Company

Lacy grew up on a farm in Ellinwood, Kansas. The
small town journey led her to Wichita State
University where she received her Bachelor of Fine
Arts in Dance. For the last 7 years she has taught,
choreographed, and performed for the National
Dance Alliance throughout the United States. Lacy
recently moved here from Tulsa, Oklahoma where
she was performing professionally with Monica
Huggins Dance Theatre, teaching at Move Dance
studios, and assisting the Special Education
program at Jenks West Elementary.

Sarah started dancing at the age of five and
continued to study at various studios and
conventions around the Bay Area. Although Sarah
has trained in a variety of styles, her primary focus
has been Jazz and Contemporary. As a teenager
she performed as a soloist and ensemble dancer
on several competition teams. In college she
developed a love for the expression and style of
Contemporary dance and performed with the
on-campus modern company, University Dance
Theater. While attending San Jose State University,
Sarah had the privilege of studying Modern dance
and choreography under Gary Masters and Fred
Matthews. She graduated from SJSU in May 2005
with a double BA in Dance and English. Although
she has taught for a number of years at a mixture of
studios, Sarah is currently taking time off to pursue
her dream of performing professionally. This is her
first year dancing with Ross Dance Company and
she is extremely excited to dance and study under
the direction of Tecsia Ross.

Paris has been dancing since the age of 3 and
sharing her perspective of movement ever since.
She studied modern techniques with Karen
McDonald and the Broadway essence
of Leah "Bass" Bayliss in Los Angeles. Attending
performance arts schools from junior high through
high school, Paris focused on modern dance but has
training in ballet, jazz, hip hop, funk and step. At
Humboldt State University, she began her
choreographic career scheduling and performing
sixteen stories of people and life through dance.
Last fall Paris was the Resident Choreographer
Ross Dance Company and featured two dances with
the company. She has developed a strategy for
teaching dance that respects technique but utilizes
the intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual self.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism,
Paris moved back to LA and rejoined Versatility
Dance Company while helping teach the children at
DeAmpert's Dance Academy. Currently she resides
in Oakland where she attends graduate school and
self-publishing her books. Paris is also a Hip Hop
His/Herstory, Dance and Culture Instructor

Natash began dancing at the age of three. Early
on she trained in ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop
studying at places like American Ballet Theatre and
was involved in numerous youth performing
companies including the Midwest Youth Ballet.
With them she performed many roles including the
Sugar Plum Fairy, Bluebird Pas de Deux, and
Tarentella. Natasha left to attend SUNY Purchase
were she performed in Balanchine’s Serenade but
it was after performing Gerald Arpino’s Valentine
that she realized her love for contemporary styles
of dance. Natasha has performed works by Alonzo
King, Robert Moses, and Yannis Adoniou as well
as studied under former Lines Ballet dancers like
Maurya Kerr, Carmen Rozenstraten, and Marina
Hotchkiss while a member of Alonzo King’s Lines
Ballet Ensemble. She has also choreographed
and performed in the Tanszommer Festival in
Europe and in Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom.
Currently she is an English and Dance Major at UC
Berkeley as well as a DJ, music producer, and
model in San Francisco. She would like to thank
Tecsia Ross for this opportunity, her family and
friends for their support, and most importantly her
mother for always believing in her.

Shereel is an accomplished performer, choreographer, teacher,
and presenter in local, regional, and national venues. She has
danced with Fua Dia Congo, Robert Henry Johnson, Dr. Albirda
Rose, New Trails Dance Theater, and Bantaba. She is currently
training with the Academy of Hawaiian Arts directed by Kumu Hula
Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu, in Oakland, CA. Shereel is the co-director of
IXALT, a performing arts organization dedicated to sharing the
Gospel through Dance, Music, Song, and Spoken Word. She is also
director and co-founder of B-PAN, Black Performing Artists Network,
and co-founder of The Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now.
In 2005 she was guest co-curator of the Yerba Buena Gardens
Festival ChoreoFest and recently co-produced the ChoreoFest
Youth Dance Day. Shereel is a member of the Board of Directors of
the San Francisco International Arts Festival, directed by Andrew
Wood.

