Guest Artists / Master Classes

Jennifer Huffman and Omar Olivas to set choreography

for WUDE 2013 performances

Jennifer Huffman, "Huffy," is from the small town of Festus,Missouri. When Jennifer was 5 years old, she discovered a bunion on her right foot that enabled her to jump higher than the other girls. She spent most of her time upside down, dancing and flying through the air as she traveled and competed in dance and Sports Acrobatics all over the country. Jennifer then attended Webster University in St. Louis where she received a BFA in dance and was awarded the Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Scholarship for three consecutive years. As a professional,Jennifer has performed with such distinguished groups as Webster University Dance Theatre, David Dorfman's Dance Out of Seasons, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal's The Nucracker, The Slaughter Project, Paul Taylor 2 in Esplanade, Move,Inaside Chicago Dance, NegliaBallet's Nutcracker, and MusicalFare's original written "American Rhapsody". Jennifer was a founding company member of LehrerDance in Buffalo, NY and toured the U.S. with them for 3 years. She has also used her 11 years of teaching experience to travel across the country teaching master classes and setting works of LehrerDance, as well as becoming a Modern Dance Instructor for Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. She has choreographed works for Orange County High School for the Arts, Impulse Dance Festival, Atrek, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and University at Buffalo. Jennifer still spends most of her time upside down and is starting her third season of traveling the world with Diavolo Dance Theater.

Omar Olivas was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. He began his training at Saint Joseph Ballet under the artistic supervision of director, Beth Burns. Omar graduated as a Haggerty and William Gillespie Scholar (BFA Dance) from the University of California,Irvine, where he was a dancer with Donald Mckayle’s student repertory dance company, Etudes. He began his professional dance career as a member of Jenny Backhaus’ dance company, BackhausDance. Omar has danced at the Conservatoire de Paris, where Donald Mckayle premiered Remember Journey, and in Tammy L. Wong’s About Last Night for the Esplanade’s da:ns festival in Singapore. Aside from dancing Omar has choreographed for Orange County High School of the Arts, Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville, and La Salle College of the Arts, in Singapore. Omar currently teaches ballet and modern throughout the Orange County and is a guest performer for Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company and BackhausDance. Omar enjoys his many adventures with his current family, Diavolo Dance Theatre.

Monday, February 25th & Wednesday, February 27th - Ballet Master Class at 11:30am.

Maurya Kerr danced with Alonzo King LINES Ballet from 1994-2006. She is currently a freelance artist and senior faculty member with the LINES Ballet educational programs. She also teaches workshops nationally, as a visiting guest artist at Hollins University and as faculty for Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Program. In 2010 Maurya founded tinypistol, a San Francisco based dance company. She is a winner of the 2011 Hubbard Street National Choreographic Competition, and recently created sad monsters for Hubbard Street 2 in residency with University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  In 2011 Ballet Nouveau Colorado commissioned the creation of two works, Groundling, a collaboration with visual artist Sarah Wallace Scott, and Quarry Hymn. In August of 2012 WestWave Dance Festival presented an evening of her work, including the world premiere of FreakShow. Maurya is the recipient of a 2012 CHIME grant affording her the opportunity to work in mentorship with Alex Ketley.

Tuesday, February 5th - Aerial master class at 6:00pm

LAURA STOKES is a zealous movement researcher, educator and performer. Always fascinated by the notion of embodied experience, she was a child gymnast, a teenage ballerina, and at one point, a budding yogini. She is now an avid contact improviser, ecstatic aerialist and bizarrely present performer. Laura works with circus virtuosity, somatic awareness and the most basic emotion to create work that examines how we inhabit the physical space of our lives through our bodies. She lives in the mountains of northern New Mexico and is the co-founder of Ricochet, a contemporary circus duo whose intimate theatrical circus shows have toured to sold out audiences across the country.

April 18 - Graham Technique Master Class with Amy Piantaginni

Amy trained at the Boston Conservatory and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, where she received scholarships from the Gregory Peck Foundation and as a Finalist for the Coca-Cola Award for Artistic Excellence. Amy completed the Two Year Certificate Program at The Martha Graham School as well as the teacher training program and participated in the Martha Graham Teacher Training Workshop held this past Spring as part of her ongoing continuing education.  She is a former member of the Martha Graham Dance Company and the Martha Graham Dance Ensemble, in which she danced many soloist roles including "Satyric Festival Song" and "Conversation of Lovers".  Amy also has danced for the companies of Javier Dzul and Richard Move.  Most recently she has performed with James Robey Dance Theater and Edgar Cortes Dance Theater.  Amy's teaching experience includes numerous schools throughout New England, including the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in NYC and The Hartt School/University of Hartford.  She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Ashford University and also teaches yoga, Pilates, and conditioning for dancers.

April 19 & 20, 8:00pm - BFA Concert

Dynamism, the spring choreographic concert featuring BFA candidate Ashley McQueen,will be held at the Jean and Wells Center for Dance located at the Loretto-Hilton Center on April 19 and 20 at 8 pm. The concert is free and open to the public.  Donations are accepted.

May 3, 7:30pm - The Creations Concert

The Creations Concert, an end of the semester, informal, student produced concert takes place at 7:30pm on Friday, May 3rd in the Jean and Wells Hobler Center for Dance.  Admission is free, donations are accepted.

March 29 - Graham Technique Master Class with Tom Smith

Tom is Professor of Dance at the University of Akron, holds an MFA in Dance from the University of California at Irvine, and is a former member of the Martha Graham Dance Company where he performed nationally and internationally, as well as on PBS’ Great Performances “Dance in America” series. In addition to Martha Graham, he has worked with Donald McKayle, Tom Evert, and Joan Lombardi. Mr. Smith’s choreography has been featured several times by the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet as well as by regional companies and musical theatre. As a teacher he has recent national and international experience in Hong Kong, Denmark, and The People’s Republic of China. He also owns the Pilates Gym, The Tom Smith Studio, in Akron.

April 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and April 14 at 2 p.m. The 2013 Webster University Dance Ensemble Concert

The 2013 Webster University Dance Ensemble, under the artistic direction of Beckah Reed, once again has a fabulous concert of dance planned! This year alumna Jennifer Huffman, currently working with Diavolo, will choreograph a dynamic, athletic work for the students. Many original dances will be presented, including two ballets by Michael Uthoff, Artistic Director of Dance St. Louis, a driving, full-bodied contemporary work by James Robey, who is new to our faculty this year, and an aerial piece by Monica Newsam.  The concert showcases the dancers’ extensive technical training and their very eclectic performance abilities.  The Dance Ensemble performs on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road on Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. only.  Admission is $12 for the general public and $6 for students and seniors.