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Candela Dance Troupe, a primary focus of Dulce Fuego Productions, is an all women’s salsa dance troupe that is co-directed by Elizabeth Cunningham and Maryasha Katz. Their choreography draws from the worlds of salsa, samba, jazz, flamenco, hip hop, African, funk, tango, bachata, modern, merengue, and casino rueda. Their dance is unique, elegant, funky, gritty and exciting. The Production Company also sponsors dance group and private classes, and multicultural dance and music events.
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Madelon Curtis, a SAG/AFTRA/AEA professional dancer, actress, choreographer and teacher, has taught all forms of dance for the past 30 years. She brings with her from NYC and LA a broad range of experience. Madelon has worked at the high school, college and professional levels with dancers of all ages and experience. She is also a fully certified Pilates instructor and competitive ballroom dancer. She currently teaches at Elaine's Dance Studio and has most recently choreographed and co-produced Cabaret: A Touch Of France & Fosse and Cabaret: Broadway and Beyond in Aptos. Her newly formed group of six, The Madelon Curtis Dancers, are making their performance debut under her direction at National Dance Week.
Madelon's ballet training is predominately Balanchine-based, having studied extensively with Melissa Hayden, Allegra Kent, Jacques D’Amboise, Pat Wilde, Wilhelm Burmann and other notable New York City Ballet members in NYC and Saratoga Springs. In addition, she trained at The Joffrey Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre School, David Howard, Boston Ballet and with Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France. She has performed with numerous regional ballet companies in New England, NY and NJ.Her jazz background includes the Boston Gold Dance Company, Broadway Dance Center, Steps NYC, Tremaine, Millenium and Edge Performing Arts Center in LA, where she trained and performed with all the well-known and notable teachers in jazz and hip-hop.
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Harold McCord, a native of Kansas City, has been dancing for over 25 years, and has been teaching dance classes and choreographing professional dance routines for more than 15 years. He teaches his own unique style of Tru-School Hip Hop and Street Dance fused with various Martial Art forms to students of all ages and skill levels. With a focus on teaching self-expression, Harold works with each individual in developing his or her own unique talents and abilities. He encourages his students to bring forth their own personal and creative styles --- to be incorporated with the core fundamentals of Hip Hop and Street Dance.
"A true dancer has a solid foundation, dances on beat and through the soul. A true Hip Hopper has to experience all elements of Hip Hop, Popping, Locking, B-Boy-ing, Beat Boxing, Graffiti Art, DJ-ing, and MC-ing. Hip Hop is like martial arts, in order to become a disciple; there are no easy props. Y! ou have to train hard and get a belt in each element." ~Harold McCord~
"In my opinion, I feel that Hip Hop has done what America was supposed to be founded on, which is to bring people together from all nationalities, cultures and religious backgrounds. In Hip Hop, we speak a universal language through dance, music and art. That is Tru-School HIP HOP" ~Harold McCord~
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Dance Odyssey Studio opened its doors in 2007 as part of an expansion of Bellydance Odyssey Productions, a longtime production company founded by Vashti.
Our mission is provide a community space for dance instruction, dance performance, fitness instruction and synergistic collaboration with the visual arts. We are currently undergoing a conversion to a non-profit public benefit corporation.
Dance Odyssey Studio was founded by Jalilah, Nafila, Vashti & Yasmin.
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The Flaming Puppet Sisters is a recent offshoot of Moving & Storage/Crash, Burn, and Die Dance Company (MSPC/CBD) directed by Therese Adams. For over 24 years Adams has created dance theatre works with choreographer Leslie Swaha that have performed in Japan, Scotland, New York and throughout California. Adams has also worked as a stage director for Faultline Theatre Company and Winter Productions in Japan.
