Jennifer Backhaus, Founder and Artistic Director

Amanda Kay White, Associate Artistic Director

Matthew Jackson, Stage Manager and Director of Production

PROGRAM

Four Winds (2026)

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Everywhere, But Here (2022)

INTERMISSION

Never Enders (2026)

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Multitudes (2026)

Multitudes explores how memory, presence, and artistry accumulate and transform. At its heart, Multitudes is a portrait of community—an invitation to recognize the many layers we each contain, and the possibilities that arise when we move, create, and listen together.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Celebrating our 23rd season!

Our vision: dance every day for every body!

The mission of Backhausdance is to create, perform, and share innovative, bold dance that inspires, challenges, and uplifts. We believe in the transformative power of dance which fosters joy, wellness, creative expression, and human connection. Through a dynamic integration of professional performance, multi-generational education, and community engagement, we cultivate a collaborative environment where everyone—whether participating or viewing—is an integral part of the creative process.

Formed in 2003 as a non-profit organization by Jennifer Backhaus, faculty member emerita, Chapman University, and award-winning choreographer, Backhausdance is Orange County's premier, professional, contemporary dance company. Known for its lush and eclectic movement vocabulary and ensemble aesthetic, each season Backhausdance presents original choreography as well as works by guest choreographers at theaters and various venues throughout Southern California and beyond, including the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Segerstrom Center foro the Arts, Old Town Temecula Community Theatre (as dance company-in-residence, and beyond. The company has had an engagement at New York’s renowned Joyce Theatre and has toured nationally and internationally on tour in Europe. 

The company’s repertory offers a body of original and innovative work appealing to all ages and backgrounds, performing and teaching an eclectic and dynamic dance vocabulary with a wonderful sense of fluidity and strength. Audiences experience the joy and artistry of Backhausdance’s powerful, athletic dances, featuring deeply human and emotional creations that are infused with a sense of humor and theatricality, reflecting on aspects of our common humanity and our place in the world. Woven into the fabric of Backhausdance is advocacy for inclusivity, equity, and celebration of all perspectives, identities and ideas.

Since our inception in 2003, Backhausdance has enriched the lives of thousands of students and educators through educational programming held in schools throughout Southern California and beyond. Dedicated to empowering the next generation of dancers and artists, the company also hosts an annual Summer Dance Intensive, a transformative program held at Chapman University 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.

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, city governmental agencies and community-based organizations including the Orange County Department of Education, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The McCallum Theatre, Santa Ana College, University of California, Irvine, Chapman University, the City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency, City of Costa Mesa, City of Newport Beach, and more. 

“A fluid, unforced fusion of classical and contemporary dance” - The Brooklyn Rail

Learn more about Backhausdance and Season 25/26 in the recent LA Dance Chronicle Article: Click here!

MEET THE ARTISTIC TEAM

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jennifer Backhaus (she/her), 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 has served on the dance faculty at Chapman University for 25 years. A life-long learner, she holds a BFA in Communications and Dance from Chapman University, and received her MFA in Choreography from Hollins University.

Since founding Backhausdance 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. 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 (she/her) is a founding 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 is currently associate professor of dance at Chapman University. 

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.

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS

Zak Ryan Schlegel

ZAK RYAN SCHLEGEL is rehearsal director + performer with Shen Wei Dance Arts, creative director of cross-genre salon CONGRESS (Legalizedance) and educator at The Joffrey Ballet School, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre + CLI Conservatory. The New York Times calls him “a star” & Wall Street Journal “eye-catching & effortless”. He believes dance has the power of cascading epiphany, spiritual sublimation and cultural transcendence. Four Winds marks his premiere choreographic concert commission. 

Zak was inaugural dance curator + producer in 2024 launch of Ryan Heffington’s residency DESERTRADE, collaborator on two Emmy-Awarding winning choreographic teams for HBO, created the touring evening-length performance installation “Liminal” with Sigur Ros and was voting member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Nominating Committee for the upcoming 2026 Actor’s Awards. His solo work has been presented at The Juilliard School in NYC, Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA and he is a three-time Outstanding Choreographer of the Youth America Grand Prix.

