It is my privilege to welcome you to the 2024-2025 performance season at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA)! I am so honored to introduce this year’s amazing lineup of student performances and events.
This school year marks an exceptional milestone, as OCSA has now resided and flourished in the city of Santa Ana for 25 years! Over the past quarter of a century, the OCSA campus in Santa Ana has seen countless performances and served as the launching pad for thousands of dreams. Our campus has also provided a home away from home for students (and staff!) from Santa Ana and beyond. I cannot wait to see how our legacy within Santa Ana continues to grow and evolve.
As we open yet another exciting chapter in the history of the school, I would like to give a warm welcome to our new Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Gregory Endelman. Not only does he bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position, but he is also a great and caring human being who is ready to do what it takes to help our school be the best it can be for our students and staff.
I am looking forward to partnering with Dr. Endelman, along with our esteemed administrators, faculty, and staff, to take OCSA into this next chapter!
At this time, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to our 2024-2025 corporate season sponsors, Pendry Newport Beach, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Boot Barn, and Yamaha, as well as to our Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, Emeritus Board, President’s Circle, and Encore members. The continued success of OCSA’s mission would not be possible without their support, leadership, and vision.
Finally, I must acknowledge our parents, alumni, administrators, faculty and staff, members of the local community, and most importantly, our student artists. Our students are the inspiration and driving force behind what we do every single day.
I am thrilled to have you join me in celebrating another impressive performance season. Please enjoy all of the magic OCSA has to offer!
With gratitude,
Teren M. Shaffer President & CEO Orange County School of the Arts
We provide an unparalleled arts and academic education in a creative, challenging, and nurturing environment to a diverse group of students who are passionate about the arts, preparing them to reach their highest potential.
Established in 1987, the nationally recognized Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) offers a dynamic school culture that enables students to flourish as artists and scholars. The school currently serves a diverse student body of approximately 2,300 students in grades 7-12 from more than 100 cities throughout Southern California.
In addition to offering a challenging college-preparatory academic program that produces high-achieving, motivated scholars, OCSA provides aspiring young artists with the opportunity to refine their skills and flourish in one of 17 arts conservatories. Each year, more than 200 concerts, recitals, staged performances, and exhibitions are presented at a variety of venues in Orange County and throughout the world, providing students with the unique experience of entertaining and inspiring thousands of audience members.
OCSA is a donation-dependent public charter school; no student is offered or denied admission based on financial capacity. The school’s rigorous academic education coupled with advanced arts training has impacted many students, molding generations of creative thinkers, leaders, artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
ACADEMICS + Arts
#1 BEST CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL IN CALIFORNIA Niche, 2025
Winter Residency Showing 2024 is a performance and interview formatted show. OCSA’s Commercial Dancers perform pieces created and taught during a week of industry networking with guests and faculty. This is an opportunity for you, our audience, to not only have a chance to see our dancers perform but also hear from the choreographers about their process and history behind their dances.
Tonight’s performance will include a special performance by Kybele Dance Theater
Directed by: Nicole Berger
Assistant Directed by: Jonah Boswell
Lighting Design: Manny Munoz
Production Manager: Eric Hamme
PRODUCTION STAFF & CREW
Technical support provided by staff and students of the Production & Design Conservatory Director of Production & Design: Kelly Pate
CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Operations Manager: Lori Solomon
Operations Assistant Manager: Alicia Cruz
BOX OFFICE
Box Office Manager: Eric Hamme
Box Office Coordinators: Alexi McGinness, Alyssa Felix Garcia, Nichole Smith
the colburn school
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Pre-college program preparing exceptional musicians ages 12–18 for conservatory study
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Private lessons, group instruction, and ensembles for students of all levels and ages
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Ballet, modern, and tap for dancers of all levels, including aspiring professionals
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Photo: Courtney
ABOUT TONIGHT’S CHOREOGRAPHERS
CHERYL MANN
Mann began her professional career at the age of 17, dancing at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, and received a degree in dance from Point Park College, in Pittsburgh, PA. She performed with the Civic Light Opera in South Pacific as “Liat” under the direction of Robby Marshall in Pittsburgh. Upon moving to Chicago, she danced with River North Chicago Dance Company before joining Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Fulfilling her childhood dream, Cheryl was asked to join Hubbard Street Dance Chicago by Lou Conte & remained a company member for 10 years. Cheryl has been fortunate in her career to travel to and perform in 17 countries, as well as countless cities in the U.S. under the direction of Conte & his successor, Jim Vincent. She served as the Artistic Associate of Visceral Dance Chicago until she moved to LA to become the Executive Director of Ate9 Dance Company.
She is the owner of Cheryl Mann Productions, where she has traveled the world setting dance works for world renown choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato, Toru Shimazaki, Alejandro Cerrudo, & Danny Ezralow. She is also the official photographer for Joffrey Ballet Chicago & Los Angeles Ballet, and has shot for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Royal Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Ballet Hispanico, Chicago Dancing Festival, LA Dance Festival, Visceral Dance Chicago, Ate9, amongst many more.
In LA, Cheryl was on the creative team for NBCUniversal’s Little Big Shots featuring Steve Harvey, and was the Associate Choreographer of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Live at the Hollywood Bowl. She also had the pleasure of casting and choreographing Moby’s music video “Motherless Child”. Cheryl recently produced and choreographed the talent for Barbie in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl. She is currently Assistant Dean of the Dance School at CalArts.
Riley Roberts
Riley Roberts is a choreographer, dancer, director, and content creator in the world of musical theater, television, live performance, and content design. With 5 years of professional industry experience, Riley fuses all the styles she has been trained in to create captivating live or filmed performances that tell a story.