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Hillary Ana Flecha began dancing with Ruth Scoffield in Santa Cruz in the old converted church which now houses Kali Ray Tri Yoga. When she was twelve years old she received a scholarship to Dupree Dance Academy in Los Angeles where she began studying during her summers, focusing primarily on jazz and ballet. She danced her way through junior high, landing afterwards at an all-girls boarding school where, though the arts were a high priority, academic studies took precedence. She would sneak into the theater after study hours and on weekends to have space to dance. Encouraged by her teacher, Susan Cable, she later chose to major in dance at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Half way through college, Hillary Ana shifted her emphasis to acting and theater, and studied for two years with James Price and John Grabowski at The Acting Studio, Inc., later joining their Chelsea Rep LAB Company, starring in various full length plays including Top Girls, which was named one of the best Off-Off Broadway Plays in 1995 in Backstage Magazine. She graduated from NYU with honors that same year.
In 1999, Hillary Ana returned to California and joined Dr. Schaffer & Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble, combining her dancing and acting skills. She thenbecame one of the original members of Mir & a Company, launching her into the world of aerial dance. Over the last few years she has also performed with Therese Adams – Moving & Storage/Crash, Burn & Die, Lisa Christensen, Nita Little, Sharon Took-Zozaya and Sarah Wilbourne. Through her work with Miranda Janeschild and her company, she met Frey Faust and was exposed to the brilliance and joy of the Axis Syllabus – universal motor principles™. She received her certification to teach in January 2006.
Ana feels strongly that dance has untapped potential to heal and transform the world. She has recently fallen in love with Contact Improvisation and is grateful for her background in the Axis Syllabus for the knowledge and experience it fosters of dancing off balance in order to merge dynamically with others. In October 2006 Ana began training with Project Bandaloop aerial dance company in Oakland, California. Every year she enjoys spending time in the Northeast of Brazil dancing on the beach.
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Gravity Girls
A sensual, lively & cutting edge aerial dance troupe with attention to music & rhythm.
The Gravity Girls compose a visual “fantasia” that brings sound to life. Collaborating with live musicians, DJ’s & pre-recorded music, the Gravity Girls create a memorable visual show that takes entertainment & performance to new heights.
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Motion Pacific Dance Studio
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Nocturnal Sunshine ~Nocturnal Sunshine is a visionary fire-dance troupe based in Santa Cruz, CA. Blending spectacular fire art with martial arts, theatrics, and dance, the troupe has performed for awe-struck audiences since 2000.
The troupe provides unique entertainment for private parties, corporate events, weddings, and festivals.
Nocturnal Sunshine performs with live musicians, DJs or recorded music.
Shows are customized to complement the spirit and theme of each event. Such flexibility is made possible by our extensive repertoire of creative costuming, musical, and choreographic visions.
Nocturnal Sunshine's passion lies in performing with a wide range of fire tools, including poi, staff, hula-hoop and More. In addition, the troupe provides interactive and unique entertainment with stilts, fabric, and light-powered tools at venues where fire is not permitted.
Safety is of utmost importance. Nocturnal Sunshine provides highly trained safety technicians. The troupe has a perfect safety record and happily works with Fire Officials to secure permits when necessary.
Members of the troupe offer a variety of instruction. Please see the news page for details or contact us for more information.
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Sarah Day and Daniel Bear Davis co-direct Shah and Blah Productions, dedicated to creating and performing provocative and delicately human dance-theatre works since 2004. Shah and Blah works have been presented in Santa Cruz at The 418 Project, in the 2005 and 2006 Contemporary Performance Festivals, and in site-specific venues including the Tannery Arts Center. They have also performed in San Francisco at Counterpulse and in MA at Earthdance Center for Improvisational Dance.
Shah and Blah Productions are currently creating Discourse Off The Walls, a month of dance performance at The Dead Cow Gallery at the Tannery Arts Center.
Sarah Day currently dances with Cid Pearlman and has performed in Berlin with Felix Ruckert. She has been training primarily with Frey Faust in the US and Europe since 2005, studying the Axis Syllabus. She has also studied with Scott Wells, Jess Curtis, Shinichi Iova-Koga, and Keith Hennessey. She finds great inspiration in her exploration of Butoh, site-specific performance, Contact Improvisation, and contemporary dance, and is continually influenced by her background as a visual artist/ writer.
