Artistic Collaborators
Francis Wong (music direction, composition) was dubbed one of “the great saxophonists of his generation” by the late jazz critic Phil Elwood. Few musicians are as accomplished as Wong: for over two decades he has performed his innovative brand of jazz and creative music for audiences in north America, Asia, and europe. A prolific recording artist, Wong is featured on more than forty titles. www.franciswong.net
Olivia Ting (media & graphic design) is interested in the role of digital technology in the fabric of contemporary lives and how our perception of recorded media (film, photography, audio) as “reality” has shifted as technology becomes more sophisticated. Olivia has done design work for Oakland Museum of California, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Jose Children’s Museum, and collaborated with various dance companies in the Bay Area. Her work shifts between video projection and altered 360 VR film experiences. She holds an MFA in Art Practice from U.C. Berkeley. www.olivetinge.com
Genny Lim (poetry) is a poet, performer, playwright, educator and cultural activist who strives to express the uniqueness and universality of her experience as the child of immigrant Chinese through her artistic vision. deeply engaged in the civil rights movement and the Asian American Rights movement, her work is informed by her commitment to social justice issues on many fronts.
(photo by Bob Hsiang)
Tatsu Aoki (film, music) is a prolific composer, musician, filmmaker, and educator. Based in Chicago, Aoki works in a wide range of musical genres, ranging from traditional Japanese music, jazz, experimental and creative music. Aoki studied experimental filmmaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently an adjunct Full Professor at the Film, Video and New Media Department, teaching film production and history courses. To this date, Aoki has produced and appears in more than 90 recording projects and over 30 experimental films. www.tatsuaoki.com
Robbie Sweeny (photography) is an Irish born, internationally published photographer, curator and artist. My work has been exhibited globally, most notably in a group exhibition at Tate Britain in 2010 and The De Young Museum in 2013. I relocated to San Francisco in 2010 where I work closely within the performance art community. My work deals with issues such as queer futurity, identity and movement. My collaboration list includes but is not limited to: The De Young Museum, SFMOMA, Counter Pulse, YBCA, Joe Goode Annex, Dance Mission, Keith Hennessy, Jess Curtis, Sara Shelton Mann, Amara T. Smith and Lenora Lee.
Vijay Iyer (music) Described by The New York Times as a “social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway,” composer-pianist VIJAY IYER is one of the leading music-makers of his generation. His honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a United States Artist Fellowship, a Grammy nomination, and the Alpert Award in the Arts. His most recent album, a trio session with drummer Tyshawn Sorey and bassist Linda May Han Oh titled Uneasy (ECM Records, 2021), was named Best New Music in Pitchfork and was hailed by the New Yorker as “a triumph of small-group interplay and fertile invention.”
Helen Palma (music) is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music with an emphasis on Vocal and Jazz Studies. Her vocal styles range from Brazilian to Latin Jazz, Salsa, Swing, Blues, R&B and Pop. During Helen’s time at SF State, she studied with John Calloway in the Afro Cuban Ensemble and later performed professionally with his latin jazz septet at the Redwood City Salsa Festival in 2017 and 2019. She was also a part of the 2020 Hispanic Heritage Concert under Calloway’s direction. Helen’s own group, The Helen Palma Trio, performs in venues throughout the Bay Area with an emphasis on Latin and Brazilian jazz, R&B and pop. She is also pursuing a certificate in audio engineering and video editing. https://helenentertains.wordpress.com/, https://www.instagram.com/helen_palma_cantante/, linkedin.com/in/helen-palma
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Dance Collaborators / Performers
Victoria Amador (dance – San Francisco) (she/her/ella) is a 1st-gen, Chicana, 4th year transfer currently attending UC Berkeley. She is majoring in Psychology with a Dance and Performance Studies minor. Victoria has been dancing since she was 5 years old, is trained in many dance genres, and still continues to explore movement. She plans to continue to dance for as long as she is able and hopes that she can keep dance a diverse, inclusive, and body-positive environment. Finally, she hopes you can enjoy and learn from the show! Instagram: a.victoria99
