The Company
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Vivian Oriana Aragon
Vivian was born in Guatemala, but raised in Pacifica, California. She received her early training from the Susan Hayward School of Dancing in Montara, following the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus. This past May, she graduated magna cum laude from Purchase College, State University of New York, with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Art History. This is her first season with PBT. |
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Carmichael Blankenship
CJ was born in Stanford, California. He is a performing artist with a wide range of experience. CJ is a company member of Moving Arts Dance Company as well as performs with Danville Ballet Company, Na Hula O Moku'aina, and formerly with San Francisco Taiko Dojo. He has several theatrical credits including: CATS, Dreamgirls, A Little Night Music, Oklahoma!, and West Side Story. CJ first appeared with PBT in 2004. |
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Dudley Brooks
Dudley was born in Reno, Nevada. He is the Artistic Director of Run For Your Live ... it's a dance company! (www.runforyourlife.org), whose comic dances have delighted audiences in the U.S. and Europe. He performed with the Nikolais Dance Theater and Carlos Carvajal's Dance Spectrum, and has choreographed for PBT, Bay Area Youth Opera and City Summer Opera. Dudley is a composer, and performs Balinese music with Gamelan Sekar Jaya. He has played Dr. Drosselmeyer in every production of Carvajal's Nutcracker. |
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Abigail Daane
Abigail was born in San Francisco, California. She received her advanced certificate in the Royal Academy of Dancing technique in Portland, Oregon. Abigail furthered her training at Mount Holyoke College under Rose and Charles Flachs. While obtaining her Master's in Physics from Clemson University, she taught advanced ballet and performed for Foothills Conservatory of the Arts in Nutcracker roles such as the "Dew Drop Fairy" and "Spanish" and also performed contemporary pieces. Abigail is happily married and is the science teacher at Quarry Lane School in Dublin. This is Abigail's first appearance with PBT. |
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Coreen Danaher
Rehearsal Assistant
Coreen was born in Vallejo, California. She studied the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus for ten years at Vallejo Ballet conservatory, and later trained at Berkeley Ballet Theater, also performing with their youth company. Coreen has performed with Ballet Counterpointe Rep. as a corps dancer in Diablo Ballet's Paquita, and as a guest artist in Professional Ballet School's Spring Showcase. This season she was appointed company Rehearsal Assistant. Coreen joined PBT in 2003. |
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Peter Hershey
Guest Artist
Peter was born in Van Nuys, California and began his ballet training at the Seiskaya Ballet Academy in St. James, New York at age eleven. He went on to attend both the School of American Ballet and the Julliard School. A member of Ballet San Jose since 2001, his repertoire includes principal roles in Nutcracker, Rodeo, and Blue Suede Shoes as well as soloist roles in Quicksilver, and In Studio D. Peter would like to thank everyone for their support. Peter first appeared with PBT in 2005. |
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Julianna Johnson
Julianna was born in Walnut Creek, California. She has trained since the age of three with Arlene Newhouse, Director, Academy of Arts and Ballet. As a member of Ballet Celeste International she has performed with the Theatre Ballet of San Francisco and the Moscow Festival Ballet. She attended summer programs with Oakland Ballet and Diablo Ballet. She is a member of Holy Rosary Theatre Group, directed by Tim Hooke. Julianna was “Clara” in PBT’s 2006 Nutcracker. This is Julianna's first season as a trainee with PBT. |
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Deidre Kirk
Deidre was born in San Mateo, Ca. She has danced since she was five at the San Carlos School of Ballet under the direction of her mother, Karen Kirk. She has also studied with Michael Lowe, American Academy of Ballet in New York and this past summer at American Ballet Theatre in Detroit. This is Deidre’s fourth season with PBT, her third as a company apprentice. |
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Maria LaMance
Maria was born in Santa Clara, Ca. She spent her early years performing with San Jose Dance Theatre. At 14 she moved to San Francisco to study at San Francisco Ballet School. Maria earned a B.A. in Dance from San Francisco State University. She has performed with numerous modern dance companies and independent choreographers and is currently a company member of Huckabay McAllister Dance and Moving Arts Dance. Maria is an assistant director of the San Jose Youth Ballet, founded by Xavier and Maggie Ferla, and a massage therapist. Maria first appeared with PBT in 2005. |
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Terrin McGee-Kelly
Terrin was born in Antioch, California. She danced for Ballet Magnifiat (America’s premiere Christian ballet company), Oakland Ballet, Theater Ballet of San Francisco, and is currently a principal artist for Moving Arts Dance. Terrin has been involved with the Miss America Organization, holding titles over three years. Terrin promoted arts in education to countless schools in and around the Bay Area. Terrin joined PBT in 2004. |
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Amanda McGovern
