Season 2020 (San Jose)

Mario Barron was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. He began music training when he was 9 years old, and eventually joined the marching band at his high school. This introduction to the arts encouraged him, almost a decade later, to join a dance class at San Jose State University. A few years later, Barron obtained his BFA in Dance Performance. At SJSU, Mario had the please of studying with numerous amazing artists, some include Heather Cooper, Raphael Boumaila, Mike Esperanza, Dominique Serapio, Doug Varone, and Kyle Abraham. Above all else, this experience taught Mario a lot about choreographic processes enough for him to start a project-based company called Barron&Co. Currently, Barron is working with his company, a second season with SJDANCECO, Cypher Dance Company, Quirk Dance in SF, Nhan Ho Project, and has big plans to venture out to experience as much life as possible through the arts. Mario is very excited to be working with all of these passionate, and beautiful artists and cannot wait to see what is next in the arts.

Angela Bass

Janelle Bell graduated from San José State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Ms. Bell has studied ballet at Morgan hill Dance Center, Lana’s Dance Studio, South Valley Dance Arts, South Bay Dance Center, and Bay Ballet Academy. She has also danced with ABT’s summer intensive in 2012 and Kirov’s ballet academy intensive in 2014. Ms. Bell has worked as an Assistant Thesis Coordinator with Hollins MFA program in 2016. Ms. Bell has worked with choreographers including Heather Cooper, Raphaël Boumaïla, Maria Basile, Dominique Lomuljo Serapio, Mike Esperanza, Britt Juleen, Michael Uthoff, Maximo Califano, and Dalia Rawson. Ms. Bell has danced in full-length ballets such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty as Odette, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Arora. She has also performed in Jose Limón’s Choreogrpahic Offering, Psalm, and excerpts from Missa Brevis.

Nakayla Brandon - 20years old. Born and raised in Southern California. Favorite genre is Contemporary and Ballet. Proficient in Jazz, Modern,Contemporary,Ballet,Tap. Attended BRE dance school. Currently attending San Jose State University – Dance and psychology. Favorite color is Green for it symbolizes youth and growth.

Kevin Gaytan graduated San Jose State University as a double major in Sociology and a bachelor’s in fine arts. He has worked and trained under the instruction of Bay Area choreographers and lecturers such as Heather Cooper, Raphael Boumaila, Jill Yager and Dominique Lomuljo. In addition, he has studied composition and the art of choreography under the instruction of Fred Mathews at San Jose State University. Some of Mr. Gaytan’s performing highlights include classical Jose Limon works such as Psalm and Misa Brevis. He has also had the honor of performing and working for Tandy Beal & Company. In addition, as part of a choreography in residence program, he has performed with Doug Varone and dancers in Doug Varone’s “In the shelter of the fold” in 2018. Mr. Gaytan is currently an active company member of SjDanceCo under the artistic direction of Gary Masters and Maria Basile. As well as Rogelio Lopez and Dancers under the artistic direction of Rogelio Lopez. In addition to also working with Cypher Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Karina Cervantes. And Nhan Ho Project.

Matthew Han

Sarah Hernandez began dancing in early elementary school under the direction of Broadway professionals, David Rosales and J.P. Christensen, training in various styles, such as jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, and ballet. She then went on to study dance at San Jose State University and in May of 2019 received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. While receiving her degree, she had the pleasure of working with artists such as, Raphael Boumaila, Heather Cooper, Jill Yager, Mark Foehringer, Fred Mathews, and Doug Varone. Post-graduation, she has worked with multiple contemporary companies including Aisan Hoss and Dancers, directed by Aisan Hoss, and Project Agora, directed by Kara Davis. This season, as a new member of sjDANCEco, she is excited for the opportunity to perform with the company and engage with some of the Bay Area’s leading dance artists.

Katherine House started dancing young at Janet Lang Dance Studio in Rochester, Minnesota. Later, House joined the Rochester Dance Company, which provided her with a rigorous training and performing environment. Then, Katherine discovered modern dance while apprenticing with Rainy Day Cabaret. In order to expand her education, House attended San José State University where she was an active member of University Dance Theater, SJSU’s pre-professional dance ensemble from 2011-2016 performing works under the direction of Gary Masters and Raphaël Boumaïla. In 2016, her work “Hours” was selected to perform at the American College Dance Association, Scottsdale AZ. House graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Katherine is an active member of sjDANCEco and has performed with RAWdance, Slick Babble Dance Project, Push Up Something Hidden, DVDance Company, pateldanceworks, and Nhan Ho Project. Katherine continues to make art in the Bay Area.

