Sherry Brier. Sherry Brier is co-owner/director of Inner Rhythm Movement Arts Institute in Mill Valley. She is also creator and director of the children's dance program. With a B.S. in Creative Arts Education, she has taught creative movement, ritual and trance dance, and various ethnic forms. Her main focus for the past fifteen years has been Oriental "bellydance" and Middle Eastern folkloric dance. She studied in Egypt, Morocco, Turkey and with the most respected instructors in the U.S. and Europe. Sherry directs the two Inner Rhythm resident dance companies: "The Mystic East Dancers" and "Troupe Ala Nar." Sherry has performed solo and with her companies at many Bay Area dance concerts, festivals and cabarets, and produced "Arabian Nights Live Middle Eastern Music and Dance Gala" on a monthly basis from 1994 to 1996, and "The Gathering of the Tribes" concert in 1995, in San Rafael. Sherry received the 1996 Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the Bellydance community from Magana Baptiste International Bellydance Festival and Contest where she was also a judge.
Katherine Davis. Katherine Davis landed in the Bay Area three years ago with a B.A. in Dance from Scripps College ('93), and a teaching certificate in The Pilates Method of Body Conditioning from Performing Arts Physical Therapy/The Pilates Studio ('95). After a year of graduate study at Mills College dance program, she left school to pursue a career in performance, choreography and teaching. For the past two seasons, Katherine has performed throughout California with Kirstin E. Williams' "Strong Current Dance Company." She has shown choreography at Scripps College, The American College Dance Festival, Dance Mission, Santa Cruz Dance Gallery, and in ODC's Pilot Series. Katherine teaches The Pilates Method privately from her home in Oakland, as well as children's dance at Sunset Movement Arts in San Francisco.
Deborah Ben-Eliezer and Samantha Blanchard of ECLIPSE. Samantha is Co-Director and Co-Founder of Eclipse, a dance-theater fusion company. Ms. Blanchard has studied, performed and taught extensively on both east and west coasts. She received her B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1991, and has studied dance composition intensively with Joe Goode, Della Davidson, Margaret Jenkins, ODC/SF, and Ginette Laurin of "O Vertigo" in Montreal. Deborah is also Co-Director and Co-Founder of Eclipse. She is a professional actress, dancer, and voice-over artist. Deborah has appeared in "Robin Hood" with the Marin Shakespeare Company, "Pandemonium" with Antenna Theater, and the critically acclaimed "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress," presented by "This Side of The Hill Players."
Christian Burns, Alex D. Ketley, Sandra Stringer of THE FOUNDRY. Christian Burns is co-founder and co-director of The Foundry. He most recently performed a season with Lines Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco. While working as a guest teacher and performer for Minnesota Dance Theater and James Sewell Ballet from 1994-98, he choreographed and premiered works at theaters and colleges in the Minnesota area. Since coming to the Bay Area end of 1998, he and other Foundry choreographers have created several interdisciplinary dance works: "Saltwater," premiered in May at JennJoyGallery, "Current Form," premiered in March at Kunst-Stoff Film Festival at Brady Street, and "Salt Flat Pieces," premiered at the Speak up and Dance Festival, all in San Francisco. Mr. Burns is a guest teacher at Berkeley City Ballet. Alex D. Ketley is also co-founder and co-director of The Foundry. Mr. Ketley has performed extensively with San Francisco Ballet, from 1994 to 1998, in such traditional ballets as "La Sylphide," "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," "Romeo and Juliet," and modern ballets such as "Glass Pieces" by Robbins, and "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" and "Theme and Variations," both by Balanchine. Mr. Ketley debuted as a choreographer with The Foundry's "Saltwater." Sandra Stringer has been consistently choreographing, performing and teaching since receiving her B.A. in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Highlights include "Unscent," a solo performance art piece for which she received a grant, and joint collaborative concerts in San Francisco, "Re: Place" and "Out of the Ruins." Since joining The Foundry she has worked on "Salt Flat Pieces," "Current Form" and "Saltwater."
