Cox, Tommie Waheed-Evans, and Roni Koresh. Kevan graduated in 2013 with a BFA in Modern Dance Performance and received the Namuck Lattimore Prize for the highest GPA in the School of Dance. After graduation, he joined Koresh Dance Company as a principal dancer and master class instructor, touring extensively and performing nationally and internationally for ten years. During this time, he also performed with Alchemy Dance Company and worked with choreographers such as Tommie Waheed-Evans and Melissa Rector.
In 2023, Kevan transitioned to academia, relocating to Tucson, Arizona to pursue an MFA in Dance at the University of Arizona. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, he taught a variety of dance techniques and theory courses, mentoring both undergraduate and graduate students. His performance highlights during this time include Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels as “The Man in White,” as well as Ana Brotons’s Autobody and Exposed Focus. Kevan’s research focuses on community-building and embodied pedagogy. He presented at the 2024 National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) Conference as both a panelist on Building Community Through Cohorts and as a solo presenter of his research, Rhizomatic Stones: Pedagogical Techniques through Cyclical Learning.
In 2025, he was awarded outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant in the school of dance for his exceptional teaching ability and commitment to his students and the art of dance. His academic work explores inclusive, cyclical learning models that empower dancers through mentorship, reflection, and collaborative practice. Throughout his career, Kevan has remained committed to dance as a transformative and humanizing practice. His choreographic and educational work centers on mentorship, creativity, and community, aiming to uplift and inspire through movement. Whether performing, teaching, or researching, he cultivates spaces where artists can grow, take risks, and connect more deeply with themselves and others.