Keep InformedCoastal City Ballet News
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Anya Allegra Saugstad is an emerging dancer and choreographer based in Vancouver BC, on the unceeded territory of the Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh' (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səlílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Ssleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəyə̓ m (Musqueum) First Nations.
Anya trained at ArtsUmbrella, and holds a BFA in Dance from Simon Fraser University. She also trained at The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and in Gaga technique in San Francisco, Israel, and New York. Anya and her company present and create live, digital, and site adaptive performance works that foster space for emerging femme artists to tell their stories through movement. Anya is interested in creating vigorous and physically exhausting movement to express stories that encompass rage, strength, and urgency. She uses dance to access the wild animal states of being alive. Anya has created work for companies including LamonDance, ArtsUmbrella, Simon Fraser University, and Method Dance. Anya’s work has been presented through The Rotary Center for the Arts, F-O-R-M film Festival, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, The Scotiabank Dance Centre, Crimson Coast, and Vines Art Festival. Anya is grateful to be the recipient of the Iris Garland Emerging Choreographer Award for the 2023/24 season for her work ‘Paper Mountains’. |
Marco EsccerMarco Esccer is a Mexican queer artist: performer, creator and educator.
Marco has a diverse background from the technical to the therapeutic aspect of creation. Bachelor in Ballet by the National Ballet and Contemporary School of Mexico City (2011-2016). Followed by certifications in "Research, experimentation and artistic production "(2015-2016); "Dance Movement Therapy" (2016); "Certified Yoga Instructor"(2021). "Progressive Ballet Technique Instructor" (2022). "Mental Application: mind-body connection"(2019-current). Finalist in the choreographer competition in the contemporary company, Ballet Independiente (Mexico City 2015) and winner of New Choreographers of Mexico (2018) he felt encouraged to continue expanding his choreographic endeavors through multiple Dance Films, Videoclips and Short Films such as "You're not within my power to change" (Vancouver 2020) , "Barcos" (Mex 2019), "En color" (Mex 2018) "Boundaries" (2018) "Noise" (2017); and in the world of musicals as choreographer and artistic co-director of "Broadway Nuances" (Mex 2018). Some of he's most recent contemporary dance creations performed in Vancouver are "Possibilities: Embodied Poetry" (Granville Island Summer Dance Series with New Works Society 2021), "I dream to be me" (performed at Co.Erasga and at the program 12 Minutes Max program with The Dance Center 2022), "Dreams of Sorrow" and "Screams at Home" (Coastal City Ballet in the programs Incubator 2021 and Emerge 2022). Throughout his years in the dance world he has developed a profound interest in creating spaces for awareness of motion, feelings and thoughts through choreographic processes. He believes in art as a perspective opener: personal stories connect with universal stories. And he creates to build bridges of compassion and understanding with others in a deeper level finding the common threads between cultures into humanity. |
Stephana ArnoldBorn in Hamilton Ontario, Stephana Arnold attended the National Ballet School of Canada for 7 years, where she received the prestigious Peter Dwyer Award and Honours standing on her Intermediate and Advanced Cecchetti Ballet Examinations. Upon graduation, she danced and worked closely with choreographer Xing Bang Fu and several small companies before being asked to join the National Ballet of Canada in 1992-95. In 1996, Stephana joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and quickly rose through the ranks to First Soloist. With her dynamism and dramatic stage presence, she danced a wide and eclectic variety of Principal and Soloist roles in Concerto Barocco, Nutcracker, Queen of Spades, Giselle, Pillar of Fire, Without Words and Symphony of Songs to name a few. She has worked with such names as James Kudelka, Eduoard Lock, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Shawn Hounsell, Septime Webber, Gioconda Barbuto and Kevin O’Day and many others. Stephana was invited to dance at many Gala evenings such as tributes to Celia Franca and Evelyn Hart and has toured extensively, performing in places such as Kennedy Center, City Center, Spoleto Festival, throughout Canada, the U.S. & Europe, Brazil, Israel, Mexico and Asia. 2003 brought her to Ballet British Columbia where she danced a diverse array of Principal roles, from the Woman in Mark Godden’s Conversation Piece, John Alleyne’s Faerie Queen/ Orpheus & Streetcar Named Desire, Kylian’s Petit Mort and lastly, Jean Grand-Maitre’s Carmen to rave reviews in 2007. While still dancing she became a Ballet B.C. Company Teacher from 2004-09. And came out of retirement to dance in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. With a dance career spanning twenty-two years, Stephana loves to bring her wealth of knowledge to her coaching and teaching. Her students have been finalists at prestigious competitions such as YAGP, NYCDA and the Margot Fonteyn Awards (formerly the Genees). And have been accepted to world renowned Schools, Post-Grad programs and gone onto their own dance careers. She is former Director of the Dance Conservatory, Co-Director and Co-Founder of the Dance Conservatory West Vancouver, Resident Choreographer for CatchingArt Contemporary Ballet Theatre and was Senior Teacher at Pro Arte Centre. Currently, Stephana is an Award winning Ballet and Contemporary Choreographer, and a highly respected Guest Master Teacher, Guest Faculty for Arts Umbrella and Resident Teacher at Ballet BC. She is also as an Adjudicator for many national festivals, including the 2022 YAGP Semi-finals in Toronto.
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