Christy Funsch. Christy Funsch holds an M.F.A. in Performance and Choreography from Arizona State University, and has taught Kinesiology and Dance at Hamilton College, New York, as a Visiting Assistant Professor. She co-founded, choreographed and performed for ESTRUS WORKS Performance Group in Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently a member of Maxine Moerman Dancetheatre and has also worked with Mary Armentrout and Cid Pearlman's "Nesting Dolls." She has presented her own work in New York, Phoenix, Toronto, and in San Francisco through Brady Street Dance Centre, Fieldwork, Dancers' Group LOCAL and Bread and Butter Series, ODC Theater's PILOT Series, and Venue 9. She currently teaches and choreographs for the Skyline College Dance Department and serves on the Advisory Board of The Field SF.
Joseph Anthony Landini. Joseph Landini is the founder of Landini Dance Company. He received his B.A. in Choreography from the University of California, Irvine, under the tutelage of reknowned choreographer, Donald McKayle. Joe danced for Bill T. Jones' production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" at UCLA and was Mr. Jones' intern in New York. Upon returning to the Bay Area, Joe helped direct the choreography program at the San Francisco Institute of Choreography (now named the SF Dance Centre) and co-founded the "Pacific Dance Collective" (1992-1996). He formed the Landini Dance Company in 1996 and performed in showcases at Dancers' Group and ODC Theater. Landini Dance Company has self-produced an annual dance concert each year since and participates in showcases and festivals. In 1997, Landini Dance Company became the resident dance company at Footloose's Shotwell Studios.
Thais Mazur. Thais is the Artistic Director of the Thais Mazur Dance Company. Thais began her dance career in 1975. Her work has received acclaim from presenters and dance reviewers throughout the country, and support from major funders, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Zellerbach Family Fund, The Rockefeller MAP Fund, Threshold Foundation, and Gerbode Foundation. She has received several awards including the Dance Bay Area Choreographer's Fellowship, Award for Innovation in the Arts, and the Creative Arts Award, as well as over 10 awards for the co-production of the documentary video, "Dancing from the Inside Out," including the Silver Award from Dance on Camera in New York. Most recently, Thais directed and choreographed "WOMEN IN BLACK," featuring a cast of over 40 Bay Area artists including KITKA Women's Vocal Ensemble. Thais' work has been performed nationally and internationally including in Cologne, Germany, Novosibirsk, Siberia, at the Southern Theater presented by Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, the Boston Center for the Arts, Central Park Summer Stage, New York, Cal Performances at the University Art Museum and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco. Thais has performed with a wide variety of companies, including AXIS Dance Company which she founded and directed for 10 years. She has taught numerous workshops and received the California Arts Council Artist-in-Residence grant for the past six years. Thais holds an undergraduate degree in Dance and an M.S. in Occupational Therapy.
Amber Megan McCall. Amber received her B.A. in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University in 1998. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she formally trained in classical ballet, modern and jazz. She also studied choreography, composition and video dance during her internship at The American Dance Festival. Ms. McCall has performed in such works as Swan Lake, Copellia, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker as well as many contemporary works. Recently, she has been involved with Chaucer and Company's production of Canterbury Tales. Currently, Amber teaches ballet and creative movement at Marin Ballet.
Nancy Ng. Nancy Ng has been performing, choreographing and teaching various dance and movement forms in the Bay Area for the past 15 years. She has taught at Luna: a dance world, Third Wave Dance House and San Francisco State University. She has danced with Nuba Dance Theater, Purple Moon Dance Project, Six Thumbs Dance Theatre and Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers. During this time she performed throughout the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Antonio. She has danced and choreographed for Unbound Spirit Dance Company since 1991, and her own work has been presented throughout California by Asian American Dance Performances, Asian Heritage Council of San Jose, Anne Bluethenthal and Dancers, Dancers' Group Studio Theater, Theater of Yugen and Theater Artaud. Ng received her M.F.A. in choreography from Mills College, her multiple subjects teaching credential from San Francisco State University and her B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz. Currently, she is Administrative Director of Asian American Dance Performances (AADP). Besides serving as AADP's co-director she is co-owner/director of Luna Kids Dance. She has been awarded 1994-95, 1997-98, and 1998-99 California Arts Council artist-in-residence grants, and is an artist-in-residence with Youth in Arts.
