Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, Long Beach, CA

RKDC Regina Klenjoski Dance Company
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About

Mission

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RKDCs mission is to promote the understanding of and to create a passion for the art of contemporary dance, making it accessible to both seasoned and new audiences. Through the vision of Artistic Director Regina Klenjoski, the company creates original dance works that feature collaborations with cutting-edge composers and theatrical artists.RKDC is dedicated to bridging the gap between artist and community by engaging the public into dance and dialogue through classes, workshops and performances. RKDC promotes the value of modern dance in the community of arts education.

Photo: Tim Agler

History

Since 1999, the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company has been captivating audiences with the inventive choreography, fierce athleticism and poetic storytelling that has made them a staple in the Los Angeles dance scene. Under the artistic direction of Regina Klenjoski, the company of six dancers along with an impressive roster of collaborating artists, continue to create and perform diverse, social, political, abstract and emotion-driven contemporary dance theater. The companys repertory of 27 works includes intimate choreographic studies, dramatic evening-length works, dance film and site-specific installations, all of which have won Ms. Klenjoski accolades from some of Californias foremost authorities on dance. The company has received 24 Lester Horton Award nominations and numerous commissions, awards and presentations both for Ms. Klenjoskis work and for her innovative educational programming.RKDCs artistic versatility extends itself into the realm of arts education and community service. Having been the South Bay leader in the dance arts since 1999, the companys dance residency program with the City of Torrance offers over 50 classes in youth and adult dance and fitness classes to the community, mentors two youth performance groups, and produces the yearly SOLA Contemporary Dance Festival, a project which pairs exceptional high school dancers with local contemporary dance choreographers. In 2001, RKDC incorporated as a 501(c) 3, allowing the company to expand their efforts in bringing quality performances and educational opportunities to a wide-ranging and diverse audience. The non-profit organization is also dedicated to supporting exceptional artists from all disciplines through commissions and exhibitions of their work.

Photo: Rose Eichenbaum

Artistic Director

Regina Klenjoski is a creator, performer, educator and advocate of contemporary dance. Passionate about the moving body with a thirst for communication through dance, the Austrian-born choreographer creates deeply personal works that examine our search for intimacy in contemporary society. She tells stories with character-driven, socially and politically relevant dances that expose our authentic nature through seemingly small flashes of humanity. As an artist, she is most concerned with providing a revealing journey for an audience by engaging them into familiarity through abstracted every day moments in life, distilled to their physical and emotional core.Regina Klenjoski (is one) of the most active and ambitious dance makers leading Southland contemporary companies-Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times A dynamic, graceful and indefatigable presence- Victoria Looseleaf, Los Angeles Times

