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We try
to keep up with the comings and goings of Dance Program alumni. If you are
an alumnus, we want to hear from you.
Send us your news: uwdance@u.washington.edu
Please include the year you graduated and the degree you received.
James
Fesalbon (B.A. 1996) appeared as Lord Tarrington in the 5th Avenue Theatre’s
production of My Fair Lady! In March 2003, he was on the game show Pyramid,
hosted by Donny Osmond. In May 2003, he will perform in the Seattle Opera’s
production of Beethoven’s Fidelio. He will be pursuing an M.A. in Dance
at Texas Women’s University beginning in autumn 2003.
Rob Kitsos (M.F.A. 1997) recently became a father. On January 9, 2003
at 7:03 am, Gabriel Anthony Kitsos was born to Rob and Lorraine in Hong Kong,
where Rob is Senior Lecturer at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.
Peter Kyle (M.F.A. 1996) will rejoin Mark Morris Dance Group for an
east coast engagement in early May. In June he will again teach in the Pacific
Performance Project annual Seattle workshop, "Physical Approaches to
Acting." At the 2003 UW Summer Arts Festival, Peter will premiere a new
30-minute solo, "Lune", created in collaboration with Seattle cellist
Lori Goldston and Peter’s dance company, Simpson/Kyle Company (founded
with fellow alum Maria Simpson, M.F.A. 1996) will perform the first reconstruction
of Hannah Kahn's 1978 "Ring".
Tiffany MacSlarrow formerly Tiffany Watt (B.A. 19) lives in Washington
DC and teaches First Grade at a local public school. She also runs an after-school
dance program (ballet, tap, jazz). She was recently awarded the Fulbright
Memorial Fund Teacher’s Scholarship and as a result, will be going to
Japan for three weeks next fall to build relations between Japan and America.
Vanessa Medve (B.A. 2001) teaches dance to all ages in San Francisco,
CA. She dances with New Trails Dance Theatre, a modern dance company that
performs all over the country. She is also an active choreographer whose work
will be performed this year in New York.
Karin Stevens formerly Karin Burg (B.A. 1999) lives in Florida and is
the director of the dance program of a local arts magnet high school. She
performs with a modern dance company. She is also the proud mother of a 17-month
old daughter named Aidyn.
Minh Tran (M.F.A. 1998) was recently hired to teach dance at Reed College
in Oregon.
Jeannine Vogt formerly Jeannine Gersbach (B.A. 1993) lives in San Jose,
CA and is currently dancing with Company Chaddick in San Francisco. She teaches
jazz and modern dance at San Jose City College. She has also developed a website
that showcases independent artists of all disciplines: www.artistedge.net
Rhea Zimmerman (B.A. 1997) sent us this email in November 2002:
“You know. I just received my first copy of the newsletter since I left
the program in 1997. It is met with a bit of irony actually, having left dance
behind dramatically a year ago. In the past 24 hours I have made contact with
Shona Curly in S.F. and discussed our growing relationship with that elusive
monster/lover called dance. I have also nearly been run over by a fellow dancer
from NYC who disappeared from the city in ’99 after realizing it just
wasn’t for her (not to mention the torn hamstring).
I thought I was all sewn up. Meaning, I was at peace with the fact that I
left New York City after watching the fire of the World Trade Center burning,
the place where I had worked for two years to support my dancing. I also thought
I didn’t mind that I was literally leaving the week I was to start rehearsals
with the dance company that was to be the culmination of every year of work
since graduation.
So I flipped through the journal. I saw that Mark Haim is teaching there now.
Small kick to the self. I adore the memories of taking class from him in St.
Mark’s Cathedral on a fall day. Hearing the bells in the church mid-class,
checking in with fellow dancers, and then taking hot apple cider from the
farmers market outside. Then rushing to work,...in those towers.
Then I put the journal down. I thought. Wow, that place sounds like it is
an awesome place to be right now. And I realized what I was feeling. I missed
those days when I got to just dance because I loved it. I missed the treat
of a dance studio and musicians that MADE me want to move. I wished somehow
that it could be now when I could truly appreciate that gift of space and
time without working TOWARD some elusive goal. Just to glide there, exploring
it, enjoying it, celebrating it.
Then I got an email from a friend who is starting at chiropractic college
in January. I let him know I would start teaching Concept Therapy this Thursday
in preparation for my starting at chiropractic college in April. CT is a philosophy
I learned in New York through chiropractors that helped me with some injury
recovery and ended up teaching me a whole lot about how to think, how to come
to know myself and to understand how this awesome world works.
Without the relationship with dance or my time with bare feet exploring the
luxurious dance studios of UW, the chipped wood floors of NYC and the awesome
competitive camaraderie of other dancers, well I just wouldn’t be where
I am today.
So that is where I am. Living in Berkeley. Preparing for entering Chiropractic
College. Teaching Yoga. Being a spiritual guide.
With Love and the Hope that you all inspire the deepest JOY in the hearts
of those that come through those halls.