Daniel Bear Davis currently trains and performs with the internationally touring company, The Carpetbag Brigade Physical Theatre. He has danced with The Body Cartography Project, in Berlin with Felix Ruckert, choreographed for senior citizens with Royston Maldoom in Hamburg, and danced with Wire Monkey in MA. He was trained as an Acting Major at Boston University, teaches Contact Improvisation, and is continually sharpening his ability with the mighty pen.
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Tamara Nelson
Tamara Nelson has been studying bellydance since 1996. She teaches
and performs locally and nationally at various venues from small
intimate gatherings to music and dance festivals. Tamara is a member
of Zafira Dance Company, a Pittsburgh, PA based dance collective.
Zafira's performances are opulent vignettes that combine Bellydance
with contemporary and ethnic dance forms. The result is an ornate
performance that blurs the boundary between old and new; performer and
audience, earthy and elegant.
Zafira Dance Company members work together as a collective. Christine
Andrews, Maria Hamer, Jennifer Imashev, Tamara Nelson and Olivia
Kissel have been teaching and performing together since 1996. Their
friendship and love of dance shines through in each performance. Each
member is a contributing artist and brings something unique to the
company. This collective approach allows Zafira to offer a unique and
powerful dance experience like no other.
Zafira has won the honored -TROUPE OF THE YEAR 2007
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Marsea Marquis and Tropicalismo
Marsea Marquis is a vibrant director, choreographer, dancer, and instructor with 22 years of experience in ethnic dance. She has studied and performed with native masters from Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Trinidad, and West and South Africa. She is a 2002 Calabash Awards winner, honored for her artistic excellence by the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz in alliance with the Santa Cruz Ethnic Arts Network. Marsea has performed on stage with such famous artists such as Carlos Santana, Pete Escovedo, and Ruben Blades. Additionally, she danced with Ginga Brazil for three years, and co-directed the Fusão Brazilian Dance Company for six years.
As an instructor, Marsea has taught thousands of school children through the Spectra Program, an "arts in the schools" module supported by the Santa Cruz Cultural Council. For twelve years she has taught three Brazilian-Inspired community focused, dance classes weekly, she is also a guest teacher/choreographer at the University of Santa Cruz dance department and The Wellness Center in Palo Alto California. Currently she is teaching and choreographing for the Watsonville High Dance Club.
Marsea travels often to Brazil and Cuba for intensive study to keep current with the movement. Marsea is currently Artistic Director of Tropicalismo Latin Dance Cabaret, the company she founded in January 2002.
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Mir & A Company
Artistic director, choreographer, teacher and dancer, Miranda Janeschild founded Mir & A Company in April 2002, in Santa Cruz, California. Celebrating their fifth year, Miranda Janeschild has produced and directed five major theatrical dance performances A Crack in The Mask--2007, Place of No Escape--2005, Weaving One Peace at a Time—2004, Broken Wings Take Me Home—2003 and Caught in a Thread—2002. Mir & A Company has established a legacy that dramatically breaks the boundaries of conventional dance performances. As a company that incorporates theatrical aerial, modern and fire dance, Miranda’s vision is to seduce audience members into an evocative story by the synthesis of live music and dancing not only on the floor, but in the air, and with fire. Her stories evoke fear, defy the senses, and comfort you through hardship as the creative works acknowledges the power of human experience to draw humankind together.
Besides producing yearly events, Miranda teaches community classes in aerial dance, Axis Syllabus Dance and Feldenkrais. She hosts international artists to teach and present their work and provides a means for emerging artists to present their art professionally. Miranda has done extensive work in Santa Cruz County with the young, such as children with disabilities, incarcerated at risk youth, and teens who attend alternative high schools. Artistic projects for the youth have included: aerial, hip-hop amd acrobatic dance classes as well as performance arts classes culminating in informal showings for students and teachers. Miranda always provides sponsorship and discount programs for low income to attend classes, productions, and demonstrations.