Artists

Deven P Brawley - Company DancerDeven is a distinguished artist who strives to push the bounds of dance in his own performance and newly formed companys, dshire dance collective and DK Dance. Beginning his training as a competitive ballroom dancer he nurtured his artistry and was pushed further as a technical mover. He has danced with Mojalet Dance Collective, MizeranyDance!, Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, Imago Moves, The San Diego Opera, Anjanette Maraya-Ramey & Dancers, Tokyo Disney, and Rob Appel Presents. Currently, Deven is enjoying his 2nd season dancing with the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and is the companies current Marketing Director. Pursuing a explosive journey as a choreographer, he formed the dshire dance collective, Southern Californias first all-male dance company & DK Dance a duet company with partner Keely Campbell in fall of 2007. He is the proud recipient of the Artist-of-the-Month named by the Sign On San Diego a division of the San Diego Union Tribune for Nov. 2008. An active choreographer, teacher, and mentor Deven continues to grow as an artist during his relocation to the Greater Los Angeles area. Erin Butkivich - Company DancerErin eceived most of her early training in jazz dance, lyrical, ballet, and contemporary dance. She graduated with her BFA in dance from CSU Long Beach and was a recipient of the 2007 Fine Arts Affiliates Scholarship. While a student, she studied with and performed in works by Andy Vaca, Keith Johnson, Doug Neilson, Ron Brown, Lorin Johnson, and Susan McLain. In addition, she worked with artists including Maria Gillespie, Holly Johnston, and Steven Koester. Since graduating, Erin has performed locally with LA choreographers Rojelio Lopez-Garcia, Michael Nickerson-Rossi, Rebekah Davdison, and Bahareh Ebrahimzadeh. She is now in her second season with Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and is RKDCs Education Director for their Torrance Residency Dance Program, Dancing with RKDCEileen Cooley - Lighting DesignerEileen Cooley got her Masters Degree in Choreography from UCLA and uses that as the foundation for her work as a Lighting Designer specializing in Dance. She currently creates designs for such companies as Viver Brasil, Rangoli Foundation, South Bay Ballet, Danza Floricanto/USA, Francisco Martinez Dance Theatre, Pennington Dance Group, the annual Celebrate Dance event at the Alex Theatre and the On Ensemble. She has been honored with eight Lester Horton Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Lighting for Dance. Anna DeVuyst-Bowden - Company Dancer Anna first stumbled into dance class as a sophomore in high school in an attempt to dodge another year of P.E. There in the dance room she found her calling in life and by the time she graduated she was voted Dancer of the Year by her peers. Anna continued to study dance at Palomar Community College where she was also named Dancer of the Year in 2004 and then transferred to UC San Diego where she received her B.A. in dance in 2007. During that time she danced professionally for Tanya Blood Hinkel, Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, Xdrop, and San Diego Dance Theaters infamous, Trolley Dances. After relocating to Los Angeles from San Diego, Anna began dancing with RKDC in 2009. Anna also enjoys teaching dance, singing and songwriting, and making people feel the burn as a Bar Method instructor.Mark Fitchett - ComposerAfter emigrating from Vancouver B.C. Canada, Fitchett studied composition and arranging at the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. He also received an Associate Degree in Dance from El Camino College and a Bachelor of Arts in Composition from CSU Long Beach. A musician for over 35 years, Mark has been performing and recording in the South Bay and Los Angeles area since 1979. He has recorded several CDs under his own name and his guitar work has been featured on television commercials, movie scores, and on many other artists recordings. He is a three-time nominee for the Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music for Dance with his compositions for RKDCs, Love Lies Waiting, Cristians Lullaby, and The Museum Project. Other projects with RKDC include Dear Mimi, Original Sin and most recently, It Feels Like Pitch Black. Fitchett has also composed and edited music for Los Angeles choreographers Lula Washington and Robert Gilliam. Mark currently owns and operates three music schools in the Long Beach and the South Bay communities. (www.getlessons.net)Davaid Karaganis - ComposerDavid is a composer, sound designer, pianist, electronic musician, percussionist and educator. David serves as the Music Director of the Dance Program for Loyola Marymount Universitys Department of Theater and Dance. He has worked as a composer, sound designer and/or music director with numerous choreographers, dance companies, performance artists and film makers including the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, UCLA Dance Company, Sakoba Dance Theatre, David Rousseve, Pat Catterson, Victoria Marks, Dan Wagoner, Doug Neilsen, Sen Hea Ha, Ledges and Bones, Chad Michael Hall, A Ludwig Dance Theatre, John Pennington, Denise Uyehara, Liam Clancy, Janet Roston, Sharon Kinney, Dana Lawton, Cheng-Cheih Yu, Oni Dance, Lauren Kearns and Janis Brenner & Dancers. An accomplished improvisatory pianist and percussionist, David has served as accompanist for Alwin Nikolais, Joe Goode, Bill T. Jones, Donald Byrd, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, the