Marine de Vachon
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l675yog2' admin_preview_bg=''] Marine de Vachon, born in France, Marine began studying dance in Denver, CO under Margaret McLaughlin, former ballet mistress of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. After moving back to France, she integrated the Conservatoire de Marius Petipa in Paris. While there, she was privileged to perform in Jerome Savary's Cenerentola at the Paris Opera. She continued her training at the Conservatoire National et Régional de Nice and at North Carolina School of the Arts before earning a BFA in Ballet
Stella Ng
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l675pj8n' admin_preview_bg=''] Stella Sing Yiun Ng holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Dance at University of California, Irvine. She also holds a BA in International Business and Dance at CSULB. She was awarded many first prizes at renowned international ballet competitions, where she was given a full scholarship to a ballet school in New York. Stella joined the Anaheim Ballet Company and Festival Ballet Theatre as an artist during her time in California where she performed with international
Zoe Marinello-Kohn
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l674kcxc' admin_preview_bg=''] Zoe Marinello-Kohn is a professional ballet dancer, choreographer, actor, artist, composer and dance instructor. Zoe received her ballet training at the San Francisco Ballet School and the Academy of Ballet in San Francisco. Since then Zoe has worked professionally with the San Diego Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, Elle Vie Dance Company and the Osage Ballet. Zoe is a company member of the San Diego Ballet where she frequently performs in Principle and Soloist
Joyce Lo
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l674bg5k' admin_preview_bg=''] Joyce Lo is a dance and collaborative artist, educator, and choreographer whose movement practice is rooted in classical ballet and shaped by contemporary and modern dance forms. She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA Honours degree from York University, specializing in Dance Performance and Choreography. There she was privileged to study with esteemed faculty including John Ottmann, Julia Sasso, and Helen Jones, and was also awarded several fine arts awards and scholarships. Most recently, she also completed
Jestoni “Jet” Dagdag
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l673w6ca' admin_preview_bg=''] Jestoni “Jet” Dagdag is a choreographer, dancer, instructor, and dance producer based in Long Beach, Ca. He was born in the Philippines, and moved to the United States at the age of 14. He was introduced to his first formal dance class at Fullerton College, and soon became deeply passionate with the artform. A few years later, he transferred to the University of California, Irvine. There, he earned a BFA in Dance Performance in 2015, and received
José Costas
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l673p7ou' admin_preview_bg=''] José Costas teaches ballet, jazz and Latin dance at Orange Coast College. He began his dance training in his native Puerto Rico, under the direction of Julie Mayoral and Lolita San Miguel. He earned his BS and M. Ed. degrees from Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and his MFA from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. José was a principal dancer with Ballet Hispanico of New York for nine years. During his tenure with Ballet Hispanico,
Gerald Arpino
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l673fota' admin_preview_bg=''] Gerald Arpino, as co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet in New York with Robert Joffrey in 1956, Mr. Arpino was the nationally known company’s associate director for many years and, upon Joffrey’s 1988 death, succeeded him as artistic director. In 1995, Arpino and the company moved to Chicago. A leading dancer with the company until a 1963 injury, Arpino choreographed his first Joffrey work, “Ropes”, in 1961. In subsequent years, he created more than a third of the Joffrey’s
Salvatore Aiello
[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l672zmyp' admin_preview_bg=''] Salvatore Aiello (February 26, 1944-October 14, 1995) was an American dancer, choreographer, and the artistic director of North Carolina Dance Theatre (1985-1995) where he put his unique imprint on the company. Salvatore Aiello's early career as a dancer included the Tri-City Ballet Guild in Boston and dancing in theater productions that include Kiss Me, Kate; Guys and Dolls; Oklahoma; and Finian's Rainbow. Aiello's professional career included American Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, Donald McKayle and Company, Joffrey Ballet under
From dancer to choreographer part, 2
Part II To Read Part 1 click here. From dancer to choreographer, the leap can be made when you seize opportunities, when you overcome your hesitations and when you access your own artistry and creativity. In the second of this 2-part interview series with Kenneth Walker, we learn that collaborations make a choreographer. So when did I feel like I was a professional choreographer?? Turns out
From Dancer to choreographer, Part 1
From dancer to choreographer, the leap can be made when you seize opportunities, when you overcome your hesitations and when you access your own artistry and creativity. In this 2-part series, we learn how Kenneth Walker emerged as a choreographer… Part I – An emerging choreographer. The running joke is that I started choreographing because I couldn't learn any of the steps in class, so I'd just make it up as I went along. That's only partially true. I would often blank out in petite allegro, even though I loved
My thoughts on Kenneth Walker Dance Project
We just found this student review from the last time we performed at El Camino College. "El Camino College Center for the Arts presents Kenneth Walker Dance Project at the Marsee Auditorium. They were celebrating the 10th year anniversary as a company. My friend and I are taking a online dance class. We have to critique the the performances. I’m not really into style of ballet but their performances were fantastic. I think they did such an amazing job on their costumes, music and most important their dance." Read more
What’s it all about?
