Jennifer Backhaus, Founder and Artistic Director

Amanda Kay White, Associate Artistic Director

Matthew Jackson, Stage Manager and Director of Production

PROGRAM

The Margin (2012)

Choreography: Jennifer Backhaus

- Short Pause -

Disordered Imagination (2024)

Choreography: Jessie Lee Thorne in collaboration with the dancers

INTERMISSION

Hive (2017)

Choreography: Jennifer Backhaus

MOON PARTY (LUNAR SOIRÉE) (2024)

Choreography: Bret Easterling in collaboration with the dancers

* Understudy in tonight’s performance

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our vision: dance every day for every body!

Founder and artistic director, Jennifer Backhaus

Backhausdance's mission is to create and perform excellent art while engaging and educating diverse audiences about the relevance and vitality of contemporary concert dance, both as a multi-sensory art form and as an essential connection to learning, creative expression and overall well-being. Known for its lush and eclectic movement vocabulary and ensemble aesthetic, Backhausdance presents original choreography as well as works by guest choreographers across Southern California, nationally—including an engagement at New York’s renowned Joyce Theater—and internationally on tour in Europe. Dedicated to empowering the next generation of dancers and artists, the company also hosts an annual Summer Dance Intensive, a transformative program for teens, emerging artists, and professional dancers. Over half of the participants receive scholarships, making this impactful experience accessible to the broader national and international dance community.

Since our inception in 2003, Backhausdance has enriched the lives of thousands of students and educators through educational programming held throughout Southern California and beyond. Our professional dancers and a growing team of teaching artists deliver workshops, residencies, performances, and master classes for students in grades TK-12, collegiate-level students, adults, and multigenerational audiences. These programs are supported through cherished partnerships with schools, colleges/universities and community-based organizations, including the Orange County Department of Education’s ArtsTeach program, Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, McCallum Theatre’s Education department in Palm Desert, Santa Ana College, University of California, Irvine, Chapman University, the City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency, and more.

Our newest programs, Let’s Dance, The Dance for Kindness Project, and Dance Expressions: Creativity and Choreography, are designed to nurture creativity, build self-confidence and artistry through Backhausdance contemporary movement vocabulary and technique, and incorporate social-emotional learning concepts, STEAM, and English Language development. At the heart of Backhausdance is a commitment to inclusivity, equity, and a celebration of shared humanity, embracing all perspectives and ideas.

MEET THE ARTISTIC TEAM

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jennifer Backhaus, founder and artistic director of Backhausdance, has been the energetic and creative force spearheading the development and growth of Orange County’s critically-acclaimed contemporary dance company and also serves on the dance faculty at Chapman University. A life-long learner, she holds a BFA in Communications and Dance from Chapman University, and received her MFA in Choreography from Hollins University.

From the inception of the company as a non-profit organization in 2003, Jennifer has been committed to choreographing and producing the fine art of contemporary concert dance with a professional company while simultaneously designing and implementing an extensive dance education and performance program for all ages and abilities. Featuring deeply human and emotional creations that are infused with a sense of humor, athleticism and theatricality, Backhausdance has received numerous awards and honors, including Outstanding Arts Organization by Arts Orange County in 2012, and recognized by Chapman University with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award as well as Alumni of the Year in 2007 for her artistic leadership of Backhausdance. As an award-winning and in-demand choreographer, Jennifer’s works have been commissioned and produced by Brigham Young University, Chapman University, Los Angeles Ballet, McCallum Theatre, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, TDC of the Bay Area and Utah Regional Ballet, among others.

Many of Jennifer’s works have been honored by Regional Dance America, and her piece Disintegration was selected for national performances with the American College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For Backhausdance, she has created numerous works which have received ten Lester Horton Awards from Dance Resource Center of Los Angeles for Outstanding Achievement in choreography, design, and performance. At the McCallum Theatre’s Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, Jennifer has been the recipient of three consecutive choreography awards for her work with Backhausdance. In 2022 Jennifer received the Outstanding Arts Advocate Award for her leadership in arts education from the Orange County Department of Education.

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Amanda Kay White is a founding/current company member and associate artistic director of Backhausdance. After finding her voice first as a performer with Backhausdance, she is honored to contribute to the company beyond the stage. She has created site-sensitive works for Backhausdance since 2019 which challenge spatial perceptions and create intimate experiences for audience members.

Amanda Kay White’s creative research delves into the entanglement of bodily knowledge, embodied cognition, and spatial theory through the medium of choreography. Finding points of access to these physical collections of experience and memory makes her work strikingly inventive. Her creations have been showcased at Highways Performance Space, Orange County Museum of Art, Pasadena Dance Festival, Oulu Dance Hack, Centro Negra, Chapman Touring Company, University of Tampa, American College Dance Festival, and the Wayward Artist. Amanda has been on faculty at Santa Ana College, Orange County School of the Arts, and South Coast Conservatory, and currently serves as a full-time faculty member at Chapman University as associate professor of dance.

