Originally from Victoria, Texas, Katelyn Perez is a performer, choreographer, and Victoria Ballet Theatre alum with an MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa and a BFA from Sam Houston State University. Her research, grounded in autoethnography, examines how movement reflects the experience of navigating in-between cultural, social, and geographic spaces. She served as rehearsal director for the University of Iowa Dance Department’s restaging of Panorama, originally choreographed by Martha Graham. Under the guidance of Graham 2 Director Virginie Mécène, she restaged the work on over 30 UIowa dancers, ensuring the preservation of Graham’s legacy. Additionally, she conducted a research project for UI Dance Company members, using storytelling, reflective movement prompts, and archival research to explore students' encounters with Martha Graham’s work through an embodied narrative.
As a performer, she has worked with choreographers such as Danielle Russo, Zena Bibler, Stephanie Miracle, Melinda Myers, and Joshua Manculich. She performed at the ACDA National Festival in Washington, D.C., and her choreography has received national recognition, including a nomination at the 2021 South-Central ACDA and a residency at the National Choreography Intensive. She has also supported the creation of new works as a dramaturg and rehearsal assistant, including collaborations with Danielle Russo at the University of Iowa. Recently, she performed as a member of danceLAB, a collective led by Brenda Tally and Michael Landez (LandezArts), where she collaborated with emerging artists in a process-oriented environment that emphasized experimentation, care, and embodied inquiry.