Diavolo

PROGRAM

DIAVOLO SEP 28 – 30 DANCE Jacques Heim, artistic director Matt Wells, executive director

SEP 2012

Performers Dusty Alvarado, Leandro Glory Damasco Jr., Alicia Garrity, Brandon Grimm, Jennifer “Huffy” Huffman, Shauna Martinez, Ezra Reed Masse-Mahar, Ashley Nilson, Omar Olivas, Crystal Runk, Anibal Sandoval, Ben “Windu” Sayles, Amy Tuley, Johannes Williams, Chisa Yamaguchi Renee Larsen Engmyr, production manager / technical director Shauna Martinez, rehearsal director John E.D. Bass, lighting director / stage manager Chisa Yamaguchi, education director Jennifer “Huffy” Huffman, costume manager Mike McCluskey & Tina Trefethen (McCluskey LTD), set engineering & construction Ilona Piotrowska, business manager Matt Christensen, transportation / technical assistant For the safety of the artists and for the comfort of the audience, cameras and other recording devices are not permitted in the theatre during the performance.

All choreography by the Company, under the direction of Jacques Heim.

This performance is supported in part by: The National Endowment for the Arts, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, The Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, The James Irvine Foundation, The Taproot Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and The Center for Cultural Innovation Next Gen Arts Program.

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PROGRAM

Part One Run Time: 30 minutes Trajectoire (Section 1: 1999, Section 2: 2001)

Part Two Run Time: 40 minutes Transit Space (2012)

Original Collaborators: Sita Acevedo, Monica Campbell, Nick Erickson, Laura Everling, Meegan Godfrey, Jeremy Jacobs, Robert Lou, Heather McCardle, Darren Press, Zoltan

Performers: The Company Original Concept: Jacques Heim Original Music: Paul James Prendergast Set Design: Sibyl Wickersheimer

Original Concept: Jacques Heim

Set Concept, Engineering, and Construction: Mike McCluskey (McCluskey LTD) & Tina Trefethen

Set Design: Daniel Wheeler Engineering: Dan Williams Set Construction: Mike McCluskey (McCluskey LTD) & Daniel Wheeler

Lighting Director/Stage Manager: John E.D. Bass

Original Lighting Design: Daniel Ionazzi

Physical Interactive Design: David & Valeria Beaudry

Costume Design: Meegan Godfrey Music Composition: Nathan Wang

Skateboarding Advisors: Nathan Pratt, Angel Aparicio, Seth Milner, Gareth Surjue

Trajectoire was commissioned by: Benedicta Arts Center, College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN; El Camino College, Torrance, CA; Grand Performances at California Plaza, Los Angeles, CA; and funded in part by The Brody Arts Fund, The City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, and The Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Rehearsal Stage Manager: Elizabeth Van Vleck Transit Space was commissioned by the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State University and co-commissioned by Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center, Los Angeles.

Trajectoire premiered in 1999 at El Camino College in Torrance, CA. There will be one 20 minute intermission.

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Writer: Steve Connell

ABOUT

Sports Center. Transit Space received its world premiere this past season at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State University as the culminating event of Diavolo’s participation in Creative Campus, a national initiative to foster connections between performing arts compa companies and universities. Transit Space receives its Southern California premiere during this weekweek end’s engagement at The Broad Stage before touring the U.S. and Europe. In 2007, the Los Angeles Philharmonic commissioned Diavolo to create a trilogy of new dance works, all to premiere live with the orchestra with the HolHol lywood Bowl. The first two installments—now in Diavolo’s repertory—are Foreign Bodies (2007), set to the music of Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Fearful Symmetries (2010), set to the music of Diavolo Dance Theater is an internationally rere nowned dance company that reinvents dance, John Adams. The third installment, Fluid Infinities (2013), will be set to Philip Glass’ Symphony reimagines theater, and redefines thrills. DiaDia volo takes movement, athletics, and daring No. 3 and be featured in the Hollywood Bowl’s Educa to the extreme, creating abstract narratives Summer Concert Series next season. Educaabout the human experience through surreal tion and outreach are crucial to the Diavolo tableaux. Founded in 1992 by Jacques Heim, mission. Tens of thousands of students each his- year attend the Company’s student matinees, Diavolo has an extensive performance his tory in their home city of Los Angeles as well in-school assembly shows, and award-winning as throughout the U.S, Europe, Asia, and Latin master classes. In the community, Diavolo regAmerica; in over fourteen seasons of touring, ularly conducts workshops at schools, hospiDiavolo has performed for hundreds of thou- tals, and juvenile detention centers. This year, sands of concertgoers worldwide as well as the Company is launching the Diavolo Institute, the biggest and most locally orimillions more on television. The “Transit Space receives ented education program in the Company has also created unique its Southern California Company’s history, supported performance events for corpopremiere during this by major funding from the James rate clients such as Wells Fargo, weekend’s engagement Irvine Foundation. The Institute Honda, Sebastian Inc., and Genat The Broad Stage.” will offer free dance workshops eral Motors. Diavolo’s newest that increase active arts parpiece is Transit Space, inspired by the movement of skateboarding. Transit Space ticipation among low-income Los Angeles resiis the first dance work ever created in residency dents. Learn more at www.diavolo.org. at Glorya Kaufman presents Dance at the Music Center, Los Angeles. As part of the residency, Jacques Heim, artistic director, has been one Diavolo conducted research with skateboard- of America’s most transformative choreograers from Ramon Cortines High School for the phers for over 20 years. He founded Diavolo Arts and held outdoor rehearsals on the Music Dance Theater in 1992 and has directed the Center Plaza that were broadcast on ESPN’s Company’s work ever since. Mr. Heim has also

