Kaitlyn Gardner Schadë

Kaitlyn Gardner Schadë (Tucson, AZ) is a movement artist, choreographer, and educator based in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned her BFA in Dance from the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory in 2019 and has performed extensively throughout the Kansas City dance community with companies and choreographers including Tristian Griffin Dance Company, Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Kostas Contemporary, Clouds Dance Company, Alexis Borth, Caroline Dahm, and Elaine Kimble. Her performance repertoire also includes works by Natasha Adorlee, Lauren Edson, Cameron McKinney, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Gary Abbott, and Christian Denice.

In 2024, Kaitlyn co-founded Moo Contemporary with her brother, creating original choreographic works that explore human connection, storytelling, and audience engagement. Their first evening-length work, Have You Touched the Sand?, premiered at the 2025 Kansas City Fringe Festival. As collaborators, they have presented work at Kurveball, Modern Night at the Gem, Twilight Fringe, and Festival of the Arts. In 2025, Moo Contemporary received an Inspiration Grant from ArtsKC to support the creation of AboutYOU, a self-produced concert featuring seven new dance works and eleven Kansas City dance artists. The project sought to expand access to contemporary dance and foster meaningful connections between dance and everyday life. Moo Contemporary was also selected as a Charlotte Street Performing Artist Resident for the 2026–2028 residency cycle.

As a choreographer, Kaitlyn has created and presented work for Creative Intersections, InterUrban ArtHouse’s Her/Their Art, Charlotte Street’s Scratch Night, and Tristian Griffin Dance Company’s Mosaic. She has also created original works for Lawrence Ballet Theatre and choreographed commissioned solos for UMKC Conservatory graduating seniors since 2020.

Kaitlyn teaches movement improvisation at Dance Fit Flow, where she guides movers of all experience levels in exploring their own physical language and creative potential. Her artistic and educational practice is grounded in the belief that movement is a universal form of communication and that every person carries a unique movement story worth exploring and sharing.