In 2021, Riley’s talent was recognized when she was appointed as one of Olivia Rodrigo’s assistant choreographers to Monika Felice Smith for her VMA performance. From there, she went on to assist Monika Felice Smith, working with artists and brands such as OneRepublic, Skinny Pop, Panic and The Disco, The CAAMP, The Wallows, and many others. She has also worked as a movement director for Metas’ OCULUS campaign and for Caleb Hearns’s tour in 2022. Riley also showcased her choreography skills in the Netflix film, “Straight Up.” Riley has a passion for education and has choreographed for AMDA, Orange County School of The Arts, and assisted Monika Felice Smith with a piece for Chapman University. She also helped develop, was a talent-coordinator, and assisted choreographers like Talia Favia, Cassidy Noblet, and Robert Roldan on the pilot episode of CBS’s “Come Dance with Me.”
Riley has danced for artists such as Half-Alive and recently appeared in Keone and Maris’s feature film, “Space and Time.” Riley has created a dance and film company called “The Ardor Effect” where she directs, choreographs, and creates visual dance art with a group of talented artists located in Los Angeles, CA. With a BFA in dance performance from Chapman University, Riley’s goal and passion are to create more dance-onfilm pieces and share the gift of storytelling through dance with the world.
ABOUT TONIGHT’S CHOREOGRAPHERS
Aidan Carberry
Aidan Carberry, a native of Los Angeles, discovered his passion for choreography while studying at the University of Southern California. His diverse background in hip-hop, acting, contemporary, and theater culminated in a distinctive movement style.
Partnered with Jordan Johnson in JA Collective, they’ve gained recognition for their creative work, notably with half•alive, crafting international touring shows, music videos, and TV performances. Notably, their choreography featured in a Belvedere Vodka commercial alongside Future in 2024 and in Frank Ocean’s 2023 Coachella set.
Their influence extends beyond commercial success; they’ve collaborated with dance luminaries like Emma Portner for works with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the Norwegian National Ballet. Their original concert pieces have premiered in Los Angeles and Europe, including a duet directed by William Forsythe. Through exploration of diverse dance forms, Aidan aims to challenge and positively impact his community
Paige Amicon
Paige Amicon is a dance artist and teacher originally from Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. Amicon currently dances with Ate9 Dance Company in Los Angeles. She graduated from UNCSA under Susan Jaffe with a concentration in contemporary. She also holds a high school degree from UNCSA with a concentration in ballet. At UNCSA, she performed works by Twyla Tharp, José Limón, Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs, Merce Cunningham and Helen Simoneau.
Since moving to Los Angeles, performance experience includes work by Danielle Agami, Santa Barbara Dance Theatre, Mallory Fabian, Stephanie Zalatel, Merce Cunningham, Sophia Stoller and opera work by Yuval Sharon.
In addition to dance performance, Amicon enjoys working in arts education. Amicon has taught and choreographed for students in Philadelphia, Winston Salem and Los Angeles. She currently is the Summer Program Manager for the UNCSA Summer Dance Program.
ABOUT TONIGHT’S CHOREOGRAPHERS
Sandrine Mattei Sandrine Mattei was born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, France. At the age of 12 she left home to train at the Conservatoire
National de Musique et de Danse in Nice, France under a full scholarship, aspiring to become a professional ballerina. After completing her studies and earning a Baccalaureate in Art, Literature and Language, Sandrine achieved numerous victories in Ballet competitions within the National Federation of Dance in France and across Europe. At the age of 16, she was mentored by former principal dancer with Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Rita Poelvoorde, and was invited to attend Intensives at the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp under Robert Denvers.
Sandrine launched her professional career with the “Ballet National de l’Opéra de Bordeaux” in France, under the direction of Charles Jude.. After her tenure there, she began freelancing in Europe before “Running away with the circus” when Cirque du Soleil offered her a soloist/aerialist contract for their brand new production, The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, a 3 Times Grammy Awards winning show. After seven years performing with LOVE, Sandrine joined Cirque du Soleil’s original production ”MYSTERE” for the Principal role of The Black Widow. In addition to her performance roles, Sandrine served as Cirque du Soleil’s dance captain and artist coach, and was featured in Dance Spirit Magazine for “Leading the Cast of LOVE.” She has worked with renowned choreographers including Sonya Tayeh, Mandy Moore, Danny Ezralow, and “NappyTabs”. Sandrine also has performed at The Grammys MusiCares alongside Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr for the 50th Anniversary of The Arrival of The Beatles in America . She has also appeared with Cirque du Soleil as a guest performer on America’s Got Talent Finale, the NHL Awards, the Latin Gramm Awards, the GLAAD Media Awards, Cirque du Soleil 3D movie “Worlds Away” directed by James Cameron, One Night for One Extravaganza alongside Lindsey Sterling..
Nadav Gal
Nadav Gal - is a dedicated and accomplished professional in the dance industry. He graduated from The Jerusalem Academy High School for Music and Dance and began his career with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC).
Over 5 seasons he preformed and tour the world with KCDC company, gaining invaluable experience and exposure. Nadav has collaborated with renowned choreographer Martin Harriague, serving as a Rehearsal Director and as a choreographer assistent and restaging works with companies like Scapino Ballet, Leipzig Ballet, and Opéra d’Avignon. He also worked with the choreographer Eyal Dadon in SOL Dance Company as a freelance dancer, show, and tour manager, contributing to numerous projects both in Israel and internationally.
Throughout his career, Nadav has practiced and performed various notable creations. In 2018, he was appointed as the Professional Director of the KCDC International, Pre-Professional Dance Journey study abroad program. By 2019, he became the Manager and Rehearsal Director of KCDC 2, developing new programs and renewing shows. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as the Artistic Director and Executive Producer of “INSIDERS,” a digital platform for KCDC dancers to share their art globally. In 2023, Nadav served as the Executive Producer of the Tel Aviv Dance Festival.