SEP 2012

Trajectoire is set on an abstract twenty-first century galleon. The group is set adrift – sink or swim – upon the ever-shifting landscape of human relations in modern society. A visceral and emotional journey, Trajectoire examines loss and abandonment, destiny and destination. At journey’s end, the piece depicts the transcendence of the human soul against all odds.

Transit Space explores themes of feeling lost, finding a sense of purpose, and coming together. Influenced by the documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, Transit Space uses skateboard ramps as set pieces to represent an urban environment with ever-shifting physical and emoemo tional spaces.

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ABOUT

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worked extensively for other companies in years later that he won his first national dance dance, theater, TV, and special events world- competition and by the age of five he was doing wide. Mr. Heim was born and raised in Paris, back handsprings down the driveway. Between France. His earliest experiences with perfor- gymnastics competitions and pole-vaulting mance came from street performing. He at- practice, Mr. Alvarado’s self-produced perfortended Middlebury College (BFA in Theater, mances in his backyard gained critical neighDance, and Film), the University of Surrey in borhood acclaim and became the catalyst to his England (Certificate for Analysis and Criticism acceptance into Carnegie-Mellon University’s of Dance), and the California Institute for the School of Drama. It was in the Steel City that he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (MFA, Choreography). Dia“Diavolo was officially Arts in Acting and explored more volo rapidly established its interdesignated as a cultural theatrical movement, including national reputation. Diavolo has treasure by the City of techniques of Lecoq, Laban, and been the recipient of numerous Los Angeles.”

Suzuki. Upon graduation, Mr. Alawards and was officially desvarado became an original dancignated as a cultural treasure by the City of Los Angeles. Mr. Heim has also er in the American cast of The Aluminum Show been active as a choreographer for other com- where he was involved in the creative process panies. He choreographed KA, the permanent for three months in a youth village outside Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand Hotel of Tel-Aviv, Israel. He has danced all over the in Las Vegas. Mr. Heim was also invited to be a United States, Israel, Russia, Brazil, and Spain.

Creative Director for the Opening Ceremony of Other credits include performing for Ford the 16th Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China. He Auto, Pepsi, Disney, Nickelodeon, Lifetime, and was the Artistic Director for the 2005 Taurus guest teaching at Broadway Dance Center and Stunt Awards and returned in 2007 to stage a Stage Door Connections NYC. Mr. Alvarado is movement/stunt piece, The Car. With Center honored to be a part of Diavolo Dance Theater Theater Group, Mr. Heim created choreogra- and embraces the opportunity to share his joy phy for the stage play, The Stones. On televi- of dance around the world. sion, his work appeared on BBC America’s Dancing with the Stars and Bravo’s Step Up and John E.D. Bass, lighting director/stage manDance. Mr. Heim taught movement and dance ager, has been lighting theater, music, and for many years at Ballet Pacifica, Cal State LA, dance for nearly two decades. Before joinand UCLA. In addition to three USA Fellowship ing Diavolo in 2007, his last project with nominations and four Alpert Award nomina- Jacques Heim was Territory while studying at tions, Mr. Heim has received the Martha Hill UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and TeleviChoreography Award of the American Dance sion. Previous national tour designs include Festival, the Special Prize of the Jury at the 6th The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial for L.A. Saitama International Dance Festival, a Brody Theater Works and both Peter Pan and Camelot Arts Fund fellowship, and a James Irvine Foun- for McCoy Rigby Entertainment, where he served as Tom Ruzika’s associate. Past design dation Fellowship. highlights include The Soze Project at the ApolDusty Alvarado, performer, was born in Hous- lo NYC and Azure,, an underwater fantasy show cred ton, Texas and the story goes that he came at the Silverton Las Vegas. Architectural credout of his mother’s womb, jumped into a toe- its include working on the design team for the touch, and landed in the splits. It was three Eastern Columbia building in downtown Los An-