Miranda’s study in aerial dance began with Jo Kreiter of Flyaway Productions (www.flyawayproductions.com) in 2001. She also studies with Frey Faust, the founder of Axix Syllabus in both Europe and North America and is certified to teach Axis Syllabus-ump™ fundamentals since 2001 (www.axissyllabuscom). Since 1977 Miranda has studied contact improvisation dance extensively with Nita Little and Steve Paxton. She has studied and is deeply rooted in performance ritual theater as created by Shekhinah Mountainwater from 1982 to 1991 (www.shekhinah.net). Her training in the 70's & 80's included theater, gymnastic competition, circus skills, pantomime and conventional modern dance.
Miranda has taught aerial dance and Axis Syllabus™ for the past 6 years. She is a Feldenkrais® Guild Certified Practitioner and is a pediatric Occupational Therapist with both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Occupational Therapy. She maintains an advanced Iyengar yoga practice with Kofi Busia, Master Iyengar Yoga Instructor. Miranda works with people of all ages, abilities and challenges to heighten their sense of being as a mover, removing harmful movement patterns and developing greater movement options and skills whether in the air or on the ground.
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Te Hau Nui Dance Company
Te Hau Nui Dance Company offers exciting classes and performances in Polynesian Dance. In our classes we study hula, tahitian and maori and share a sense of ohana or family through deepening our knowledge of this cultural treasure. Through the sacred dances and festive costumes of Hawai'i, Tahiti, and New Zealand in our performances, we evoke the magnificent spirit of Polynesia and its people. Te Hau Nui means "forever peaceful" in tahitian and through sharing this art form, we hope to convey the beauty, grace, joy, and power of Polynesian dance. We welcome you to join our Te Hau Nui Dance Company through our classes and performances.
Director
Lorraine Kalehuakeaikewekiu Kinnamon
It is my greatest joy to celebrate the sacred and festive dances of Polynesia with the community and beyond. I have been dancing Polynesian dance since the age of ten. Upon my arrival in Hawai'i, fell in love with the dances of Hawai'i, Tahiti and New Zealand. My first kumu was Kapiolani Butterworth from Kaneohe, O'ahu and it was through her that my love of these dances began.
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Morris dancing is a centuries-old tradition in Britain and has spread to English-speaking countries around the world. Its origins are obscure, but it became associated with spring and summer festivities, including May Day, and Whitsun. Many English regions or villages had their own morris styles, performed mostly by all-male teams or "sides" and using either large sticks or white hankies as props. In stick dances, the sticks are clashed together, or against the ground, in different patterns. In the late nineteenth century, morris nearly died out and was rescued by the efforts of dedicated researchers who collected and annotated dances from around England.
Today, morris dancing is done by men, women, and children (though a few teams, especially in England, remain single-sex). Costumes often include colorful vests or crossed sashes called baldrics; ribbons; and the ultimate morris essential, a leather pad hung with numerous jingle bells that is buckled on each leg just below the knee. Each team has one or more traditional characters who interact with the crowd and sometimes dance. These may include the Fool (a jester), the Hobby (a person wearing a stuffed horse so that he appears to be riding it), the Betty (a man in women's clothing), the Lord and Lady or Robin and Marian (representing the eternal masculine and feminine), and the Green or Jack in the Green (a person covered in greenery). Live music on traditional instruments (concertina, fiddle, recorder, mandolin, drums, and so on) accompanies the dance. While the emphasis is on learning long-established dances, new dances are being choreographed all the time; morris is very much a living tradition. The dance has been described as "joyous," "cathartic," "great exercise," and "immensely, immensely fun."
Seabright Morris and Sword has been dancing in Santa Cruz since 1991. Unlike most American morris teams, which specialize in one or two regional morris styles, Seabright features an eclectic repertoire that includes dances in the styles of Adderbury, Bledington, Fieldtown, Lichfield, Headington, Upton-on-Severn, and the Border of England and Wales. One of its most popular dances is one in which defunct computer keyboards take the place of sticks and are gradually destroyed over the course of the dance, scattering space bars and "delete" keys along the way. Seabright practices Wednesday nights from 7:15 to 9:00 at the United methodist Church in Aptos and on Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 3:30 on the covered bridge at the Covered Bridge Park in Felton. New members are accepted year-round, though it's easiest to get started in the fall.
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