Maria Gillespie graduated from Purchase in 1993, and formed 86 NYLON, a collaborative trio with other Purchase graduates. She is a choreographer and artistic director of the contemporary dance company, Oni Dance. She has worked and performed with David Rousseve, Victoria Marks, Helios Dance Theater and John Pennington. Maria is on faculty at UCLA’s Department of World Arts & Cultures, and has be selected as one of the '25 to Watch' in the January 2005 issue of Dance Magazine.