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SEP 2012

geles and Spring, a Claes Oldenburg sculpture in Seoul, Korea. In addition to lighting regional theater around the United States, Mr. Bass also lights numerous musical acts in Los Angeles.

Renée Larsen Engmyr, production manager/ technical director, is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She was thrilled to have joined Diavolo as a performer in 2005 and in 2009 moved behind the scenes as the Production Manager. Her training includes jazz, ballet, tap, modern, gymnastics, and Tae Kwon Do. She studied both dance and psychology, receiving her BA from The University of California Irvine. From there she moved to San Diego and became a founding member of Eveoke Dance Theatre. She spent four years performing with Eveoke and working as their Rehearsal Assistant. She currently teaches fitness classes and works as a stunt performer at Universal Studios Hollywood in the Terminator 2: 3D live action show.

Leandro Glory Damasco Jr., performer, started his professional career with Nicholas Leichter at the Joyce Theater in New York City. He has performed Leichter’s “Killa” solo at Sacramento State and Marin Academy, where he was commissioned to teach and perform as a guest artist. Mr. Damasco served an apprenticeship with Joe Goode Performance Group during the premiere of Traveling Light in San Francisco. He has also extensively performed the reworking of Randee Pauvfe’s Misgivings at Sacramento State, Arizona State, and San Francisco State.

Mr. Damasco also had the privilege to attend the 2010 American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina on scholarship, where he was selected by Richard Seigel and Elizabeth Corbett to be part of the William Forsythe Project.

In addition, Mr. Damasco had the utmost honor to be chosen by Jean Freebury to perform Merce Cunningham’s Inlets 2 at Duke University’s Reynolds Theater. Recently, Mr. Damasco graduated from Sacramento State with a BA in dance, where he worked closely with Lorelei Bayne, Melissa Wynn, Lisa Ross, Nolan T’sani, and Deborah Miller Froh. Mr. Damasco was awarded Most Outstanding Student in the Department Theatre and Dance and his choreographic work Epoch has been highly bestowed.

He now teaches locally and at CSU Sacramento as adjunct faculty and had the privilege to teach at the 2011 and 2012 ACDFA conferences in Long Beach and Modesto. Mr. Damasco continues to train and maintains a professional career as a sought after soloist while launching his own company called Project Engine, which is the nickname that Artistic Director Jacques Heim of Diavolo has given to him.

Alicia Garrity, performer, is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Slippery Rock University (SRU) with a B.A in Dance. While in college she performed in many pieces as well as created works of her own. Her solo “One SiSi lent Day” was performed at the Gala concert at the American College Dance Festival in Akron, OH. She received a grant to attend the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. She also had the opportunity to present her research project “Scholarly Research on Dance Technique” at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Ithaca, NY. Ms. Garrity received the Outstanding Dance Major award from the SRU dance department prior to graduation.

Before moving to Los Angeles, she was a dancer for Continuum Dance Theater where she performed throughout the Pittsburgh area. In the fall of 2011, she returned to Slippery Rock University as a guest artist to present a newly created work. She is also currently working on a new creative project called Interface under the direction of University of California Irvine professor Chad Hall.

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ABOUT

Shauna Martinez, performer/rehearsal director, grew up in Derby, Kansas. Her drive to dance started at the young age of three. She soon became a competitive all-around gymnast and later an All-American collegiate cheerleader.

She spent her summers as a collegiate instructor for the National Cheerleader’s Association earning awards as a top instructor. Ms. Martinez received her BFA from Wichita State University under the direction of Nick Johnson in 2007.

