Charles Anderson danced with the New York City Ballet from 1985-93, performing works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins and many other notable choreographers. Born in San Francisco, Anderson trained at and received full scholarships to the San Francisco Ballet School, the Joffrey Ballet School, the American Ballet Theatre School and the School of American Ballet. He also attended the High School for the Performing Arts in New York City. Anderson began choreographing ballets while still a dancer with the New York City Ballet. From 1990-1994, he co-founded and acted as artistic director for Ballet, Inc. in New York, where he choreographed many of his early works. He has been a resident choreographer at the Contra Costa Ballet for many years and served as artistic director and resident choreographer for the Bay Area modern dance troupe Moving Arts Dance from 1999-2000. Anderson's work reflects a blend of classical and contemporary influences and is included in the repertories of professional dance companies throughout the country. Anderson founded Company C Contemporary Ballet in 2002.

Lou Fancher, Ballet Mistress

Lou Fancher has worked as ballet mistress for the James Sewell Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre, and the Alberta Ballet. Ms. Fancher joins Company C Contemporary Ballet for her fourth season. In addition to her work as a ballet mistress, Ms. Fancher choreographs, teaches, and coaches the companies of numerous independent artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. As a choreographer, she has created ballets for Ballet Arts Minnesota, James Sewell Ballet, Alberta Ballet Apprentice Ensemble, Theatre Ballet of Spokane, Ballet Pacifica, and New York Theatre Ballet. Her work has been presented by the Minnesota Dance Alliance, the Carlisle Project, the Walker Art Center and Columbia Artists. When not coaching dance, Ms. Fancher works with her husband, Steve Johnson, creating artwork for film, magazines, posters and advertisements. Together, they have illustrated over twenty children’s books including "My Many Colored Days", by Dr. Seuss, Cat, "You Better Come Home", by Garrison Keillor and "Coppélia", as told by Margot Fonteyn.

Lynn Morton, Lynn Morton Costume Design

Lynn Morton has been in the world of dance all her life. She was a professional ballet dancer for 25 years, during which time she began making costumes for her own use as a guest artist. Her former students are in companies all over the world, including San Francisco Ballet, Ballet San Jose, Smuin Ballet, Nevada Dance Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Maurice Bejart – Ballet of the 20^th Century. She has been designing and constructing costumes for over 35 years, from tutus to more modern costumes for dancers. Besides the lessons of experience, she also studied design and construction at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Stephanie Verrières and Kimie Sako, Costume Designers

Stephanie Verrières and Kimie Sako met in 2003 while attending The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco. Stephanie, a former dancer, traded in her ballet shoes in 2001 for a career in fashion design. With a passion for dance and the desire to create beautiful clothes she utilizes her knowledge of a dancer's movement when creating costumes. Kimie was born and raised in Japan. Stephanie and Kimie found they shared a similar design aesthetic and had an immediate creative connection. Together they create costumes for ballet, theater, and film. They also have a designer women's wear collection.

Michael Smuin

Michael Smuin, former founder and director of Smuin Ballet, made the San Francisco Bay Area his home since he was a Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet, before going on to dance on Broadway, and appearing in film and television. He was Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer for American Ballet Theatre before returning to San Francisco as Director of San Francisco Ballet (1973-1985), and was instrumental in raising that company's profile in the international arts community, including many "Dance in America" programs on PBS. He directed ABT's 50th Anniversary Gala. Broadway credits include Sophisticated Ladies, Anything Goes (Tony Award for Choreography), Shogun and Canciones de Mi Padre. Feature film credits include "Cotton Club", "Star Wars: Phantom Menace", and "The Fantasticks". Television credits include "Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall". He has won Emmy Awards for Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and A Song for Dead Warriors. His ballets are currently in the repertories of major dance companies around the country.