I'm often asked what my works are about: That’s the $50,000 question. What’s the dance about? There is a deep need and desire to understand what we are witnessing. We want you to know that your perception of what you saw is as important as what we intended the dance to be. Your viewpoint is just as valid as the statement in any synopsis that you might read about a dance. So often with modern art, dance, etc. we want to be entertained and release our responsibility of understanding
Read a rare in-depth interview with the AD
Marisa Johnston a board member for Kenneth Walker Dance Project recently sat down with Kenneth to ask about his start as a choreographer and the start of the company. The result is this rare in-depth interview. When you were young, were you surrounded by a family that embraced dance? Kenneth: I think I was inadvertently surrounded by art when I was young. I come from a dancing family. They all danced at parties. Plus my aunts and uncles on my mom’s side were involved in local musical theater productions
December News
December 15, we are performing in Temecula. The company will be performing at Old Town Temecula Community Theater. Tickets are only $5 and you get to see this up and coming company in Hum and the solo Tuesday. Come study with KWDP this December! Kenneth Walker Dance Project will be conducting its first ever Winter Intensive December 21. This event will be hosted by CSU, Dominguez Dance Department. Take classes in Ballet, Modern, Repertory, and more from the artists of Kenneth Walker Dance Project.
Movement Theatre CoLab Summer Intensive
Come to Dance Creations and enjoy a couple weeks of dance master classes with such notable teachers and choreographers: Wendi Baity, Ken Datugan, Beth Megill, Kenneth Walker II and more. Kenneth will be teaching ballet and creating new material at the Movement Theatre CoLab Summer Intensive in Simi Valley June 26th and July 3. Classes are open on a drop-in basis. Contact us at ken@kennethwalkerdanceproject or Movement Theatre CoLab for more information.
Dance History Project of Southern California
The Dance History Project’s goal is to observe and preserve the history of dance making and performing in Southern California. The focus is on those events and artists, past and present, whose work has been important to the field of live professional dance in Southern California. It includes the contributions of dancers, companies, educators, presenters, artistic collaborators, historians, and critics. Kenneth Walker and Kenneth Walker Dance Project have been added to this roster showing the company's importance to the advancement of ballet and dance in Southern California. To view
Tickets now onsale
Tickets are now onsale for our August 10, 2013 show. Kenneth Walker Dance Project presents Trajectorie Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theatre at 7:30PM. Trajectorie will feature world premieres, company premieres, and the return to repertoire of audience favorites. The dance "Savage Grace" will make its company premiere. Savage Grace was commissioned by South Bay Ballet and was the closing ballet at the Regional Dance America dance conference when it was performed. This highly regarded dance is finally making its way into our rep with the help of the Los Angeles
Donate to the new ballet
Come help us raise funds for the newest ballet. KWDP is creating a new ballet with costumes by Michael Pacciorini, music by Kena Rohi Custage (the composer of Focus on the Middle Distance), and choreography by Kenneth Walker. Your donations will help make the newest work happen.
Amber Ajluni
Amber began her training at Ballet San Jose with Donna Delcini, Lise LaCour, and Dalia Rawson, where she danced in various school and company performances. In Southern California she has danced for Anaheim Ballet, performing in the works of Laurence and Sarma Rosenberg, including The Nutcracker, The Awakening of the Flora, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has also danced with Santa Monica Contemporary Ballet. This is her second season with Kenneth Walker Dance Project and her repertoire includes Groove Juice and Focus on the Middle Distance. Meet
Dominika Pietrzyk
Dominika Pietrzyk began her dance training at Steps in Rodeo, CA at the age of 3. At age 13, she decided to pursuit a professional ballet career. She joined Western Ballet where she trained under Eric Bourman, Alexi Zubiria, Linda Rickert, and Kai Davis. Here, she performed in many ballets, such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, as well as many original works by Yanis Pikieris. Dominika furthered her studies by attending summer sessions at American Ballet Theater, Alabama, City Ballet of San Diego,
Master Class
We have huge news for us! June 22, 2013 from 3-5:15pm in the rehearsal halls of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center of Los Angeles we will be having a master class taught by Arturo Fernandez, Ballet Master for the World Famous Alonzo King LINES Ballet. A native of California, Mr. Fernandez has choreographed for James Sewell Ballet, Inland Pacific Ballet, among others. For more than two decades he has been an integral and part of Alonzo King LINES Dance Center. He has staged Mr.
Upcoming Performances
KWDP is back at the Pasadena Dance Festival. We are performing our latest work, Soft Ambient Pulse, on February 16 at Lineage Performing Arts Center at 7pm. For tickets visit, http://lineagedance.org/festival/feb-16/
Performances
Kenneth Walker Dance Project is pleased to announce its 2012 and 2012 seasons are supported in part by a grant from the Los Angeles County Arts Council.
Experience KWDP
While there's no better way to experience Kenneth Walker Dance Project than to attend a live performance, we invite you to browse quotes from many of the dance community's most respected professionals and critics. We are delighted to share with you here a selection of what others are saying about Kenneth Walker's choreography.
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.
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.