José Avilés (dance – Lima, Peru) Artist and cultural manager. Since 2014, they have directed CRUDO, an artistic collective that promotes scenic research from an interdisciplinary perspective, developing exhibition and training programs. Starting in 2024, they curate Cuerpo Atardecer, an Ibero-American dance and performance program, and begin managing Espacio Huaca, a platform for artistic residencies. They have carried out projects in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico, the United States, Spain, and other countries. IG: @crudocolectivo_
Artista y gestor cultural. Desde el 2014 dirige CRUDO, colectivo artístico que promueve la investigación escénica desde una perspectiva interdisciplinar, desarrollando programas de exhibición y formación. Desde este 2024, realiza la curaduría de Cuerpo Atardecer, programación iberoamericana de danza y performance, e inicia la gestión de Espacio Huaca, plataforma de residencias artísticas. Ha realizado proyectos en Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay, México, Estados Unidos, España, entre otros. IG: @crudocolectivo_
Naoko Brown (dance – Boston) is a native of Nagoya, Japan. At the age of six, she was introduced to the world of classical ballet by Michiko Matsumoto. She continued her training with Barbara Banaskowski Smith in Lansing, MI. While there, she performed with the students of the National Ballet School of Gdansk in Poland, as well as students from Vaganova Ballet School in St. Pertersburg, Russia. Brown received her B.F.A. in Dance from The Boston Conservatory. While there, she performed works by Daniel Pelzig, Sean Curran, Lar Lubovitch and José Limón. She also attended the Boston Ballet School Summer Dance Program, Ballet Intensive from Moscow, and was a full scholarship recipient at Summer Stages Dance in 2012. She has performed with Michiko Matsumoto Ballet, Urban Nutcracker, Zoé Dance, Contrapose, Prometheus Dance and Jo-Mé Dance. She is currently a faculty member of Walnut Hill School for the Arts Community Dance Academy as well as Boston Ballet.
I.J. Chan (dance – Boston) IJ Chan (陳加恩) is a dance artist and educator from Boston, MA. She has dedicated her life to training and performing intensively in multiple dance genres and under many choreographers. In her own choreographic work, IJ is interested in intersecting and exploring the Asian-American narrative. She is committed to bringing quality performing arts instruction to low-income and minority youth populations within Boston. She also works as a freelance graphic designer, visual artist and seamstress.
Peter Cheng (he/him) (dance – New York City) is a Taiwanese-American dancer, art model, actor, and movement director based in New York City. He has trained with with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, ODC/Dance, SFCD, Post:Ballet, Sidra Bell Dance NY | MODULE, Visceral Dance Chicago, Springboard Danse Montréal, YYDC/Yin Yue, NW Dance Project, NVA & Guests, and Henny Jurrïens Studio (NL). He has worked with Caili Quan (BalletX), Flavien Esmieu (BalletBoyz), Charlotte Bydwell, Tilly Evans-Krueger, Hayden J. Frederick, Garrett Parker, and performed with Konverjdans, Project44 Dance, LaneCoArts, Tabula Rasa Dance Theater, CreArtBox, Lenora Lee Dance, and Black Box Music Ensemble. Photo by Josh Going Photography. peterandco.org / @cheng_moves
Lynn Huang (dance – San Francisco) Trained in modern dance, ballet, and Chinese dance, Lynn has performed with Lenora Lee, Cynthia Ling Lee, and Philein Wang, among others in San Francisco, and HT Chen and Dancers, Dance China NY and Ella Ben-Aharon/Sahar Javedani in NYC. She studied at Minzu University Dance Conservatory in Beijing, China on a Fulbright fellowship and graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College of Columbia University. She also teaches GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS®. IG: @lynnxspirals. Photo by Christopher Luo
Flora Hyoin Kim (dance – Boston) is a Korean-American choreographer, performer, and dance educator who earned her B.F.A. in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014. Flora is a found- ing member of GrinNare, a performing arts group of music and dance in Boston and premiered her 3 new solos at the Her Life as a ‘Comfort Woman’ Concert in January 2020 to support ‘com- fort women’ victims and human rights. As a choreographer Flora has presented her works at var- ious venues including Harvard Kennedy School, Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, Onstage Dance Company Choreographer Residency Showcase, First Church in Cambridge, Korean Church of Boston, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Lotte Cinema World Towel in Seoul, Korea. Flora has performed and presented works by prestigious companies and choreographers including Prometheus Dance, Deborah Abel Dance Company, Korhan Basaran, Riley Watts, Hol- lis Bartlett, Nattie Trogdon, Jennifer Lin, Lorraine Chapman The Company, and Urbanity Dance.
SanSan Kwan (dance – San Francisco) is Professor and Chair in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, where she teaches dance and dance studies.. She has performed with Jonathon Appels, Joanna Mendl Shaw, Chen and Dancers, Scott Rubin, and Maura Nguyen Donohue/In Mixed Company, among others.