Georgia Ortega. Georgia Ortega has trained dancers and choreographed in the Bay Area since 1981. From 1988-1997 she co-directed Dance Theatre Seven in Fairfax, the Chrysalis Contemporary Company for pre-professional dancers and "A Choreographers Showcase" for established and emerging choreographers. She is recognized for innovative collaborations with composers and visual artists, and is a 1993 and 1999 recipient of Marin Arts Council's Individual Artist grant for choreography. She currently teaches ballet, jazz, and yoga in Marin and Berkeley, gives dance retreats in Hawaii and is a certified massage therapist.
Stacey Printz. Stacey Printz is Artistic Director/Choreographer of Printz Dance Project. Before establishing the Printz Dance Project, Stacey choreographed and danced for the California Dance Collective, the UC Irvine touring ensemble, Rosenthal and Company, and other Bay Area dance performances. She studied various modern techniques, jazz, hip-hop, Flamenco, and ballet, and then went on to further her dance studies at UC Irvine where she earned her sociology and dance degrees. Stacey has taught dance all over the Bay Area and is currently the Director of Dance for the Branson School. Printz's choreographic work has most recently been performed in "Motion Over Time" at Dance Mission, in a shared evening at ODC Theater, RoCo's Summer Dance Concert, a Choreography Showcase at Brady Street Dance Theater, as guest artist for the College of Marin Spring Dance Concert, and in a Printz Dance Project full length show.
Nicholas Yagoda. Born in Brooklyn, NY. He is the founder/director of "leftdances." Leftdances was born this past summer at the American Dance Festival, in Durham, N.C. from a group piece choreographed by Nicholas. Since he arrived in San Francisco last winter, Nicholas has embarked on the project's first solo (entitled "28 Days"). The movement of his work is influenced by a number of choreographers with whom Nicholas has danced and performed, including Ronald K. Brown and Heidi Latsky. Recently, Nicholas performed with the Edge Festival in 1999 in Ashley Hayes' "Bukowski: Raw from the Page and Beautifully Crude."
Doug Adams. Bio unavailable.
Peter Lake Bellinger. Mr. Bellinger has been a Bay Area composer for over twenty years. His roots are in theory study with Henry Onderdonk and piano with Carlo Bussotti. Mr. Bellinger has created numerous scores for theater, opera, dance and independent cinema and video projects. His work has been presented by the New Performance Gallery, the Gay and Lesbian Composers Society and the Golden Gate Mens Chorus.
Daniel Combs. Daniel has composed music/soundtrack for Eclipse's last three shows; "Witchcraze," "One Day," and the critically acclaimed "Passion: A Winter Solstice Celebration." Mr. Combs is happy to have found the resources to devote all his energy to music. As well as composing for Eclipse and Susan Donham in the dance world, Dan has composed numerous pieces of professional work, operas, musicals, pop songs released on both tape and CD. His more recent work explores the contemporary use of sonatas in a modern setting.
Patrick Francis. Patrick Francis is a musician interested in artistic collaboration, whether it be composing for solo guitar or mixed ensembles, creating sound scores for dance and performance artists, or providing music for theater and film. Patrick holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Solo Performance (guitar) from Arizona State University. His work combines the formal sensibilities of classical training with eclectic influences running the gamut from rock to jazz to classical. Patrick was musical director for DEO Ireland's production of Brian Friel's play "Living Quarters," and also for the West Coast premier of the politically charged "A Night in November," by Irish playwright Marie Jones. Patrick's sound scores have been included in performances in New York, Toronto, and many Bay Area venues for choreographers Anda Abramovici, Christy Funsch, Maxine Moerman, and Jenny Pommiss. Currently, Patrick is composing and arranging the music for the independent feature film "Black Eyed Dog."
