Education & Community Engagement > DANCE This
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- 25th Annual DANCE This
- DANCE This Artist in Residence
- DANCE This Training + Youth Programs
- Past Programs
25th Annual DANCE This
Friday, July 14, 2023
Moore Theatre
Adults $18 Advance / $20 Day of Show (Purchase Here)
Students $10 Advance / $12 Day of Show (Youth Matinee - Purchase Here)
STG's signature dance program, celebrating its 25th year, brings together youth & adult performers from diverse communities for collaboration & to share their culture through the art of dance.
Past guest master artists have included Napoleon & Tabitha from So You Think You Can Dance, Savion Glover, Joffrey Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, Spectrum Dance Theatre, Whim Whim, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Jeroboam Bozeman from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, as well as Broadway professionals.
Photo by Chris Nelson
2023 DANCE This Line-Up
Featured Local Groups
Daughters of Royalty Drill & Dance Ensemble
Joyas Mestizas
Mohini Dance School
Northwest Tap Connection
Massive Monkees
DANCE This Artist In Residence
Deshawn Morton
Guest Artist Commissions
Robert Garland of Dance Theatre of Harlem
Chloé Arnold of Syncopated Ladies
Finale Choreographed by Nikki Long
DANCE This Artist in Residence
2023 Recipient
Deshawn Morton
Deshawn began dancing at Tacoma School of The Arts, performed with the Tacoma City Ballet Company, and studied in NYC with the Dance Theater of Harlem. Deshawn received a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona.
Deshawn has worked with notable choreographers such as Kabby Mitchell, Donald Byrd, Tammy Dyke-Compton, Robert Garland, Rodni Williams, Amy Earnst, and more. Deshawn performed at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and danced with the Capaital Movement dance company in D.C. Deshawn is currently a dancer with Khambatta Dance Company in Seattle.
Deshawn is also dedicated to teaching and mentoring youth through the art and discipline of dance. In the D.C area, as a dance educator with the Prince George's County Public School, Ballet Program Director at Starmakers Academy, Dance Camp Director with the Dance Institute of Washington. Currently, he is the School Director of Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, a non-profit dance school dedicated to providing quality Classical Ballet training for Urban Youth.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The DANCE This Artist Residency is designed to support choreographers in the greater Seattle-area in their artistic development of original work. Selected choreographers will be offered rehearsal space, time, support along with a financial budget to aid this project.
The residency must be used to adapt, explore and create a new ensemble work that will be premiered at STG’s DANCE This 25th Anniversary Performance. Choreographers will provide showings throughout the process and be provided feedback from show producers and local industry artists.
All forms and styles of dance will be considered with an emphasis on artists of color, works that explore cultural backgrounds, history and/or traditions as well artists who have not had choreography previously presented for any Education + Community Engagement productions.
2022 Artist Recipients
Akoiya Harris
Akoiya Harris is a Seattle based movement artist. She graduated from The Ailey School’s Certificate Program and has performed as a company artist with Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theater. Akoiya has recently shown her own work at Seattle Art Museum, Wa Na Wari, Base Art Space through ”12 Minutes Max”, and 10 Degrees in the show “2.” Outside of her movement practice, Akoiya does work in cultural preservation through the collection of community members oral histories.
Gary Champi
Gary Champi is a San Diego native, now working between New York and Seattle. He has performed and taught with various choreographers and institutions since 2008. He is certified in Cunningham Technique® and also choreographs, with current projects at On the Boards (WA) and Seattle Theater Group. Gary worked in many capacities for the Merce Cunningham Trust from 2011-2020, graduated from Stanford University, and is an MFA candidate at the University of Washington.
For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DANCE This Training and Workshops
DANCE This also provides dance training and performance programs featuring contemporary and cultural dance forms for multiple ages and dance levels.
2023 DANCE This Spring Workshop
Photos by Christopher Nelson
64 youth participants ages 13-18 attended STG's DANCE This Spring Workshop at All That Dance on March 4 & 5. Over the course of 2 days, dancers worked with STG teaching artists through a variety of dance forms including Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Waacking, Hip Hop and West African Dance. STG provided full scholarships to 28 participants to attend the program.
