University of Redlands
This evening of dance promises to be full of artistry, beauty, edge and the unexpected. These three Inland Empire choreographers have a reputation for daring subject matter and emotional impact. Working in the genres of Ballet, Modern and Dance/Theatre, Sofia, Kirsten and Roya use space, time, music and movement with raw elegance. They have assembled some of the region's finest dancers for this special evening.
Saturday, May 4, 2013, in the Glenn Wallichs Theatre.
Founder and Artistic Director of Intersect Dance Theatre Sofia Carreras was born in Barcelona, Spain, and received her early training from the Marquis de Cuevas Prima Ballerina Beatriz Consuelo at the Ecole de Danse de Grand Theatre de Geneve. She began her professional career at age 13, performing alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov, and working under the direction of Patricia Neary and George Balanchine. Shortly after, her family came to the United States where she joined Capitol City Ballet and became a soloist for the Sacramento Ballet. In the early 1980s, she joined the San Francisco Ballet School on full scholarship and performed with the company. While completing her MFA, Sofia taught at a number of schools and trained figure skaters in ballet. She was invited to choreograph for Riverside City College's Celebrate Dance concert in 2002, and subsequently joined the faculty at RCC where she is now an Associate Professor of Dance. Sofia first conceived the idea of a multi-genre dance company in 2004 and directed the first Intersect Dance Theatre concert, Dancing on Strings. Plans to develop the new company were shelved in 2006, however, when Sofia was diagnosed with breast cancer and endured a year of medical treatment in the midst of which she gave birth to her son, Sebastian. Two years later Sofia gathered a new group of dancers to re-form the company with the help of colleague Mark Haines, who then served as co-Artistic Director. Intersect Dance Theatre is now an independent, non-profit, professional company in its fourth season and continues to showcase original choreographic work throughout Southern California.
Kirsten Johansen is a dancer, choreographer and veteran of numerous junior colleges, San Francisco State and Tisch School of the Arts (BFA 1998, MFA 1999). Her work has been presented in Puebla, Mexico; Portland, OR; and all over New York City. She was a member of Gina Gibney Dance from 2002-2004, performing and facilitating dance workshops with survivors of domestic violence and homeless teens. In New York, she was the resident choreographer and assistant director of Another Theatre Company, working on Macbeth and The Seagull, and choreographed for the theatrical productions American A**hole and Lady Convoy. She has taught at colleges in NYC, California and Puebla, Mexico, and worked with The Lyon Opera Ballet in France. She recently choreographed for the opera Orfeo, The Ruhl Plays and Cabaret at the University of Redlands, and for Stravinsky's A Soldier's Tale, commissioned by the Redlands Symphony Orchestra. Kirsten currently teaches dance and Pilates at Riverside City College and the University of Redlands, and is co-founder of oddJobs Performance.
Roya Carreras began studying dance at Riverside City College, trained at the Alvin Ailey school in NYC, then graduated with honors from UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts. She has worked with Lux Boreal Danza Contemporanea, Malashock Dance, California Riverside Ballet, Intersect Dance Theatre, and The Danielle Russo Dance Company and Luna Negra Dance Theater at Springboard Danse Montreal. Most recently, Roya apprenticed for Body Traffic, working with Barak Marshall on his newest commission for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Chairman Dances, and danced for award-winning choreographer Stephan Koplowitz in Red Line Time, a site-specific piece performed in the LA Metro. Roya has taught all over Southern California and her work has been shown at Highways, The Electric Lodge Theater and BRAVA. She is co-founder of oddJobs Performance.