Nera has over 10 years of costume design experience. Period
costumes from the pre-raphaelite era is where Nera draws much
of her inspirations. In 1996 Nera completed her degree in fashion
design at the Academy of Art University. Since then she has
worked for a number of dance companies from ballet, bellydance,
and fire performances. Nera designs for Firefly Style Clothing, a
San Francisco label specializing in gypsy street wear.

Amelia graduated from the California College of the Arts with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design in May 2006. She is
currently an apprentice costume designer for Aztec Dance Group in
San Francisco. She has always been interested in costume design
since her years before attending the Fashion Institute of Design in
2001. She has designed costumes for the play Zoot Suit by Luis
Vildez. She loves theater and hopes to be part of more.

PJ was born and raised in the deep jungles of the
Philippines where she became accustomed to
traditional and ritualistic forms of dances such as
the Tinikling, Pandango Sa Ilaw, Manok etc. She
graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts
in Dance and Performance Studies with a minor in
Gender and Women's Studies. She has performed
for UC Berkeley's Choreography Workshop
instructed by Christopher Dolder and Joe Goode.
She also had made guest appearances in Ellis
Wood’s New York company and Ross Dance. At
CAL she also performed for C.O.L.O.R. Danz which
stands for Creativity Only Lives Outside of
Repression. founded by the one and only Miss
Tecsia Ross at UC Berkeley. She has been
fortunate to perform in inspiring and uplifting
modern/spiritual/jazz pieces such as Sweet In The
Morning choreographed by our very own Barry
Webster, Found and A Woman's Change both
choreographed by Tecsia Ross. She is always and
forever humbly grateful and blessed for every
opportunity she is granted to express herself
through dance.

Kimberly has 11 years of formal dance training in a
variety of dance styles including jazz, modern, ballet,
praise, salsa, and hip-hop. She has performed and
danced competitively for numerous studios and dance
squads. In high school she became the student advisor
and choreographer for the Modesto High School dance
team for 3 years. She was the choreographer for the MHS
theater productions of Alice in Wonderland and Honk! In
high school she also realized her love for the theater,
acting in several theatrical productions including,
Antigone, Honk!, and A Piece of My Heart. She was
accepted into and attended the California State Summer
School for the Arts on a dance scholarship in 2004 where
she studied under Cynthia Young, Scott Putman, and
Damien Davis as well as many other noted teachers and
choreographers. After graduating high school she studied
under Evelyn Thomas in Laney College’s Dance
department. She also teaches dance to elementary
school students in Oakland for the OASES after school
program. 2007 will be her first year dancing with Ross
Dance Company and she is incredibly excited about such
a wonderful opportunity.

Antoine is a graduate of Oakland's Skyline High School
where he began dancing with Miss Dawn James. He has
performed with Nuba Dance Theater and he attended
California Institute of the Arts for two years. He studied at the
Paul Taylor Summer Intensive in 2003 and 2004, and has
studied with Ck and Betty Ladzekpo. He is currently a faculty
member at East Bay Center of the Performing Arts and
Co-Director of Urban Ballet in Richmond, as well as a
teacher at the Malonga Casquerlaurd Center for the Arts. He
also performs with Alayo Dance Company under the Artistic
Director of Ramon Ramos Alayo. Antoine has studied with
Reginald Ray-Savage and Zafra Mariam for seven years. He
has also been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine for his
dance and teaching experience. Currently he is a company
member of Savage Jazz

Mario Howell is an Oakland native who is the choreographer for
Nu-Dynasty Ministries. He has taught & polished dance ministries at
churches, workshops, and conferences. Using various styles of
dance for little children to adults. His humbleness & Love of dance
has made him one of the most sought after choreographers for
praise dance groups. Visit his page for more
info..www.myspace.com/marioink