Nelson Enrique Mejia Jr. (dance – New York City) is a movement artist, sound designer, and teacher based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from Virginia, he received his B.F.A. in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2022. He has performed both regionally and internationally with groups such as Brian Brooks Moving Company, Gaspard&Dancers, Joyce Theater Productions, and Pony Box Dance Theatre.
Miguel Miranda (dance – New York City) is a movement artist and choreographer originally from Lima, Peru. Miguel is a recent graduate of Montclair State University, where he received his BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. He is the recipient of Montclair State’s Choreographic Excellence Award in 2023. Miguel’s choreographic works have been featured in various venues, including the Alexander Kasser Theater, the Mark Morris Dance Center, the Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA), the American College Dance Association National Festival 2023, among others.
Mikaela Morisato (dance – New York City) is a dance artist, choreographer and founder of the collective MORISATO. Her experience in concert and commercial dance extends through performance art, digital media and film production. Mikaela trained with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and has performed works by artists from Batsheva Dance Company, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Barak Marshall Dance Theatre, Cullberg and more. Currently based in NYC, she dances with Peter & Co alongside freelancing and creating with her collective. www.morisato.co
Johnny Huy Nguyễn (dance – San Francisco) is a Vietnamese multidisciplinary dance artist based in unceded Ramaytush – Ohlone territory (SF). His physical and often autobiographical works incorporate movement, theater, text, ritual, installation, and humor to interrogate the social, political, and cultural forces that shape us. Nguyễn is a 2023 United States of Asian America Festival Featured Artist, 2022 Isadora Duncan Dance Award recipient, and 2021 APAture Festival Featured Artist. His work has been presented by API Cultural Center, 500 Capp St, and Asian Art Museum. His dance films have shown nationally – CAAMfest, Sans Souci Festival and internationally – Contact Dance International Film Festival (Canada), Dance Camera Istanbul (Turkey). Photo by Henrik Lam. Instagram: johnny.huy.nguyen www.johnnyhuynguyen.com IG: @johnny.huy.nguyen
IG: @catalina_oconnor
Caleb Patterson (dance – New York City) is a dance artist based in New York City. He has performed works by several notable choreographers such as Nathan Trice, Rena Butler and Patrick O’Brien during his education at The Joffrey Ballet School in 2014. Alongside being seen in HBO’s Random Acts Of Flyness, he has worked with artists Maleek Washington, Em Greenwell, Kayla Farrish and more. He has performed works by MATHETA dance, LaneCoArts, Spark Movement Collective, MORISATO, Kar’mel Small, and Javier Padilla.
Moyra Cecilia Silva Rodriguez (co-artistic director of “A Bridge to Now”, choreographer, dancer) from Lima, Peru, holds a Master’s in Dance Anthropology and a Bachelor’s in Communication Science and Arts. Her Chinese-Peruvian heritage influences her exploration of art and identity, blending academic research with movement and visual arts. Awarded by the 2023 Economic Stimulus for Cultural and Arts Industries, Instituto Cultural Peruano Norte-Americano, Festival Artes Escenicas Lima, the German Federal Foreign Office, and Goethe-Institut, she is an Erasmus Mundus scholar (2020-2022) and collaborates with Lenora Lee Dance on Chinatown and Chinese-Peruvian projects.Photo by Fatima Sartre. www.moyrasilva.com, IG @moyra_silva
Brandon Woods (dance – New York City), from Winston Salem, NC, BFA graduate of UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA). Professional career began performing original works created by Duane Cyrus, Helen Simoneau, Juel Lane and more. In 2014, joined the West Virginia Dance Company that featured works choreographed by Doug Varone. In 2016, was commissioned for an original work created at the Lincoln Center. In 2021, joined the Jose Limon Dance Foundation. Most recent collaborations include performances with StubbornMVMT, O.R.Project, and Variety Pack Collective. Recent creative and instructional works involve associations such as Brooklyn Ballet, Dancewave, Movement Research INC, and Brooklyn Arts Exchange.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Administration / Production
Lucy Tafler trained in technical theatre at LAMDA in the UK before being distracted by Astrophysics and Cybersecurity. The Arts lured her back to performance when she moved to the Bay Area in 2013 and co-founded the San Francisco Neo-Futurists theatre company. She has since worked with immersive theatre creators in San Francisco including The Speakeasy SF and This Is What I Want festival as well as touring the Neos and commissioning new independent works in Edinburgh, London, Australia, and New York.
Q. Quan started working for Lenora Lee Dance in 2016 as a projection, lighting, and A/V tech. Since then, they have returned every year to embark on every single new adventure. When not making production magic for Lenora Lee Dance, they are a manager and visual maintenance tech for Palace Games.
