Dancers

Laura Comana Puscas (Executive Director) was trained in modern dance technique and ballet in St. Louis, MO by Todd Weeks and Jennifer Reilly of Modern American Dance Company (MADCO). While attending the University of Notre Dame, Laura completed the Saint Mary’s College Dance Minor program along with additional study in theatre, composition, and improvisation to earn a Certificate in Dance. For four years, Laura worked as an initiator for the art of dance at Notre Dame, founding a unique, immersive student modern dance company and campaigning at all levels for dance education. In 2011, Laura earned a BBA in marketing from Mendoza College of Business, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

During school and after graduation, Laura worked in nonprofit arts administration and gained valuable experience working for companies including BalletMet, MADCO, aTrek, and NY2Dance. After moving to Columbus in 2011, Laura served as a committee member and commissioned artist for the Locality 2012 Bus Tour Dance Festival, part of the city’s bicentennial celebration. In Fall 2012, she co-founded the Columbus Modern (CoMo) Dance Company with Kelsey Morozow Burbrink. For several years, they ran the Company as an LLC partnership as the organization grew and developed. In December 2015, CoMo transitioned to a nonprofit corporation and was granted 501(c)3 status. Laura served as the Director of CoMo & CoMo II when our second company was founded in 2016, before transitioning CoMo II to the leadership of company dancer Caroline Martin in Fall 2017. Laura currently acts as the Director of the Company & Treasurer of the Board of Directors. She enjoys helping the Columbus Modern Dance Company grow and thrive.

Rachel Bobbitt (Rehearsal Director) began her early training by studying classical ballet for 11 years at Angela's Dance Studio and O'Connor's Dance in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2002, Rachel attended the Ohio State University where she studied modern, ballet, and hip hop  in their prestigious Dance Department. In 2012 and 2015, she performed as a part of the national Urbana Student Missions Conference performing arts team, debuting her work "Lanterns" at the 2015 conference. In 2016 Rachel was a performer and lead choreographer at the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in Jakarta, Indonesia. Rachel joined CoMo as a founding member in 2013. Rachel has created original works Mademoiselle (2013) and Long Walk Home(2017) for the company.

Faith Chester (Costume Manager) has known from a young age that she wanted to be a dancer, and started dancing when she was only two. At age 11, she began training intensely at Leap of Faith Dance Company in Westerville, Ohio, under the direction of Kelley Haney. During her six years there she became a teaching assistant and Senior Company dancer. Faith was a soloist in Leap of Faith's Life of Christ production in 2015. Intensifying her ballet training in 2014 with additional classes at BalletMet, Faith performed in BalletMet's Nutcracker. In Fall 2015 she joined the intensive training program at Columbus Dance Theatre under the direction of Tim Veach. There she has performed roles in MATCHGIRL, Peter and the Wolf, Romeo and Juliet and was the Jazz soloist for the ITP Spring Concert. Faith has attended summer programs at Leap of Faith Dance Company and Ballet Chelsea in Michigan. She will attend intensives this summer at Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, Mississippi, Ballet Detroit at the Detroit Opera House, and CDT. Faith is trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, and tap. Faith is excited to join CoMo II's inaugural season.