Martha Graham Company, the Limon Dance Company, Maria Gillespie and many others. Awarded the Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music for Dance, a winner in the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur Competition for Music Composition for Dance and a recipient of Meet The Composer grants, over seventy of Davids scores for dance, concert, theater, video and multi-media have been performed or screened throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. David is a Founding Member and a former Vice President of the International Guild of Musicians in Dance (2001-2004). David has created four CDs of music all composed, performed and produced for his Sound Dance® label: Timeless (1997), Without Words (2000), and Brave New Age (2004) and his most recent release "Multiplex" (2010). Information regarding Davids past and current projects as well as recordings is available at his website, www.sounddance.net .Denise Lichter - Resident Costume DesignerDenise has been designing and constructing costumes for RKDC since 2001 and has been in the clothing and costume design field for 20 years. Her creativity and inspiration in design is influenced by her other passions: singing, dancing, writing, and choreography. She works for fashion house BCBG for their couture labels BCBGMaxAzria Runway, MaxAzria Atelier and Herve Leger Couture. She has helped dress Sharon Stone, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett and Sarah Michelle Geller among others. Her design work has ranged from childrens videos and set designs to movie wardrobe and dance theater. She has also written and performed for many musical projects including the childrens album, WombSongs Serenade. She was extensively involved in the dance program at El Camino college for five years as a choreographer, performer and costume designer. Winner of the 2002 Lester Horton award for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design on RKDCs Original Sin, she has also been commissioned by Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Mandela DanceWorks, Xerox Corporation and Robert Gilliam.Daniel Gil-Marca - ComposerDaniel is a young composer on the quick rise,hailed for his "visceral and unique" voice. His music has been heard around the world in both television and film with recent performances and commissions by the Peabody Opera Company, the National Performing Arts Company, the Cezar Chavez Foundation, and the University of California. Gil-Marca holds a masters degree in composition from the Eastman School of Music and currently he is a Doctoral fellow in composition at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.Danae McWatt - Company Dancer Danae has been dancing for 14 years studying modern, ballet, jazz, and hip hop. Ms. McWatt has trained at many studios in Northern California. Prior to her transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College to Cal State Long Beach, she was a part of nonprofit companies like The Company (hip hop) in Daly City and Expressive Motion Dance Company (modern) in Santa Rosa. She was also a participant and choreographer in the San Francisco Vision Series Dance Festival in 2004. During her time at Cal State Long Beach she had the pleasure of working with Susan McLain, Lorin Johnson, Andy Vaca and John Pennington. She was involved in many of the department concerts, choreographed in a student contemporary concert, and was awarded dance scholarships like the Betty DuPont scholarship. During her college career she attended the Southern California Dance Invitational in 2009 as well as the American College Dance Festival in 2010. She received her A.A. in Dance at Santa Rosa Junior College in 2007 and her B.A. in Dance Science at Cal State Long Beach in 2010. She is currently a company member of John Penningtons Pennington Dance Group based in Pasadena and Andy Vacas Jazzworks- Long Beach. Ms. McWatt is excited and eager to continue her professional dance experience by joining RKDC for a second season.Samuel Propersi - Company Dancer Sam is a human being. Originally a jazz and tap dancer, he found his passion for movement and music at a young age in his hometown of San Jose, California with Marie Stinnett Dance. His drive and inspiration vastly expanded in college, where he earned a Bachelors of Art degree in Dance from California State University, Long Beach. During his time at Cal State Long Beach, his choreography was performed throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Since graduating, Samuel has had the opportunity to collaborate and perform professionally with Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Ledges and Bones Dance Project, and is honored to be continually working for Regina Klenjoski Dance Company and Kate Corby & Dancers. Samuel currently resides in Chicago, Illinois with his beautiful wife-to-be and their two cats.David Wornovitzky - Company DancerDavid is originally from Mexico City. Since moving to San Diego he has had the privilege of working with different companies around San Diego such as The PGK Project, Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company, dshire dance collective, and Axxiom Dance Collective, among others. He has worked with several talented choreographers like Michael Mizerany, Yolande Snaith, Kim Epifano, Khamla Somphanh, Kathryn Irey, and Kevin Patterson. David is happy to be back for his first full season with RKDC. It is important for David to thank his family for their never-ending support, which continues to make his dream possible.