On stage, Zak has performed and toured globally with Shen Wei Dance Arts for a decade, formerly with Spellbound Contemporary Ballet, Yin Yue Dance Company and Backhausdance. Highlights include BAM, The Guggenheim Museum, Art Basel Miami and Hong Kong, Asia Society NY and Hong Kong, Arcosanti’s FORM Festival, and the Rockefeller Brothers’ Pocantico Center. Zak can be seen in the feature film Babylon, TV's Euphoria, The Idol and Ransom Canyon, and is the featured artist in Lexus’ global L5 campaign. He has worked with directors Damien Chazelle, Sam Levinson, Jon Watts, Edgar Wright, Jonus Åkerlund, Melina Matsoukas, Floria Sigismondi, Amy Seimetz, Sebastian Strasser, Ryan Heffington, Nina McNeely, Dugan O’Neal, Kitty McNamee, Greko Sklavounos, Eliot Lee Hazel, WIFE, Lita Albuquerque and GMUNK.

Tommie-Waheed Evans (he/him)

2021 Guggenheim Fellow TOMMIE-WAHEED EVANS is a queer black dance maker, born and raised in Los Angeles, California, amidst racial divide, gang warfare, and earthquakes. His work explores blackness, spirituality, queerness and liberation. He began his formal training with Karen McDonald before receiving a fellowship at the Ailey School, and a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Jacksonville University. He has toured and performed nationally and internationally as a company member of Lula Washington Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Philadanco. Since 2004, he has created more than 50 original dance works that range widely in scope, length, tone and subject matter. waheedworks, his Philadelphia based dance company, is the primary vehicle for his creative research. The company’s mission is to create a radically collaborative body of work that speaks to the human condition. His work brings together urban street dance styles and contemporary dance vocabulary through bold and raw movements propelled by gospel music and polyrhythmic sounds. He has also been commissioned to create works for BalletX, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, PHILADANCO, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Verb Ballets, Ballet Memphis, The University of the Arts, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Louisville Ballet, among others. He has received accolades and honors including Resident Fellow at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University, Princess Grace Honoraria Award in Choreography, New Music Project Grant, Howard Gilman Foundation Fellowship, Joffrey Ballet Winning Works, and Dance Research Fellowship at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Residing in Philadelphia, PA, Tommie is currently a Artist-in-Residence at PHILADANCO and on faculty at the University of the Arts.

Megan Doheny (she/her) & Ilya Nikurov (he/him)
(Outrun The Bear)

Outrun The Bear is the creative partnership of choreographers MEGAN DOHENY (she/her)  and ILYA NIKUROV (he/him) whose work blends physical intensity, playfulness, and striking emotional detail. Their practice is rooted in collaboration and shaped by an ongoing inquiry into human connection. Former dancers with Israel’s renowned Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) for a total of 9 seasons, they were both awarded the Yair Shapira Prize for their contribution to contemporary dance in Israel (2018 & 2021).

Megan and Ilya began creating together in 2015 and have since presented their work at leading international festivals across Europe, Israel, the U.S., Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Recent highlights include residencies with LA Dance Project and the Centre Chorégraphique James Carlès (Toulouse. France), along with commissions from the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (South Korea) , KCDC (Israel), Open Space (Portland, Oregon), and Backhaus Dance. Their latest full-length work “Bioland” was commissioned by the Crush on Trash Foundation (Krakow, Poland) and supported by the National Institute of Music and Dance in Poland. Currently, Megan and Ilya enjoy engaging with audiences through live performance, building artistic relationships across borders through creation and collaboration, and sharing their research-driven approach to movement and partnering with dancers around the world and in their home base of Southern California.

DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

Jennifer Lynn Deck (she/her) (COSTUME DESIGN) is a costume designer and stylist originally from St. Louis, Missouri, now based on the West Coast. This is Jennifer’s 4th season designing the costumes for Backhausdance. She has designed for theater regionally at the Geffen Playhouse, the El Portal Theater, the Whitney, Playmakers Repertory, Chautauqua Theater Company, Carousel Theater, New Swan Shakespeare, KP & R Theater and more! Some of her commercial styling clients include Mattel, Paul Mitchell, Shark/Ninja, CA Walnuts, isima and the House of Florals. Thank you to my husband and goon squad! 