While attending WSU, Ms. Martinez choreographed a student piece for ACDFA which was adjudicated and chosen to close the evening of the Gala performance. Ms. Martinez is accomplished in ballet, modern, jazz, mime, and hip hop. She has performed with dre.dance, Joe Torry, and Sinbad. Ms. Martinez is super ecstatic to be in her third season with Diavolo.

Jennifer “Huffy” Huffman, costume management, is from the small town of Festus, Missouri. When Ms. Huffman was 5 years old, she discovered a bunion on her right foot that enabled her to jump higher than the other girls.

She spent most of her time upside down, dancing and flying through the air as she traveled 25

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and competed in dance and Sports Acrobatics all over the country. Ms. Huffman then attended Webster University in St. Louis, where she received a BFA in dance and was awarded the Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Scholarship for three consecutive years.

As a professional, Ms. Huffman has performed with such distinguished groups as Webster University Dance Theatre, David Dorfman’s Dance Out of Seasons, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal’s The Nutcracker, The Slaughter Project, Paul Taylor 2 in Esplanade, Move, Inside Chicago Dance, Neglia Ballet’s Nutcracker, and MusicalFare’s original written American Rhapsody.

For the last 3 years, Ms. Huffman has lived in Buffalo, NY where she was a founding company member of LehrerDance. She has also used her 11 years of teaching experience to travel across the country teaching master classes and setting works of LehrerDance as well as becoming a Modern Dance Instructor for Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. Ms. Huffman still spends most of her time upside down and is extremely excited to share her energy and passion for performing with Diavolo in her first season.

Brandon Grimm, performer, was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Growing up, he was enrolled in gymnastics classes at American Dream Gymnastics. He then attended Dance FX in Sunrise, Florida where he received his dance training and continued building his tumbling skills. Mr. Grimm competed at national levels winning numerous awards and scholarships. During that time, he also assisted Contop choreographers for Tremaine Dance Con ventions and performed with them all over the country in their faculty show. After his “To say Diavolo is high school graduexciting is redundant” —The Los Angeles Times ation, Mr. Grimm moved to New York City where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design (Intimate Apparel Specialization). It was in his college years that he discovered the world of circus arts. Mr. Grimm trained in Aerial Silks, Net, Lyra/Hoop, Hand-BalancHammock, Straps, Contortion, Hand-Balanc ing, and Partner Acrobatics. After obtaining his degree, he landed his first job as an Assistant Designer at Victoria’s Secret. During his time there, Mr. Grimm still worked and performed as a freelance artist in dance and circus arts.

Since leaving his position at Victoria’s Secret, Mr. Grimm has been working as a commercial dancer. His credits include work for Rachel Roy, Taylor Dayne, Martha Wash, Equinox, and choreographer Jermaine Browne, to name a few. He is excited for what lies ahead and hopes his training and experiences guide him to a lucrative career in the world of dance and acrobatics.

ABOUT

and an elite competitive gymnast. She continues to coach gymnastics and has been invited several times as a guest choreographer for the University of Utah’s Women’s Gymnastics team.

In addition to her modern training, she is experienced in hip-hop and b-boying and recently choreographed a work in that style for Brigham Young University’s Dancers Company. A former member of UVU’s Contemporary Dance Ensemble Hannan, she performed with the company in Madrid and Cordoba, Spain during May of 2009. She is passionate about dance as a powerful art form and tool for change, as well as its practical application through Laban Movement Analysis, Bartenieff Fundamentals, pracMovement Therapy, and other somatic prac tices. Aside from dance, Ms. Nilson also enjoys training for body building/figure competitions, rock climbing, painting, and spending time with her family. She is thrilled to have joined Diavolo in May 2010.

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Ezra Reed Masse-Mahar, performer, received acrobatic training at Merritt Dance Center from ages 3-18. At the age of 10 he began ballet.

A competitive diver in high school, he chose instead to major in dance at University of Buffalo.

There he studied tap, jazz, and ballet, and fell in love with modern dance. After college he spent two years dancing with Jon Lehrer’s Modern Dance Company alongside Jennifer Huffman.

It was her prodding that led him to audition for Diavolo. He met them in Syracuse and fell in love with how the company functioned and created. That led to an audition in Dallas and a week long summer intensive in LA. Mr. MasseMahar shares a similar love of movement with structures as Jacques and Diavolo. In his time he has come to realize a profound love/need for movement in his life and a belief that it can be done on, in, over, under, and along anything, and not just on a flat stage.

