Katey Besser is a dancer and choreographer from Los Angeles, California. She is a senior at the University of Michigan pursuing a BFA in Dance and BS in Movement Science on the Pre-PT track.  While at Michigan, she performed works choreographed by Sidra Bell, Shannon Gillen, and Charli Brissey for the Department of Dance’s annual Power Center Show. Katey co-produced a senior dance concert titled “midst of a moment” where she choreographed a multi-media group work in which she collaborated with a filmmaker to intersect screen dance and live performance. Additionally, she has co-produced a show titled “Close is Never Close Enough: Exploring Intersectional Identities” for the club Arts in Color which showcased student choreography. Katey has been seen sharing her story through dance in a video with Channel Kindness, a project of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. Other performances within the Department of Dance include several senior BFA and MFA thesis performances of varying styles.

Katey most recently joined IAmForce (IAF) Project where she performed in on camera works choreographed by Tyce Diorio and Brian Nicholson while being mentored by various local L.A. choreographers. She also performed in MUSE/IQUE’s performance of La Bamba choreographed by Kitty McNamee at the Skirball Cultural Center. She has spent summers training with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet Chicago. 

In addition to her dance training, Katey is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She trains group and private fitness classes at MVMNT FIT and through her personal business.  Her business was created to share her unique combination of professional dance experience, background in the health sciences, and expertise in athletic training principles. She hopes to inspire others to help them reach their personal fitness goals and provide cross training resources for dancers for many years to come. 

During her time at the University of Michigan, Katey was President of Dance Student Assembly (DSA), the dance department’s student government which streamlines communication and initiatives between students, faculty, and administration. She also received the Vera Embree Scholarship from the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Katey continues to share her knowledge, love, and passion for the arts teaching at various dance institutions throughout the country.