All photographs by Bonnie Bandurski.

Members of The Poisonous Ladies currently include:

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Emily Baynes began her serious dance training at age 15. While attending Rochester's School of the Arts, Emily studied Modern, Jazz and Rhythm Tap, performed in numerous concerts, choreographed works and participated in Master Classes and workshops both with the touring companies of various Broadway shows and the Jose Limon Dance Company, but also with independent choreographers such as Donald McKayle and Taye Diggs. She also had the opportunity to attend the National High School Dance Festival two years in a row, in Miami (1998) and in Long Beach, California (2000), the latter of which she performed in. During her four years at Sarah Lawrence College, Emily continued to perform consistently in concerts, created works and trained under the guidance of acclaimed dancer Sara Rudner and dance critic/historian RoseAnne Thom. Emily also studied traditional folk dance and modern dance in Kingston, Jamaica from August 2002-December 2002. Friends since 2000, Emily began dancing for Amir in early 2004 and has originated roles in Drop 22, Rain and Four. She became his company manager in January of 2005. Emily currently trains and volunteers for professional companies around the city and writes dance reviews which she posts in her on-line blog.



Elissa Fairbrother is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and writer. Trained in classical ballet, modern, and jazz, Elissa has studied with Gelsey Kirkland, Feld Ballet, Washington Ballet, David Dorfman, Alvin Ailey, Garth Fagan, Doug Varone, David Parsons, and Bebe Miller, among others. She has a B.A. in Performing Arts and a B.A. in Writing along with graduate credits from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Elissa has performed all over the U.S.; she also toured through Italy with an international dance company. She received a grant from the Montana Arts Council for her performance and choreography along with many other scholarships to train and perform around the world. Elissa enjoys sharing her love of the arts by teaching in the schools and libraries, bringing free dance, theatre, and writing workshops to low-income youth. She is thrilled to be part of the infamous Poisonous Ladies.



Rachel Martsolf is pleased to be dancing with The Poisonous Ladies. A dancer/actor originally from Morrilton, AR, Rachel obtained a MA in theatre and religious studies at Rhodes College Memphis, TN and studied dance at the University of Memphis. She has performed with Breeding Grounds Dance Company based in Memphis, TN, and in many theatrical endeavors around the country and abroad.



Lauren Parrish holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in the Fine and Performing Arts. She has been dancing with the Poisonous Ladies since early 2008. Lauren also dances for Gillian Vinton. She has also been stage-managing and designing shows in and around New York City since 2006, most recently working with Stephen Petronio Company, Take Dance, and Living Room Theater. Lauren works as the Special Project Consultant for Fourth Arts Block and the Technical Director for the New York Neo-Futurists.



Julia Planine-Troiani has recently graduated Sarah Lawrence College, is currently working in New York, and hopes to dance in Europe in the near future. In the world of "choreography," some wonderful people she's worked with include Jeanine Durning, Vivi Amranand, Katie Daniels, Ashley Byler, Lynne Schlesinger, Ezra Caldwell, Sally Silvers, Angelica Kushi, Lauren Kelly, and Amir Levi.



Jeri Silverman, a native South African has spent most of her life dancing, singing and acting and is a recent graduate of the University of Cape Town with a degree in Economics. She is currently a full-time student at the Atlantic Acting School in New York. In addition to playing Dorothy in The Wiz, she has been featured in short films, commercials, art installations and has danced, choreographed and formulated creative concepts for numerous corporate and theatrical events