Mike McCluskey (McCluskey LTD), set fabrication, started restoring Shelby Cobras in 1969 while attending UCLA for mechanical engineering and never stopped. Best known for its diversity of fabricating services (design, construction, welding, mechanics, finish and paint), McCluskey LTD. blends the art of handcrafting with modern aerospace technology.

Internationally known for restoration/repair of vintage Cobras, exotic concept and race cars, plus historical aircraft and jets, Mr. McCluskey also builds props and sets for stage, movies, and TV. Mr. McCluskey’s team of highly skilled craftsmen are based in Torrance, CA, serving architectural, automotive, industrial, and entertainment clients including Getty, Disney, Shelby, Northrop, Honda, and Diavolo.

Omar Olivas, performer, was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. He began his training at Saint Joseph Ballet under the artistic supervision of director Beth Burns. Mr. Olivas graduated as a Haggerty and William Gillespie Scholar (BFA Dance) from the University of California, Irvine, where he was a dancer with Donald McKayle’s student repertory dance company, Etudes. He “Heart-stopping swan has danced in masdives by dancers terpieces like Balfrom on high into anchine’s Serenade, the waiting arms of William Forsythe’s sure-footed partners” New Sleep, and Don—The New York Times ald McKayle’s The Mask of the Red Death, Songs of the Disinherited, Remember Journey, and Personal. He was a member of Jenny Backhaus’ dance company, BackhausDance, for two years. He has attended the American Dance Festival, Jose Limon Summer Intensive, Idyllwild Summer School, and Impuls Tanz in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Olivas

Ashley Nilson, performer, is from Holladay, UT and graduated from Utah Valley University (UVU) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance. Prior to her dance experience, Ms. Nilson was a track & field athlete 26

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Anibal Sandoval, performer, has been an active dancer for 13 years under the guidance of Kathy Bingham, Shelby Curtis, Cindy Littlefield, and Rochelle Guardado. He has training in gymnastics, modern, ballet, breakdance, Chinese pole, addiand martial arts. He is one of the newest addi tions to Lux Aeterna Acrobatic Dance Company and the AVC Circus Troupe under the guidance of Master Zheng Yin Ping. Mr. Sandoval made Dimenhis debut as a chorographer at Dance Dimen sions 2007 presenting Disagreements Between You and I. Centering on acrobatic technique, he has pioneered break dancing with exercise memballs. Additionally, Mr. Sandoval is also a mem ber of Diavolo’s Los Angeles-based Education Company where the fusion of his talents helps serve greater Los Angeles.

has danced at the Conservatoire de Paris and in Tammy L. Wong’s About Last Night for the Esplanade’s da:ns festival in 2006. Aside from dancing, Mr. Olivas was a finalist in the Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival and was invited by La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore to set a piece for Esplanade’s da:ns festival in 2008. Mr. Olivas currently teaches ballet and modern throughout the Orange County region.

Ilona Piotrowska, business manager, used to do web production and editing professionally.

Her online credits include numerous American Public Media Group shows amongst them AmerAmer ican RadioWorks, a multiple Webby-award winning site On Being, Marketplace, A Prairie Home Companion, Companion and Southern California Public Radio (89.3 KPCC).

Tina Trefethen, set design/engineer, is an independent contractor who keeps busy coordinating, designing, engineering and fabricating on a great variety of architectural, aviation, automotive, sculptural, and graphics projects.

Her mixed interests in art, extreme sports, design, and industry all combine uniquely for Diavolo. Her career as a SAG member featured her on dozens of TV shows and commercials. World hang-gliding champion, pro-skateboarder, aircraft manufacturer, and partner in her brother’s music business evolved her into a sculptor of aluminum, steel, and composites, handmade with loving care (assisted by hi-tech family and friends) for clients including Lotus, Getty, Boeing, Disney, BMW, Honda, plus five major works for Diavolo!

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Ben “Windu” Sayles, performer, is a character acrobat with training across the dance and circus arts. His versatility has served him well corporate/comin LA, both on stage and in the corporate/com mercial world. Expect a mix of break dance, ballet, and playful acrobatics from Windu.

