Lachan Niedbala
Lachan Niedbala is a professional dancer, choreographer, and educator based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Movement Reservoir Dance Company, Studio Manager at BSD Dance Studio, and Adjunct Faculty at Alma College. She achieved her Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from Hope College and is currently working towards her Master of Fine Arts in Choreography at Jacksonville University.
After graduating from Hope College, Lachan performed and/or choreographed for companies such as CPR Dance: Inhale Movement, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, Zeeland Dance Company, Novi Dance Program, Chamberlain Dance Company, and Atelier Dance Company. Her choreography has been selected to perform at Dance City Festival, Trifecta Dance Festival, RADfest, NDEO Conference, West Michigan Dance Festival, and Terpsichore Dance Festival among others. Her work was invited to perform in Paris, France in 2019 and was a Maggie Allesee finalist in 2024.
In addition to her choreographic accomplishments, Lachan is a passionate dance educator. She has been invited to teach masterclasses are various schools, studios, and festivals throughout Michigan and had the great privilege to direct Wellspring's Youth Performance Ensemble for almost five years. She achieved her certification in Horton Modern Technique from M-Intensive University and her Progressive Ballet Technique Level I Certification in 2025 and continues studying Cecchetti Ballet to achieve her Teacher Certification in Grade I predicted in 2027. In 2022, Lachan founded Movement Reservoir Dance Company, where she serves as the Artistic Director leading the company in its creative endeavors, while facilitating exploration through dance as creative expression and supporting artists as they pursue their artistic goals within dance. Through MRDC, she has been curating and producing dance concerts, performing and collaborating within the Kalamazoo community and beyond, and sharing space with local dancers in their dance journeys.
In her pursuits of Artistic Leadership and Entrepreneurship, not only is she the Founder of Movement Reservoir, but she is also a Co-founder of West Michigan Dance Festival, where she is now the Director of Operations. She also serves as a board member of Michigan Dance Council. Outside of these regular commitments, she enjoys mentoring other artists especially those who are pursuing starting their own organizations festivals, and companies.
Artistic Statement
Dance for choreographic purposes is meant to be an experience to be had both for the viewer and the performer. A dance work is meant to build an intentional and authentic connection that conveys emotional or intellectual concepts. Not all dance is intended to be viewed only, but some works immerse the audience in the work and create yet another experience for the viewer. It is through dance that we connect with each other, communicate in a language we cannot speak with our mouth, and develop new perspectives and understandings for others.
Teaching Philosophy
I aspires to create a dance community that is authentic, intentional, and encouraging of each individual's pursuit in their dance journey while holding both a high expectation of accuracy and safety in the relevant dance technique(s), appreciation for dance history, and training the body with safe practices. Dance is truly a vulnerable act and it can only be explored in its fullest capacities within a supportive and uplifting community. One cannot be open to taking risk and making mistakes unless they are in a safe and nurturing community. Dance is meant for anyone and everyone. I desire to assist people in discovering how dance plays a role in their lives and to see movement from new perspectives. We cannot nurture only the “dancer” part of individuals. We must nurture and build up both the “dancer” part along with the various other parts that make each individual who they are, in this room, today.