Repertory

COMING SOON!

Events

Main Events Simple

APAP Showcase

New York, NY

January 7th, 2012

3:00 & 4:30 PM

Celebrate Dance 2012

Glendale, CA

March 3, 2012

8PM

APAP

Association of Performing Arts Presenters ShowcaseSaturday, Janurary 7th, 2012 3 & 4:30 PMNew York City CenterStudio Four130 West 56th StreetNew York, NY
RKDC is showcasing work during APAP in NYC. Tickets are not required for entry but seating is limited.Presenters are strongly encouraged to register
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Photo: Rose Eichenbaum

Celebrate Dance Celebrate Dance 2012Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 8PMAlex Theatre216 N. Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CAExecutive Producer Jamie Nichols presents CELEBRATE DANCE 2012 with a line-up of eight extraordinary dance companies and nine choreographers. The evening of dance promises to be athletic, theatrical, hypnotic and inspiring. CELEBRATE DANCE 2012 offers a fresh blend of new works in a seamless production with gorgeous lighting, premieres and Los Angeles debuts. Celebrating contemporary, modern, ballet and jazz dance this is the hottest dance ticket in town! CELEBRATE DANCE has sold out for last four seasons so get your tickets now! featuring: Hysterica Dance Company Invertigo Dance Theatre LaDiego Dance Theater Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company Malashock Dance Monat Dance Regina Klenjoski Dance Company RhetOracle Dance Company
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Photo: Tim Agler

Education

Dancing with RKDC

Dancing with RKDC Torrance Education Program

"Part of an artists responsibility is to pass on knowledge, inspire passion and boldly empower the next generation of artists to discover, explore an redefine the art form, propelling it forward."- Regina Klenjoski Regina Klenjoski Dance Company has been artist-in-residence with the City of Torrance Cultural Services Division since 1999. RKDC serves as the leading contemporary dance company in the South Bay, nurturing and expanding the community's interest in dance by bringing professional-quality classes, workshops and dance performances to the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, the region's premiere arts center. RKDC began their first session with one teacher, two classes and 25 students. Today, our instructors teach over 45 classes each week and serve over 2300 students yearly. The company also produces and hosts the bi-annual "The Kids Show' every fall and winter session as an opportunity for Dancing with RKDC young artists to perform on a professional stage. Led by Artistic Director Regina Klenjoski and overseen by Education Director Erin Butkivich.

Photos: Andrew Bowden

Brochure.pdf
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Winter '12 Classes

January 2012 Class Schedule
RKDCs mission is to promote the understanding of and to create a passion for the art of contemporary dance, making it accessible to both seasoned and new audiences. Through the vision of Artistic Director Regina Klenjoski, the company creates original dance works that feature collaborations with cutting-edge composers and theatrical artists.RKDC is dedicated to bridging the gap between artist and community by engaging the public into dance and dialogue through classes, workshops and performances. RKDC promotes the value of modern dance in the community of arts education.

Support

Donation

Support Us
In January 2012, RKDC premiers on the east coast, as part of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Showcase in New York City. In order for our New York trip to become a reality, we need your support! This is an outstanding opportunity for us to share our work with an entirely new audience, an opportunity to have presenters from the US & abroad view our work in hopes of future touring engagements; as well as the ability to participate in professional development seminars and lectures.Click on the box to donate today! Thank you for supporting the arts and RKDC!

Donors

Donors

Groundbreaker

Anonymous

Rebecca Schiling

Trailblazer

Jacquelyn Butkivich

Dorian Mattar

Jamie Nichols

Pacesetter

Anonymous

Architect

Patrick & Geneva Martin

Corporate Sponsorship

Alva's Dance Shop

Modern Postcard

Thanks to our funders & sponsors
RKDC is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. All donations are deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Gallery

In Performance

Emoticons

The Crossings

The Crossings

The Pitch

The Crossings

Love Lies Waiting

The Crossings

Emoticons

Emoticons

The Crossings

The Crossings

The Pitch

The Crossings

Love Lies Waiting

The Crossings

Emoticons

Photos: Tim Agler & Rose Eichenbaum

In Studio

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photo by Rose Eichenbaum

Photos: Rose Eichenbaum

Contact

Contact Us
Gradient Regina Klenjoski Dance ComapnyPO Box 7732Long Beach, CA 90807310.292.7042
Gradient

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