Gerry Grosz. Gerry Grosz graduated from the ethnomusicology department at Wesleyan University in 1990, with an emphasis in jazz composition and performance. He moved to the Bay Area in 1996, and as a jazz vibraphonist has found work in the recording studio with Maria Muldaur, Cathi Walkup, The Chazz Cats and others. In 1998, he released his own debut album, "Onramp," with his band, the "Gerry Grosz Jazz Kitchen." Grosz's work with modern dance choreographers and independent film directors has allowed him to explore other musical genres, including contemporary classical, electronic, minimalist, folk, funk, gospel, salsa, polyrhythmic, and even muzak. He has collaborated with such choreographers as Katherine Davis, Kirstin E. Williams, Sarah Franklin, Sandra Kopell, Willie Fe uer and Susan Matheke. On piano, Grosz has accompanied dance classes at Mills College, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Wesleyan University, Trinity College, and the School of Hartford Ballet. Finally, Grosz is also a singer/songwriter who has written two children's musicals: "The Phantom Tollbooth" and "The Clever Cat of Carabas." A new CD containing some of his lyric songs is in the works.
Bruce Cameron Munson. From 1987 to the present, Bruce Cameron Munson has been the Director of Instrumental Music at The Branson School in Ross. For Bransons, he directs and conducts the Branson School Orchestra, directs the Branson School Jazz Ensembles, and manages the theater. He was the producer of "Second Season," a professional performing arts series at Bransons from 1983-93, featuring professional groups such as The Kronos Quartet, The Oberlin Dance Company, George Cables Trio and the Bruce Forman Trio. Prior to working at Bransons, Bruce was the Musical Director/Arranger for Deborah Winters from 1983-1988, and performed with several groups, most notably the jazz/fusion groups Whirlwinds (1978-81) and Travel (1982-84), and recorded with Marcus Uzilevsky in 1981. Bruce has been composing since 1982; his compositions range from concert music (piano, chamber and orchestral) to jazz and pop written for jazz ensembles and collaboratively with singer/songwriters Deborah Winters and Steven Schwab. Bruce has taught jazz and classical piano privately since 1983. He received his B.A. in Music from University of California, Berkeley.
Derek Powell. Derek Powell is a professional guitarist and composer. During the last two years as a member of The Foundry, he has performed original music as part of multiple performances of "Salt Flat Pieces." From 1997 to 1998, he performed throughout the Bay Area with the all original music group "Trousers," and their recordings were released on St. Kilda records. He also received an endorsement from Eden Amplification for bass playing and performed for Alice Radio. From 1995 to 1997, he performed with the original music group "Spriggans," was an orchestra member for the San Jose Children's Musical Theater, and performed the history of the guitar in music and elementary schools around the Bay Area. From 1991 to 1993, Derek performed numerous recitals in the South Bay under the direction of Anita Sheer, chairwoman of the American Flamenco Society. Mr. Powell earned a B.A. in Philosophy from University of California at Santa Cruz, and has studied guitar intensively over the last 10 years.
David H. Shepard. Mr. Shepard is a well known musical artist in the Bay Area. As a conductor and musical director, he has been the driving force behind many successful productions. As a pianist and cellist, he is highly regarded as a dynamic and sensitive soloist and recitalist. As a composer and arranger, Mr. Shepard is much in demand. As a conductor and musical director, recent productions include: "Into the Woods," "History of the American Film," "Tintypes" (nominated Best Musical Director by the Bay Area Critics Circle), and "The Starlight Club Goes to War." For several years he was conductor at Rodef Shalom. Mr. Shepard studied conducting with Denis de Coteau. Known as a highly skilled pianist, he presents several recitals a year. Mr. Shepard collaborates with the vocal artist Rebecca Jones in promoting "The Vocal Arts Concert Series," offering great music in magnificent homes of California. As a composer, Mr. Shepard was recently awarded an Individual Artists Grant from the Marin Arts Council for classical composition. Dedicated to reviving the American Art Song, he has set the work of poets Jane Hirshfield and Sylvia Plath, among others, to music. He is writing two film scores for the filmmaker Cynthia Pepper. David is currently conducting the musical Pal Joey for the Marin Theater Company with director Albert Takazaukas. Formerly with the San Francisco Ballet, Mr. Shepard is Music Director of Marin Ballet.
