DARE TO CREATE : CHOREOGRAPHIC LAB
Ballet Collective San Diego presents a choreographic lab for professional dancers and trainees in San Diego. We welcome choreographers of all ages and experience levels to join us for a week of creation, editing, and play in the studio without the pressure of a formal performance.
Last year we were honored to welcome choreographers from San Diego and national stages to spend a week creating, networking, and living in the process. 6 choreographers of varying places in their careers and nationally set new works on 9 local dancers. Our hope at BCSD is that this week was a respite from product and instead allows artists the freedom to mess up, change their minds, edit, and collaborate.
This year we are excited to provide the same paying opportunity to artists in June 2025.
Our application for 2025 is now open.
PURPOSE :
To provide choreographers of all experience levels the chance to make choreographic works of 2 - 10 minutes on professional dancers without the pressure of a formal performance. This is a chance to practice the art of choreography. Choreographers may come in and hone or workshop something you’ve been making in your head or in the studio, or start a new piece everyday.
PARTICIPANTS :
Open to professional dancers and trainees 18 years and older both to participate as dancers in the program or create choreographic work. No choreographic experience necessary - just the desire to make work and a strong artistic voice.
Participating Choreographers are offered space, a $500 honorarium, class, tools, coaching, peer feedback, and professional dancers to make work with.
Participating Dancers are offered space, a $500 honorarium, class, and the opportunity to work with their peers in a nurturing and fecund creative environment
IMPORTANT DATES :
April 2nd Application Opens
April 30th Application Closes
May 5th Dancers and Choreographers are notified
May 11th 12pm Informational Meeting
May 18th Space grants and class available to accepted artists
June 8th 12pm Formal Zoom Introduction of dancers, choreographers, and current BCSD members
June 16th Beginning of choreographic lab
June 21st 2pm Culmination and final showing for choreographic lab
If it is within your means, please consider sponsoring a dancer of choreographer this year. Sponsorship perks include an invitation to rehearsals, a Q & A with the dancers and choreographers, and access to pre-sale seating at our performance at the beautiful Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center on September 27th.
2024 Choreographers :
Holly is a choreographer, performer, and artist living bi-coastally between New York City and Southern Oregon. A native of New Jersey she trained and graduated from the Rock School of Dance education, before continuing her professional performance career. Holly is a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet at Lincoln Center, and has previously performed with Ballet Austin, Claudia Schreier and Co., New Chamber Ballet, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago amongst others. The time away from the stage during the 2020 Pandemic allowed Holly the opportunity to cultivate her choreographic voice. Holly’s work bridges classical ballet, contemporary dance, and improvisation; and investigates how specific physicality's can result in narrative and emotion. Holly was resident choreographer for the Columbia Ballet Collaborative at Columbia University, NYC in the Spring of 2022. In 2023 Holly received the first joint-commission for music and choreography from the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival, with which she created “Half-Light” in collaboration with composer Doori Na. Additionally her has been presented at the Dancer’s Responding to Aids- Hudson Valley Dance Festival, YAGP, Youth IBC, and in local productions in Southern Oregon where Holly is an guest teacher and choreographer. Holly is thrilled to be working with Ballet Collective SD in their inaugural Choreographic Lab.
Holly Curran
Born in Sheffield, England, Holly moved to Southern California with her family when she was 3. She began studying dance at the age of 5 at San Elijo Dance Academy and studied with former Pacific Northwest Ballet Principals Laurie-Michelle and Ben Houk as well as Former Dancer with American Ballet Theater Amanda Cobb. Holly was accepted to and attended numerous elite Summer Intensives including Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Miami City Ballet.
Holly has performed as a Corps De Ballet dancer with Los Angeles Ballet, California Ballet and most recently Golden State Ballet.
Holly has performed in Swan Lake, Balanchine’s Who Cares, Jared Nelson’s Cinderella, Jared Nelson’s Bolero, and The Nutcracker with roles including Clara, Dew Drop, Arabian, Merliton, Spanish, Flowers, and Snow Flakes. She has also performed in original works from local San Diegan choreographers including Ryan Beck, Reka Gyulai, and Amanda Cobb. Holly has enjoyed teaching for many years at studios in San Diego County.