Amanda is from Petaluma, California. She has danced and toured nationally and internationally with various companies such as Moving Arts Dance, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Lisbon Dance Company in Portugal, Oakland Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Celtic Dance Theatre, Palm Springs Ballet and Petaluma City Ballet. Amanda currently teaches Gyrotonic at the Corner Studio in San Francisco and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Performance through LEAP at St. Mary's College. Amanda joined PBT in the spring of 2006. |
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Elliot Mercer
Guest Artist
Elliot was born in Belmont, California. He attended Idyllwild Arts Academy where he worked extensively with Jean-Marie Martz, Deborah Brockus, Nora Reynolds, and Stephanie Gilliland. After graduating from Idyllwild, Elliot returned to the Bay Area to work with Summer Rhatigan at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and joined Company C Contemporary Ballet in January of 2006. He has performed featured roles in pieces by Jiri Kylian, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Charles Anderson, The Foundry, Cheryl Chaddick, A. Bournonville, and M. Petipa. This is Elliot's first appearance with PBT. |
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Never Navarro
Never was born in Lima, Peru. He trained at the Escuela Nacional de Ballet in Lima. After graduation, he joined the Ballet Nacional del Peru, directed by Olga Shimazaki. He also trained with Enrico Labayen for five years. Never has performed with San Jose Dance Theatre, Pacific Dance Theatre and Oakland Ballet. He has also performed the works of local choreographers such as Arturo Fernandez, Krissy Kiefer, Brian Chung, Todd Courage, Alma Esperanza Cunningham and with Modern Dance companies such as Labayen Dance/SF, Robert Moses' KIN and Mary Carbonara Dances. This is Never's second appearance with PBT. |
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Laura Nelson
Laura was born in Fairfax, Virginia. She began her ballet training at age four with Carmela Zegarelli Peter and Zoltan Peter at the Professional Ballet School in Belmont, CA. This is her third year as an apprentice with the Peninsula Ballet Theatre and her third Nutcracker production. Laura also studies piano with Vija Norkvesta of San Mateo. She spent the summer 2006 at the Boston Ballet Dance Lab summer intensive program. Laura joined PBT as a student performer in 2003 and became an apprentice in 2005. |
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Imogene Roach
Imogene was born in San Francisco, California. She trained for ten years at City Ballet School in San Francisco under the direction of Damara Bennett. Imogene later trained with Berkeley Ballet Theater under the direction of Sally Streets, Corrine Jonas, and Sarah Marcus. She has danced with Bay Area Youth Ballet and Berkeley Ballet Theater’s Youth Company. She is a recent graduate of Berkeley High School and is now a freshman at San Francisco State University. This is Imogene’s first season with PBT. |
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Nora Roach
Nora was born in San Francisco, California. This is her first season with PBT. |
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Alison Share
Alison was born in San mateo, California. She trained at Western Ballet under the direction of Mark Foehringer. At Western Ballet, Alison has performed principal and soloist roles in Paquita, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and Cincerella and has danced in contemporary ballets by Mark Foehringer, Gonzala Espinoza and David Popaliski. She has also attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and Ballet San Jose. Alison joined PBT in 2006. |
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Grant Spencer
Grant was born in Hanford, California. He received his training from Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair at the Yuma Ballet Academy. Grant also trained at Joffrey San Antonio, BalletMet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet where he received full scholarships. Grant's professional experience began as a Corps de Ballet dancer with Sacramento Ballet. Recently, he toured with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for four years as a soloist and performed in Japan, Australia, Europe, Thailand, China, Russia (at the Bolshoi) and the greater United States. This is Grant's second season with PBT. |
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Mariko Takahashi
Mariko was born in San Mateo, California. She receives her training at the Ayako School of Ballet, in Belmont, where she also teaches ballet and jazz. She has performed with the Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Youth Ballet, the Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts, and Sierra Nevada Ballet. She has had the pleasure to work with choreographers such as
Donald McKayle, Michael Lowe, and Scott Rink, and has performed principal roles in full-length productions such as Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote. Mariko joined PBT in 2005. |
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| Staff |
Board of Trustees:
Judy David, Chairman of the Board
Christine Leslie, President & CEO
Lance Huntley, Executive Director
Keith Kaiser, Secretary & Treasurer
Roland McLaughlin
Sandy Rodriguez |
Administrative staff:
Sharon Torrano – Company Manager
Sandy Fusaro – Box Office Manager
Bev Brock-Alexander– Web Mistress
Production Staff:
David LeBlanc – Technical Advisor
Eric Dahlquist – Warehouse & Properties Manager
Mary Dahlquist – Production Coordinator
Louise Leslie – Costumer
Scott Belding – Company Photographer |
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Michael Lowe – Artistic Director
Michael Lowe began his dance career 1974, and has achieved acclaim not only for his dancing, but also for his choreography. He was nominated for the Izzie (Isadora Duncan Dance) Award 1998 for his restaging of The Emperor and the Nightingale, and received the Izzie Award in 2003 for his choreography of Bamboo.