Melody Takata. Sensei, Melody Takata has studied and performed with L.A. Matusuri and S.F. Taiko Dojo, and is a prodigy of Tokyo's O Edo Sukeroku Taiko. Sukeroku Taiko is one of Japan's most traditional and highly respected taiko groups. In her year of study, group leader Seido Kobayashi made her one of the first female members of Sukeroku's renowned performance ensemble. Sensei has been performing for over 20 years in Japan and the U.S.A. Her choreography combines elements of Japanese classical dance, Japanese traditional music and rhythm, and Japanese folk dance. Sensei has performed at such places as the Rose Bowl Parade, St. Louis Missouri Botanical Gardens Japan Festival, San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, Berkeley International Taiko Festival, Tokyo New Year's Festival, L.A. Nisei Week Parade, and Osaka Prince Hotel. Ms. Takata has partnered in collaborations with Shizen dance company, combining her talents with other professional musicians and creating soulful sounds as a new modern ethnic band.
Srinivas Reddy. Srinivas Reddy moved to San Francisco one year ago and since then has played his music across the Bay Area and has recently completed the production of his first album entitled, "gita -- groove indo trance amalgam." The solo guitar album features eleven original compositions which highlight Srinivas's innovative approach to the guitar -- a unique blend of North Indian classical music, jazz, funk and ambiant. In addition to his solo project, Srinivas has worked on several collaborative projects, including three original theatrical scores and an avant-garde world fusion ensemble.
Katrina Wreede. Katrina Wreede is a violist, educator and composer writing in an "improvisational chamber music" style, incorporating aspects of European art music with Middle-Eastern dance music and American Jazz sensibilities. Katrina has received many grants, awards and honors, including Meet the Composer/California grants 1993, 94, 95, 96 and 99; Guadeamus Foundation "Link" project recipient (1994-ongoing); Barbara Deming Memorial Fund grant 1995; the Morton Gould Composer's Competition Award 1997; and the California Arts Council Touring Grant 1989-91, Pennsylvania Arts Council Touring Grant 1990, and "Best Jazz String Quartet" from "Jazz Times Magazine" (1991), while working with the Turtle Island String Quartet from 1989-91. Katrina has performed extensively, including seasons with the San Jose Symphony (1982-7), Santa Cruz Symphony (principal, 1982-6), Fremont Symphony (principal, 1982-5), and the Opera San Jose (1984-9). Katrina has been teaching privately since 1976 and has directed youth symphonies throughout the Bay Area. She graduated with a B.A. in Music Performance, with Distinction, from San Jose State University.
