KIRA BARTOLI

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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, Ching Ching Wong, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Jhonathan Soutchy, and Shay Kuebler, among others. This is Kira’s sixth season with Backhausdance.

What is a must-have item in your dance bag?

Lacrosse ball.

How do you prepare for a rehearsal?

Coffee and a huge breakfast!

What gives you inspiration?

Boredom. This most likely stems from telling my mom, "I'm bored" as a child and her suggesting 10 chores I could do. I quickly learned I would be better off crafting, dancing in my room, or learning a new skill. To this day, when I quiet the busy and allow myself to feel boredom, I find that's when my brightest creativity strikes.

SAMUEL DEANGELO

YORBA LINDA, CALIFORNIA

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 eighth season performing with Backhausdance.

What is your favorite non-dance activity or hobby?

Aside from dancing, I’m probably spending time with my friends and loved ones. I really enjoy spending quality time conversing with people, and creating new fun memories together.

What is a must-have item in your dance bag?

My collapsible foam roller. One of my most beloved objects. 

How do you prepare for a rehearsal?

Prior to rehearsal, I do my best to review whatever material we are working on for that day. As well as making sure to grab my cold brew as I wouldn't function without it. 

What gives you inspiration?

Music, nature, friends, new life-experiences, and human connection all inspire me endlessly.

MO GOODFELLOW

PoULSBO, WASHINGTON

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.

MORE FROM MO

When did you start dancing?
Age 6

What is your favorite non-dance hobby or activity?
Sunday morning crosswords and going to the beach!

What is a must-have item in your dance bag?
My massage ball

What gives you inspiration?
I’m most inspired by the people around me.

What’s a fun fact about you?
I’ve been swimming with sharks!

KAITWAN JACKSON

Washington, DC

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 first season with Backhausdance

MORE FROM KAITWAN

When did you start dancing?
I started dancing when I was a junior in high school.

Do you have a pre-performance ritual?
I have to listen to I Tried Him and I Know Him by the Clark Sisters and Trademark USA by Baby Keem, and roll on lavender essential oil

What is your favorite non-dance activity or hobby?
I love to read…mainly fiction!

What is a must-have item in your dance bag?
My blue massage ball

What are your words to live by?
Do Good

What’s a fun fact about you?
I’m an only child

SOPHIA LANG

SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

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, Jennifer Backhaus, Amanda Kay White, and Tommie-Waheed Evans. This is Sophia’s fourth season with Backhausdance.

What is your favorite non-dance hobby or activity? 

My favorite non-dance hobby is watching TV or movies.

What is a must-have item in your dance bag?

Snacks I intend to eat, but never get around to.

How do you prepare for a rehearsal?

I prepare for rehearsal by watching the videos of the pieces to familiarize myself with the movement and choreography.

What gives you inspiration?

I'm most inspired by human connections. That is something that has always been a prominent aspect in my own pieces as well as my favorite part of dancing and performing in the pieces of others.

KATIE NATWICK

ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA

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 eighth season with Backhausdance.

What is your favorite non-dance activity or hobby?

Backpacking! I love see new places, camping, and getting away from my routine when I can.

What are your words to live by?

We have everything to share, nothing to prove.

ADRIEN PADILLA

Rosemead, California

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, Jessie Lee Thorne, and Tommie-Waheed Evans to name a few. This is Adrien’s sixth season with Backhausdance.

What is a must-have item in your dance bag? 

Lacrosse ball and EXTRA clothes

How do you prepare for a rehearsal? 

Roll-out the hips and back, and most importantly gotta make sure the knees are warm

What gives you inspiration? 

Making my mom and grandma proud

What are your words to live by?

“Always plant good seeds.”

KAITLIN REGAN

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

​​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 12th 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 Art of Dance and Ballet Academy.

What is your most embarrassing stage moment?

I fell off the stage during a performance. It was during a piece that was performed using black light with no other lighting on stage. We were dressed as stick figures but our costumes were only lit from the front, so we had to staying facing the audience. I had a solo where I stole the "head" of another dancer, had to run across the stage traveling sideways, and then throw the head piece back. I apparently was so engrossed in my performance that I failed to see the glow tape marking the edge of the space. It looked like a cool disappearing act to the audience though and the head piece made it back to the dancer!

What cross-training or non-dance physical activities do you participate in?

Paddle boarding and yoga. Sometimes both at the same time!

How do you prepare for a rehearsal or performance?

I prepare for performances by making sure to eat a healthy meal and packing up all my things the night before. I prefer to listen to music with headphones as I warm up to center myself. I may go over a few choreographic and/or performance details to remember, but mostly I trust that my body and mind are prepared so I can go onstage and be in the moment.