In 2009 she founded Compass Dance Company, a pre-professional contemporary dance company for emerging artists ages 14 and up. By engaging, expressing, and innovating Compass Dance Company reaches out to the community through dance.

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS

Jessie Lee Thorne (she/they) is a multifaceted artist hailing from Los Angeles, California, with a diverse skill set spanning dance, choreography, filmmaking, and creative production. Their prowess extends to directing and choreography, evident in award-winning films and stage productions like "Topia," commissioned by Boston Moving Arts, which received accolades such as "Best Dance Film" at the Paris Play Film Festival and "Best Screendance Short" at Indie Short Fest. Jessie's global artistic journey includes performances at prestigious venues like The Tel Aviv Opera House, The Lincoln Center, Jacobs Pillow, and The New York City Center, among others. They are dedicated to a lifelong pursuit of cultivating connection through the transformative power of art and in summer 2024 was part of the distinguished guest faculty for  Backhausdance’s Annual Summer Intensive (BDSI) at Chapman University.

Bret Easterling (he/him) has been surrounded by dance ever since he was born in Palo Alto, CA. After growing up in his mother’s dance studio, his career began at the age of seven, dancing in commercial work including a duet with Angela Lansbury in Mrs. Santa Claus, and in Fiona Apple’s music video for Paper Bag.  At the age of 11, he was a founding member of Teen Dance Company of the Bay Area, an original cast member of New York Stage Original’s Tap Kids, and an annual performer in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. 

After high school, Bret moved to New York City to study at The Juilliard School, where he received his BFA and the Hector Zaraspe Prize for Choreography in 2010.  While in school, he was a formative member of Andrea Miller’s Gallim Dance, and a guest performer with Buglisi Dance Theatre. Upon graduation, Bret was invited by Ohad Naharin to join the Ensemble Batsheva in Tel Aviv, Israel.  He was ultimately promoted to the acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company, which gave him the opportunity to tour internationally, and participate in creative processes with Naharin, Sharon Eyal, and Roy Assaf.

In 2011, Bret began teaching Gaga, and has since had the privilege of sharing this movement language to dancers and people in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Japan, Singapore, Russia, Australia, Canada, and the US.

Bret has always had a strong passion for choreography, and has received numerous honors for his works. He is also a certified Ilan Lev Method practitioner, a rehearsal director for Gallim Dance, the Artistic Director of BEMOVING and lecturer in contemporary, GAGA and repertory at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.

DANCERS

Kira Bartoli, a Southern California native, began her dance training at the age of four. She furthered her studies at Chapman University where she received a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Business Administration. She returned to Chapman as faculty in 2020 and has been teaching Conditioning for Dancers, Modern Dance, and assisting rehearsals for Ido Tadmor. Kira served as the Dance Manager and a performer at Teatro Martini Dinner Cabaret Show and has performed in multiple Disneyland parades. In addition to dancing, Kira enjoys her role as event coordinator for fundraisers and assistant coordinator for weddings. Kira has performed works by choreographers Dwight Rhoden, Ido Tadmor, FLOCK, Ching Ching Wong, Mauro Astolfi, Peter Chu, and Tommie-Waheed Evans, among others. This is Kira’s seventh season with Backhausdance.

Samuel DeAngelo, originally from Yorba Linda, California, began dancing at the age of eighteen. In 2016, he graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance from Chapman University, with additional awards for performance and choreography. Samuel has also danced with FUSE Dance Company, and has performed choreographic works by Dwight Rhoden, Mauro Astolfi, Ching Ching Wong, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Yin Yue, Ido Tadmor, Jhonathan Soutchy, Andrea Guise, Amanda Kay White, and Jennifer Backhaus. Samuel also worked with Disney Cruise Line, and was in the opening cast of Beauty and the Beast, directed and choreographed by Connor Gallagher. This is Samuel’s ninth season performing with Backhausdance.

Mo Goodfellow (she/they) is a lifelong performer and advocate for the arts. She is a graduate of Chapman University’s prestigious College of Performing Arts with a BFA in Dance as well as a BA in English Literature. Her artistic and professional goals work to combine her degrees in a career dedicated to arts innovation through performance, creation, and activism. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Mo has an intense passion for concert work, contact improvisation, and site-specific dance. Throughout her career she has had the privilege of working with Alice Klock and Florian Lochner of FLOCK Works, Kybele Dance Theater, Ido Tadmor, and Tommie-Waheed Evans. Mo is currently a dancer with Mackenzie Martin’s GEOMETRY as well as a company member and teaching artist with Backhausdance.

