For a printable, PDF version of these program notes, click here.

PROGRAM

One Continuous Line (2019)

Choreographer: Jennifer Backhaus
Lovingly dedicated to the memory of Nancy Dickson-Lewis

The Emergent Self (2022)

Choreographer: Amanda Kay White in collaboration with the dancers

INTERMISSION

Fate and Fantasy (2022)

Guest Choreographer: Ching Ching Wong

- Short Pause -

Everywhere, But Here (2022)

Guest Choreographer: Tommie-Waheed Evans

Matthew Jackson, Stage Manager, Director of Production

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our vision: dance every day for every body!

Founder and artistic director, Jennifer Backhaus

Known for its lush and eclectic movement vocabulary and ensemble aesthetic, the company presents performances with original choreography and guest choreographers throughout Southern California, nationally including an engagement at New York’s renowned Joyce Theater, and internationally on a European tour.

“A fluid, unforced fusion of classical and contemporary dance.”

-The Brooklyn Rail

Backhausdance’s mission is to engage and educate diverse audiences about the relevance and vitality of contemporary concert dance, both as an art multisensory art form and as an essential connection to learning, creative expression and overall well-being.

Dedicated to empowering the next generation of dancers and artists, the company hosts an annual Summer Dance Intensive program, a life-changing experience for teens, emerging, and professional dancers, where over half of the participants receive scholarships, making this powerful program accessible to the entire nationwide and international dance community. Backhausdance company members also serve as teaching artists, providing students in grades TK-12, adults and multigenerational audiences through a variety of workshops, residencies, performances, and master classes in cherished partnerships with schools and community-based organizations including the Orange County Department of Education, ArtsTeach program, Segerstrom Center for the Arts (Costa Mesa, and the McCallum Theatre’s Education department in Palm Desert), and the City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency. Since our inception in 2003 we have presented programs for thousands of students and educators in public and private schools across Southern California. Our newest education programs, The Dance for Kindness Project, and Dance Expressions: Creativity and Choreography, were launched during the end of the pandemic and are closely integrated with social-emotional learning concepts and creative expression. Woven into the fabric of Backhausdance is advocacy for inclusivity, equity and celebrating our common humanity, 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. 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 Outstanding Arts Advocate in 2023 by the Orange County Department of Education, Orange County Music and Arts Administrators group. She has been 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.  

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 is currently on faculty at Santa Ana College, Chapman University, Orange County School of the Arts, and South Coast Conservatory.

GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS

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 is proud to be back at Chapman, now as faculty in the dance department. Kira served as the Dance Manager and a performer at Teatro Martini Dinner Cabaret Show and has performed in multiple Disneyland parades. Her most recent choreographic endeavors include music videos for JORDY, Cory Wong, and Cyrus Reynolds. Kira has performed works by choreographers Dwight Rhoden, Mauro Astolfi, Ido Tadmor, Jhonathan Soutchy, and Shay Kuebler, among others. This is Kira’s fifth 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, 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 seventh season performing with Backhausdance.

João Ducci, originally from Brazil, grew up in Los Angeles, CA where began his dance training at Santa Monica College. He went on to train at Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet and complete his BFA at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California, Irvine. João has studied under Charlotte Griffin, Dante Puleio, Kate Skarpetowska, Tong Wang, Diane Diefenderfer and Seda Aybay. He has performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Donald McKayle, Jennifer Backhaus and DIAVOLO, and has worked as a freelance dancer with Ballet Project OC, C. Eule Dance and Fuse Dance Company. João is also a choreographer and Pilates instructor. He is in his second season with Backhausdance, and next year will be advancing his dance career by starting the MFA program at the University of California, Irvine.

Mo Goodfellow (she/her) 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, originally from Simi Valley, California, began dancing at the age of three. Her passion for dance led her to Chapman University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance and a minor in Business Administration. While at Chapman, Sophia was exposed to the techniques and repertory of Alvin Ailey, Pilobolus, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Martha Graham, and many more. She has had the opportunity to work with and perform works by notable artists such as Dwight Rhoden, Ido Tadmor, Jennifer Backhaus, Julianne O’Brien, and Sean Greene. This is Sophia’s third season with Backhausdance.

Kelly McGill is a professional dancer, instructor, and choreographer born and raised in upstate New York. Kelly holds a MFA in Dance from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine, and a BFA in Dance from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia. As an instructor, Kelly specializes in yoga, ballet, modern, and contemporary dance forms. Kelly has performed professionally with multiple contemporary dance companies and produced her own choreography on both the East and West Coast. Currently, Kelly is teaching ballet and modern dance at several area dance schools and looking forward to beginning a new chapter as a company member and teaching artist in her first 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 Robin Conrad, Sean Greene, Jess Harper, and Dale Merrill, among others. This is Katie’s seventh season with Backhausdance.