Holly Meacham
Anna Medina is a Mexican-American dancer, teacher and choreographer that hopes to inspire and empower her students and audience through her work. She began her dance training in Tijuana, Mexico and continued in San Diego and Boston. Anna has been teaching and choreographing dance for over ten years. Anna completed her BA in Political Science and Minor in International Studies at Boston College. She participated in local government as a Council Representative and Arts Organization liaison in the City of San Diego. Her work with the community inspired her to continue researching the effects of dance education for youth living in low income neighborhoods and the importance of government funding in these communities. Anna graduated Magna Cum Laude from her Masters in Fine Arts in Dance at UC Irvine in California. At UCI she was a Teacher’s Associate and taught several courses under the supervision of her faculty mentors. Her thesis was titled The Impact of Local Government Support on Arts Organizations and Their Communities and included a full dance performance titled Tales of three. The UCI Master's program allowed her to choreograph for several dance concerts presenting her work virtually and in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts Theater. Anna has also collaborated with international artists that share her creative vision, showcasing her pieces in Italy, Mexico and the US. Currently, Anna holds several teaching positions in Tijuana and San Diego. Anna is the Executive Director of Sylvia’s Dance Studio in Tijuana, Mexico and she recently earned the Best Choreography award at San Diego Dance Theater’s Emerging Choreographers Showcase and Awards with her new choreography Hunger of the Flesh, named Best of 2023 by the San Diego Union Tribune. Anna also received the Orion Choreographic Fellowship from Ballet Counterpointe and is currently creating new work for 2024 San Diego Live Arts Fest.
Anna Fernanda Medina
Emily has been turning in circles ever since she learned to walk. After falling in love with classical ballet as a young child, she turned those circles into pirouettes at Performing Arts Workshop in Encinitas. Emily was lucky enough to attend Columbia College Chicago where she earned her BFA in Dancemaking and was supported, shaped, and radically challenged in her training and ideas about what dance was and could be. She has had the immense pleasure and honor of studying under Darrell Jones, Laura Wade, Bonnie Brooks, Carrie Hansen, Peter Carpenter, Dardi McGinley Gallivan, David Dorfman, Larry Rosenberg, Lisa Gonzales, Richard Woodbury, and Kate Corby among others. Emily has since come back to takeover and run Performing Arts Workshop armed with a love for community, a fascination with form/function, and a fervent desire to make as much room for and access to the work as possible. Emily is also the Director of Ballet Collective San Diego.
Emily Miller
Shai Mashal is a freshman BFA Ballet Pedagogy Major at the Hartt School – University of Hartford, who got his start dancing at age ten. He has experience in ballet, modern, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, jazz, Flamenco, and character. Shai has trained and performed with California Ballet, Golden State Ballet, and Lynch Dance Institute, and graduated from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. Shai completed summer intensives at The Rock School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet Chicago, UNCSA, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Malashock Dance, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Shai aspires to a career as a choreographer, performer, and teacher.
Shai Mashal
Amy McMaster was born and raised in San Diego, California. Her training includes Southern California Ballet, BalletMet, Ballet West, and University of Utah School of Dance. In 2019, Amy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance from the University of Utah and then danced with California Ballet and Golden State Ballet. She is currently a freelance artist throughout Southern California. She has performed works by George Balanchine, Jared Nelson, Bruce Marks, Norbert Delacruz III, Andrea Schermoly, Gabrielle Lamb, and Gregory Dawson. In March 2024, she made her choreographic debut with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach alongside Miami City Ballet.
Amy McMaster
2024’s Dancers :
Born in San Diego California and raised in Tijuana BC, Mexico. Paulette began dancing at the age of 4, starting her training at the Escuela de Danza Gloria Campobello, under the direction of Margarita Robles, continuing her training at Marycarmen Profesionales en Danza under the direction of Maria del Carmen Padron. At age 14, she was given the opportunity to live in California to continue her professional career as a full-time dancer at North County Academy of Dance and Lynch Dance Institute. Her training is developed by styles of classical training including Cuban technique, Balanchine and Vaganova.
In 2019 she continued with her training at Golden State Ballet Academy, in the Pre-Professional program for three years under the direction of Raul and Cindy Salamanca where she had the opportunity to participate as a Trainee in Golden State Ballet Company in its inaugural season performing in the Nutcracker and later participating in Valse Fantasie set by John Clifford. After one year under the Trainee program at Golden State Academy, she was promoted to Apprentice at Golden State Ballet by director Raul Salamanca.
Her training experience includes Summer and Winter intensives at Cuban National Ballet for three consecutive years, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Marais dance School, Ballet West, and Dutch National Ballet.
Paulette Andalon
Evan Arredondo grew up in San Diego, California and is an alumni of the Golden State Ballet Academy, where he graduated with honors in 2022. He has trained at many prominent schools such as San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Austin, Boston Ballet, and most recently the highly selective Choreographic Workshop at Ballet West. Evan was offered many opportunities to perform with GSBA, exploring his artistry with mentorship from Andrew Brader as well as in brand new works such as Last Warning, choreographed by Andrea Schermoly. He worked to develop his technical side through classical repertoire such as “Raymonda” and “The Nutcracker,” where he performed the role of the Nutcracker Prince. His professional career started with Grand Rapids Ballet as an apprentice in 2022. Some of his performance credits at GRB include Elemental Brubeck, Off The Canvas, Balanchine’s Serenade and Who Cares?, Val Caniparoli's The Nutcracker, James Sofranko's Romeo and Juliet, and a world premiere by Penny Saunders.