Currently, he is focusing on his role as a Movement Mentor, bringing his extensive experience in project management, stage direction, video and music editing, and 3D animation to nurture and inspire dancers worldwide. His holistic and innovative approach to art and dance encourages movement exploration and search for creativity.
ABOUT TONIGHT’S CHOREOGRAPHERS
Seda Aybay
Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Seda is the founder, artistic director and choreographer of Kybele Dance Theater (KDT) since 2003. She has produced and choreographed multiple works that have won her choreography awards from 2017 Outstanding Choreographer Las Vegas Youth America Grand Prix, 2016 McCallum Choreography Festival, 2016 Front and Main Dance Festival, 2016 Outstanding Choreographer from Los Angeles Youth America Grand Prix, 2015 Elite Original Choreography Award, Dance Under the Stars Festival, MAD BAD Festival, as well as the RAW 2011 Los Angeles Performing Artist Award.
Her works have been toured and presented in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Fresno, Concord, San Jose, Palm Desert, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Istanbul, Turkey. Along with creating and performing, Seda is currently producing new works for Kybele Dance Theater alongside teaching modern dance classes at Santa Monica College as an Adjunct Professor, Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet program, and Your Neighborhood Dance Studio/Danceline open classes.
Additionally, she prepares young students for Spotlight, Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Elite dance competitions and college dance auditions with both training as well as original choreography. Her students have been invited to perform numerous times at YAGP finals in New York, and awarded with scholarships for various distinguished schools and intensive programs such as Hubbard Street Dance, Alvin Ailey, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Netherlands Dans and more. As an independent artist, Seda has been invited to choreograph and teach for Cal State Fresno, LACSA, Santa Monica Collage, Praxis Project, Cerritos College, Pierce College, Spectrum, Why Dance and LA Dance Festival. She performed with Ney Nava Dance, Liliana de Leon Torsiello, Praxis Project, Lion’s Pounce Theater, Lula Washington Dance Theater, Megan and Jeffrey Hornaday, Reggie Brown, Kin Dance, Bethune Theatre Danse, Paradigm Dance Theater, Clairobscure Dance and many others. She was profiled and featured as a dancer on KTLA channel 9, Univision Kmex34, and Fox 11 News with her unique global perspective and eclectic dance background.
Seda’s dance education started at the age of five with French & Russian ballet technique under Turkish Ballerina Suna Ugur’s tutelage. She later completed the rigorous exams of The Royal Academy of Dance in London, England. She has trained, performed and choreographed internationally in Modern, Jazz & Tap dance forms. Seda’s first dance company Les Chats de St. Michel in Istanbul, Turkey won her three national first place prizes in Milliyet Choreography competitions. She was the youngest and only student choreographer in the creative comity of Istanbul High-schools for Turkish National Holiday “19 Mayis Gençlik ve Spor Bayrami”. After graduation, Seda came to the United States to continue her education in dance at Santa Monica College receiving her AA degree in Honors. She later graduated with Summa Cum Laude from UCLA World Arts and Cultures Department majoring in dance and choreography. She completed Alvin Ailey program in New York, before returning to Los Angeles to form her multimedia contemporary dance company, Kybele Dance Theater.
Kybele Dance Theater
Artistic Director: Seda Aybay
Choreographer: Seda Aybay
Title: 1881-193∞
Performers:
Nico Albuja
Seda Aybay
Simon Lathrop
Jade Lelievre
Karlo Eduardo Ramirez
Ariel Scott
Description: “1881-193∞” commemorates Türkiye’s centennial of democracy, freedom, and secularism. Inspired by the visionary leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the piece encapsulates themes of empowerment, hope, and resilience. Through dynamic choreography and symbolism, it celebrates Türkiye’s rich cultural heritage while urging viewers to reflect on the ongoing struggle for societal change and progress.
Sloane Adams
Felicity Aguilar
Alessandro Almeida
Amy Aoki
Delilah Aparicio
Jonathan Archer
Kai Armitage
Paige Arnold
Sofia Azurin
Alexandrea Baker
Lauryn Bakh
Kiya Barczyszyn
Makeila Bartlett
Benjamin Brannan
Lyla Briggs
Kinley Bryan
Khloe Bullock
Liliana Carlopio
Aaron Chang
Annie Chen
Bella Chen
Casey Cheung
Yein Cho
Kaelyn Choe
Clara Choi
Allison Choi
Ashlyn Chung
Brandon Correa
Kameron Couch
Katie Couch
Tatum Coyte
Presley Edwards
TONIGHT’S PERFORMERS
Willa Mae Enriquez
Jovie Escobedo
Jordan Eskenazi
Melia Espinoza
Cadie Eyer
Natalie Fry
Guinevere Gale
Victoria Garcia
Rebeca Gomez Garza
Richard Granese
Alyson Gray
Amy Guo
Ashley Guo
Jonah Guzman
Karis Han
Ava Hill
Annie Hu
Natalie Jahn
Joleane Jewell
Keira Kelii
Kaili Kester
Elise Kim
Avery Kim
Hailey Kim
Madelyn Kim
Natalie Kim
Brooke Kim
Robin Kim
Skylie Kim
Isabella Kouznetsova
Diana Kouznetsova
Sarah Kuy
Esme Lee
Angelina Lee
Jasmine Lee
Evangeline Lee
Yena Lee
Halyn Lee
Katelyn Lee
Grace Li
Olivia Liddi
Kira Lieberman
Brooklyn Lieberman
Renee Liu
Cayleigh Lo
Maya Loureiro
Echo Lund
Isabella Machado
Logan Macy
Sadie Manrique
Emma Marc
Makaela McCosar
Emerson McDougal
LilyAna McFarland
Merce Meynardie
Angelina Militante
Diana Montiel
Shaya Nishihara
Pranju Pandey
Alyssa Park
Jade Park
Brandon Paul
Sadie Perez
Kiera Rashad
Isabella Rivera
Taylor Roscoe
Piper Rovsek
Arianna Sanchez
Maya Sano
Ella Sheppard
Aidan Shields
Kaiya Shirley
Mariana Simoes
Ariel Tello
Elise Teng
Courtney Tom
Brooklynn Toney
Avery Tran
Natalie Tseng
Jadon Vo
Li-yan Wang
Elizabeth Webber
Emma Rose Williams
Sophia Grace Williams
Audrey Wilson
Evangelina Wu
Andrea Wyckoff
Abigail Yanami
Kristin Yee
Cathrine Yin
Kindle You
Rylee Young
Jojo Yu
Hayden Yu
Lingyao Zhang
Maggie Zhou
UNLOCK LEGAL
Professional License Defenders
We Represent All Licensed Professionals
• Doctors
• Chiropractors
• Physical Therapists
• Nurses
2,000+
• Teachers
• Contractors
• Social Workers
• Insurance agents/brokers
Unlock Legal is a law firm that provides representation specifically to California professionals who are facing the loss of their healthcare, real estate, or other professional license—and therefore their livelihood. If your license is under threat or suspension because you have been charged with a crime, we will represent you in the state courts.
