**bpbdco’s Current And Past Artists:
Viviana Alcazar originally from El Centro, CA began dancing at an early age of 7. Trained mainly in Hip Hop and Modern; she has danced in several hip hop companies named Funkanometry , and Mavyn . She graduated from California State University Long Beach with a B.A in Dance. It was there that she studied Modern and Ballet under Keith Johnson, Susan Mc Clain, Lorin Johnson and Sophie Monet. While studying there she began choreographing various dances, one in particular called “Custodis” was showcased at the 07’ American College Dance Festival Association in Missoula, Montana. Since then Viviana has created original pieces shown in San Diego at Sushi 4×4, Jean Isaacs Studio Series, 2009 Celebrate Dance Festival, and 2010 Brand Library Series in Los Angeles. She was featured as a special guest choreographer for the Domino Affect Dance Company in Long Beach. Viviana Alcazar is currently dancing for The PGK Project, (A Contemporary Dance Company) of San Diego, and is enjoying her time performing with Peter Kalivas and fellow dancers of the company. Other previous performances include Jean Issacs’ Trolley Dances, Maria Gillespie of Oni Dance, original works by Gabe Masson, Somebodies Dance theater, John Diaz, ARMD and Dancers and Katie Griffin for the 09’ Emerge Showcase. Viviana teaches Creative Movement and Modern at Danceworks studio in San Diego. She is also currently a Dance Teaching Artist for the San Diego Unified School District, and Young Audiences of San Diego.
Kenna Crouch began dancing at the age of six, and until the age of 16, life was all about Classical Ballet, Jazz and Tap…. training, examinations, competitions, dance team, workshops, performances… it was an amazing way to grow up, and it definitely laid the foundation for much of the artistic, creative and physical ability that she has today. For this she is very grateful, especially to the San Juan School of Dance in Los Altos, California, and Keith Banks of Studio 10 Dance in Cupertino, California. Most of all, she is grateful to her parents and sister, with out whom none of it would be possible.
Kenna graduated from high school in 2004 and went straight to UC San Diego that fall. Winter Quarter 2005, she took a Modern Dance class taught by Patricia Rincon (a veteran LA/SD/MEX dancer, choreographer and UCSD professor) and, many thanks to her, has not stopped dancing since. The opportunity to take various classes with other influential UCSD professors like Allyson Green, Yolande Snaith, Jean Isaacs, and Eric Geiger; to perform; to realize the accessibility and vast range of options for creativity and context; as well as to experience the organic movement quality of Modern Dance; all factored into Kenna’s declaration of a second Major in Dance (the first was Sociology!).
From February-June of 2007, Kenna studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she took dance classes—classical, contemporary and Tango—at the Instituto Universitario Nacional de Argentina (IUNA). Kenna graduated from UCSD in December 2008 with degrees in Dance and Sociology. The economy was rough at that point, so Kenna took her career into her own hands and decided to do what she loved and knew she was good at—dance and yoga (another deep passion that had been brewing for a couple years at this point)!
In October 2008, she began dancing with the Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, a Contemporary and Dance/Theater company, performing and teaching in San Diego, as well as internationally. Kenna’s credits with PRDC include Myth Project IV, V Blurred Borders X, XIand Blurred Summer Dance Fest. She has assisted teaching PRDC works at UCSD as well as La Jolla Country Day School. Last summer in 2010, Kenna traveled to Frankfurt Aum Main and Heidelberg, Germany for two weeks to assist Patricia in teaching Jazz and Modern Dance at the Universities there. Kenna plans on returning this summer to teach again (and travel Europe).
In 2009, Kenna began her own dance/yoga company, kriya collective, which premiered at the Celebrate Dance Festival in Balboa Park, August 2009. Kenna works as a full-time yoga instructor in north county San Diego, and is thrilled to maintain a professional dance career, as well! Visit her website—kennacrouch.com—for more information on Yoga and Dance related services, events and performances with Kenna.
Megan Rae Jenkins currently resides in Riverside, California. She began her dance training with Stefannie Valencia Kierlin at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts and earned her B.F.A in dance performance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She hails from the Midwest where she lived, worked, and studied in Minneapolis prior to moving to Riverside, working with a variety of local, national, and international choreographers, performing at the American College Dance Festival, and apprenticing with Shapiro and Smith Dance. Dancing has taken her across the country, and she has performed throughout the Midwest, Southern California, and Florida. Ms. Jenkins, through The PGK Project, also traveled to Kazakhstan as a United States Cultural Envoy. She has performed in Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story, Lin Huai-min’s Crossing the Black Water, and Paul Taylor’s Lost Found Lost and workded with renowned choreographers, Doug Elkins, Shouze Ma, Paula Mann, Ming-Shen Ku, Joanie Smith, and the late Danial Shapiro.
