kirsten standridge - rehearsal director (since 2018)

Originally from Lakeland, Florida, Kirsten Standridge’s training began at the age of six at a local studio called Highlands School for Dance under the instruction of Hayley Amis Stewart. On top of taking classes at the studio, she had also been accepted to dance at a local arts High School named Harrison School for The Arts where she had the opportunity to learn from Susan Olsen, Gloria Haigler, and Shelley Bourgeois. After graduating from Harrison, she was accepted to the dance program at The University of South Florida. While attending USF, she had been given the privilege to perform in the works of many professors and guest choreographers such as Bliss Kholmyer, Paula Nunez, Michael Foley, Yaniv Abraham with Batcheva dance company, and Alonzo King with Lines Ballet. She went on to begin her professional career with Collective Soles Dance Company in Tampa and is now a company member with projectALCHEMY working with founder/artistic director Alex Jones. Kirsten is excited to have the opportunity to continue working with Alex and looks forward to continuing her training with the company.

heidi brewer (since 2018)

Heidi Brewer, born + raised in the Pacific Northwest and a University of Washington alum, has worked as a dance artist in Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles and St. Petersburg since 2001. Her own work has been shown in LA, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, Florida. She founded the LAYERS platform in LA to produce 3 workshops between 2017-2018 and teaches dance classes in St. Pete as well as for the Sarasota Ballet. She is a Certified Pilates teacher through the Kane School & kinected in NYC, where she also works as the Communications Director. Heidi is a Pilates Instructor & Kane School teacher trainer at Body Center St. Pete, running the certification program there since 2021. She is working with choreographer Jeanine Durning on a piece with Clare Croft, Pamela Pietro, Andee Scott and Mary Williford-Shade, and performs regularly with projectALCHEMY in St. Petersburg. She and her husband Will are proud cat parents to Penny.

evan smith (since 2021)

Born and raised in Florida, Evan has been dancing his whole life. Being an old competition member of Leonard's Academy of Dance, he is able to apply what he's learned as a competition member to being a studio and competition instructor. Graduating from Howard W. Blake, Evan went on to study at the University of South Florida as a Dance major. As well as being an alumni of The Chocolate Nutcracker, Evan is also a member of the United Nations of Dance Musical Performance Troupe. Evan is now a dancing with projectALCHEMY under the direction of Alexander Jones.

talia demps (since 2022)

Talia Demps, originally from Davenport, Florida, began her dance training in 6th grade at Davenport School of the Arts. She continued her training through high school, attending The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Lakeland, Florida. In spring of 2022, Talia graduated from the Univeristy of South Florida, earning a BFA in Dance Performance. While attending USF Talia represented its dance program at the American College Dance Association, as a performer in a Michael Foley work. She also had the opportunity to perform in various guest choreographer works including Charles Anderson, Eric Wagner, Joshua Peugh, and Alex Jones; as well as the privilege of performing a solo work choreographed by the late Talley Beatty, under the direction of John Parks. She has made several of her own works exploring movement through the medium of film. Talia is excited to be working with Alex Jones again and is grateful for the opportunity to begin her professional career as a member of projectALCHEMY.

sam kedziora (since 2024)

Sam Kedziora trained in competitive dance in her youth, which led to her pursuing a BFA in Modern Dance studies and a minor in psychology from the University of South Florida. Throughout her dance career, she has trained in styles such as ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, Gaga, Pom, heels, and more. After graduating in 2022, she spent the summer studying dance in Paris, Berlin, and Northern Israel. She then moved to Chicago to perform and train with Solarium Dance Company and Trifecta Dance Collective. She began her yoga certification and was able to take advantage of learning various styles from various teachers in the Windy City. Sam is currently back in Tampa Bay where she is dancing with projectALCHEMY along with other companies and artists in the area, and is enthused to continue to exploring and growing in her artistry. 