Stacy Fireheart (she/her) (LIGHTING DESIGN) is an accomplished lighting designer and educator specializing in theater, dance,opera, and event lighting. With over twenty years of experience, she has collaborated with organizations including SoCal Ballet Scene, Onco Ballet Foundation, The Barclay Theatre, International City Theatre, South Coast Repertory Theatre, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. Since 2017, she has designed lighting for more than forty dance productions at California State University, Long Beach and teaches lighting design at both California State University, Long Beach, and UC Irvine. In 2021, she became resident lighting designer for Backhausdance and enjoys this continued collaboration.

Matthew Jackson (he/him) (PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER) has worked nationally and internationally with Bunim/Murray Productions, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theatre Group, The Actors' Fund, Culture Clash, and The Wooden Floor. He is a Professor in the Theatre Department of California State University, Northridge, specializing in stage and artistic management and mentors students on the department’s shows each semester. Matthew has worked as a Stage Manager for Backhausdance since 2010 and as Director of Production for the company since 2020. He has served as Production Manager for Independent Shakespeare Company Los Angeles’ Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival and for San Diego Comic-Con. His academic background includes a BA in Theatre, UC Riverside, and an MFA in Stage Management, UC Irvine..

DANCERS

Kira Bartoli-Lemon (she/her), 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 eighth season with Backhausdance.

Samuel DeAngelo (he/him), originally from Yorba Linda, CA, 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 tenth season performing with Backhausdance.

Anne Elise Garrison (she/her), 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 has been part of the  Backhausdance Teaching Artist Team working in schools and the community, 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.

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.

Sophia Lang (she/her), originally from Simi Valley, CA, 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 sixth season with Backhausdance.

Zachary Medina (he/him) was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, 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.

Always excited to share his passion with the next generation of dancers, Zachary began his journey with Backhausdance in Season 23/24 as a Teaching Artist & Education Performer, Zachary then joined the company as an apprentice in Season 24/25 and is currently in his first year as a company member in Season 25/26.

Dakota Merritt (she/her) is a Las Vegas born and raised dancer. She grew up training at Bunker Dance Center and at Las Vegas Academy of Arts, training in a white variety of dance genres. She has studied under artists Peter Chu, Naomi Stikeman, Jeanene Huggins, Stacey Tookey, Sonya Tayeh, Ben Green and Robert Contreras. After graduation she moved onto the University of Arizona to pursue a BFA in dance with a minor in nutritional sciences. While there she had the opportunity to perform in works by Autumn Eckman, Christopher Compton, Tammy Dyke-Compton, Jason Horton, Frank Chavez set by Hayley Meier and Jason Horton, and Paul Taylor, set by Linda Kent. Dakota has also attended summer intensives like Orsolina28 and chuthis., working with artists such as Jiri Pokonry, Roger Vanderpool, and Mario Alberto Zambrano. Currently Dakota resides in Los Angeles, CA, as a freelance artist and a certified personal trainer. This is Dakota’s first year with Backhausdance.

Katie Natwick (she/her) 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 tenth season with Backhausdance.

Adrien Padilla (he/him) is a dancer and choreographer residing in the small town of Rosemead, California. Padilla earned his BFA in Dance at California State University, 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 Backhausdance 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 California State University, Long Beach, and is a photographer focusing on dance and conceptual photography as well as solitude art. He  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 eighth season with Backhausdance.

Kaitlin Regan (she/her) 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 14th 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,  the Huntington Academy of Dance and is a member of the Backhausdance Education team teaching the joy of dance during our after school program in local schools.

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 (he/him) 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 graduated with a 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 and has also trained in programs including American Ballet Theatre, Alonzo King’s Lines Contemporary Ballet, and Art’s Umbrella. He 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 fifth 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 eighth season 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 

Mo Goodfellow, Education Rehearsal Coordinator

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

Kira Bartoli-Lemon, Special Events Coordinator, Marketing and Social Media Manager

Adrien Padilla, Photographer and Videographer, Marketing Assistant

Board of Directors

Michael Kerr, President
Leona Aronoff-Sadacca
Christopher Blank
Sue Colombo
Jim Colombo
Ginny Davies
Joann Leatherby
Benny Mor
Cyrus Parker-Jeannette
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 deep gratitude, we thank our generous Board of Directors, donors, community partners, students and all of our audiences for their commitment to Season 25/26, helping us to 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 25/26 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