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Join Us!
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- 2008-2009 Company
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photo by Patty Kaufman, ItsUPhoto, Phoenix
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- The company has 5 divisions with the core
being professional dancers.
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(* Professional Division- CORE of company)
- educational components -
- * Junior / Trainee (apprentice program)
- * Children's Company
- * Movement E-Motion
- *Community Education Outreach
Program (CEOP)
- * Community Performers
Professional Division*as
of July 23, 2008
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 Omaya Ahmad, Rehearsal Director,
Dancer, Choreographer in Training -
Scottsdale, Arizona -
an
Arizona native, began dancing at the age of three. Since then, she has had
the opportunity to train at several different studios and become skilled in a
variety of dance types. She became a company member of AZ Dance Group after
performing in a Desert Foothills production with Kenda Newbury and has
appeared in every one of the company's shows since its inaugural year, 2004.
She is a full time chemical engineer undergrad at Arizona State University and
attends under a full scholarship.
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 Andrea Lasley, Dancer -
Desert Hills, Arizona -
Phoenix, Arizona - was born and raised in the Kansas City,
Missouri area. Andrea joined AZ Dance Group late last season having only
recently moved to Phoenix. She received her early dance training from Heidi’s
Dance Center until she attended Missouri Western State University. Andrea and
was honored to have the opportunity to dance with the university dance company
and studied under the artistic direction of Paul Chambers. After college, she
danced briefly at the Performing Arts Academy, Legacy School of the Arts, The Legacy School of the Arts Dance Company
and with the traditional Greek Company The Glendi Dancers. She is excited and honored to
performing with AZDance Group for her second full season.
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 Deserae McCall, Pre-Professional
Dancer - Desert Hills, Arizona
- Deserae
McCall is 19 years old and has been studying dance since the age of two. She
has taken ballet, jazz, lyrical, Pointe, tap, hip-hop and modern. She is now
teaching at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy and loves it. She has been living in
Desert Hills all her life and is currently studying at Paradise Valley
Community College for dance. Some of the performances that she has been
involved in was the Symphony Hall Nutcracker, The Redlands Annual Liturgical
Showcase, Tap West, NAU Madrigal Festival, The 3rd Annual "Step Off" Talent
Show, The National Minority Jr. Golf Scholarship Association, and many more
performances with AZDance Group. Deserae loves to dance and plans on going to
an out of state college majoring in dance
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 Kenda Newbury,
Dancer, Director / Manager, Owner / Founder - Scottsdale, Arizona - was
born and raised in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, Arizona. Trained by Kelly
Brown (ABT) of Phoenix School of Ballet, Ms. Newbury danced with Ballet West
at the age of 12 and 13. At age 16 she began her own company, using
professional and advanced dancers of Phoenix School of Ballet, thanks to Dr.
Timona Pittman and the various instructors of the school. Performing in
Arizona with her company, Phoenix Ballet and Arizona Metropolitan as well as
other studio companies, she also performed and trained at Hubbard Street, Gus
Giordano and Chicago Lyric in Illinois, Luigi, Frank Hatchet and Madame
Darvash in New York City, Glenda Folk in Arizona, Stanley Holden in California
and Jurgen Schneider, Janina Cunova and Audre Deckman Mendal at the Russion
Student's & Teacher's Vaganova Seminars in Michigan, amongst other greats.
For further details click HERE.
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 Linda Ramseyer,
Dancer, Costume
Assistant -
Glendale, Arizona - a native Phoenician, started her love of
dancing at the age of 6 with Arnora’s Studio. She soon turned her sights to
gymnastics and competed 9 years with the Arizona Sunrays and the University of
Arizona. Linda holds a BS degree in Civil Engineering and a MBA from Arizona
State University. She works at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.
Linda took a sabbatical from dance, to raise her family of two children and
returned 9 years ago dancing at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy. Dance has always
been her first love and she is still going strong. This is her fifth season
with AZDance Group.