• Real Estate agents/ brokers
• and many more
SPECIAL THANKS
Commercial Dance would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our PAC parents who help make evenings like tonight possible for our community. THANK YOU!
Danielle Adams
Glenda Aguilar
Lourdes Almeida
Keenah Armitage
Rose Bakh
Jamie Briggs
Jewey Chiang
Christie Couch
Tamara Escobedo
Francine Eskenazi
Maritza Garcia
Lori Granese
Stacey Hill
Ji Hyun
Jordy Jahn
Helen Kim
Laura La Kim
Kathrin Kim
Rita Kouznetsova
Susie Lee
Julie Liddi
Amy Liu
Shirley Liu
Lydia Liu
Mei Lo
Stacey Lund
Rita Madeira
Ambra Manrique
Jennifer Mehiditas
Jada Meynardie
Anita Rosvek
Magnolia Sanchez
Natalie Toney
Barbara Tran
Erin Wilson Ji Wu
Fiona Xu
Sumie Yanami
About the Commercial Dance Conservatory
CONSERVATORY OVERVIEW
The Commercial Dance Conservatory is the only program of its kind in the country specially designed to develop well-rounded dancers with the technical skills, discipline, and commitment necessary for a career in the industry and/ or admittance into prestigious university and college dance programs. Through a progressive curriculum, students build a strong technical and artistic foundation. Students receive instruction in a variety of dance forms from a core faculty of professionals. Esteemed guest artists also expose students to current and innovative dance forms, as well as provide students with the unique opportunity to establish working relationships with internationally renowned choreographers. Through these experiences, students develop an appreciation of the different dance genres and styles, as well as the history of the art form.
Guiding growth-minded leaders, teams and companies into transformational growth in business and life.
15 Companies Successfully Exited / Sold
12+
Marriages Saved
» Executive + Management Coaching
» Fractional C-Level Services
Client
» Guest Speaker Engagements $27.5M
» Strategy Steering + Facilitation
15% - 30%
» Brand + Customer Journey Clarity
Led by Amit Kothari, bestselling author and seasoned COO / CFO, the KLE team uses an innovative EQ+ExecutionTM approach — linking emotional intelligence to successful business results.
To learn more, visit www.KothariLeadership.com or call (949) 216-8652 to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
Commercial Dance students have the unique opportunity to audition for the conservatory’s performance group, the OCSA Commercial Dance Company (OC/DC). This group provides students with real-world experience, as they are put through a professional audition and weekly rehearsals to learn choreography by esteemed faculty and industry guests. Company dancers receive opportunities to choreograph, dance in film projects in Los Angeles, and represent the Commercial Dance Conservatory at national and international festivals.
GUEST ARTISTS
Debbie Allen (Broadway Dancer, Choreographer, and Director)
Jon Bond (Netherlands Dance Company)
Tessandra Chavez (Choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance)
Marguerite Derricks (TV, Film, and Broadway Choreographer)
Tyce Diorio (Choreographer, Taylor Swift and So You Think You Can Dance)
Brian Friedman (Judge and Choreographer, So You Think You Can Dance; Choreographer, X Factor)
Madi Hicks (LA Dance Project, Sidra Bell Dance New York)
Liz Imperio (Choreographer, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez)
Michaela Taylor (Choreographer, TL Collective, Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch)
Dana Wilson (Justin Timberlake, Seaweed Sisters)
Andrew Wingheart (Choreographer, Oscars, Billie Eilish, and Khalid)
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Ms. Nicole Berger, an award-winning director for film and stage, started her career as a dancer in major motion pictures, independent films, primetime television shows, and renowned stage productions. In 2006, while on set as a principal dancer in Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe, she was mentored by acclaimed Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel. Since then, she has served as the choreographer for many television networks and shows, including The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, Deadwood: The Movie, Veep, and Platonic, among others. She produced and directed the awardwinning short film HOLES, featuring music by The Police.