Evan Arredondo
A San Diego native, she received her training from Danceology Academy of Classical Ballet with Elena Baltovik and California Professional Ballet Program with Maxim Tchnerychev. In 2020, she was invited to Tulsa Ballet on scholarship as a trainee and performed works by Ma Cong, Jera Wolfe, Marcello Angelini, and Alejandro Cerrudo. After graduating, she has danced with Richmond Ballet, Wonderbound, Zikr Dance, Ballare Carmel, and The Rosin Box Project. She has had the opportunity to perform original repertoire and new creations by Ma Cong, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Jennifer Archibald, Merce Cunningham, Val Caniparoli, and Cherice Barton, among others. She has also spent summers and residencies with Carmel Dance Festival, The School at Jacob's Pillow, Merce Cunningham Trust, Netherlands Dance Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet.
Nicole Bui
Leah McCall is a professional dancer based in Los Angeles, CA. Leah has danced with Los Angeles Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet Project OC, The Realm CO, and a variety of other project based dance companies. Leah's repertoire includes: George Balanchine's ‘Agon’, 'The Four Temperaments’, ‘Concerto Barocco’, 'Divertmento No. 15', 'Who Cares?', 'Western Symphony', 'Serenade', Aszure Barton's ‘Untouched’, and ‘Les Chambres de Jacques’, Alejandro Cerrudo's ‘Lickety Split’, Menghan Lou's 'This is You', and Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘Ghost’, amongst others. Additionally, Leah is signed commercially with Bloc Talent Agency and has made appearances in commercial projects including Jennifer Lopez's Vax Live Global Concert, FIDM’s Virtual Fashion Show, The Masked Singer Season 6, and Kevin Hart's 'What The Fit’ online video series featuring Los Angeles Ballet. She recently had the opportunity to perform live at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA, during The Driver Era's 2023 concert tour. Leah has also appeared as a dancer for Sting's opening performance for the International Food and Wine Festival 2023 in the Bahamas. Over 2020 Leah seized the opportunity of the co-founded LA Grooves, a dance company that expanded her artistic involvement through choreographing for productions incorporating dance on film. This experience sparked the initial interest in cinematography and creative production that helped cultivate future LA Grooves and personal projects. Leah’s first commissioned piece was for Hollywood Ballet’s Inaugural Gala, a contemporary ballet piece with a live orchestra that premiered in August of 2023. Leah's educational background includes a degree in Interdisciplinary Professional Studies with an Emphasis in Business Administration from Colorado State University.
Leah McCall
Emma Sherman
Ana Schloemann is from Sacramento, California. From a very young age, she trained with The Sacramento Ballet School. There, Ana had many wonderful opportunities to dance with the company in productions such as Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, The Great Gatsby, Balanchine’s Western Symphony, and Balanchine’s Who Cares. She has trained with companies and schools such as Ballet West, Long Beach Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The Juilliard School, and Texas Ballet Theatre to name a few. Ana attended The University of Utah, where she received her BFA in Ballet.
While at The U, she studied pedagogy, kinesiology, and Pilates which sparked her love and passion for teaching, making health conscious choices, and taught her the benefits of Pilates for not only dancers, but all humans. Ana finished her senior year of college with The Oklahoma City Ballet, where she danced for two years. While in Oklahoma City, she trained to become a Pilates Instructor through Balanced Body.
Ana moved to San Diego to dance with California Ballet, where she had the privilege of working with Jared Nelson in his new The Nutcracker as well as performing in Septime Webre’s Fluctuating Hemlines and Ryan Beck’s Pink Decadence . Ana is currently with Golden State Ballet. She is very humbled and excited to be back in the studio doing what she loves most. In her free time, Ana enjoys hot yoga and Pilates, cooking with her sister, beach walks with friends, finding new coffee shops, and kissing her sweet puppy Dexter.
Ana Schloemann
Celyna graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, also known as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. She obtained a four-year diploma with qualifications as an artist of ballet and teaching. During her years at the academy, she was blessed to perform in many ballets, including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, and Don Quixote. She was also given many opportunities to perform in concerts, in roles such as Esmeralda from Esmeralda, 3rd shade from Bayadere, Carmen from Carmen, and Queen of Dryad from Don Quixote. In addition to classical roles, she performed many character roles. She is very fortunate to have trained with many excellent teachers, including Anna Leonova (first soloist of the Bolshoi Theater), Anna Antonicheva (prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater), Valeriy Anisimov, Tatyana Pashkova, and more. Currently, Celyna dances with Golden State Ballet.
Celyna Tran