Crystal Runk, performer, is from the Sunshine State, which parallels her sunny disposition on life. From the young age of three it was apap parent that she would rather be upside down than right side up. In her small town of Satellite Beach she grew up dancing in her local studio, which started the path for her journey as an artist. She holds a BFA in Dance from the UniUni versity of Florida, where she gained invaluable training and a love for using the arts to push boundaries and challenge people. While in college, she was awarded the Howard Hughes Creativity of the Arts and Sciences grant for her senior thesis work. She enjoys arts administration and interned at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the education department. She is passionate about arts education and making it a priority in the United States. Ms. Runk has danced for Black Label Movement in Minneapolis and is a dancer and collaborator with HEMISPHERE Dance. Ms. Runk has been a guest teaching artist at Hamline University and plans to continue to develop her teaching and choreographic style. She is looking forward to flying with Diavolo.

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cepted into the Diavolo touring company and now hopes to bring joy to people through the beauty of creative expression.

SEP 2012

Amy Tuley, performer, is 22 years old and originally from Cleburne, TX. She recently graduated from the University of North Texas with a B.F.A. in Dance. Her background is tumbling, competitive cheerleading, and jazz and modern dance techniques. She was a member of the North Texas Dancers for three years and held a Captain’s position. She has attended numerous dance intensives and has showed original work at ACDFA in Las Cruces, NM. She most recently co-choreographed for Nick Cave’s collaborative performance art project, Heard.

Ms. Tuley became a member of Diavolo in the summer of 2012.

Chisa Yamaguchi, performer/education director, was born and raised in Vallejo, California and earned her double degree from UCLA in World Arts and Cultures and Asian American Studies. She began dancing during her third year and received her training in modern, gymnastics, capoeira, tango, Rhaq Sharqi and Balinese dance. She has had the pleasure of studying with profoundly gifted teachers such as Maria Gillespie, Shel Wagner, Tamra-Henna, Nyoman Cerita, and most recently with Germaine Acony and her company Jant-Bi in Toubab Dialaow, Senegal. She has traveled around the world working as an international volunteer in New Zealand, Fiji, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Egypt, and is currently writing a children’s book based on her experiences.

Johannes Williams, performer, a Los Angeles, California native, started his dance training in 1996 at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Performing Arts. By age fifteen he was accepted by the Debbie Allen Dance Academy where he studied ballet, jazz, salsa, modern, and hip-hop for five years. His talent took him to New York for a summer internship with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. He has danced in a number of Debbie Allen stage productions from coast to coast at venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Mr. Williams was also one of the top twelve finalists on NBC’s reality TV show Fame in 2004. Following the stint on Fame, he had the chance to compose music and started his music production company, J Hook Productions. At seventeen he was accepted as a member of A.S.C.A.P. (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) as one of the youngest music producers in their membership. From that moment in time music and dance became the two most important things in his life. In 2010, Mr. Williams was chosen to dance for Carnival Cruise Lines on the Carnival Imagination Ship from Miami to the Bahamas and Mexico. There he performed for people from all over the world. In 2011, Mr. Williams was excited to find out that he was ac-

Matt Wells, executive director, is an experienced arts management professional. He earned a B.S. in Theater from Northwestern University and an M.A. in Arts Management from Claremont Graduate University. In 2006, Matt founded the Los Angeles theater company needtheater, where he served as Artistic Director for four years, producing nine world premieres and five local premieres. The Los Angeles Times called needtheater “a rollicking young company… “a rollicking young with stunning, superb company…with stunning, work [and] powerful superb work [and] storytelling.” LA Weekly powerful storytelling.” named needtheater as —The Los Angeles Times part of the best of LA Theater in the ‘00s, writing that the company is “at the tip of the spear, making the future of LA Theater.” Mr. Wells has been a guest lecturer at CalArts and UCLA, as well as a consultant for LA Stage Alliance. As an actor, Mr. Wells has worked with A.R. Gurney, Jim Simpson, Eliza28

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beth Swados, and Josh Fox. He is a native Angeleno, and joined Diavolo in 2011.

Diavolo Board of Directors Jennifer Cheng, Jacques Heim, Joan Herman, Yardenna Hurvitz, Jeffrey Shapiro (Chair), Matt Wells Become a fan of Diavolo on Facebook Follow Diavolo on Twitter Visit Diavolo in the lobby to buy merchandise, sign up for our mailing list, join our Circle of Supporters, and learn more about our Sponsor a Dancer Society.

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Exclusive Management David Lieberman Artists Representatives PO Box 10368 Newport Beach, CA 92658 714.979.4700 email: info@dlartists.com

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