Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company

the dancers

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Photo By: Brett Buchanan

Roxanne Gage is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. She performed nationally and internationally with the Sharir Dance Company and was also the Jazz Dance instructor for the Company School. She performed in works by Yacov Sharir, Jose Luis Bustamante, Heywood “Woody” McGriff, Sondra Lomax, Doug Varone, Ohad Naharin, Senta Driver, Llory Wilson and Carolyn Pavlik. She performed and choreographed with the Andrea Beckham Collaborative Dance Company. She is a Jazz, Ballet and Modern Dance Instructor, a choreographer and a Nationals Judge for Marching Auxiliaries Dance Company where she just celebrated 25 years. Oh…did you want her to name more names? While a Kilgore College Rangerette Lt. she shared performances with Bob Hope, Ann Jillian, Rock Hudson, Donny Osmond and even did High Kicks as an Honor Guard for Prince Charles of Wales. She worked with Sandra Bullock as an assistant choreographer for the pageant section in the movie “Miss Congeniality”. She is currently a dance instructor for the ACC Dance Department and enjoys representing the dance department while teaching at the American College Dance Festival. She is passionate about living life to its fullest with the support of her amazing friends and loving family. She is married to Cameron Gage who is a wonderful supportive husband and together they have 2 FABULOUS children, Jack and Isabella.

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Photo By: Farid Zarrinabadi

Shari Brown grew up in the west Texas town of El Paso, dreaming of being Miss America, a Russian gymnast, the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys and a British rock star. At the ripe age of twenty-five, she saw her first modern dance performance, and with the confidence and advice of friends who knew no better, she began her dance training. As an ensemble and company member of International Dance Theatre/Contemporary Dance Theatre in El Paso, she performed in works by Amy Oakley-Samz, Lisa Smith, Sandra Young and Candace Ernest. After receiving a predictably unpractical degree in Theatre from UT El Paso, Shari moved to Austin where she has danced in pieces by Caroline Sutton-Clark, Renee Davis, David DeBlieck, Lisa Nicks, Kate Warren and Kathy Dunn Hamrick. Occasionally, she puts on her acting hat and does a play with the crazy thespians at Way Off Broadway Community Players. Her recent non-artistic adventures have been on a sand volleyball court, where it seems a crime to have so much fun doing something for which she has absolutely no talent. Mostly, Shari enjoys the tremendous comradery and encouragement from the beautiful people at Café Dance . . . and chocolate.


	+Click Photo to enlarge Photo By: Farid Zarrinabadi		Erica Santiago, a native of Austin, began her classical dance training at age 14 with Austin Contemporary Ballet. After graduating from high school, she moved to Fort Worth where she received her BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance from Texas Christian University in 2003. Erica has had the pleasure of studying with many dance artists such as Fernando Bujones, Li Chou Cheng, Elizabeth Gillaspy, Doug Varone, Adrienne Clancy, Susan Douglas Roberts, Kerry Kriemen, Lisa Naugle, Holly Williams, Kim Abel, Hope Boykin, Lynn Wilshire, Steve Ochoa and Alonzo King, and performing with Contemporary Ballet Dallas and Contemporary Dance Fort Worth. In addition to performing, Erica choreographed two original works for CBD (Full Circle and Porch Ties) and, as resident choreographer for Stars Theatre Company, choreographed musicals such as The Wizard of Oz, Alladin, Pirates of Penzance and Beauty and the Beast. Erica has taught at TCU, Contemporary Dance Fort Worth and privately owned studios. Most recently, Erica performed in North Carolina and premiered her new work, Awakening, in CD/FW’s November production. Erica currently teaches with Dance Associates and at Johnston High School through Ballet East Dance Theatre’s outreach programs. She also dances with, and will be re-staging two works for, Ballet East. Erica is very excited to have been adopted into the Dunn Hamrick dance family.

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Photo By: Farid Zarrinabadi

After toiling about 19 years as a stressed-out, oppressed professional ballerina, Andrea Comola Williams has finally made the “leap” into being an independent, liberated, joyful choreographer and dancer. Her work has appeared in “10 Minutes Max” 2006, Hot September Flurries 2006 and 2007, Texas Youth Ensemble’s “Ballet Under the Stars,” Kathy Dunn Hamrick’s Ultimate Book & Dance Affair in addition to several pieces for various Tapestry Dance Company shows. This spring Andrea choreographed a full length story ballet for Visions in Rhythm, Tapestry’s youth company. In addition to dancing for 4 years with Tapestry, she spent 11 years with Ballet Austin and 2 years with the Nevada Dance Theatre.

As well as reaping the benefits of dance and choreography as outlets of pure joy and self-expression, Andrea enjoys family life with her husband Matt and 2 little guys, Louie and Jack. Dancing with KDHDC has been the best creative gift in Andrea’s career; imagine a totally positive artistic environment where you are given not just beautiful choreography, but also confidence, joy and laughter. It’s as close to heaven as you can get in a dance studio!


	+Click Photo to enlarge Photo By: Farid Zarrinabadi		Heather Quiring has loved to dance since she was old enough to walk! She studied ballet and performed with Ballet Wichita for several years under the direction of Jill Landrith-Ewonus. Upon her entrance into college, modern dance took on a whole new meaning for her. There, she was able to work with great teachers and guest choreographers to really flourish as a more well-rounded dancer. She soon graduated with her BFA in Dance from Wichita State University. When Heather moved to Austin almost two years ago, she threw ballet out and let modern dance take over! She is very excited to be performing with KDH Dance!