As a graduate of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Ms. Berger quickly started her career as a soloist and assistant choreographer with Mark Dendy Dance and Theatre, where she had the opportunity to choreograph for the Radio City Rockettes. She was also a company member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York City and currently serves as the artistic director of COMPANY RHOME, a Los Angeles-based contemporary ballet theatre company. As an educator, Ms. Berger has taught at the collegiate level since 2010 and has toured the nation giving master classes to high school and college students. She received an Inspiring Brilliance Award from Disney Performing Arts for her innovative, creative, and transformative work with her students.
SCHOOL, FOUNDATION & CONSERVATORY LEADERSHIP
SCHOOL
President & CEO
Teren Shaffer
Chief Operations Officer
Gregory Endelman, Ed.D.
Principal
Michael Ciecek
Assistant Principal of Instruction
Kimberly Barraza Lyons, Ph.D.
Assistant Principal of Student Services
Becca Freeland
Assistant Principal of Arts
Maria Lazarova, D.M.A.
Assistant Principal of Student Supervision
Abbe Levine
Director of Special Services
Lauren Reynolds
Learning Specialist
Shelley Stanphill
FOUNDATION
Vice President of Communications
Kelly Andrews
Vice President of Development
Elizabeth Ton
CONSERVATORY
Director of Productions
Eric Hamme
SCHOOL OF APPLIED ARTS
Arts & Enterprise
Ally Bushman, Director
Mekjian Family Culinary Arts & Hospitality
Daniel Mattos, Chef Director
SCHOOL OF DANCE
Ballet & Contemporary Dance
Steven B. Hyde, Director
Ballet Folklórico Dance
Marlene Peña-Marin, Director
Ballroom Dance
Robert Porch, Director
Commercial Dance
Nicole Berger, Director
SCHOOL OF FINE & MEDIA ARTS
Creative Writing
Joshua Wood, Director
Martin & Cynthia Howard
Design & Media
Patrick Williams, Director
Film & Television
Aaron Orullian, Director
Integrated Arts
Charna Lopez, Director
Cassandra Foster, Conservatory Manager
Visual Arts
Paige Oden, Director
Randy Au, Assistant Director
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Classical Voice
Ryan Reithmeier, D.M.A., Director
Instrumental Music
Sarkis Baltaian, D.M.A., Director
Pianist Program
Strings & Orchestra Program
John Reynolds, D.M.A., Director
The Garn Family Jazz Studies Program
Frederick Fennell Wind Studies Program
Nicholaus Yee, D.M.A., Coordinator
Strings & Orchestra Program
Popular Music
Natasha Pasternak, Director
SCHOOL OF THEATRE
El-Erian Family Acting
John Walcutt, Director
Donald Amerson, Conservatory Manager
Musical Theatre
Ryan Miller, Director
Amelia Barron, Conservatory Manager
Production & Design
Kelly Marie Pate, Director
The path to
COLLEGE SUCCESS
Emphasizes fundamental operational skills, computational fluency and problem-solving abilities
Integrates Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics to prepare students for both traditional and Integrated Math courses
Topics beyond our curriculum scope, such as Algebra 2, Trigonometry, or Calculus, are covered under our Homework Support program
HOMEWORK SUPPORT
Ideal for students needing assistance with homework struggling with specific concepts or preparing for tests
Offers support for higher-level Mathematics and AP courses
Sessions are student-driven structured towards specific needs, and focus on the material students bring for support
Dependent on teacher availability and subject matter
Enhances reading fluency higher-order analysis skills, and overall comprehension
Prioritizes development of advanced critical thinking skills to cultivate confident, proficient readers
Expands knowledge of vocabulary and word meanings
STUDY SKILLS
Enhances academic habits through goal setting, organizational skills, time management, and effective test-taking strategies
Strengthens active reading, listening, outlining, note-taking (including the Cornell method), and study techniques
Tailored for middle to high school demands
Provides extensive customizability to meet individual student needs effectively
Develops the five-step writing process and various writing techniques that make writing assignments more manageable
Stengthens fundamental language skills (grammar punctuation capitalization and spelling) that make writing clear and accurate
Provides experience with various essay types: narrative, informative, persuasive, and research
SAT/ACT PREP
Provides teacher-led in-depth instruction on application of best practices, key reasoning skills and test-taking strategies
Access to two student workbooks (Math, English) which provide instruction on test concepts and features homework and mixed review practice
Access to SylvanPrep com, an individualized online component, for one full year
Access to multiple full length practice tests which mimic the conditions of a real test
*SylvanPrep com can be used as a standalone self-led program (Sylvan Prep Online)
TREATMENT OF BODY IMAGE & EATING DISORDERS
Nurturing, Healing & Resilience
Compassionate, specialized medical evaluation and management of eating disorders and body image concerns for kids, teens and young adults.
O erings:
Medical evaluation and management of eating disorders
Body image curriculum
Parent education presentations
Body image workshop for adults
Contact:
Usha Ganesan, MD 949.229.5964 17541 Irvine Blvd, Suite E, Tustin, CA 92780
Hon. Halim Dhanidina (Ret.), Board of Trustees Representative
Jennie Johanson-Maya, Vice Chair, Public Relations & Marketing
Eoin L. Kreditor, J.D., Vice Chair, Legacy Giving
Kimberley Lakes, Ph.D., Vice Chair, Human Capital
Christine Walker-Bowman, Vice Chair, Finance
Directors
Lisa Argyros
Jim Bergman
Lisa Brennan
Miaad Bushala
Bruce E. Chapman
Jim Conroy
Julia Feldman
Lamia Gabal, M.D.
Julie Garn
Gillian Hayes, Ph.D.
Steven Ho
Martin Howard
Michael Le, M.D.
Lee Runnels
Don Steiner
EMERITUS BOARD
Julia Argyros
John Daniels
Sandy Segerstrom Daniels
Mohamed El-Erian
Brad Ellis, J.D.
