Derrick “Panda” Shenault began his dance training at the age of 5 and made his performance debut in 6^th grade as the Tin Man in THE WIZ. He graduated from Kelly High School and performed in 12 Angry Jurors, To Kill a Mockingbird, Fame the Musical, Our Town, Grease the Musical, Ragtime, and Urinetown. During this time, he also worked with the Goodman Theatre and produced his own show, (R)evolution. Panda then attended Millikin University, where he graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre/Dance Performance. His credits include Peter Pan the Musical, Equinox a Concert of Dance, and Solstice a Concert of Dance.  In his professional career, he has performed with Quest Theatre Ensemble in People’s Passion Play, premiered in an original work, and joined the cast of The Flying Housewife.  Panda joined Ardent Dance Company in 2018 and is thrilled to continue his career with Ardent in their 7th season.