Kaitwan Jackson is a native of Washington, DC, where he began dancing at the Dance Institute of Washington under the direction of the late Fabian Barnes. He has trained with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Bodytraffic, and University of Arizona. His professional experience includes work with Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Pasadena Dance Theatre, No)one. Art House, Inspire Danz Co, and Company E. He has performed works by Lula Washington, Tamica Washington-Miller, Nacho Duato, Robert Garland, Penny Saunders, Matthew Neenan, Rennie Harris, Dimitri Chamblas, and Chris Emile. He holds a B.S. in Public Policy with a concentration in Philanthropy, Nonprofits, and Social Innovation from the University of Southern California. This is Kaitwan’s second season with Backhausdance.

Sophia Lang, originally from Simi Valley, California, began dancing at the age of three. Her passion for dance led her to Chapman University, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Business Administration. Since graduating, Sophia has worked and performed at several locations around Orange County including the Disneyland Resort and at the Teatro Martini Dinner Cabaret Show. She has had the opportunity to perform works by notable artists such as Dwight Rhoden, Ido Tadmor, Peter Chu, Jennifer Backhaus, Amanda Kay White, and Tommie-Waheed Evans. This is Sophia’s fifth season with Backhausdance.

Katie Natwick began dancing at the age of eleven in her hometown of Escondido, California. Having discovered a deep passion for movement, she furthered her training at Chapman University where she received a BFA in Dance Performance. Throughout her career, Katie has had the opportunity to perform with companies including DANCE AEGIS, Kairos Dance Company and Nickerson-Rossi Dance, as well as choreographers Dwight Rhoden, Walter Matteini, Ido Tadmor, Ching Ching Wong, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Mauro Astolfi, Amanda Kay White, Jennifer Backhaus, Robin Conrad, Sean Greene, Jess Harper, and Dale Merrill, among others. This is Katie’s ninth season with Backhausdance.

Kaitlin Regan is an alumni of Chapman University with a BFA in Dance Performance. She has had the opportunity to perform both nationally and internationally with Backhausdance and is in her 13th season with the company. She has performed the works of Jennifer Backhaus, Dwight Rhoden, Ido Tadmor, Walter Matteini, and Yin Yue, among others. As an influential dance educator in Southern California, Kaitlin helped develop an adaptive dance program for students with special needs. She is currently on faculty at Impact Dance Center, and the Huntington Academy of Dance.

Adrien Padilla is a dancer and choreographer residing in the small town of Rosemead, California. Padilla earned his BFA in Dance at Cal State Long Beach and Graduate Certificate in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy at the University of Denver. Adrien is also a teaching artist within the BD education team helping spread the art of movement and dance to local communities and schools. Aside from dance, Adrien works behind the scenes as the assistant technical director of the Martha B Knoebel Dance Theater at CSULB, and is a photographer focusing on dance and conceptual photography as well as solitude art. Padilla has had the privilege to work with artists Keith Johnson, Dwight Rhoden, Norbert De La Cruz III, Whyteberg, FLOCK, and Peter Chu to name a few. This is Adrien’s seventh season with Backhausdance. 

Chihiro Sano (she/her), originally from Japan, joined Backhausdance as an apprentice and has been a full company member since 2010. Since joining the company, Chihiro has performed at venues including McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, at the Irvine Barclay Theater, at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, Carpenter Center in Long Beach and Joyce Theater in New York City. She has worked as an assistant to Artistic Director Jennifer Backhaus on several projects including the East Valley Dance Project for high school students in Palm Desert presented The McCallum Theatre, the Temecula Community Theater Dance Project and Trolley Dances Riverside. Chihiro currently serves as Education Coordinator and is passionate about sharing her love of dance and yoga with people of all ages and abilities. Chihiro is excited to come back to Backhausdance as a performer after her health battle. She is so grateful for her kidney donor and her mother who donated her kidney in exchange.

Kyle Schrader is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. Kyle moved back to the Orange County/LA area after graduating from Pace University in New York City in 2021, where he got his BFA in Commercial Dance with concentrations in Choreography and Pedagogy and a minor in Business. During his time at Pace, Kyle worked with a variety of choreographers including, Mandy Moore, Dee Caspary, Alexandra Damiani just to name a few. Kyle has trained in a variety of dance styles in both the classical and commercial realms of dance. Kyle has also trained in programs including American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo King’s Lines Contemporary Ballet, and Art’s Umbrella. Kyle has danced at the Comedy Store, in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, and for Huntington Beach’s Philharmonic Symphony. Kyle has been a guest artist with Redondo Beach Ballet and is signed with Go2Talent Agency. Currently, he is dancing in his third season with Backhausdance.