2023 FACULTY INCLUDED:
Ellie Sandstrom (Modern)
Etienne Cakpo (W. African Dance)
Grace Masaoka (Waacking)
Isaiah Rashaad (Hip Hop/Industry Choreography)
Kirsten Barron Kinney (Contemporary)
Nia-Amina Minor (Jazz)
Yaw Amponsah (W. African Drumming)
Zahra Masaoka (Waacking)
Heather Harris (Ballet)
2023 DANCE This Camp at Centrum
2023 DANCE This Camp at Centrum
August 13 – 20, 2023
Ft. Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA
Grades 9-12
2023 TEACHING FACULTY INCLUDES:
Yaw Amponsah (W. African Drumming)
Kirsten Barron Kinney (Contemporary)
Etienne Cakpo (W. African Dance)
Nia-Amina Minor (Jazz)
Erick “Spider” Paul (Hip Hop)
Ellie Sandstrom (Modern)
Past Programs
DANCE This is a multi-faceted program that has included:
2021 DANCE This Virtual Performance
STG’s DANCE This! Virtual Performance premiered on Friday, August 13, 2021 and is available on-demand to watch! STG's YouTube channel
Produced by STG Education & Community Engagement Department, the 23rd annual production of the DANCE This performance is going virtual! DANCE This, brings together youth and adult performers from diverse communities to collaborate and share their culture through the art of dance.
Performances featured ANA MONTES AND FLAMENCO DANZARTE, GRUPO FOLKLORICO HERENCIAS MEXICANAS, HIYAS DANCE TROUPE, MALICIOUS VIXENS, NORTHWEST TAP CONNECTION, a special piece with ELLIE SANDSTROM and ETIENNE CAKPO and FINALE choreographed by KIRSTEN KINNEY in collaboration with the groups in the show. Production filmed by JOSEPH LAMBERT of JAZZY PHOTO.
Past guest master artists have included Napoleon & Tabitha from So You Think You Can Dance, Savion Glover, Joffrey Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, Spectrum Dance Theatre, Whim Whim, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Jeroboam Bozeman from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, as well as Broadway professionals.
Meet The 2021 Artists
Ana Montes and Flamenco Danzarte
Ana Montes and Flamenco Danzarte is a changing group of Ana Montes with her students, accompanied by guest musicians or recorded music, performing in many different venues. Going from class, to rehearsing, to performing is a fantastic life experience. Flamenco imbues confidence, courage, belief in one's own personal power and beauty. Every body type can dance flamenco, because what is important is the "Art" and inner spirit that each individual expresses.
Ana Montes is considered to be one of the finest female flamenco dancers in the U.S., and beloved flamenco teacher and choreographer to both adults, children and youth. Ana's students learn musicality, discipline, focus, the importance of setting a high standard of excellence in both their dance and everything in life, and just expressing the pure joy and fun of dance! Ana studied flamenco in Sevilla and Madrid, with many famous flamenco artists, including El Ciro, La Tati, José Galván, El Guito, and then performed in Spain and around the world professionally in flamenco dance troupes for 7 years. Ana now has been teaching and performing in the Seattle area for decades. Ana is known for her powerful and charismatic presence onstage, her graceful and elegant arms and hand movements (which in part defines the female flamenco dancer), yet still containing that tension and passion which makes flamenco so exciting, her incredible rhythm in both her footwork and her "palmas" (percussive clapping) .... she has been called "a master of rhythm" , and has many times brought audience members to tears and unexpected emotion. One audience member wrote to her, "that was the most *#! awesome thing I have ever seen! It brought chills to my spine!" , and another wrote "Ana Montes' dancing was, as closely as I can describe, nearly transcendental and had an effect on me that I could never anticipate or understand. This is surely the height of performance dance." Olé Flamenco!
Grupo Folklórico Herencias Mexicanas
Grupo Folklórico Herencias Mexicanas was formed in 2009 in Lake Stevens, WA. Over the years the group has gained more members and increased its repertoire. We accept people of all ages, regardless of their dance experience. Our only requirement is that they are interested in representing and learning the traditional dances of Mexico and take pride in presenting them the community. We are happy to be another extracurricular option for all residents of Washington, but especially our younger generations. Herencias Mexicanas is under the direction of Cecilia Garcia Gutierrez.
