SANTA BARBARA DANCE THEATER
PROFESSIONAL COMPANY IN RESIDENCE AT UCSB
DANCERS
PAIGE AMICON is a dance artist and teacher originally from Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under Susan Jaffe with a BFA in Contemporary Dance. She also holds a high school degree from UNCSA with a concentration in ballet.
Since moving to Los Angeles, she has had a wonderfully adventurous freelance career. Performance experience includes work by Danielle Agami/Ate9, Merce Cunningham, Yuval Sharon, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Megan Pulfer, Sophia Stoller, and Mallory Fabian. Additionally, Paige is very excited to be in Santa Barbara dancing with the company!
DERION LOMAN is a Multimedia Artist/Dancer based in Los Angeles. He holds a B.A. and B.F.A. In Psychology and Dance, respectively, from the University of California Santa Barbara. He began his career in Ballet Hispanico’s Second Company, where he performed at a variety of different events. Most notably the 2013 Presidential Inauguration. He then went on to tour internationally and domestically with Pilobolus Dance Theatre from 2013-2017. Derion joined the cast of Diavolo Architecture in motion in 2017 for America’s Got Talent, and then toured with the company full time. He was also Divisional Finalist on NBC’s World of Dance Season 3. Currently he works as a freelance choreographer with an array of organizations including Google, Portland Opera, and The Los Angeles Dance Film Festival. He most recently set works on Dallas Black Dance Theatre II and UC Santa Barbara Senior Dance Company.
NICOLE POWELL began her dance training in Carpinteria, CA. She then studied at Idyllwild Arts Academy where she graduated as Senior Class Scholar and was the recipient of the Bella Lewitzky Dance Award. She also trained at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Martha Graham School, Czech Republic Ballet, NW Dance Project, and Ate9 summer programs. In 2013 she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Philosophy. There she performed in works by numerous choreographers including Martha Graham, Shen Wei, and Danny Buraczeski. After graduation she relocated to Melbourne, Australia where she danced in the company Ausdance Victoria and taught outreach workshops for Scotland based Curious Seed Dance Company. In 2015, Nicole returned to California where she danced for LA based Donna Sternberg and Dancers, Weslie Ching Dance and many other freelance projects. She is currently in her 4th season with Santa Barbara Dance Theater. Nicole has also choreographed and performed solo work for Doni Silver Simons Performance Art. She has taught extensively in the US and abroad.
NATALIE LEIBERT began training at various dance schools in the Los Angeles area, including company work with Westside Dance Project in Redondo Beach, and Pacific Festival Ballet in Agoura Hills. She continued training at the Miami City Ballet School year round and Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program. Leibert has attended workshops and programs such as the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Juilliard School, in addition to Nederlands Dans Theater, Batsheva Dance Company, and Springboard Dans Montreal. Natalie joined Hubbard Street 2 in August 2014, and performed there until 2016. She then danced with LA based company, BODYTRAFFIC from 2016 to 2019. She continues to do freelance work, including dancing for the LA Opera under the direction of Aszure Barton, and dances for a project based company, Ballare Carmel. She has performed works by choreographers such as Hofesh Shechter, Johannes Wieland, Stijn Celis, Barack Marshall, Ihsan Rustem, Alejandro Cerrudo, and more.
APPRENTICES
RILEY HALEY (Apprentice-Understudy) is currently a second-year UCSB student studying Dance and Biology. She began training in ballet and modern at The Beck Center for the Arts in Cleveland, Ohio. Her training continued at Del Mar Ballet (now West Coast Dance Complex) after moving to San Diego, California, where she worked with choreographers: Beverly Bagg (Alberta Ballet), Jennifer Golonka (Martha Graham school), Dianne Moroney (Alvin Ailey), Christopher Huggins (soloist with Alvin Ailey), and more. Some performing role highlights include Sugar Plum (Nutcracker,) Shan Yu (Mulan,) Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), and Peter Pan (Peter Pan). Riley loves spreading the joy of dance through storytelling and is incredibly excited to be an apprentice with Santa Barbara Dance Theater.
RECENT DANCERS
CALDER WHITE is a freelance dance artist, choreographer, and floorwork teacher based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Watuth First Nations (so-called Vancouver, BC). He is an alumnus of Toronto’s Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre and holds a BFA in Dance from the Ohio State University (2018). He has originated roles in work by Shay Kuebler (Shay Kuebler/Radical System Art), Wen Wei Wang (Wen Wei Dance), Sylvie Bouchard (BouchardDanse), Colin Connor (José Limón Dance Foundation), Santee Smith (Kaha:wi Dance Theatre), and Alexander Whitley (Alexander Whitley Dance Company). Calder’s choreographic interests lay in oversharing, memory recall, and the effects of video documentation on self-image. His work has been shared with audiences across Canada and the US, his most recent commission being for The School Of Dance (Ottawa) in September 2021. Calder is currently a company member with Shay Kuebler/Radical System Art, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, and Joshua Beamish/MOVEthecompany.
MICHE WONG Born and raised in the Bay Area, Miche Wong is a dancer, educator, and choreographer. Seasoned in that order, it's led her to dance with Guangdong Modern Dance Company, Garret +Moulton Productions, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Ziru Dance, LevyDance, and Flyaway Productions. Living and working abroad has influenced her experience-based practice that comes forward when she dances and teaches. Miche's choreographic work has been shown in the Beijing International Dance Festival, Silicon Valley Dance Festival, Asian Art Museum, Dance Mission Theater, and Cowell Theater. Her work is a swath of energy and levity as she presents her interpretations of plights and successes of the human experience.