Originally from Minnesota, Sarah Larson began dancing in high school at The Perpich Center for Arts Education. Sarah moved to San Diego in 2004 and studied dance at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, and at the University of California, San Diego, where she received her B.A. in dance in 2008. Since graduating, Sarah has performed annually with the San Diego Dance Theater’s Trolley Dances, and has performed for multiple artists and companies including: Sound Dance Company, DK Dance, Brava La Danza, Brown Paper Bag Dance Co., Blythe Barton Dance, Martita Abril, Allyson Green Dance and other local entities. Sarah performed and collaborated as a company member for the Patricia Rincon Dance Collective from 2009- 2011. Sarah’s recent reviews by SanDiego.com include: “Larson is one to watch as she can undulate wildly. . .”, “Sarah Larson is Riveting.” Larson is currently pursuing multiple art forms such as jewelry and design and has created her own creative line called “Often Wander.”
Blurring the fine line between the concert and digital art worlds, Maria Juan continuously pushes boundaries in choreography, teaching and the business of dance. She is the recipient of the San Diego Foundation’s Arts and Culture Individual Artist Fellowship Grant from the Creative Catalyst Fund under the sponsorship of John Malashock and the Malashock Dance Company. Originally from Florida, Maria came to San Diego and dove headfirst into the performing scene. She has had the opportunity to perform in works by Bradley Michaud (los Angeles), Elfie Schafer-Schafroth (Switzerland), Lux Boreal (Tijuana), Jean Isaacs (SD Dance Theater) among other emerging choreographers from San Diego. A graduate of the University of South Florida, she has performed throughout the sunshine state with several companies including Moving Current Dance Collective, BellaDanza and MusInc., an artists collective which she co-founded.
Intrigued by how performing arts and digital media can co-exist, she founded her own multi-media arts agency, mjuanstudio. Through this medium, she has collaborated on several projects including the most recent with somebodies dance theater. Their presentation of “Wallflower”, which combined contemporary dance with a digital art video installation, took runner-up recognition at the San Diego Young Choreographer’s Prize.
Maria received her Bachelor’s in Dance Studies and Minor in Television Production from the University of South Florida. She trained in digital graphics, web design and photography from the University of California, San Diego. Named on of the “Top Artists Under The Age of 25″ from the Tampa Weekly Planet (now Creative Loafing), Maria has continued to stay and integral part of the dance and arts community.
Heather Dale-Wentworth graduated with honors from University of California San Diego with a BA in dance (Double emphasis: Jazz and Modern) and had performed with The Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, d’Shire Dance Core, Blythe Barton Dance, Mojalet Dance Collective, Heatwave Productions as well as many independent artists.Heather has taught at many San Diego area studios including The Academy Of Performing Arts, San Diego Dance Theatre and the Malashock School of Dance. Her award-winning choreography can be found all over southern California performed by her pre-teen/teen students as well as the dancers of her ensemble, OPUS MIXTUS dance. Heather is currently dancing for The PGK Dance Project, a San Diego-based contemporary dance company for which she has toured and performed on both coasts and is thrilled to now be a member of BPBDC!!
Sarah Navarrete graduated with a B.A. in Dance with emphasis on Education and Kinesiology from New Mexico State University under the direction of Debra Knapp. Upon graduation she moved to New York City where she danced with acclaimed modern dance companies Yung-Li Dance and 4th Right Dance. Sarah also choreographed for and danced with an Aerial/Modern dance company, Project in Motion, as well as with many independent artists including Joanna Hughes, Adelka Polake and Martha Tournay.
Over the past 9 years Sarah has developed her passion for movement education teaching Pilates, Dance and Creative Movement for all ages and physical abilities throughout New Mexico, Texas and NYC. She has taught Pilates and Dance for New Mexico State University and presented for national workshops including the American College Dance Festival, the National Dance Education Organization, and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Recently her life endeavors lead her to the sunny west coast city of San Diego. Here she continues to grow as a movement educator, choreographer and dancer founding her company, Movement Arts, a fitness/dance initiative aimed to facilitate movement in efforts for all to exist as active, healthy and expressive individuals. She is also excited to work with the Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, move with the artists and dancers in Brown Paper Bag Dance Company and begin choreographing for multiple projects throughout the city. Sarah continues educate and inspire individuals to “move to live and live to move”!
Stephanie Smith is from Dallas, TX and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance from the University of North Texas. In school she attended many American College Dance Festivals, including the Nationals in New York City. After graduation she was a collective member of Muscle Memory Dance Theatre. She spent six months studying with Todd Rosenlieb Dance in Norfolk, Virginia before moving to sunny San Diego. She has fallen in love with the San Diego dance community and had the pleasure to work with some of its great artists. Stephanie has participated in many intensives and workshops here as well as held an apprenticeship with The PGK Project and Malashock Dance, performed in Trolley Dances since 2009, Celebrate Dance Festival and been a guest artist in Malashock Dance’s RAW 2010. Stephanie hopes to make a mark in San Diego choreographing and performing along with teaching. Her choreography has been featured in Celebrate Dance Festival, Art Walk, Ignite and New Voices from San Diego Dance Theater. She is currently a work study student for San Diego Dance Theater and teaching all ages and styles throughout the San Diego county.
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