Twyla Tharp

Twyla Tharp has choreographed more than one hundred and twenty-five dances, five Hollywood movies, directed and choreographed two Broadway shows, written two books and received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, seventeen honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America Presidents’ Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts and numerous grants including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1965, Ms. Tharp began the dance company Twyla Tharp Dance. In 1998, Twyla Tharp Dance merged with American Ballet Theatre where Ms. Tharp created more than a dozen works. Since that time, Ms. Tharp has choreographed dances for many companies including: The Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, The Boston Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance and The Martha Graham Dance Company. In 1991, Ms. Tharp regrouped her company, Twyla Tharp Dance, and created a program with Mikhail Baryshnikov called CUTTING UP, which went on to become one of contemporary dance’s most successful tours, appearing in twenty-eight cities over a two month period. Since 1999, Twyla Tharp Dance has been touring internationally to critical acclaim. Ms. Tharp’s work first went to Broadway in 1980 with WHEN WE WERE VERY YOUNG, followed in 1981 by her collaboration with David Byrne on THE CATHERINE WHEEL at the Winter Garden; and her 1985 staging of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, which played at the Gershwin for three hundred and sixty-seven performances followed by an extensive national tour. In 2002, Ms. Tharp and Billy Joel’s award-winning dance musical MOVIN’ OUT premiered on Broadway and a national tour began in January 2004. The recipient of a 2003 Tony Award for MOVIN’ OUT, Ms. Tharp was also honored with the 2003 Astaire Award; the Drama League Award for Sustained Achievement in Musical Theater; and both the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Choreography. In film, Ms. Tharp has collaborated with directors Milos Forman on HAIR (1978), RAGTIME (1980) and AMADEUS (1984); with Taylor Hackford on WHITE NIGHTS (1985) and with James Brooks on I’LL DO ANYTHING (1994). Her television credits include choreographing SUE’S LEG for the inaugural episode of PBS’ DANCE IN AMERICA, co-producing and directing MAKING TELEVISION DANCE, which won the Chicago International Film Festival Award; and directing THE CATHERINE WHEEL for BBC Television. Ms. Tharp continues to create works and lecture around the world.

David Parsons

David Parsons, Artistic Director and Founder of Parsons’ Dance Company, has enjoyed a remarkable career as a performer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer of dance. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. He was a leading dancer with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, where Mr. Taylor created many roles for him in works such as Arden Court, Last Look and Roses. He is a recipient of the 2000 Dance Magazine Award, as well as the 2001 American Choreography Award, for his work as a co-producer of AEROS, a production featuring the Romanian Gymnastic Federation that was featured on Bravo. Mr. Parsons has created more than 70 works for Parsons Dance. He has received commissions over the years from The American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, AlvinAiley American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, the Spoleto Festival and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, to name a few. His work has been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Nederlands Danse Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Hubbard Street Dance and BatSheva Dance Company of Israel, among many others.  In the July 27, 2007 edition of The New York Times, Jennifer Dunning called David Parsons "one of the great movers of modern dance." 

Patrick Corbin

Patrick was born and raised in Potomac, Maryland where he started his dance training at Art Linkletter Totten Studios in Cabin John Shopping Center between the ages of three and five, depending on who you talk to. He continued studying tap and jazz with Russell Jay at The Dance Company in Fairfax, Va. and ballet with Bernard Spriggs at D.C. City Ballet and Mary Day and Alistair Munro at The Washington School of Ballet. In 1983 Patrick moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet. After a year at SAB Patrick briefly joined the Kansas City Ballet. Upon returning to New York in 1984 Patrick joined ABTII under the directorship of Richard Englund and Jeremy Blanton. In 1985 Patrick joined the Joffrey Ballet. In 1989 Patrick joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company where he danced until 2005. Patrick was featured in five PBS Great Performances between 1988 and 2004 and the 1998 Academy Award nominated documentary Dancemaker. In 2001 Patrick was the recipient of the New York Performance Award (Bessie) for Sustained Achievement with The Paul Taylor Dance Company. Patrick has staged his own work as well as the work of Paul Taylor on companies through out the United States. Patrick founded his own company CorbinDances and Patrick Corbin Dancers in 2003 and continues to present his own work in New York City.

David Grenke

David Grenke is a tenured professor of Dance and Choreography at UC Davis. He is the founder of ThingsezIsee’um Dance/Theater and a former principal dancer for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. He has also danced for Dennis Wayne’s Dancers and The Joffrey Concert Dancers, and he was a founding member of the Armitage Ballet. His choreography has been presented in New York at Lincoln Center, Dance Theatre Workshop’s Fresh Track Series, The Guggenheim Museum’s Works and Process Series, The Dia Center for the Arts, Pace University and Riverside Church. Outside New York his works have been performed at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The American Dance Festival, The Cannes International Festival, Kaatsbaan International Festival, and on tours of Russia, Poland, Denmark, Taiwan and Argentina. Mr. Grenke is a recipient of ADF’s 1998 Doris Duke Award for new work, the 1997 Scripps/ADF Humphrey-Weidman-Limón Fellow for Choreography, and the Nora Kaye Award for dance. He participated in the American Dance Festival’s 1997 International Choreographers Commissioning Program, where he was in residence creating new work on ADF dancers.