The Hiyas Dance Troupe
The Hiyas Dance Troupe is a group of Filipino American dancers based in Seattle, Washington whose mission is to increase awareness of Filipino culture and heritage through traditional folk dances. We are proud of our culture, our values and traditions and have made it our goal to share broadly with our audiences. Hiyas is under the direction of Lyrma Santodomingo
Malicious Vixens
Malicious Vixens is a Seattle-based dance collective of Asian American women that reside on Coast Salish/ Duwamish land. Through their art, they take great strides in creating work that both honors their ancestors and histories, but also honor the African diaspora and cultures that they are guests of. Through movement, sharing of stories, and action, they seek to positively impact and empower their communities.
The members of the pack are Tracey Wong, Alyssa Oyadomari, Zahra Masaoka, and Grace Masaoka who are all the co-directors. Each member is a vital force to the pack -- bringing their individual skills and experiences to share and build with one another. The Vixens have performed globally and internationally and are excited to continually grow in their collective art-making.
They believe in the power of collaboration, the power of action, and the power of collective creativity. Built on a foundation of love and trust, they continually work towards challenging and holding one another accountable to do better for themselves and for the community.
Northwest Tap Connection
Northwest Tap Connection (NTC) is a race and social justice dance studio that was founded and deeply rooted in rhythm tap. In addition to tap, NTC cultivates a broad spectrum of dance styles, such as African, jazz, modern, ballet, swing, ballroom, and hip-hop into its curriculum and performances. NTC is dedicated to developing the whole dancer through a love of dance, personal discipline, respect for the community, respect for fellow dancers and artists, and a knowledge of the history of various art forms. NTC fosters an environment where dancers can grow artistically and technically, while also developing self-esteem, leadership skills and social responsibility. Northwest Tap Connection has been partnering with STG for over 18 years.
Melba Ayco (Ms Melba) spent the majority of her life in an environment where she was familiar with three types of people—"black, white, and foreigners." A not so easy journey, marked by segregation, the defense of her self-identity, and the redefining of her destiny, landed Ms Melba in her current chapter of life in Seattle, Washington. The determined Louisiana native, who decided in 7th grade to never be "The Help," dedicates her life to closing the gap for underserved youth, especially youth of color in Seattle. Melba Ayco received the District 2, 2017 MLK Medal of Distinguished Service from the Metropolitan King County Council and 2017 Celebrating Our Queens Community Builder Award from the Africatown – Central District.
Ellie Sandstrom and Etienne Cakpo
Ellie Sandstrom, a Seattle Magazine "Spotlight Award Winner" and Velocity Dance Center's "2016 Dance Champion", is originally from Minneapolis, where she began her movement training with Minnesota Dance Theater and later BalletArts Minnesota. She has studied various forms of dance technique, body conditioning, composition, improvisation and performance at dance festivals and schools across the country including Cornish College of the Arts, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance.
Ellie worked and toured with dance companies locust and Scott/Powell Performance from 2000-2010. Her choreography, under the name SANDSTROMMOVEMENT, has received funding from the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and from Artist Trust. Her work has been produced locally and nationally by organizations such as On the Boards, Velocity Dance Center and Perpich Center for the Arts, and commissioned by Seattle Dance Project, Creative Dance Center and Washington Ensemble Theater, among others. She has been teaching contemporary styles and dance performance to middle school and high school students at The Northwest School in Seattle since 2006 and was the Dance Department Chair from 2013-2018. She has been a Teaching Artist for STG's Dance This programming since 2007.
Etienne Cakpo is an award-winning professional dancer, choreographer and musician from Benin, West Africa. He is specialized in instruction and performance of traditional African dance from Benin as well as contemporary African dance styles, and has been building his dance repertoire for nearly thirty years. He is director of Gansango Music & Dance, a dance company registered in Washington State. Gansango works closely with public libraries, schools and independent arts agencies locally and nationally to make performance of dance and music from Africa available to a wide range of audiences, including young children. This year Etienne was honored with the 2020 Dance Educator of the Year Award from DEAW (Dance Educators Association of Washington).
Kirsten Barron Kinney
Kirsten Barron Kinney graduated cum laude from the University of California, Irvine where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Choreography and in Dance Performance. While attending UCI, she was a member of Donald McKayle’s modern company Etude Ensemble and Fresno Ballet. She has taught, choreographed, and performed in the Seattle Area for the past 20+ years. Currently, she teaches full-time at Gotta Dance and is the director of the performing team. Kirsten has enjoyed being a part of STG programs Dance This Intensive, Camp and Performance, as well being a teaching artist for the STG Dance for PD ® program. Kirsten's dance background includes Ballet, Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Jazz, Tap and Hip Hop.