Adrien Padilla is a dancer/choreographer who resides in the small town of Rosemead, California. Padilla earned his BFA in Dance at California State University at Long Beach and Graduate Certification in Arts and Culture Outreach and Advocacy at the University of Denver. Aside from dance, he works behind the scenes as a stage technician 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, and Jessie Lee Thorne, to name a few. This is Adrien’s fifth season with Backhausdance and also is part of the teaching artist team for education programming.

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 11th 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 OC Music and Dance, Impact Dance Center, and the Art of Dance and Ballet Academy.

Marco Vega (he/they) began dancing at the age of 16 under the direction of Cassie Dalena. Graduating from the University of California, Irvine in Spring 2021, they received a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Education Sciences specializing in Digital Media. While at UCI he had the opportunity to train under Tong Wang, Molly Lynch, Diane Diefenderfer, Vitor Luiz, Charlotte Griffin, and Lindsay Gilmour and guest artists Lar Lubovitch, Kate Skarpetowska, and Dante Puleio. Additional training includes the Whim W’him Summer Intensive under the direction of Olivier Wevers and Karl Watson, as well as the GALLIM Summer Intensive as an Emerging Artist Scholar under the direction of Andrea Miller. Marco joined Backhausdance in Fall 2021.

Samantha Waugh (she/her) is a dance artist and educator working in Southern California.  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. In addition to assisting with the development of Backhausdance’s educational outreach programs, she currently serves as Director of the Early Childhood Music and Dance program at OC Music and Dance in Irvine, CA. 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, Amy Morrow, Tommie-Waheed Evans, and Nicole Hagen, among others. This is Samantha’s fifth season with Backhausdance.

Amanda Kay White is a founding/current member and associate artistic director of Backhausdance. She is a proud alumni of Chapman University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Advertising. Amanda continued her education and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography from Jacksonville University. She has worked with Tommie-Waheed Evans, Pioneer Winter, Yin Yue, Ido Tadmor, Walter Matteini, and Dwight Rhoden. Amanda is currently on faculty at Santa Ana College, Chapman University, Orange County School of the Arts, and South Coast Conservatory.

APPRENTICE

Kyle Schrader is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer originally from Huntington Beach, California. Kyle graduated 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 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. Currently, Kyle is dancing with Backhausdance as an apprentice.

Backhausdance Artistic Staff

Jennifer Backhaus, Founder and Artistic Director

Amanda Kay White, Associate Artistic Director

Kimberly Olmos, Managing 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

Board of Directors

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

SPECIAL HEARTFELT THANKS

Backhausdance gratefully acknowledges the assistance and support of Chris Tynan,Technical Director, L.A. Dance Project.

We’d also like to extend our gratitude to the generosity of our cherished donors for their support of our 20th anniversary season, 2022-2023, who helped make this performance possible:

Bart van Aardenne 
Karen Adnams
Karen Akashi
Susan Anderson
Leonora Aronoff-Sadaca
Jennifer Backhaus
Anastasia Bartoli
Robert Becker
Jay Berger
Jeannie Berryman
Chris Blank
Kimberley Blank
Craig Boardman
Margaret Bodeau
Alexander Brana 
Lorianne Bundnick
Susan Casabella
Joe Cisneros
Sue and Jim Colombo
Claudia Contreras
Roberta "Bobbi" Cox
Jackie D’Ambrosio
Liz Drolet
Eugenia Esgalhado
Robert Farnsworth
Ralph & Lorraine Fish
Marianne Gastelum
Kris Goodfellow
Lindsey Hager
Clara Harnett
Marc & Justin Harvey
Eddie Herbert 
Jesse Hoggard
Judi Imm
Debbie Johnson 
Judy Joss
Bert Kelley 
Bentley & Mercedes Kerr 
Mike Kerr
Joann Leatherby
David Lewis
Mary & Gary Lisenbee
Genevieve Macias 
Pat and Rick McAuley
Dale MerrillBenny Mor
Lori Murphy
Michael Olmos
Giulio Ongaro
Cyrus Parker-Jeannette
Marica Pendjer & John Miller
Nemie Pollack
Robert Romney
Martha Ryan
Tricia & Tony Sanchez
Verylann Selby
Jerry & Karen Southards
Nancy & Rob Stewart
Chris Trela
Valerie Van de Zilver
Jeff Verdon
Nancy Warzer-Brady
Sandra Waugh
Suzanne Wessman
Patty and Tom West
W. Raymond White
Judy Whitmore
Lori Zucchino

With deep appreciation to the Department of Dance, College of Performing Arts, Chapman University; Lawrence & Sarma Lapenieks Rosenberg, Ashlee Duree, and Anaheim Ballet for their continued support and for providing state-of-the-art rehearsal space in which our 20th anniversary season performances and education programs were created and rehearsed. 

For Booking Information:

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

Visit our website: backhausdance.org   

Get social with us! @backhausdance