Gratitude: for those who have inspired

Martha Graham claimed it takes ten years to make a dancer. I began my intensive training at the age of 28 with the UCSB Department of Dance, took a breather year where I continued to take dance classes, and then entered a graduate program at California Institute of the Arts. I have cross trained in many creative disciplines, it seemed necessary to the journey.

July 10th, 2022

In my first hula class, with my new kumu, in May of 2022, via zoom, she invited us to introduce ourselves by way of honoring the teachers we have had, to name and mention them. 

In 2019 I retired as a dancer and a dancemaker and began to focus on deeper things shifting focus to connecting with my Hawaiian roots and studies of shamanism and mindfulness.

 Iʻve studied Shamanism with Sandra Ingerman, Gerry Starnes, and Christina Pratt.

I began to study the Hawaiian language with Kaliko Trapp-Beamer

I studied a short stretch with kumu Sylvia Puananiha`aheo Edgar.

Iʻve also engaged as an actress, playwrite, and director with Theater Eclectic and have taken painting and drawing classes from various folks and somewhat consistently write as a poet and singer/songwriter.

My mindfulness studies have been with Ticht Naht Hahn, Rick Hanson, the Mindful Heart Program, and other organizations.

Iʻve also integrating studying self-Breema.

So, thank you one and all, what a great collection of teachers!

Wow, I am a lifetime learner, for sure!

Photography 

(Say Dempsay Skiles)

SBCC Adult Ed - Visual Art

Bob Mask (life drawing)

Thomas Van Stein (life drawing, beginning oil painting)

Bernie Sayers and Marge - ceramics

Rebecca - stone carving, clay portraiture

Rick Stich - life painting

Visual Art: SBCC and DPHS

Marie Scheoff (figure drawing, beginning drawing)

Ted Villa (watercolor, color and design, figure drawing)

Colin Gray (life sculpture)

Audie Love (drawing)

Rafael Perea (life drawing, oil painting)

Bonnie Blau (figure painting, creative drawing)

Ed Inks (sculpture)

UCSB Extension (drawing on the right side of the brain)

Ron Robinson (silkscreen)

Pepper (pottery) 

SOHO Life Drawing

Ann Mackowski 

Ballet:

UCSB: Vincent Brousseau, Nancy Colohan, Valerie Huston, Delila Moseley 

UCSB Master classes: Alonzo King, Alonzo King's dancer in San Francisco

 Cal Arts: Laurence Blake, Claire Duncan, Cynthia Young

 State Street Ballet: Nicole Comeda, Alison Gustafson, Rodney Gustafson, Sophie Monat, Colleen (key seed: awareness is the key to change)

 Diane Knowles Academy of Dance: Gina DeAngelo

 New York: Zvi Gottheiner, Canʻt remember her name, – she was great-workshop @ NYU

 Dance Warehouse: Julie McLeod

Music:

Piano: Roger Bradley, Stephen Kelly 

 Hand drumming: John Bergamo

 Tablas: Gregg Johnson 

 Indian Voice: Montino Bourbon

 Guitar: Christopher (SBCC ) La Colina Jr. High, George Kasimir 

 Songwriting: Nicola Gordon 

Gymnastics

Jonie Dorey

Partnering/Contact Improvisation

Contact Improvisation: Ricardo Morrison

Partnering workshop in N.Y.

Cal Arts: Laurence Blake 

SonneBlauma Series: Stephanie Nugent

Ballroom

Ken Ota

Theatre

Santa Barbara City College Theater Department

Drama Dogs – a Theater Company: Ken and E. Bonnie Lewis (workshop)

Acting

Peter Frisch

Philip Levien - Theatre Eclectic

Mime and Physical Theater

James Donlon, Mark Parisian (Mark Parisian Mime Troupe)

Commedia del Arte

Scuola Dimitri: Alexandro Marquequetiti

Dance Composition, Improvisation, Performance Art, Performance Skills

Cal Arts: Larry ? Cal Arts Master Classes: Ann Carlson, Eiko & Komo, Doh Theatre

UCSB: Jerry Pearson, Alice Condodina

Scuola Dimitri: Improvisation

Contemporary Dance – odd the master classes and workshops seemed to have added SO MUCH!

Santa Barbara Community:Aida Amirkhanian, Beth Burleson, Albert Reid (Cunningham), Maria Rendina Frantz (Hawkins), Stephanie Gilliland, Sandra Loring, 

UCSB: Vincent Brousseau, Nolan Dennet, Christina McCarthy, Nancy Colohan, Alice Condodina (Limon), Tonia Shimin (Graham), Christopher Pilafian (Muller), Jerry Pearson (Nikolais), 

UCSB Master Classes: Bella Lewitzky, Doug Neilsen, Peggy Baker, Margie Gillis, Stephanie Nugent

Master Classes and Workshops:  Doug Varone, Doug Elkins, Eddie Taketa, Gwen Welliver, Larry Han, Azure Barton, Larry Keigwin, Ronald Brown, Risa Steinberg, Garth Fagan & Dancers, David Parson & Dancers, BeBe Miller, Bill T Jones & Dancers, Alvin Ailey & Dancers, Donlon Dance Company: Marguerite Donlon

Cal Arts: Lyndon Branaugh (Grahmn), Tina Mantel, Tina Yuan, Liz Maxwell, 

SBCC: Kay Fulton

San Francisco: Joe Goode, Marrit Brook

Yoga

Kristen Laak (ashtanga), Wanda Be (mix), Cal Arts ? (hatha)

John Norris (ashtanga), Michelle Nichols (ashtanga), Steve Dwelley (ashtanga)

Eddie Ellner (his mix), Deb Dobbins, David Miliotis, many more – that I can’t remember

Alexander Technique

Doris Green, Babette Markus

Tai Chi

Doris Green, Gerry Marr 

Pilates

Tina Yuan, IMX at Gold’s Gym: Darcy, Todd, Chandra, Kristen Williams

Mediation

Ken Cloke, Bill Lincoln – which became integrated into class philosophy

2016 note 

I’ve continued to be exposed to Master Classes of others, most of which have either been produced by the art collectives I’ve been active with or co-produced with others. I’ve also explored a relatively new modality on the scene: The Genius of Flexibility.

So a big thank you to these individuals that were a part of my life as I breathed mostly within my own process.

Gigong

Dennis Furuike

Modern/Contemporary Dance

Susan Alexander, Matthew Nelson

SonneBlauma Series: Holly Johnson, Susan Gingrasso, Danah Bella, Matt Nelson

ArtBark International & Misa Kelly Dances Series: Barbara Mahler

ADaPT Festival: RAW MATTERS & Affinity Festival: Valarie Green

Yoga

Jasha Stanberry

ADaPT Festival Series: Regina Picker

Other teachers here and there, none that were remarkable like my early teachers

Pilates

Kaita Lepore

Gyrotonics

Celeste Pearlman

Yamuna Body Rolling

SoneBlauma Series: Megwyn White

The Color of Sound

SonneBlauma Series: Carol Ann Manzi

Shinui

SonneBlauma Series: Christina Tague

Clowning

ADaPT Festival: Dudley Brooks

Active Listening through drawing with the limbs and dancing

ADaPT Festival: Kristen Hatleberg

Indian Dance

ADaPT Festival: Ramya Harishankar

Improvisation

ADaPT Festival: The Raving Jaynes – Listening in Improvisation

Vocal Improvisation for the Ensemble

ADaPT Festival: Rainbow Underhill

Write the Body

Elizabeth Schwyzer

Gaga Technique

Shane Scopatz