Gerri Houlihan

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & DANCER

Sue Hill is a dancer, choreographer, and retired dance educator with 30 years of experience in the Wake County Public School System. She is a graduate of Purchase College, and has danced and performed with ballet, modern and musical theater companies. Throughout her career, she has nurtured the next generation of students, instilling a love for movement and creativity. As a founding member of the Big Red Dance Project and, since 2024, the Associate Artistic Director of BRDP, she continues to share her artistry and passion for dance.

"Dancing for Gerri and with the inspiring members of the Big Red Dance Project is a delightful and fulfilling way to celebrate and share the timeless gift of dance." 

REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Bio coming soon.

DANCER

Antonia Beh has been teaching, choreographing, and performing in the Triangle area since the 1980’s.  She trained and performed in New York City, and toured nationally with the Mimi Garrard Dance Company,  before moving to North Carolina. Antonia was a Visiting Artist for the NC Arts Council, initiated the dance program for Governor’s School-East, performed with New Performing Dance Company in Durham, and formed her own company, The Dance Project, in Raleigh. She continued her dedication to teaching as a dance specialist in the Wake County Public School system, and later added ESL licensure to teach English as a Second Language.  Antonia combined her love of dance and languages in creating presentations with her students, performing at several ESL conferences. Some of her accomplishments include;  NC Arts Council Choreographer Grant;  NCAAHPERD Dance Educator of the Year;  Northwoods Elementary Teacher of the Year;  National Board Certification in ESL. After retiring from teaching in the public schools, she returned to dance, and is currently a performer with the Big Red Dance Project in Durham.

DANCER

Rebecca Bliss lives and works in Durham as a physical therapist. She first met Gerri at Florida State University, where she received a BFA in Dance. Upon moving to Durham in 2018, she was thrilled to be reunited with Gerri and the ADF community. “To dance with this inspiring group is to experience joy. I am so grateful to Gerri and this wonderful community of dancers for this opportunity—it feels like a gift!”

DANCER

Madeline Burgess works in healthcare administration and philanthropy and is a new grad RN who will start a job as an ICU nurse in July. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, John, and their dog, Birdie. The highlight of every week is Sunday afternoon class with Gerri and rehearsals with these beautiful people. She is thrilled to be dancing with the Big Red Dance Project.

DANCER

Andrea Didisheim has been a member of Big Red Dance Project since 2019. She received a BA in Dance from Connecticut College, and an MFA in Dance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is an Integrative Health and Wellness Coach, and also teaches Meditation and Mindful Movement. She is extremely grateful to dance under the direction of Gerri Houlihan with this community of exceptional artists, and to continue to explore what it means to be a dancer at any age.

DANCER

Kaity Granda started dancing when she was 5 years old and hasn’t stopped. After graduating from Bard College in 1985, she moved to Philadelphia where she danced and choreographed as an independent artist, and also performed with Terry Beck Troupe, South Street Dance Co., Karen Bamonte Dance Works, and Zero Moving Dance Co. She moved to the Triangle in 1996 with the help of a choreographic grant from the American Dance Festival. That summer, she met and studied with Gerri Houlihan. In 2019, she discovered Gerri’s community dance class at the ADF studios, and very happily joined BRDP. In her day job as a Physician Assistant, she serves as a primary care provider for Durham families and provides home visits for elderly homebound residents.

DANCER

Susan Hartley has her BA in Dramatic Arts from UNC-CH and an MFA in Dance from UNCG. She founded DANSYNC, a Performing Arts Ensemble, performed with Antonia Beh’s The Dance Project and the Annie Sailer Dance Company, taught dance and theater 30 years with Wake County Public School System now is an Artist in Residence throughout the state and is honored to be a founding member and a continuing part of this incredible group of artists!

DANCER

Davida Reid is a visual artist and holds an MFA in Dance and Choreography from UNC- Greensboro. She is honored to have met Gerri and to dance with her now. She is also proud to be a part of the community of dancers, educators, thinkers and artists that make up the wonderful Big Red Dance Project.

DANCER

Jennifer Scully-Thurston, dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, curator and video installation artist. Her performance credits include: Off-Broadway with Directors Diane Paulus/Randy Weiner, Robert Woodruff and Sharon Forgarty. In film with Director Michael Pope and with choreographers Michael Foley, Donna Goffredo, Gamble/Van Dyke, X-Factor, North/South, Dansync, Bipeds and Big Red Dance Project. She is Founder of FilmFest by Rogue Dancer, a monthly on-line Dance Film event, and Director of ADF’s Movies by Movers. Her dance film works have been featured internationally. Her personal artistic goal is to make a film a year and she collaborates with her husband, Christopher Scully-Thurston (composer), Robert Epps (Sequential Artist) and Shadowbox Studios.

DANCER

Beth Seaton is a dancer and educator from Raleigh, NC. She graduated from ECU with degrees in Business Administration/Marketing and a B.S. in Dance Education. She was the first recipient of the Mavis Ray Dance Scholarship. Beth is entering her 22nd year teaching dance in the Wake County Public Schools. Her passion for teaching is fueled by the excitement of young dancers who may never have the opportunity to step into a studio. Beth is honored and thrilled to be dancing with Gerri Houlihan and The Big Red Dance Project as an original company member.

DANCER

Beth Starosta-Desmond, a Pennsylvania native, earned her BFA from Juilliard. While there, she performed notable works such as Alvin Ailey’s Streams and Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom for the PBS broadcast Live from Lincoln Center: Juilliard at 80. After graduating, she performed professionally with the internationally known dance company Momix. She took a break from dancing and worked for the State of North Carolina, a position from which she has now retired.  She is excited to be back dancing and performing as a member of Gerri Houlihan’s Big Red Dance Project (BRDP) and teaching at the ADF Studios. 

DANCER

April Strickland saw her 1st modern dance class in progress while coming out of a ballet class at age 24 in Chapel Hill...removed her ballet slippers and began studying this wonderful art in NC. She later moved to the greater NY area, studied with Ruth Currier and Alan Danielson and performed with several independent choreographers from 1988 until 2001. This is her 4th time performing with Big Red after an 18-year "break" from dancing. She could not be happier than to be dancing for Gerri Houlihan and with such amazing dancers!