CHIHIRO SANO

Yokosuka, JAPAN

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 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 freelance projects such as the East Valley Dance Project/Studio Project in Palm Desert, 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 BD as a performer after her health battle. She is so grateful for her kidney donor and her mother who donated her kidney in exchange.

MORE FROM CHIHIRO

How do you prepare for a rehearsal?
Good sleep and good food.

What gives you inspiration?
I’m inspired by the joy I feel when I’m dancing and the joy I see in others when they are dancing.

What are your words to live by?
Work hard and be nice.

What is a fun fact about you?
I always look out for nargles.

KYLE SCHRADER

Huntington beach, CAlifornia

Kyle Schrader is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. Kyle moved back to 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 some 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. Currently,.Kyle is represented by Go2Talent Agency. This is Kyle’s first year as a company member with Backhausdance.

MORE FROM KYLE

When did you start dancing?
I started dancing at the age of 8.

Do you have a pre performance ritual?
My pre performance ritual is taking a shower and having a nap.

What is your favorite non-dance hobby or activity?
My favorite non-dance hobby is water sports of all types; wake surfing, wakeboarding and water skiing!

What is a must-have item in your dance bag?
Deodorant and cologne are must haves in my dance bag because I love to smell good.

How do you prepare for a rehearsal?
Coffee or caffeine of some sort and a good breakfast, so my body is fueled and I’m energized.

What gives you inspiration?
I’m inspired by other artists of different genres of art, also simply by experiencing life, the good and bad.

What are your words to live by?
I love manifesting, “I’m so lucky good things always happen to me!”

What’s a fun fact about you?
A fun fact about me is I have a boating license!

MARCO VEGA

Los angeles, California

Marco Vega (he/they), began dancing at the age of 16 under the direction of Cassie Dalena. He received a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Education Sciences specializing in Digital Media from the University of California, Irvine in Spring 2021. There, he trained under faculty such as Tong Wang, Molly Lynch, Diane Diefenderfer, Charlotte Griffin, and Lindsay Gilmour; and guest artists Lar Lubovitch, Kate Skarpetowska, and Dante Puleio. Additional training includes the Whim W’him Summer and Winter Intensives under the direction of Olivier Wevers and Karl Watson, the GALLIM Summer Intensive as an Emerging Artist Scholar under the direction of Andrea Miller, and the BEMOVING Summer Dance Program under the direction of Bret Easterling. Joining Backhausdance in Fall 2021, they have had the opportunity to originate roles in works by Ching Ching Wong, Tommie Waheed-Evans, and Amanda Kay White, as well as perform work by Dwight Rhoden. This is Marco’s third season with Backhausdance.

MORE FROM Marco

When did you start dancing?

At the age of 16! Beginning with Jazz and tap, then formally starting ballet, contemporary, etc. a year later.

Do you have a pre-performance ritual?

Listen to an early 2000s pop/r&b playlist.

What is your favorite non-dance hobby or activity?

Quality time with friends and family, finding new coffee shops, and taking time to be lazy and do nothing!

What gives you inspiration?

I find my inspiration from the constant change and progression that surrounds society each day. Discovering new ways to make space to grow while leaving room for what has gotten us to this current point. Acknowledgment and acceptance of the past are crucial for the progression of growth.

SAMANTHA WAUGH

AUSTIN, TEXAS

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 sixth season with Backhausdance.

MORE FROM SAMANTHA

When did you start dancing?

I started dancing when I was 3 years old in Austin, TX

What is your most memorable stage moment?

Ironically, this moment wasn’t on a traditional stage. In one of our site specific performances (Sherman gardens 2021), I had an incredible connection with an audience member. A young girl of about 6 was watching me during one of our improvisation sections when we were weaving in and out of the audience. She started following my movements and dancing with me in the middle of the performance. It was a brief, but beautiful moment for me and the other audience members to witness. Our site specific performances (audience interaction) are some of my favorite performances of ours because of how close to the audience we get to be. Movement is what helps humans understand each other, and the audience interaction in these performances brings out so many incredibly personal and profound moments for our audiences. 

What is your favorite non-dance activity or hobby?

Reading a good book, (usually a mystery), taking a walk, and embroidering are some of my most favorite pastimes when I'm not dancing. A leisurely morning spent doing any of these things would be the start of an ideal day.

How do you deal with nerves or stage fright?

Before the audience is in the theatre, I try to get on the stage and take a moment to take in how it feels looking out into the auditorium. It prepares my brain and body for the feeling of performance and makes me more comfortable with my presence onstage. I also always try to find some time to myself in the dark area side-stage before I go onstage. I touch the tips of my fingers to my sternum and take a few intentional breaths while I'm alone to center my thoughts and my body, and then I feel completely present and ready to go.

2023-2024 APPRENTICE