Ashton Benn is a dancer and journalist from Dallas, Texas, currently dancing with Gauthier Dance in Stuttgart, Germany. Previously, she danced with Scapino Ballet Rotterdam for the 2024–25 season in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She holds a BFA in Dance from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and an MA in Specialized Journalism (Arts and Culture) from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Ashton has performed works by a wide range of choreographers, including Marcos Morau, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Kyle Abraham, Justin Peck, Paul Lightfoot & Sol León, and many more.

12:30pm Contemporary Floorwork - Saturday, September 6

Ashton Benn’s class uses contemporary techniques, including floorwork, improvisation, and phrasework, helping dancers dive deeper into their own exploratory practice. Dancers will move through guided improvisation and structured combinations designed to improve clarity and awareness of the body in space. Ashton draws from a wide range of contemporary influences and may incorporate excerpts of repertory from her professional career, offering insight into the rehearsal and performance process.