alexander jones - founder. executive artist director

Alexander Jones, founder and executive artistic director of the downtown St. Pete international nonprofit dance+ company projectALCHEMY, is a graduate of University of South Florida, recent MFA graduate Hollins University studying dance. Jones received training from the LINES Ballet BFA Program under direction of Marina Hotchkiss. He has had the opportunity to work with Alonzo King, Bill T. Jones in Serenade/The Proposition, and Doug Varone in The Rite of Spring. He has performed in Tunisia, Africa with the University of South Florida on behalf of the American Embassy and the Tunisian Dance Federation. A native Floridian, Jones is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association and current performer at Walt Disney World in stage shows such as Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas, Dream Along with Mickey, Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage . He is an alumnus of ArchCore40 in NYC and works closely with choreographer Jennifer Archibald as her choreographer assistant in the Florida Dance Festival. In 2012, he choreographed and directed his first evening length work entitled First You, Then The Rest at the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, FL. In the Spring of 2013, Jones joined Yow Dance Company and had the honor of choreographing works for the company for both Spring Into Dance and the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Later that Fall, he returned to the Studio@620 to premiere his second evening-length work, Contact. Jones participated in Project GenYes! at the Studio@620 made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation premiering his third evening-length work, Uncovered: Power of the Being at the Studio@620. In 2016, Jones became the Artistic Director of Collective Soles Dance making it his mission to connect the Tampa Bay area through collaboration. The following year Alex was one of the resident choreographers at the Florida Dance Festival where he premiered his latest work behind the Front. Jones is on faculty as an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa teaching techniques classes that help students prepare for both concert and commercial stages. Community and collaboration are at the forefront of Jones’s dance works with the company, as well as in and around St. Pete. He served as the Dance Artists in Residence at the Studio@620, assisting in dance programming alongside Bob Devin Jones.

sarah hamilton - company manager

Sarah Hamilton has been dancing since age three and currently resides in the Tampa bay area. She attended Florida State College at Jacksonville where she received her A.A. dancing under the instruction of Talani Torres and Rebecca Levy. While at FSCJ Sarah was member of the FSCJ Dance Repertory Company danceWORKS and held a manger position. She is pursuing a B.A. in Dance Studies and a Dance Medicine & Science Certificate from the University of South Florida graduating Spring 2021. Sarah had the opportunity to travel to Paris, France to study dance with various international artists and has danced in works by Talani Torres, Rebecca Levy, Tanesha Payne, Ellie Barrett, Teena Marie Custer, Andee Scott, and Alexander Jones, among others. Sarah has a wide range of interests including dance for film, stage management, arts administration, digital artwork, and photography, in addition to her focus in dance and choreography. Eventually, Sarah would like to continue her studies as a graduate student, so that she can impact the lives of others in the way her professors have helped her.

emily curry - assistant company manager 

Emily Curry is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and now resides in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from The University of Tampa with a B.A. in Dance Education with a focus on Anne Green Gilbert's Brain-Compatible Dance Education. She has been dancing since she was 3 and has had the dream of being a dance teacher since the age of 7. Emily has had the opportunity to perform at many local events in Tampa and has choreographed works for UT and the Tampa Museum of Art. She is continuing her career in dance with projectALCHEMY and local studios. Emily is excited to continue growing, moving, and creating with her passion for dance and dance education. 

iky standridge - costume designer

My name is Hilka, but family and friends know me as Iky. I truly love the performing arts, especially dance. Since I was young, I always looked for ways to be creative and bring my ideas to reality. I began creating and sewing my own Halloween costumes at an early age, with my mother at my side, teaching all the tricks of the seamstress trade. Luckily, my daughter became a beautiful dancer and through her years of dance school I volunteered my skills designing and styling costumes for performances dating back to 2002 and still going strong. Costume Design, Wardrobe styling, Makeup and hair styling to transform performers into their characters is a true passion. I now have the privilege to collaborate with Alex Jones and Project Alchemy, where I can continue to construct, create, dance a little and share my knowledge, visions and passion with amazing dancers, beautiful people and most of all, my incredibly talented, beautiful, amazing daughter.