Artists of the Company

GIANNA DAVY began her training at the Oakland Ballet Academy at the age of 8. Upon graduating high school, Gianna joined the Oakland Ballet Company full time and danced a number of soloist and principle roles there for 7 years. Other companies she has enjoyed working for are State Street Ballet, Liss Fain Dance, and Smuin Ballet. Her career highlights are performing Sugar Plum in Oakland Ballet’s the Nutcracker, Myrtha in Giselle and working with Alonzo King of Lines and Dwight Roden of Complexions. This is Gianna’s third season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

KEVIN DELANEY began dancing at the age of 7 at the Larkin School of Dance in Maplewood, Minnesota where he received training in Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and Ballet. Kevin then moved to the East Bay, joining the Dance Company of San Francisco to train and perform contemporary modern dance. In the fall of 2005, Kevin was invited to be a member of Odyssey Dance Theatre, where he had the opportunity to perform works by Dee Caspery, Liz Imperio and Derry Yeager while touring through Western Europe in January of 2006. This is Kevin’s third season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

LAURA DUNLOP trained at the Southold Dance Theatre in South Bend, Indiana and then continued her training with the School of Ballet Chicago.  She has also trained with Chautauqua Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. Before dancing professionally, she attended Indiana University where she received a business degree from the Kelley School of Business.  This is Laura’s first season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

MARIO ESPINOZA began his formal training at the University of California in Irvine under the instruction of David Allan, Douglas Becker and world renowned Donald McKayle. During Mario's college career he had the opportunity to perform works by Donald McKayle and George Balanchine. He also performed in the North American premiere of William Forsythe's The Questioning of Robert Scott and had the privilege of training at the Conservatoire de Paris in 2003. Mario's professional career began in Salt Lake City, UT with Odyssey Dance Theatre, where he performed works by Liz Imperio and Mia Michaels in a European tour through Western Europe. This is Mario’s third season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

CHARLENE HANNIBAL received the majority of her training from The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, under the direction of Haydee Gutierrez and James Canfield. As a student, she performed regularly with the Oregon Ballet Theatre and studied in summer programs at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Charlene was a member of the Oregon Ballet Theatre for three years and has since performed with the Oakland Ballet, Ballet Counterpointe Repertory, Liss Fain Dance, and Redwoods Concert Ballet. This is Charlene’s fifth season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

ASHLEY IVORY began her ballet training at the Ballet and Theatre Arts of Danville and continued her professional training at San Francisco Ballet School. At sixteen, Ashley was invited to tour with The San Francisco Ballet to England and Spain and was then asked to join the company as an Apprentice. Ashley stayed with The San Francisco Ballet as a corps de ballet member until July of 2003. Ashley recently graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Dance. This is Ashley’s first season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

BETH KACZMAREK, originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico received her ballet training at the Santa Fe Dance Foundation under Gisela Genschow and is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Beth recently danced with the Washington Ballet as a member of the Washington Ballet Studio Company, and has worked with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. She has danced ballets by Trey McIntrye, Dwight Rhoden, Septime Webre, and several others. This is Beth’s second season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

KATE M. LIEBERTH began her professional training in Akron, Ohio as student at the University of Akron Dance Institute, and as a member of the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet, under the direction of Nan Klinger. During this time she danced in the International Children's Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. She also attended various summer programs including Chautuaqua Institution, Boston Ballet, and the School of American Ballet. Kate continued her studies at The University of Utah where she was a member of Utah Ballet and a trainee with Ballet West. She has danced professionally with Richmond Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and Oakland Ballet, performing lead roles in a variety of ballets including Balanchine's Sylvia Pas de Deux, Amy Seiwert's Monopoly and Robert Moses' Lone Woman. This is Kate’s fourth season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

ALEC LYTTON began his training at the Houston Ballet Academy, and went on to attend the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, where he majored in dance. He also attended summer intensive courses at the Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey New York and Alvin Ailey on full scholarship. Alec earned his BFA at the Boston Conservatory. He has performed with both ballet and modern companies including Boston Dance Theater, New York Theater Ballet, New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet and the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company. This is Alec’s third season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

JENNA MAULE began her training at Judith Svalander’s School of Ballet and continued her training at the School of Ballet Chicago under the direction of Daniel Duell where she was a part of the Ballet Chicago Studio Company. Jenna received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Ballet and Business from Indiana University-Bloomington where she studied under Violette Verdy, John Clifford, Jacques Cesbron, and Julie Kent. Prior to joining Company C, Jenna was a member of the Louisville Ballet. This is Jenna’s fifth season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.

SCOTT PASCAL trained with Andrea Paris at Los Angeles Ballet Academy and continued his professional training at Ballet Austin and Milwaukee Ballet. In 2004, he began dancing with State Street Ballet where was a featured dancer in the Company’s The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Nights Dream and Snow White. Scott has also danced with City Ballet of San Diego. This is Scott’s first season with Company C Contemporary Ballet.