Maria Newkirk Fong
John Gates
Carol Green
Jerry Mandel
Michal Mekjian, Jr.
James “Walkie” Ray
Judy Sabbagh
Susan Samueli, Ph.D.
Janice Frey Smith
Kate St. Clair
Russell Stern
John Vestri
Scott Woolsey
In Memoriam
Paul Folino
Doug Garn
Sebastian Paul Musco
Lew Webb
If you are interested in supporting the OCSA Foundation, please reach out to Vice President of Development Elizabeth Ton at elizabeth.ton@ocsarts.net or visit www.ocsarts.net/DonateNow
Special Thanks To Our Families
Thank you to all of our OCSA families who have contributed this year through the Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA) in support of their child’s arts conservatory experience. Your contributions specifically support conservatory salaries, facilities, equipment and supplies, performance opportunities, guest artist master teachers, and field trips.
We can’t make the OCSA magic happen without you!
The OCSA Foundation is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing financial support to the school The Foundation accomplishes this through individual contributions (in addition to families’ annual Conservatory Funding Agreements); membership support and social groups, including Encore; corporate sponsorships; special events; foundation grants; legacy giving; capital campaigns; and community engagement programs and classes.
All Foundation gifts and membership contributions provide invaluable support toward important schoolwide initiatives that directly benefit our talented students.
SEASON SPONSORS
Thank you to the following 2024-2025 Season Sponsors:
Thank you to the following 2024-2025 President’s Circle members:
Armi and Ron Abiera
Cheryl Alderson and Charles Dominguez
Courtney and James Banaag
Autumn and Frank Bignami
Alyson and Alfredo Cartagena
Kara and Rob Casola
Kathy and William Chang
Joy Chao and Jason Lee
Julia and Lewis Cho
Gretchen and Jim Conroy
Michelle and Tim Danaher
Neeti and Sandeep Dang
Saranya and Halim Dhanidina
Julia Feldman and Ryan Malone
Sally and Dan Fleet
Laura Forbes and Mike Huntley
Betsy and Luke Freiler
Lamia Gabal and Charlie Wilcoxson
Stacy and Jason Gwin
Sameena and Ali Habib
Allison and Brian Herman
Jason and Jessica Herthel
Jennie Johanson-Maya and Sal Maya
Karen Kim and Spencer Ho
Annu Khemka and Maneesh Goyal
Cheryl and Michael Laven
Debbie and Bonaparte Liu
Sherry and Paul Main
Greg McCollum and Jeff Van Hoosear
Maeesha Merchant and Gaurav Diwan
Jessica Miley and Alejandro Brubaker
Tita Nguyen and Michael Le
Rose Paguirian-Steiner and Don Steiner
Allison and Jim Panetta
Amy Parekh and Jay Shah
Brad Pivar and Rod Escobedo
Ami and Rakesh Puvvada
Alexis and Julian Recana
Catey and Chris Reese
Trilby and Michael Robinson-Dorn
Melissa and Jeffrey Ruderman
Anna Schlotzhauer and Jim Bergman
Jennifer and Brad Smith
Karen Smith and Jay Jerrier
Mohini and Vip Soni
Jeannette and John Soumbasakis
Lisa Stevens Wegner and Jed Stevens
Kim and Bert Tavares
Mei Tsang and Steve Brown
Kelly and Brooks Wackerman
Ivy Wang and Patryk Symchych
Courtney and Andrew Wittkop
Manuella and Michael Yassa
Michelle and Gary Yoshino
Sandy and David Young
Jinny and Ed Yun
List current as of September 23, 2024.
Thank you to the following 2024-2025 Encore members:
Armi and Ron Abiera
Acting Conservatory Mom
Anonymous
Justin Aragon and Laura Boysen-Aragon
Ms. Jyothi Atluri
The Bailey Family
James and Courtney Banaag
Edgar and Julie Barajas
Team Bignami
The Bittel Family
Ronald and Dawne Both
Lisa and Jack Brennan
Christe Bruderlin
The Bullock Family
Dr. Alyson and Alfredo Cartagena
The Casola Family
Kathy and William Chang
Joy Chao and Jason Lee
Tim and Rita Chen
Julia and Lewis Cho
Vincent and Karla Chung
Cogswell Design Inc.
Dr. Gretchen and Mr. James Conroy
Kristy Crownover
CV Programs
The Dale Family
Tim and Michelle Danaher
Neeti and Sandeep Dang
Ramit and Rakhi Dayal
The Deutschman Family
The Dhanidina Family
Joe and Jessica DiPenta
DM
The Dominguez Family
Isabel Dong
Kyle and Courtney Duff
Malisa and Kanwal Duggal
The Elder Family
Dr. & Mrs. Gregory and Lisa Endelman
The Engle Family
Julia Feldman and Ryan Malone
Sally and Dan Fleet
Laura Forbes and Mike Huntley
Luke and Betsy Freiler
Lamia Gabal and Charlie Wilcoxson
Kim Gangnes
Byron and Raquel Gillen
The Goodemote Family
The Gourley Family
Apra and Rahul Gupta
Mala and Neeraj Gupta
Brandi and Javier Gutierrez
Jason and Stacy Gwin
Sameena and Ali Habib
Aurora He
The Herman Family
Jason and Jessica Herthel
Stacey and Justin Hill
Andy and Gracie Hinton
Scott Holty and Emilie Albert
Angela Huang
The Idriss Family
Ivie-Valle Family - IN This House Love Rules
Jenii Jacobson
Jennie Johanson-Maya and Sal Maya
Angela Kent
David and Sara Kerrane
Andrew and Chinyee Keyoung
Annu Khemka and Maneesh Goyal
Karen Kim and Spencer Ho
Kevin and Kelly Kelley
Barbara and Keith Kuntz
Jason and Susan Lai
Cheryl and Michael Laven
Rosemarie and Michael Le Coz
My Lee
The Lee Family
Scott and Susan Lee
The Liu Family
Debbie and Bonaparte Liu
Kevin and Louise Lloyd
The Ly-Pang Family
Jay and Danielle Madison
Molly Mahoney and John Dominguez
Paul and Sherry Main
Greg McCollum and Jeff Van Hoosear
Paul Mendoza
Maeesha Merchant and Gaurav Diwan
Val and Larry Miles
Jessica Miley and Alejandro Brubaker
The Mitras
Olga, Geoff, and Avery Mizrahi
Moon’s Family
Yvonne Naranjo
Tita Nguyen and Michael Le
Niu Family of FTV
The Oh Family
The Ortiz Family
Molly Ortwein
Rosemarie Paguirigan-Steiner and Don Steiner
Jim and Allison Panetta
The Parekh Shah Family
Oscar and Jessica Parra
The Passalacqua Family
The Pennor Family
Peters Architecture Inc.