	+Click Photo to enlarge Photo By: Farid Zarrinabadi		Ryan Parent was blessed as a child with dancing, performing and promoting that "Boys can dance!" with an all boys dance group under the direction of Wendy DeGeest in rural Minnesota. From 2000-2002, he attended Perpich Center for Arts Education (PCAE), a high school for the arts, during which he dedicated his energies to the modern dance based program under the direction of Mary Harding and Tom Kanthak. He had the privilege of performing in works by Mary Harding, Tom Kanthak, Uri Sands and Sarah Hauss. Ryan spent a year dancing at the University of Minnesota, performed with Emily Morris, and then continued his dance studies with the Zenon scholarship program performing in works by Amy Slater and Colin Rusch. He later had the wonderful opportunity of co-choreographing a piece on 10 Zenon scholarship students with his best friend Misty Raivo. After neither dancing nor choreographing for several years, he traveled in Central America, and finally lived briefly in an intentional spiritual community in the Santa Cruz Mountains where Ryan began to understand he needed to travel within his own body to truly experience his soul. He found Austin Community College and returned to dance again in the fall of 2009, relocating from Minnesota to Austin, TX. At ACC, he found a uniquely special community of soulful individuals, including two mentors, Darla Johnson and Kathy Dunn Hamrick. He is only becoming happier and more enlivened by dancing within the Austin community, at Cafe Dance and with KDH Dance.

	+Click Photo to enlarge Photo by: Tom Hall		Carissa Topham, Apprentice, was born and raised in Austin. Ever since childhood, she has loved all types of movement. She loved to dance, tumble, run track and even jump rope! When she took her first Modern Dance class at Austin Community College, she fell in love with the art form. It was there that she found the support and encouragement to pursue her love of dance. She then moved to Denton, Texas, where she received her BFA in Dance from the University of North Texas. While attending college in North Texas, she was named Outstanding Student in Dance and Outstanding Choreographer for the year 2009-2010. She served as an officer in the dance honor society Chi Tau Epsilon, and her senior choreography work was chosen to be performed and adjudicated at the American College Dance Festival. Carissa has performed in many faculty and student works, as well as participated in many workshops and residencies during her time as a student, and has grown as a dancer from each experience. She is currently a dance teacher at Alisa’s Dance Academy and is ecstatic to be able to perform with KDH Dance Company!


	+Click Photo to enlarge		Dane Burch was born in northwest Oregon where he started dancing at the age of ten. When he turned 18, he was ready to venture into a new chapter of his life. He found himself in Los Angeles, California on a scholarship to EDGE Performing Arts Center where he trained for a year preparing for the entertainment industry. Following his year of training, he worked in Hollywood and surrounding areas for six years. Wanting a change from there, he moved to Austin, Texas, where he currently teaches at The Dance Sport and Ballet Austin.


	+Click Photo to enlarge		Mariclaire Gamble received her BFA in dance from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a recipient of the Heywood “Woody” McGriff Endowed Scholarship in Dance. She has had the honor to perform and have her choreography featured at respected festivals and institutions such as the American College Dance Festival, the Tanzsommer Dance Festival in Austria, and the Stephen F. Austin Dance Department. She continues to choreograph and perform locally with the rock performance art show, Romulus Ate, which was recently spotlighted in the SXSW music festival. Mariclaire is also a local recording artist and her EP, “Clouds, Boys, Etc.,” can be found on ITunes. She is honored to have the opportunity to work with the Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company, and to grow as a moving artist in the process. It has been a pure delight learning from and dancing alongside the members of the company.


			A native of Austin, Texas, Anna Claire Brunelli earned a BFA in Modern Dance Performance with special distinction from the University of Oklahoma, School of Dance in May 2011. While at OU she was a member of Contemporary Dance Oklahoma (CDO) for four seasons. With CDO Claire had the opportunity to perform in a number of important works including Fractured Memories by modern dance legends Fritz Ludin and Betty Jones. She played “The Girl in Yellow” in Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels; was featured in award winning choreographer Helen Simoneau’s Four Sonatas; performed in Alvin Ailey’s Escapades and was the youngest dancer in Jean Erdman’s trio Daughters of the Lonesome Isle. Claire was one of 23 OU School of Dance students selected to perform in an international dance festival in Shanghai and an invitation-only performance by OU students in the city of Ningbo, China. Her choreography, Animorphs, was selected by the dance faculty to be presented at the 2011 Young Choreographers Showcase. In addition she presented a site specific series “Dance in Site” which included four pieces: When Bears Collide; Spiders on the Wall; Tree Lover; and Zombie Therapy. Most recently, Claire attended the 2011 LA Contemporary Dance Company Intensive and worked with Kate Hutter, Chad Michael Hall, and Nehara Kalev. She performed with the Clawson Dance Initiative for two seasons and also attended and performed at the Bates Dance Festival (BDF) in 2009 and 2010. Claire is a Certified Pilates Instructor and teaches at Mindful Body Center in her spare time.