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 Nicole Rennell, Dancer,
Choreographer in Training -
Phoenix, Arizona -
began dancing at
age three in Phoenix, Arizona and began dancing with AZ Dance Group at age
eighteen. The greatest portion of Nicole’s performance experience occurred
with the Arizona Sunrays Dance Company, performing at recitals, concerts,
sports events, competitions, fairs, and charity functions. Currently, Nicole
is a senior at Arizona State University (ASU) and is studying dance as a part
of her degree at ASU. During the last year, Nicole studied abroad in South
Africa, continuing ballet training, ballroom dancing, and focusing on African
dance. While in South Africa, Nicole also taught various age groups in a
community program. Nicole would like to thank God, her family, her friends,
and Chris (whom she is marrying in March, 2009) for all their love and
support.
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 Stacy Shane, Dancer, Guest Choreographer
- Avondale, Arizona
- earned her BA in
English and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania and
her Masters in Dance Education from SUNY Brockport in New York. Before moving
to Arizona, she attended various institutions such as Laban Center for
Movement, American Dance Festival, and EastWest Somatics; and she performed
for three years with Hallmark Danceworks. This is Stacy’s fifth year teaching
Dance at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem, Arizona. She currently enjoys
performing with Movement Source Dance Company as well as performing with and
choreographing for AZDance Group.
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Guest Artists*as
of July 23, 2008
- Sara Knight, Guest Dancer
- Manhattan, New York -
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 Katherine McDonnell, Guest
Dancer & Choreographer, MEM Instructor, Associate Production Manager Assistant
- Surprise, Arizona
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is
originally from Virginia where she studied at Virginia Ballet Company and
School. At age 13, she accepted a scholarship to train at the School of
American Ballet. Katherine danced with Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, Los Angeles
Ballet, and Ballet Tucson before joining AZDance Group. She performed ballets
by renowned choreographers George Balanchine, John Clifford, Vassili Sulich,
and Ian Horvath, in addition to works by Peter Martins, and production shows
by Emmy Award-winner Michael Darrin. Katherine toured extensively throughout
the United States, in Japan, and spent a year in France dancing at the Lido de
Paris. She has taught at schools and universities throughout the western
United States. This is her fifth year with AZDance Group, this season will be the
first time not dancing full-time as principal dancer with the company.
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- Patty Madden, Guest Dancer -
Las Vegas, Nevada -
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 Jeffrey Polston, Guest Dancer
& Choreographer - Boston,
Massachusetts -
born and raised in
North Caroline, Jeffrey began his dance training at North Carolina School of
the Arts. Upon graduation he joined the Boston-based Impulse Dance Company
where he worked with noted choreographers including Donald Byrd and Dwight
Rhoden and performed in works by Warren Spears, Rael Lamb, Clovers Mathis,
Consuelo Atlas and Fred Benjamin. Mr. Polston was a first company member of
Philadanco where he performed works by Milton Myers and Tally Beatty among
others. He was a soloist with the New Royal Ballet of York, affectionately
known as “The New Boys, a company of men on pointe.” Mr. Polston is an
original member of Complexions, a NYC based contemporary dance company
directed by Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson.
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 Jennifer
Weinberg Seabrooke, Guest
Dancer - Dallas, Texas -Originally
from Corpus Christi, Texas, Jennifer received her early dance training at The
Ballet Academy at age six under the direction of Nancy Sulik. Jennifer
furthered her dance training and artistic journey by earning a Bachelors of
Fine Arts in Dance, Magna Cum Laude at the University of Arizona , and
performed as a member of the U of A Dance Ensemble. Jennifer’s professional
experience includes Center Dance Ensemble, Arizona Dance Group, K-Lynn
Productions, Sony, and Holland America Cruise Lines. Mrs. Seabrooke resides in
Fort Worth, Texas where she is the Jazz Program Director at The Dance Company.
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 Chelsea Speer, Guest Dancer
- Kalispell,
Montana - Chelsea joined AZ dance group in the Fall of 2005 where she not only
danced but helped work with the company’s Movement E-Motion (MEM) group as an
instructor as well. Chelsea was raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was
trained under the Royal Academy of Dancing Method (RAD) since she was three
and completed exams through the intermediate level. She attended a performing
arts high school where she studied ballet, Pointe, modern, jazz and tap. She
has performed in various ballets including The Snow Queen and the Nutcracker.
She has her BA in Elementary and Special Education and has taught in Arizona
and now Montana to children ages 3 to 18 years of age. She recently joined a
modern dance company in Montana called Azure Vision.