John Wubbenhorst. John Wubbenhorst has a unique distinction of being a master of both western flute and bansuri (bamboo flute). His rich and varied background includes extensive training in jazz, western classical flute, and music of world cultures. John has made appearances on several highly popular recordings including "Blue Incarnation" by Sanjay Mishra with Jerry Garcia, and "Sounds Of Silence" by Pundit Hariprasad Chaurasia, which was voted "Best Recording of the Year 1993" in India. John has studied and performed classical, jazz, modern, experimental, rock, blues and Brazilian, and has developed as a multi-instrumentalist, performing on guitar, flute, saxophone, keyboards, harmonica, percussion, and vocals. However, by his mid-teens he he had focused in on flute as his primary instrument. His education includes studies with Kim Haley from Julliard School of Music, Darius Brubeck, and Berkley College of Music. Later he received a B.A. from MIU, and continued with graduate studies in World Music at Rotterdam Conservatory. Private studies continued with such Indian musicians as Usha Char, Debu Banerjee, Vijay Rhagav Rao, A.K. Das Gupta and Debu Chaudhuri, (Dean of Music and Art at the University of New Delhi). While in India, John met and began intensive studies with his music guru, Hariprasad Chaurasia who has become one of John's greatest sources of Inspiration and bliss. Discography: "Sounds of Silence" Hariprasad Chaurasia '93; "Blue Incantation" Sanjay Mishra/J Garcia '95; "Still Life" Steve Zerlin '95; "Synergy Dance Video" '96; "Facing East " John Wubbenhorst '98; "Poetry, Prose, Percussion & Song" Tom Teasley '98; "American Raga" Broto Roy '98.
Lorien Fenton. Lorien is the Artistic Director of Dance Outre. Over the past few years Ms. Fenton choreographed dances for the both the 1997 and the 1995 Marin County Festival of Dance, and the 1996 Outdoor Dance Project, Emeryville. Between 1989 and 1994 Lorien produced and directed Dance Outre's Spring Season Concerts. The 1993 and 1994 productions included a Saturday night performance to raise funds for human service organizations. The '93 benefit was produced for the Hospice of Marin AIDS Program and the 1994 event donations helped establish "New Beginnings," a Marin County homeless task force. Lorien has choreographed over 20 original group dances and 30-plus dances and performing arts pieces in Dance Outre productions and for other Marin County and Bay Area choreographers. Between 1989 and 1995 Dance Outre performed over 50 times in Bay Area productions of choreographer's showcases including: The Choreographers Showcase, Dancers Stage, Open Stage, Works in the Works, at 8th St. Studio, Berkeley, Theater Artaud Dance Marathon, Centerspace, Footworks and others. In 1991 she co-produced a Dance Outre tour to Ukiah, California with Berkeley performance artist Jim Beatty and Wendy Blakeley at the Ukiah Community Theater, and in 1994 did the same for a tour to Portland, Oregon with Berkeley performance artist Andrea Mock. Ms. Fenton has been both the recipient of a Marin Arts Council Community Arts Grant and a Marin Arts Council Individual Artist Grant.
Hilary Kretchmer. Hilary is the founder and Artistic Director of Zero Gravity Dance Theater. She was the co-founder and co-producer of both the 1995 and 1997 Marin County Festival of Dance productions in partnership with Cynthia Pepper of CPCollaborations, Inc., guiding the grantwriting and fundraising for the projects. Hilary currently works full time at WebLink, Inc./CHAT Communication Services, Inc. as the webmaster for WEBLINK.COM and it's associated domains. Prior to this, she served as Development Associate at Yosemite National Institutes, as Administrative Manager of Antenna Theater, and as Production Coordinator at ROMA Design Group. In the realm of the performing arts, Hilary has been an independent producer, choreographer and interdisciplinary artist for 18 years. Her multi-disciplinary works have premiered in NYC, LA, SF and Marin County. She has performed as a dancer for choreographers Lorien Fenton, Lucas Hoving, Joan Lazarus, Carolyn Lord, Georgia Ortega and others. Hilary has had the pleasure of teaching dance technique and composition as a guest artist at UC Berkeley, Marin Ballet, Dance Theater Seven, and The Branson School. She has also performed multiple seasons as a choral, solo and ensemble vocalist for The Mayflower Chorus, The Octurnals, The Marin Opera Chorus, and The Katy Hatfield Singers. Hilary received her B.F.A. in Dance from California Institute of the Arts, and her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Creative Arts from SFSU. Zero Gravity Dance Theater received the Marin Arts Council's Community Arts Grant for its first project, to produce Marin's 21st Century Dance Collaboration in partnership with Dance Outre.