Born in Oakland of a Korean mother and a Chinese father who worked in a grocery store, Lowe was active in sports as a teenager. He was a varsity football player in high school, and also participated in tennis, baseball and tumbling. Lowe always loved music, and discovered his love for dance when his sister encouraged him to join a ballet class during high school. Lowe danced with the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, Old Souls, New Shoes with Mark Morris, Gilbert Reed Ballet of San Luis Obispo and Pacific Ballet prior to joining Oakland Ballet in 1980. During his 20 years with Oakland, Lowe served as assistant artistic director under Ronn Guidi for two years while he trained younger dancers in classical ballet technique as well as served as the archivist and historic consultant. He also served as director of the company's First Steps program for eight years till his retirement in 2000. One of his favorite projects was developing shows for children in hospitals to foster hope and healing. Lowe joined Moving Arts Dance in 2001 as Resident Choreographer, Director of Education for the Open Door project and Dance Master for the company. Mr. Lowe was appointed Artistic Director of Peninsula Ballet Theatre in August of 2004. |
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Mario Alonzo – Artistic Director
Mario Alonzo was born in Costa Rica and moved to Modesto, California, where he began his early training. He was discovered by Ronn Guidi and brought to Oakland Ballet in 1978. Since then, he has performed with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet, the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, and the Gilbert Reed Ballet. Alonzo has performed principal roles in many of the masterworks and legendary recreations that make up the Oakland Ballet's repertoire, including: La Boutique Fantasque, Billy the Kid, Les Noce, Les Biches, Giselle, The Green Table, Le Train Blue, Petrouchka, and Gaite Parisienne. He has been privileged to work with Leonide Massine, Eugene Loring, Nicholas Beriosov, Irina Nijinska, Agnes de Mille, Anna Markard, Sallie Wilson, Willem Christensen, John Butler and Robert North. In addition to his dancing, Alonzo has directed his artistic attention towards costume design and choreography. He has designed costumes for dozens of world premiers for Oakland Ballet and various other companies to critical acclaim, including costumes for the Rolling Stones' "Voodoo Lounge II" tour. He has also undertaken many historical reconstructions, receiving international acclaim for the revival of Bronislava Nijinska's Le Train Blue. In 2001, Alonzo won an Izzy, a Bay Area dance award, for his costuming of the Axis Dance Company's entire season. Alonzo made his choreographic debut for Oakland Ballet's silver anniversary with Epiphany and in 2002 brought Mustt to Oakland audiences. In 2003 Alonzo became ballet master for Oakland Ballet and in 2006 became Co-artistic Director with Peninsula Ballet Theater. Alonzo is an active supporter of Broadway cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and San Francisco Arts in the Schools program. |
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Carlos Carvajal – Director Emeritis
Carlos Carvajal is an internationally known choreographer of more than 200 works for ballet, opera and television. A native San Franciscan, Carvajal is a sixth- generation theatrical artist of Spanish-Filipino-Swedish decent. He began his dance career with the Christensens at San Francisco Ballet, after which he traveled to Europe. He danced with the International Ballet of The Marquis de Cuev
as as a soloist and became a principal dancer and choreographer with Theater der Freien Hansastadt Bremen, Theatre de Bordeaux and Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas. During his career in Europe and South America, he choreographed over 78 works for ballet, opera and the television Show de Aldemaro Romero. After ten years abroad, Carvajal returned to the San Francisco Ballet as Ballet Mater and Associate Choreographer to Lew Christensen, where he created eighteen ballets.
In 1970, he founded and directed the San Francisco Dance Spectrum. Carvajal and his company were recognized leaders in the dance renaissance of the '70's, choreographing over 50 works during its existence. In 1981, he received the first San Francisco Art Commission Award of Honor for outstanding work in choreography and dance and in 1986 he received the Isadora Duncan Award for a lifetime of significant work. Carvajal received the Critics Circle Award in 1990 and is the co-artistic director for the 29th S.F. Ethnic Dance Festival of 2007.
Carvajal first presented his Nutcracker as the opening program of Peninsula Ballet Theatre's 1994-95 season. This is his 13th Anniversary Nutcracker with PBT. Since then he has created several new works to add to the PBT repertoire, including Peter and the Wolf and Milangeros. In addition, he has revived many of his favorite works including Cinderella's Crystal Slipper, Notturno and Shapes o
f Evening. Carvajal continues to lend his expertise and creativity to Peninsula Ballet Theatre as Director Emeritis. |
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