Samantha Waugh (she/her) is a dance artist and educator working in Southern California. After moving from her hometown of Austin, Texas, she graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Dance Performance. Passionate about arts education, Sammi has taught and created curriculum for private studios, community centers, and elementary schools across Southern California, and served as the Director of the Early Childhood Music and Dance program at OC Music & Dance for 3 years. In addition to assisting with the development of Backhausdance’s educational outreach programs, she currently is a part of the Dance Faculty at The Wooden Floor. Throughout her performance career, she has had the opportunity to work alongside many notable artists, including Dwight Rhoden, Ido Tadmor, Jennifer Backhaus, Sean Greene, Amanda Kay White, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Amy Morrow, and Nicole Hagen, among others. Samantha has performed in many project-based festivals around the LA area, and has presented her own choreographic and movement research works. This is Samantha’s seventh season with Backhausdance.

PERFORMING APPRENTICES

Anne Elise Garrison is a performer and teaching artist based in Long Beach, CA. Originally from South Carolina, Anne Elise began her dance training at Augusta West Dance Studio, where she trained in various styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and hip hop. Before graduating, she had the privilege of traveling with Dancemakers Inc. as an assistant and demonstrator to industry dancers such as Kathryn McCormick, Robert Roldan, and Justin Giles. Anne Elise moved to California in 2018 to earn her undergraduate degree at Chapman University, completing a BFA in Dance Performance and a Minor in Nutrition. Her time in Southern California has led her to dive deeper into the practice of Gaga and Countertechnique and, before joining Backhausdance, perform for artists such as Ido Tadmor, João Ducci, Kelly McGill, and Mara Hancock. 

Since becoming an educator in 2022, Anne Elise balances her time as a Backhausdance Apprentice & Teaching Artist with her time in studios as an instructor for the Dancecapade Ballet Company, Jazz/Contemporary Competitive Dance Team at FOCUS Dance Center, and OCSA’s Ballet Folklorico Conservatory as a Contemporary and Choreography Instructor. She values the time spent with her students, who keep her curious and eager to spread joy through dance education.

Zachary Medina (he/him) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and his passion for dance began with Ballet Folklorico and imitating Michael Jackson videos. He refined his interest at The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), where he trained in ballet, modern, hip hop, contemporary, and composition. During his time at LACHSA, Zachary had the opportunity to perform in works by José Limón, Jirí Kylián, Christopher Huggins, Yuka Fukuda, and Fiona Lummis.

At sixteen, Zachary earned a full scholarship to attend the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School in Colorado, where he deepened his studies in Modern, Ballet, and Composition. He went on to pursue two Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in Dance Performance and Choreography at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine. While at UC Irvine, Zachary continued to hone technical and choreographic skills, performing in and creating numerous works. He has recently performed in works by Lar Lubovitch, Jennifer Backhaus, Amanda Kay White, and others.

In the 2023-2024 season, Zachary joined Backhausdance as a Teaching Artist & Education Performer, excited to share his passion with the next generation of dancers. He is honored to embark on this journey as an apprentice this year with Backhausdance!

BACKHAUSDANCE ARTISTIC STAFF

Jennifer Backhaus, Founder and Artistic Director

Amanda Kay White, Associate Artistic Director

Kimberly Olmos, Managing Director and Summer Intensive Director

Matthew Jackson, Director of Production

Nancy Warzer-Brady, Education and Community Engagement Director

Chihiro Sano, Education Coordinator and Rehearsal Manager

Samantha Waugh, Summer Intensive Coordinator, Graphic Designer and Administrative Assistant

Kira Bartoli, Marketing and Social Media Manager

Sophia Lang, Marketing Assistant

Sarah Boardman, Development Assistant

Board of Directors

Michael Kerr, President
Christopher Blank
Sue Colombo
Jim Colombo
Joann Leatherby
Benny Mor
Alex Stimpson
Valerie Van de Zilver
Judy Whitmore

SPECIAL HEARTFELT THANKS

Backhausdance gratefully acknowledges the wonderful support and expertise of Stephanie Losleben, Technical Director of the Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater, and the entire team.

With genuine gratitude, we thank the Gerrit and Amy Cole Foundation and Farmers & Merchants Bank Foundation for their generous commitment to our 24/25 Season, helping us bring inspiring dance to life.

With deep appreciation to the Sandi Simon Center for Dance, Department of Dance, College of Performing Arts, Chapman University, and Lawrence & Sarma Lapenieks Rosenberg and Ashlee Duree from Anaheim Ballet for their continued support and for providing state-of-the-art studio space in which our 24/25 Season performance was created and rehearsed.

For Booking Information:

Rachel Cohen
Cadence Arts Network
rachel@cadencearts.com
www.cadencearts.com
310.701.9191

Visit our website: backhausdance.org   

Get social with us! @backhausdance