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Ursinus College |
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Theater & Dance Faculty & Staff Biographies Chris Aiken (Assistant Professor of Dance - 2003) is a leading international artist in the field of dance improvisation as a performance art and the duet form of contact improvisation. He teaches workshops throughout the world in composition, design, performance and dance technique. As a performer, Chris has worked with many of the leading artists in his field including Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith, Kirstie Simson, Andrew Harwood, and Simone Forti. His work has been presented by many major dance presenters including the Walker Art Center, Jacob's Pillow, Dance Theater Workshop, the National Performance Network, the Florida Dance Festival, Bates Dance Festival, Impulstanz in Vienna, Chisenhale Dance in London, the Seattle Festival of Alternative Dance and Improvisation, and the NY Improvisation Festival. He came to dance after completing his degree in English and American Literature at Brandeis University and years of training as a competitive swimmer and runner. His movement practice includes the Alexander Technique, Yoga, ideokinetic techniques, gymnastics, and numerous post-modern techniques. Chris has received numerous awards for his artistic work, including choreography fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and the Bush, McKnight and Jerome Foundations. In 2006 he received a commission from the National Performance Network to create a new project entitled “Dwell”. Krista Billings (Lecturer in Theater & Dance - 2005) (Lighting Designer) Some of her recent lighting designs include: La Boheme and After Mimi at Curtis Opera, The Wild Party and The American Clock for the University of the Arts, Momentum and The Good Doctor at Drexel University, and Face in the Mirror and All in the Timing at Ursinus College. Krista has collaborated with and assisted designers on productions at the Kimmel Center, the Arden Theatre Co., Philadelphia Theatre Co., and Delaware Opera Co., among many other theatres. Krista teaches design courses at Ursinus College and Temple University and is the Resident Lighting Designer for Burlington County Community College, Drexel Dance, and Theatre Circ. When she is not teaching or designing for theatre and dance productions, Krista enjoys working in what she terms the field of “architainment” (entertainment design for unique architectural spaces); she recently programmed designs for Boat House Row and the Cira Building. Krista holds an MFA in Lighting Design from Temple University. Jon Brighton (Production Manager - 2006) has an extensive background in all aspects of Technical Theater Production, more recently working with acclaimed New York experimental theater artist Richard Maxwell and his company The New York City Players, Production Managing his shows that tour all over the world. Originating from the UK he has worked for many companies there, including The Royal Shakespeare Company where he was a Senior Lighting Technician, The Royal Opera House, The Royal National Theatre and the BBC Television Company. He also has specific experience with theater construction projects, Technical Managing two new theater buildings in London. Perry Fertig (Technical Director - 2004) is starting his third year with the Theater and Dance department. Perry has been working in the Philadelphia theater and dance community for the past ten years as a freelance Technical Director and technician. He has served as Technical Director for the Arden Theater Company, Philadelphia Theater Company and Pig Iron Theatre Company, with whom he has toured to Europe and South America. Perry has also functioned as Technical Director for the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, a 16 day, multi-venue event which presents theater, dance and music artists from around the world. When he can, Perry is a Flying Director for Flying by Foy, a rigging company specializing in flying people for theatrical effects. Aviva Geismar (Visiting Artist in Dance – 2007) is a New York City-based choreographer, dancer, dance educator and the artistic director if the modern dance company, Drastic Action. Geismar’s highly theatrical works rely on a full-bodied physicality and have been performed at many well known venues including Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside/Out series, the Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, Dance Theater Workshop, Merkin Concert Hall, Brown University, Dance Place (D.C.) and Symphony Space. In 2004 she was featured in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” article which recognized 25 up and coming dancers and choreographers from across the US. In 2006 The New York Times described her dancing as “a tour de force of performing.” Her choreography has been supported by grants from the Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The US Department of State and the Puffin Foundation. She has been awarded residencies at HERE Arts Center and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Geismar holds a BFA from Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Meghan Jones has designed sets for the Philadelphia area for the past five years. Her past designs include Master Harold and the Boys, La Rhonde, and The Lonesome West with Lantern Theatre Company. She also designs with Walnut St. Theatre in their Studio 3 space current designs include Greater Tuna and Vivien. She has a vast technical background from working with professional theatres for the past 10 years that include The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and with Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. She has also been designing for Ursinus College. Her designs include Seeing Double, Gilgamesh, and A Bright Room Called Day. She received her MFA in scenic design from Temple University. Beverly Redman (Assistant Professor of Theater & Dance - 2006) is a new assistant professor in Theatre and Dance at Ursinus College. Having recently completed her dissertation with the University of California, Irvine, on the history of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, she specializes in radically political theatre and performance. She also holds an MFA in directing from Irvine and an MA in Composition and Rhetoric from Georgetown University. Beverly has taught at Charles County Community College, Georgetown University, University of California, Irvine, Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles, and most recently University of Texas at El Paso. In her new position at Ursinus, she will teach voice and speech, theatre history and literature, and she will also direct for the department. Domenick Scudera (Associate Professor of Theater and Chair of Theater and Dance Department - 1999) received his B.A., with honors in English and in Fine Arts, from Colgate University and his M.F.A. in Directing from Pennsylvania State University. In addition to teaching acting, directing, theater history and audition technique, he has been an active professional theater artist since 1987. In the Philadelphia area, he has directed plays for many theaters, most recently Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] for the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival. He has served in the administrations of several area theaters as well, many years as Casting Director for the Wilma Theater. He is also a playwright whose work has performed thousands of times by Historic Philadelphia Incorporated. As a performer, he has premiered his original work at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival and performed nationally at various venues. Cathy Young (Assistant Professor of Dance - 2003) received her B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard University in Sociology and Women’s Studies, and her M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Illinois. She is nationally recognized as a master teacher of jazzdance, and has taught at over 30 colleges around the country, as well as at major US festivals including Bates Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival, and the international Open Look Festival, in St. Petersburg, Russia. As a performer, Cathy has danced with a number of companies including Zenon Dance Company and Danny Buraczeski’s JAZZDANCE!, touring extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe, and performing in prestigious venues such as the Joyce Theater in New York and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. For the past ten years she has been focused on creating her own work, a dynamic mix of styles and dance forms that intermingles jazz, modern, contact improvisation, social dance and gymnastics. She creates choreography for her own company, Cathy Young Dance, and has also been commissioned by professional companies and presenters including The Walker Art Center, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Pennsylvania Dance Theatre, Robinson Ballet Company, The Minnesota Opera, and internationally by Kannon Dance Company of St. Petersburg, Russia. She has been recognized by awards and grants from the McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Target Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board, among others. |