The Pivar-Escobedo Family
Rakesh and Ami Puvvada
The Ransford Family
Hon. Julian and Alexis Recana
Chris and Catey Reese
Mr. and Mrs. Carlos and Nancy Reyes
Savalai and Brent Ridley
Trilby and Michael Robinson-Dorn
Logan and Carol Ross
The Rossfeld Family
Melissa and Jeff Ruderman
Anna Schlotzhauer and Jim Bergman
The Schultz Family
David and Tina Sidoni
Bandana and Jolly Singh
Brad and Jennifer Smith
Karen Smith and Jay Jerrier
Mo and Vip Soni
Lisa Stevens Wegner and Jed Wegner
John and Jeannette Soumbasakis
Patryk Symchych and Ivy Wang
Kim and Bert Tavares
Elliot Tong
The Truong/Kondo Family
Mei Tsang and Steve Brown
Reagan Vallejo
Michael and Nicole Vicioso
The Vik Family
The Villanueva Family Foundation
The Vitta Kama Family
The Voros Family
Brooks and Kelly Wackerman
The Weaver Family
Courtney and Andrew Wittkop
Parents of David Wong (CW, ‘26)
Brenda Wooding and Eric Adler
Brian Yan’s Family
Michael and Manuella Yassa
Michelle and Gary Yoshino
Drs. Edward and Jinny Yun
The Zazik Family
Advancing Care Through Clinical Trials and Research
The St. Jude Crosson Cancer Institute
Ongoing research and clinical trials are creating breakthroughs in cancers once thought insurmountable—and we are a leader in bringing these benefits from the lab to the bedside. Our specialists routinely use advanced genomic testing to identify the DNA alterations driving the growth of a patient’s tumor, allowing us to identify treatments and clinical trials that target those mutations. As part of the Precision Oncology Alliance, a collaboration of the nation’s leading cancer research centers, we o er over 100 clinical trials focused on dozens of di erent cancers—giving our patients access to some of the most promising and aggressive treatments available
For more information or to learn about eligibility requirements for each trial, call St Jude Oncology Research at (714) 992-3000 ext. 4332.
The goal of Students First: A Capital Campaign is to create an enhanced campus environment that will benefit the entire OCSA community.
Thank you to the following individuals and organizations who have donated in support of this transformational campaign:
Acting Conservatory Families, Class of 2025
Anonymous
Julia and George Argyros
Lisa Argyros
Albert and Miaad Bushala
The Cha Family
Dr. Gretchen and Mr. James Conroy
The DeVoe Family
DevTo Support Foundation
The Dhanidina Family
The Dirk Family
El-Erian Family Foundation
Roberta Estrin
Farmers & Merchants Bank
The Garn Family
Shelley and Steven Ho
The Larry and Helen Hoag Foundation
Martin and Cynthia Howard / Howard CDM
Chinyee and Dr. J. Andrew Keyoung
N&D Kim Family
Tina and Eoin Kreditor / Cleo A Bluth Charitable Foundation
Dr. Kimberley Lakes and Dr. James Kay
Cheryl and Michael Laven
Hsueh Chun Lo
The Malone Family
Jennifer and Paul Meyhoefer
Mrs. Tita Nguyen, Esq. and Dr. Michael Le
Ryan and Jin O’Grady
The Park Family
Debbie and Joe Rogoff
Samueli Foundation
Anna Schlotzhauer and Jim Bergman
Karen Smith and Jay Jerrier
The Sternshein Family
The Tioleco-Cheng Malabarba Family
Ryan and Nicole Warne-McGraw
The Wegner Family
Michelle and Gary Yoshino
Pendry Newport Beach is proud to be a sponsor of the Orange County School of the Arts.
Contemporary Luxury
MAKE A SCENE MAKE WAVES
WHEREVER THE FUTURE TAKES YOU
CREATE ENRICHING OPPORTUNITIES
The Hearts for the Arts campaign provides additional support for arts conservatory needs beyond each conservatory’s annual budget. Donations help to fund special equipment and supplies, performances, field trips, and other arts enrichment opportunities for our talented OCSA students.
HELP STUDENTS IN NEED
The Artist Scholar Sponsorship Program supports economically disadvantaged students who attend OCSA. Donations help to fund the arts conservatory portion of their school day and ensure they have access to the full OCSA experience, including yearbooks, technology, school supplies, and more.
PROVIDE GUEST ARTIST EXPERIENCES
The Master Artist Series supports high-profile visiting artists who create meaningful experiences for our student artists. Donations help to bring master artists and industry leaders to OCSA’s campus to share their career stories and expertise with students through residencies, master classes, lectures, and performances.