Junior/Trainee Company members
*as of July 23, 2008
- The
Junior/Trainee Company is for trained dancers that are serious in taking
their dancing and dance education further. This is an audition-only
position and various responsibilities are expected of each member. Each J/T
company member gains exposure to the arts in a unique, positive and
challenging environment all while increasing the education, exposure and
technical training of the dancer. For serious dancers only, no age
requirement but exceptional dance training a necessity. Most J/T members are
13 to 21 years of age. Must have at least 4 years of ballet.
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- Katherine
Gwynn
– Pre-Trainee
- Christopher Hunt - Trainee /
Junior
- Chelsea Neiss - Junior
- Ashley Troxel - Trainee
Children's Christmas Company members
- The Children's Christmas Company (CCC) is an important dance division of the AZDance
Group. Children, age 5 and up, with at least one year of dance training, receive
exceptional performing experiences and additional dance training in a challenging
and professional environment. A company based in ballet, they gain further dance training
in all styles by learning and performing ballet and jazz routines. The
Children's Christmas Company performs with the company in the large-scale
production of the Christmas Dance Concert. Other performances
include festivals, parades, galas, nursing homes, seniors centers and other
events.
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 Movement E-Motion
(MEM) is a dance program
for individuals with different abilities which provides artistic physical
activity, movement, expression and dance. We cater to young adults age 13 and
up to seniors with Down Syndrome, Autism and those with physical challenges.
Exceptional opportunities await registered participants. Registration is mandatory. Click the above link for details on the program.
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This program stresses healthy living, exercise and
classical AND proper
dance technique. The program also provides each individual an outstanding arena
for integration and socialization where
self-pride and self-worth is evident. Classes are taught by dance professionals
of AZDance Group and directed by Kenda Newbury.
- Participants include
- **as
of July 23, 2008
- Katie Carroll
- Tham Carroll
- Michael Cholodewitsch
- Dana Dumaplin
- Annie Perry
- Jeffrey Reed
- Justin Shaddy
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- Movement E-Motion
Instructors/Demonstrators 2008-2009*as
of July 23, 2008
- Janelle Fritz - MEM
Instructor, Director of Desert Foothills Dance (Cave Creek, Arizona)
- Katherine McDonnell -
MEM Instructor
- Kenda Newbury - MEM
Creator/Director, Lead Instructor, Instructor/Demonstrator Trainer
- Ashley Troxel - MEM Demonstrator, MEM
Performance Manager Assistant
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Individuals interested in performing but
have no prior dance training - bringing the community into the dance world and
introducing an additional educational component to the communities at large
Troy Hamblin
- Glendale, Arizona - Troy is a junior at Arizona State University majoring in
Engineering. He was one of the performers at last May's performance at the
Herberger. Troy was persuaded to help out by his Mom, Linda Ramseyer and we
hope to convince him to due future performances.
Rod Lasley
- Tramonto, Arizona - Rod Lasley is from Overland Park, KS. He is happily
married to AZDance Group member Andrea Lasley. Rod is an outgoing person who
enjoyed playing football in college. He admires and has always appreciated
the art of dance. He is happy to assist AZDance Group in any facet whether it
be backstage or performing. He is currently a community performer in Run For
Life and Passages this past season.
Tylor McCall
– Desert Hills, Arizona -
Paul O’Brien
– Phoenix, Arizona - Paul O’Brien is from Braintree, MA. He is married to the
director of AZDance Group and is father of the honorable Children’s Christmas
Company member Shaeleigh K. O’Brien. Paul is an off-road runner and
bicyclist, racing in such races as the Cabot Race up in Novia Scotia. He
assists in all facets of the company’s productions and performances from sets
and lighting help to being Treasurer and Board of Directors and lately has
been a community performer in Run For Life and Passages the past couple of
seasons.
Chris Person
– Tempe, Arizona -
Community Education Outreach Program
(CEOP)
available only during the spring time with applications and
in-person selections from the start of the season at valley high schools. High
School Dance Directors please call the director for information ! This program was formed February 2007 in order to give
high school dance students an opportunity to rehearse, train and perform with
professionals during their large season-end concerts at valley performance
venues. This is a private selection process and is available ONLY to
1-5
serious and inspiring high school dance students (must be enrolled in high
school dance program, maintain a good GPA, etc)
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