David Le is an east side San Jose native who grew up doing Vietnamese cultural dance, taiko drumming, and martial arts. A mentor from high school, Gary Masters, guided him to San Jose State University to pursue a career in dance. Transitioning to university, David immersed himself in SJSU’s Dance Program to further his dance education and training where he is an active member of SJSU’s pre-professional company University Dance Theater from 2014 to 2019. He has performed many works under the direction of Gary Masters, Raphael Boumaila, and Heather Cooper. The dance program awarded him the Hawes Award for Excellence in Performance for 2016-17. He has also had the chance to work with resident artists including Kara Davis, Mike Esperanza, Doug Varone, and Kyle Abraham. David is a contributing member to the local urban dance community helping start up crews and On One Studios. His movement blends the cultural, urban, and classical styles of San Jose. Majored in Dance and Minored in Kinesiology, David aspires to explore and spread the power of dance therapy. He is a company member of sjDANCEco, Cypher Dance Company, and DVDance. David will continue to pursue his dance career and now delve into massage therapy.

Danielle de Ojeda has been teaching passionately in the Bay Area for 13 years. She began choreographing in 2007 and has continued to create works for 11 years. Danielle received a B.A. in Dance from San Jose State University in 2014, with an emphasis in Jazz dance. In her time at SJSU, Danielle danced with the school’s modern dance company, UDT, for 2 years, and went on to perform in two ACDF Galas with the company. Since then, she has also been certified in acro under the Acrobatic Arts program. Danielle has been choreographing solos, duets, trios, small groups, and large group dances in a variety of styles. She focuses on contemporary, jazz, and acro, but also is experienced in teaching hip hop, ballet, lyrical, and tap. She has trained and choreographed soloists for both artistic programs as well as competition programs–such as DMC, NUVO, JUMP, SJSU Dance Theater, etc. She is the Co-Director of a Competition Performance Team, the Dynamics Performance Team, and trains students there as well.

Karen Luu is a contemporary hip hop dancer from Southern California who has moved to the San Francisco to broaden her dance styles in Modern, Jazz, and Ballet. She has been under the instruction of all San Francisco State University’s dance faculty from 2014 to 2019. Karen has choreographed for the SFSU collegiate showcase for two years in a row which allowed her pieces to be showcased at Stanford University’s Bay Area Dance Exchange. As of Spring 2019 she obtained two degrees: B.F.A. in Dance emphasis on Performance and Choreography as well as a B.S. in Kinesiology emphasis on Movement Science. Karen has a passion for choreography and enjoys fusing her background in hip hop and modern to create dynamic pieces of works. She is currently a full time dance instructor at Principal Creative & Performing Arts in San Mateo. She plans on continuing her education to get a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, in hopes to help dancers of all backgrounds. Karen is thrilled to be in her first season with Nhan Ho Project.

Christina Nguyen, a Bay Area native, began her dancing at the age of 14. She dove into her training full-force, indulging in a variety of techniques including ballet, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, heels, and modern dance. She received her BA in Dance in 2019, from San Francisco State University School of Theatre and Dance. During her time at SF State, Christina had become a company member of San Francisco State’s University Dance Theater for 3 consecutive years, allotting her final senior year as UDT Student Director. She’s also participated in many student choreographed works that were performed at ACDA 2017-2019, as well as created her first college student choreography work in 2019. In addition, she has received an award for Excellence in Performance from the SFSU School of Theatre and Dance. Christina had the opportunity of debuting her first professional dance performance with Stabat Mater and Mad Brass as a part of Garrett+Moulton Productions’s movement choir in 2018. She’s since then moved on to work with multiple dance artists such as Janice Garrett, Charles Moulton, Cathleen McCarthy, Wendy Diamond, Ray Tadio, Anna Harris and currently, Nhan Ho. Most recently she’s trained with renowned dancer and choreographer, Galen Hooks, and has become a part of The Galen Hooks Method Alumni. Working towards crafting her dance identity, Christina aims to pursue a life centered around the importance of dancing, creating, and sharing art with one another.

JENA WIJTMAN began her training in San Jose, CA and has trained at various institutions including California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA), The Joffrey Ballet School, Jacob’s Pillow and Teacher Life Dance Conference. Jena graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance where she performed in works by Amy O’Neal, Vivian Little, Paula Peters, Gerard Theoret, Wade Madsen and Donald Byrd. Jena danced as a company member of Caroline Liviakis Dance Company (San Francisco, CA) and with Dvdance (San Jose, CA). She has performed in the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival, Levy Salon, and San Jose Center for Performing Arts. Jena feels very passionately about teaching and sharing her love of dance with dancers of all ages and abilities. She has taught in Coventry (UK), Cabo San Lucas (MX) and throughout the Bay Area.