CSArts Academy offers extracurricular arts courses to student artists of various ages from throughout the community. Join us for fun and rewarding classes in the fall, spring, or summer!
FALL SATURDAY SERIES
Classes begin September 21, 2024
Registration opens in late August
SPRING SATURDAY SERIES
FALL SATURDAY SERIES SPRING
SPRING
Classes begin February 22, 2025
Registration opens in January
Classes begin July 7, 2025
Registration opens in January
BECOME A SPONSOR!
Promote your business at a specific conservatory performance or throughout the entire conservatory season! Hear your company’s name announced from the stage, promote your brand to a loyal target audience, and receive complimentary tickets!
$2,500 PER CONSERVATORY PERFORMANCE SEASON
BENEFITS
• Recognition in conservatory-specific promotional materials and communications
• Customized speech from the stage at select performances in your conservatory’s season*
• Two (2) complimentary tickets to each performance** in your conservatory’s season
• Recognition on OCSA’s Digital Donor Wall in the Tower Lobby, Center for the Arts Lobby, and DMS Lobby
$1,000 PER SPECIFIC CONSERVATORY PERFORMANCE
BENEFITS
• Recognition in conservatory-specific promotional materials and communications
• Customized speech from the stage at your selected conservatory performance*
• Two (2) complimentary tickets to your selected conservatory performance**
• Recognition on OCSA’s Digital Donor Wall in the Tower Lobby, Center for the Arts Lobby, and DMS Lobby
PROCEEDS WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE CONSERVATORY OF YOUR CHOICE!
To view a list of upcoming performances, please visit www.ocsarts.net/BoxOffice.
*Also applicable to conservatory-specific events.
**Some exclusions may apply, including special events and performances at outside venues.
Support from businesses directly impacts the transformational education and creative opportunities provided for our students.
Current OCSA Families: Please note that donations from businesses to this campaign cannot be allocated toward your Conservatory Funding Agreement (CFA). All OCSA families are encouraged to contribute the requested amount toward their child’s conservatory through the CFA prior to supporting other OCSA initiatives.
To secure your Spotlight Sponsorship, please contact Greg McCollum, Director of Corporate & Business Relations, at gregory.mccollum@ocsarts.net or 714.560.0900 ext. 6616
Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) proudly offers a wide range of professional-level performance groups comprised of inspiring student artists from the school’s many arts conservatories. Make your private, corporate, or charity function more special by featuring a select group of OCSA’s bright and talented students!
Our extensive variety of repertoire is completely customizable. Choose the group that best meets the needs of your event and budget!
Ballet folklórico dancers
Ballroom dancers
Classical singers
Commercial dancers
Instrumental musicians
MONTAGE! performance ambassadors
CATERING SERVICES
We cater to your needs! Let our talented high school students and their world-class chef instructors make your gathering an event to remember.
Are you or someone you love struggling to overcome obstacles, achieve balance, or lead a more fulfilling life?
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Our highly accomplished psychiatrists provide personalized, comprehensive and compassionate care to adolescents and adults
We work with our patients to treat emotional issues, identify and address academic challenges, overcome performance obstacles, and work to enhance positive coping strategies and improve resilience With
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BEACH CLEAN-UP
WHAT IS KIWIN’S?
CNH KIWIN’S (California, Nevada, Haiwaii), similar to its KEY CLUB counterparts, is an student-led club that stretches among multiple schools, including OCSA. This club promotes a sense of community and allows students easy access to various COMMUNITY SERVICE events. Students can learn to strengthen skills such as LEADERSHIP, collaborating with others, and can learn the significance of supporting your community. This looks great on COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, especially since joining this club can open up opportunities for SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, and NETWORKING.
b rodas@ocsarts net zoey.zien@ocsarts.net
ZOEY ZIEN, CA&H ‘27 CLUB PRESIDENT zoey.zien@ocsarts.net
“CHILDREN: THEIR FUTURE, OUR FOCUS, LIVE2LEARN”
One of CNH KIWIN’S major focuses/service events puts emphasis on students promoting education and literacy, focused on youth, ages 5-9. This is just one of the many community service opportunities strengthening students’ connection with their area.
✓ Low teacher:child ratios
✓ Child-centered, emergent, engaging curriculum
✓ Inclusive & integrated learning environments
✓ Strong image of the child
✓ Highly trained teaching team
Currently serving children ages 3 to 5 years old
PROGRAM OFFERINGS
California State Preschool
• Reduced family fees for qualifying families
• Part-Day Program Sites:
• Commonwealth Elementary
• Hermosa Drive Elementary
• Maple Elementary School
• Orangethorpe Elementary
• Pacific Drive Elementary
• Woodcrest Elementary
• Full-Day/Full-Year Program Sites:
• Richman Elementary
• Valencia Park Elementary
Fee-Based Preschool
• Part-Day Program Sites:
• Beechwood Elementary
• Sunset Lane Elementary
• Full-Day Program Site:
• Sunset Lane Elementary
Fullerton School District Educational Services
Preschool Program 714-447-7499
https://www.fullertonsd.org/preschool
Fullerton School District 2025 - 2026
Dual Language Academy
Great Schools, Successful Kids
Accepting Intents to register TK through 8th grade
Spanish and English Dual Immersion 90/10 Model
Korean and English Dual Immersion 50/50 Model Read, write, and communicate effectively
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) 21st Century Learning Skills, Cross-cultural competencies
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 714-447-7416 / FULLERTON DLA@MYFSD ORG OR VISIT: FULLERTONSD ORG/PAGE/2468
