Kenneth Walker Dance Project’s “Mortgaged Dreams”
Long Beach, CA, July 06, 2009 -- Kenneth Walker Dance Project (KWDP), a contemporary ballet company and Lester Horton Award nominee, based in Southern California , premieres new works along with audience favorites for the fifth season in a row.
Our Mission
Kenneth Walker Dance Project is a contemporary ballet company dedicated to the expression of the modern condition through the lens of the classical vocabulary.
Donate to KWDP
Every gift counts. Whether large or small, monetary or in-kind, your tax-deductable contribution ensures the survival of KWDP in our community.
Kenneth Walker, Artistic Director
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Kenneth Walker[/caption]
Kenneth Walker is Artistic Director of Kenneth Walker Dance Project (KWDP) and a 2007 Lester Horton Dance Awards Nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Company for its program, Sheer Force of Will.
Nichole Beeks
Nichole Beeks was born and raised in Long Beach California. She attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts where she trained in ballet, modern, jazz, lyrical and contemporary dance as well as musical theatre and film.
Diane Cheeseman
Diane Chesseman began dancing at age three in a Los Angeles preschool. She continued her training around the country including the Kirov Academy in Washington D.C., International School of Classical Ballet in Seattle, Washington and The Ailey School and Broadway Dance Center in New York City.
Gia Calhoun
Gia Calhoun trained at California Dance Theatre under the direction of Kim Maselli, Stanley Holden, and Charles Maple. She attended summer programs at the Joffrey Ballet School, on scholarship, North Carolina School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, and Ballet Ostrava Workshop in the Czech Republic.
Candice Davis
Candice Davis trained at Anna Cheselka School of Ballet in Studio City, California, under principal dancers from Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, American Ballet Theatre, and Joffrey Ballet, and with
Kara Fioretti
Kara Fioretti began training in San Antonio, Texas with the Creative Arts Theater School and has performed with many companies including Ballet West, Media City Ballet, The Blakenship Ballet Company, and in ballets such as
Felicia Guzman
Felicia Guzman was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas where she trained at the Vladimir Marek Ballet Academy under Vladimir Marek and Nancy Smith. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering
Elijah S. Pressman
Elijah Pressman was recently appointed as the new Assistant Artistic Director at South Ballet where he has served many years as Ballet Master and principal dancer.trained at Lauridsen Ballet Centre in Torrance, California. Elijah's repertoire includes ballets by Robert Kelley, Laurence Blake, Jon Cristofori, Kenneth Walker, William Whitener,
Laura Mauldin
Laura Smith Mauldin, born and raised in Thousand Oaks, Calif. began figure skating at the age of four and dancing ballet at the age of six. During a thirteen-year competitive skating career which took Laura and her brother/partner all over the U.S. and to Europe for competitions,
Missy Moore
Missy Moore was born and raised in Southern California and has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap and Contemporary. At the age of 5, she began her training at the Daria Bearden Dance Studio and soon after joined their travelling song and dance company. In high school she studied under Kristen Olsen Potts
Jeanine Ryan
Jeanine Ryan began her ballet training with the Chico Community Ballet under Deborah Jorritsma and Catherine Sullivan-Sturgeon. During this time, she performed various roles including Titania in Balanchine’s
Grace Tiangco
Grace Tiangco was born and raised in Davis, California where she started training at the age of 5 at Applegate Dance Studio under Lisa Applegate and was a member of the company for 6 years. She performed in several roles for ballets such as Firebird, Les Sylphides, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty
Special Thanks…
To Google, the City of Long Beach, and Arts Council for Long Beach for their generous continued support. Without their support and yours, KWDP could not continue our mission.
VIDEO: KWDP Reel
For a quick glimpse of the work that we do, check out Kenneth Walker Dance Project's reel.
VIDEO: “Gate” (January, 2009)
Set to the avant-garde music of Italian composer, Mario Salvucci, Gate is one of the newest works by choreographer Kenneth Walker.