Photo by Canaan Mattson
Dana k. Kassel, Program Director
Dana K. Kassel (she/her/hers) assumed the role of Program Director in 2021 after having served as Program Associate for more than five years. She brings a wealth of experience to the position with her long history as a performer and a highly skilled and respected administrator.
Kassel has served in an administrative capacity for several Twin Cities dance organizations, including Threads Dance Project, Voices of Sepharad, Corning Dances & Company, and for dance writer/choreographer Judith Brin Ingber. She was Co-Coordinator of the Minnesota SAGE Awards for twelve years, has been an advisory member for DanceMN, and a board member for Young Dance. In addition, she worked in event management and catering for over two decades.
Kassel graduated from the University of Minnesota Dance program in 1992; she was a company member in JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski; and danced with Cathy Young and Zenon Dance Company, among others. In recent years Kassel has performed with Laurie Van Wieren, the New Standards Holiday Show, in Rhythmically Speaking, and as part of Choreographers’ Evening at the Walker Art Center.
Dana@springboardforthearts.org
Photo by Canaan Mattson
Colin M. Edwards, Program Assistant
Colin Edwards (he/him/his) joined the team as Program Assistant in January 2021. He is a Twin Cities–based multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, and performer whose work blends hip hop, modern, and contemporary dance with a focus on collective imagery, identity, and emotional expression.
As founder of Meridians Dance Company, Edwards develops choreography and projects that connect movement, music, and visual storytelling. His work has been presented at venues including The Ordway Theater, Guthrie Theater, First Avenue, and the Walker Art Center.
In addition to his creative practice, Edwards has experience as an administrator and event coordinator, supporting a range of dance projects and community-based performances across the Twin Cities. He is a graduate of Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists and continues to contribute to Minnesota’s dance community through performance, teaching, and collaboration.
Colin@springboardforthearts.org
Springboard for the Arts is the temporary home for the McKnight Fellowships for Dancers and Choreographers.
Following the closure of The Cowles Center and with no new host organization yet identified for the McKnight
Fellowship for Dancers and Choreographers, Springboard for the Arts has the capacity and infrastructure to temporarily house the Fellowship, ensuring its continuation without interruption. Springboard has already provided this transition home one other time for this Fellowship in the past.
Springboard for the Arts' mission is to support artists with the tools to make a living and a life, and to build just and equitable communities full of meaning, joy, and connection. Our vision is of a world where artists are essential; local economies are vibrant and just; and the systems that surround us are human-centered. We see these three parts of our vision as interdependent.