Mica Bernas (1984) born and raised in Manila, Philippines, started her training at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance (CCP) School under the direction of Noordin Jumalon. In 2000,she joined Ballet Philippines (BP) performing with the company as Soloist and a regular faculty member of the CCP Dance Schoool for 6 years. Upon arriving to New York in 2006 she has worked with Max Luna III,Karole Armitage, Connecticut Ballet, Zig Zag Ballet, H.T. Chen and Dancers, Leonides D. Arpon, Gallim Dance. She is currently a member of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company.
R. Colby Damon was born and raised in Richmond VA, and received his training at the Richmond Ballet, the Boston Ballet, and the Virginia School of the Arts. After graduation he joined the Sacramento Ballet, where for five years he performed soloist and principal roles in numerous classical and contemporary works. He has also worked with Thang Dao Dance Company, Lydia Johnson Dance, Amy Seiwerts Im'ig-ery, and the Northwest Professional dance project. Colby is currently persuing his BA in Dance through the New York LEAP program, and is also a certified Chen Style Tai Chi Teacher.
Norbert L. De La Cruz III,20, born in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. He came to the United States at the age of 2 and was raised in Los Angeles, California. Mr. De La Cruz has been dancing since the age of 13. He recieved his ballet training in Los Angeles by teacher Vera Ninkovic where he was also a former student at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He has trained in numerous ballet schools such as The Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, American Ballet Theatre NYC, San Francisco Ballet School, Miami City Ballet, and Alonzo King's LINES Ballet. In 2006, he was a finalist winner for both the Music Center’s 17th Annual Spotlight Awards and was awarded the Emerging Young Artist Scholarship from the California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE). Mr. De La Cruz is a current 3rd year BFA student at the Juilliard School of New York City.
Dana Marie Ingraham began her training at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center. She attended the Laguardia High School for Performing Arts and subsequently studied at The Ailey School on a 3-year Van Lier Fellowship. Ms. Ingraham graduated Magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Sociology. She has danced with the companies of Philadanco, Ballethnic, The Francesca Harper Project, and Nathantrice/ Rituals; and has worked with noted choreographers Alonzo King, Louis Johnson, Roger C. Jeffrey, Penny Frank, and Karole Armitage, among others. She made her Broadway debut in the musical Hot Feet, and has also performed in the national tour of The Lion King. She is a Presidential Scholar of the Arts, and a proud member of Actors Equity Association.
Takao Komaru, originally from Ibaraki, Japan, moved to New York in 2004 and graduated from The Ailey School. He has danced with Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, H.T. Chen and Dancers, Saeko Ichinohe Dance Comany and others.
Chu Ying Ku is originally from Taiwan. Ms. Ku holds a BFA and a MFA in dance from the Taipei National University of the Arts. During her studies, she worked with renowned choreographers such as Lo Men-Fei, Lin Huai Ming, Ross Parkes and Zheng Xiou Shong. Ms. Ku has since danced with ACME Physical Theater and Body Expression Dance Theater in Taipei and performed in many dance festivals in France, Germany and Malaysia. She has also taught traditional Chinese dance and modern dance at many senior high schools and dance studios throughout Taiwan. She has choreographed many of her own works and coached many students for the National Students Dance competition. Ms. Ku is currently a member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.
Mica Bernas (1984) born and raised in Manila, Philippines, started her training at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance (CCP) School under the direction of Noordin Jumalon. In 2000,she joined Ballet Philippines (BP) performing with the company as Soloist and a regular faculty member of the CCP Dance Schoool for 6 years. Upon arriving to New York in 2006 she has worked with Max Luna III,Karole Armitage, Connecticut Ballet, Zig Zag Ballet, H.T. Chen and Dancers, Leonides D. Arpon, Gallim Dance. She is currently a member of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company.
R. Colby Damon was born and raised in Richmond VA, and received his training at the Richmond Ballet, the Boston Ballet, and the Virginia School of the Arts. After graduation he joined the Sacramento Ballet, where for five years he performed soloist and principal roles in numerous classical and contemporary works. He has also worked with Thang Dao Dance Company, Lydia Johnson Dance, Amy Seiwerts Im'ig-ery, and the Northwest Professional dance project. Colby is currently persuing his BA in Dance through the New York LEAP program, and is also a certified Chen Style Tai Chi Teacher.
Norbert L. De La Cruz III,20, born in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. He came to the United States at the age of 2 and was raised in Los Angeles, California. Mr. De La Cruz has been dancing since the age of 13. He recieved his ballet training in Los Angeles by teacher Vera Ninkovic where he was also a former student at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. He has trained in numerous ballet schools such as The Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, American Ballet Theatre NYC, San Francisco Ballet School, Miami City Ballet, and Alonzo King's LINES Ballet. In 2006, he was a finalist winner for both the Music Center’s 17th Annual Spotlight Awards and was awarded the Emerging Young Artist Scholarship from the California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE). Mr. De La Cruz is a current 3rd year BFA student at the Juilliard School of New York City.
Dana Marie Ingraham began her training at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center. She attended the Laguardia High School for Performing Arts and subsequently studied at The Ailey School on a 3-year Van Lier Fellowship. Ms. Ingraham graduated Magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Sociology. She has danced with the companies of Philadanco, Ballethnic, The Francesca Harper Project, and Nathantrice/ Rituals; and has worked with noted choreographers Alonzo King, Louis Johnson, Roger C. Jeffrey, Penny Frank, and Karole Armitage, among others. She made her Broadway debut in the musical Hot Feet, and has also performed in the national tour of The Lion King. She is a Presidential Scholar of the Arts, and a proud member of Actors Equity Association.
Takao Komaru, originally from Ibaraki, Japan, moved to New York in 2004 and graduated from The Ailey School. He has danced with Earl Mosley's Diversity of Dance, H.T. Chen and Dancers, Saeko Ichinohe Dance Comany and others.
Chu Ying Ku is originally from Taiwan. Ms. Ku holds a BFA and a MFA in dance from the Taipei National University of the Arts. During her studies, she worked with renowned choreographers such as Lo Men-Fei, Lin Huai Ming, Ross Parkes and Zheng Xiou Shong. Ms. Ku has since danced with ACME Physical Theater and Body Expression Dance Theater in Taipei and performed in many dance festivals in France, Germany and Malaysia. She has also taught traditional Chinese dance and modern dance at many senior high schools and dance studios throughout Taiwan. She has choreographed many of her own works and coached many students for the National Students Dance competition. Ms. Ku is currently a member of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company.
