Alumni
Several alumni returned to perform a piece (choreographed by
guest Aaron Cash) at WIDT's Dance & Choreography Showcase 2011.
Look for another alumni sighting at the Dance & Choreography Showcase
performance in April of 2012!!
Past Whidbey Island Dance Theatre company members who have continued on in the dance field, post-WIDT:
Amy Berto (2002) graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance in 2006. While at TCU, Amy performed in dance works by TCU faculty and guest artists from all over the globe. A highlight was performing at the American College Dance Festival Southwest Region Gala performance. After graduating from college, Amy choreographed (and performed) for WIDT’s Nutcracker and Choreographer’s Showcase. She performed as a dancer and magician’s assistant, and was the dance captain for a magician in Baltimore, MD. She had the wonderful opportunity to perform in the WICA Local Artist Series show, Island of Motion, Island of Fire. Now a full-time islander, she manages and co-owns CAL Septic, LLC, with her fiance. She also teaches at Island Dance, and is now in her third season with Redd Legg Dance of Seattle. She serves on the Board of Directors for WIDT, and is the current WIDT Webmaster. Amy hopes to someday retire to a life of cows and Dodge Ram trucks, and is busy planning her upcoming wedding! |
|
| Andrea Burr (2004) is passionate about dance and recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in it. Last summer while visiting LA, Andrea simultaneously made it to the end of the Lady Gaga auditions, and signed with MSA Agency! This past year, Andrea lived in China for 6 months teaching dance and performing. Upon return to the states, she co-directed a hip hop dance show in Seattle. Andrea is an established dancer in the Seattle community and looks forward to making a similar reputation in her new home! Some of Andrea's credits include: Cruz Control’s show at the Moore Theatre, Seattle Seahawks halftime show, guest performer in The Monsters of Hip Hop show in L.A., backup dancer for the Vietnamese Music Awards, and the Young Tanzsommer Austria Tour with Westlake Dance Center Performing Group. She has received scholarships to Steps on Broadway in NYC, Millenium Dance Complex in L.A., Debbie Reynolds in L.A. and various convention scholarships from Monsters of Hip Hop, Company Dance, Hollywood Vibe, L.A. Elite, Encore, and West Coast Dance Explosion. Along with dance, Andrea loves fine arts and foreign languages. She studied 3 years of hindi language and graduated from the University of Washington in 2009 with a BFA in ceramics. | |
| Katelyn Candelario (2005) attended the well renowned University of Arizona’s School of Dance where she studied ballet, modern, and jazz in a program ranked top 5 in the country. She graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance in 2009 and has since moved back to the northwest. Currently, Katelyn is a company member with DASSdance, a certified personal trainer, and teaching Zumba® in Seattle and at Island Dance. She couldn’t be more excited to be performing for the South Whidbey community again, because even on stage, there’s no place like home. |
|
| Alexis Daly (2005) was a member of Washington State University’s Elite Dance Company. She was a co-coordinator, in charge of auditions and judging. She choreographed and taught for beginning and intermediate classes. She has performed at the American College Dance Festival Association and choreographed a piece that was chosen to perform in an informal performance. She has been trying to dance as much as possible, and plans to work for a dance company or organization in the future with her degree. | |
| Brittany Falso (2008) was born and raised on Whidbey Island. She danced at Island Dance from age three to her senior year in high school. She graduated in 2008 from Bayview High School. She currently lives in Seattle and is a junior at Cornish College of the Arts. Brittany just started her first season with DASSdance, a company in Seattle, under director Daniel Wilkins. She is excited to start her professional dance career and share her love of movement with people around the world. | |
| Ayesha Fuentes (1999) is one of the original members of Whidbey Dance Theatre, dancing with the group 8 years - from before WIDT’s incorporation in 1993 until 1999 when she graduated from SWHS. She graduated from Williams College in 2003 with a degree in fine art and philosophy. She has lived, worked, and performed as a visual artist, curator, and dancer/choreographer in Scotland, France, China, New York, and has recently returned to Seattle to do the same. | |
| Karla Gilbert (2002) -- bio coming soon! | |
| Jachen Mackner (2010) -- bio coming soon! | |
| Chelsea Matthews-Jensen (2006) is currently taking a leave of absence from pursuing a BA in dance due to an overuse injury. She was previously attending California State University, Long Beach where she adored dancing, choreographing, learning stage lighting, dance history, body mechanics and much more. She has been a Whidbey Island local since she was 2 years old and a loyal Island Dance student since the age of 4. She still enjoys teaching at the studio and is a proud alumni of Whidbey Island Dance Theatre. She very much enjoyed choreographing for WIDT's the Nutcracker, helping with stage lighting, and choreographing a piece for RDA's student choreography this previous year. Chelsea is currently studying Structural Medicine with Donna Bajelis to expand her understanding of the human body in a healing realm while continuing to work towards a full recovery from tendinitis. She plans to practice body work, dabble in choreography and will hopefully be dancing again soon. | |
| Katherine Riggs (2004) graduated from the University of Washington majoring in Comparative History of Ideas with a minor in dance. Throughout her studies Katherine performed in a multitude of UW performance venues, her last being in the renowned Chamber Dance Company. Post college, Katherine co-founded the performance art collective, DAKA, who performs both locally (Modern Night at the Pink Door, Velocity’s Next Fest NW) and internationally (Vetrina della Giovane Danza d'Autore Anticorpi XL 2007 and 2011). While dance remains to be one of Katherine's most beloved forms of self-expression/hobby, she currently is living New Orleans following her father’s footsteps in the motion picture industry as a special effects purchaser and technician. |
