Photo by Manuel Rotenberg
Founded in downtown San Diego in 1994, the Concert Company has performed more than 32 original dance theatre works in month long runs. Eveoke has received rave reviews and broad community support for this growing repertory. The Concert Company is composed of long time Eveoke dancers and newer members, all with a diversity of backgrounds and unique gifts. These dancers are renowned not only for their physical endurance and capability, but their heart-wrenching performances that truly stir audience minds, hearts, and spirits.
Meet the Dancers…
Araceli Carrera
Araceli Carrera dancer/visual artist/costume designer graduated 2001 from Arizona State University with a Bachelors of Arts in dance education. She worked for Eveoke from 2001 to 2006 as a dancer in Women Rebels 2003, Funkalosophy 03/04, Mothers 2004, Monstropoly 2004, Hips 2006, Soul of a Young Girl…Dances of Anne Frank 2006 and Las Mariposas 2010/11. Costume designer/ construction for Flood the Wandering Uterus 2001, The Taming of the Shrew 2002, Women Rebels, Mothers, Hips, Soulos Green 2008 and Las Mariposas 2010/11. Visual artist in Women Rebels, Hips, and was their teaching artist from 2001-2006 holding residencies that taught academics through dance along with after school 6 to 6 programs that raised social, global and environmental awareness through art and hip hop. Her growth as a dancer is highly influenced by those whom she studied and danced with, to name a few: Debbie Toth, Mary Fitzgerald, Martha Renzi, Silfredo La O Vigo, Sean Curran, Juan Carlos Blanco. She has presented works of dance in San Diego at Sushi and Centro Cultural de la Raza, in the state of Arizona and in Tijuana. Her work always reflects her culture, family and love for arts. In 2006 she went to Havana Cuba and had the opportunity to study and teach with afro cuban dance company Ban Ra Ra and Narciso Medina contemporary dance company, a truly breathtaking experience. In 2007 she worked as a choreographer in her first musical theater piece, Josephine Tonight, under the direction of Dr Floyd Gaffney. In 2009 she had an art exhibit titled La Mujer, celebrating the inspiring women in her life. She is currently the artist in residence at Freese Elementary teaching literacy though dance and visual arts for 8 years and continuing under the direction of Kathryn Irey and Mary Patt Hutt. Araceli continues to welcome all forms of art to educate our youth about the value of arts in ones life. In 2010 she was invited to be a part of The guild of puppetry directed by Lynne Jennings a new journey that will allow her to further her knowledge on mask making and shadow puppetry.
Nikki Dunnan
Nikki has served as an Eveoke Concert Company dancer and Master Teacher since 1994. In July 2000 she became the Administrative Director, handling all daily operations for the organization. Now as Executive Director, Nikki hones Eveoke’s technical curriculum, sets the annual budget and oversees all company business. Nikki curated and coordinated the annual Celebrate Dance Festival, a three-day free event in Balboa Park featuring over 70 regional dance artists and organizations for 9 out of its 14 years. Nikki attended UC Irvine as a dance major from 1993-1996. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in psychology in 1999. Nikki has been featured in all 32 Eveoke productions including Soul of a Young Girl…Dances of Anne Frank (1996, 2000, 2006); as Yellow in Hope for the Flowers (1997); as Margaret Sanger and Annie Sullivan in Women Rebels (2003); as Raggedy Andy in Monstropoly (2004); Mothers (2004); Hips (2006); Hip Hop is Everywhere (2006); Luna- Dances of Love (2007); RISE- The California Earth Project (2007); Soulos…Green (2008); Lyrics, Beats, and Bricks (2008); Voices: Mapping the Hood (2009); and Las Mariposas (2010).
Jessica Rabanzo-Flores
Jessica first became a part of Eveoke at the age of ten in January of 1997, as a dancer in the Youth Performing Group. For the next eight years, Eveoke set the strong foundation of her dance training, where she developed a strong work ethic, received rigorous technical training, and began to build her social conscious. Being a dancer in the Youth Performing Group/Performing Group, Jessica performed in several of Eveoke’s full-length works including Fingers N’ the Hood (2000), Funkalosophy (2002, 2003 and 2004), Women Rebels (2003), Mothers (2004), and Monstropoly (2004). Jessica graduated from UC Irvine in 2009 with Bachelor’s Degrees in Sociology and Dance. She trained under such professors as Loretta Livingston, Lisa Naugle, Israel “El” Gabriel, and Stephanie Powell, and worked with guest artists such as Michael Cole and Rennie Harris. She was a member of legendary Donald McKayle’s Etude Ensemble for two years and had the opportunity to perform as a featured dancer in On My Way and a soloist in Angelitos Negros, from his renowned suite Songs of the Disinherited. Since moving back to San Diego, Jessica has worked with choreographer Patricia Maldonado, as well as Khamla Somphanh, who she continues to train under and dance for in her choreographic projects. Jessica has also joined Eveoke’s Concert Company and had the honor of playing the role of Minerva in Las Mariposas (2010, 2011). Additionally, Jessica is a personal trainer, an SAT prep-course instructor, and a dance teacher at Neisha’s Dance and Music Academy in Chula Vista.
Becky Hurt
A lover of all that is dance, Becky Hurt found Eveoke Dance Theatre in 2005, joined the performing group, and never looked back. Since then she became a Master Teaching Artist and was invited to dance with the professional concert company. So far she has performed in Hip Hop is Everywhere (2006), Rise: The California Project (2007), Solous…Green (2008), Lyrics, Beats, & Bricks (2008), Voices:Mapping the Hood (2009), San Diego Dances (2010), Dance Theatre (2010), and Las Mariposas (2010). Before she found Eveoke, Becky was training and performing with Unity Dance Ensemble from 1997-2004 under the direction of Tessandra Chavez. She minored in dance at S.D.S.U. from 1997-1999 and graduated from the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts in 1997, with honors.
Erika Malone
Erika studied theatre and dance at Sarah Lawrence College in NY and the British American Drama Academy in London in the 90’s. She has been performing since the 1st grade, during which she had her grand debut as the 3rd Pig in The Three Little Pigs. Her first love was theatre and Erika has performed in over 60 community theatre and professional productions in New York City, Washington D.C., London, San Diego, Eagles Mere (PA), Fairfax (VA), and Athens (Greece). Erika has been dancing in Eveoke productions since 2003 and became an official member of the Concert Company in 2004/2005. Professional productions include Women Rebels (2003), Mothers (2004), Funkalosophy (2004), Monstropoly (2004), Parting the Sea (2005), Hips (2006), Soul of a Young Girl: Dances of Anne Frank (2006), Hip Hop is Everywhere (2006), Luna: Dances of Love (2007), RISE – The California Earth Project (2007) Soulos Green (2008), Lyrics, Beats & Bricks (2008), Painless and Lesspain (2010), Lot’s Daughters (2010), and Las Mariposas (2010). She is currently on the Creative Team for REFUGE (2011) and rehearsing for the 2011 remount of Las Mariposas as well as Reflection of Angels, debuting in January 2012. Erika maintains a strong commitment with her background and passion for theatre as well. Erika has danced in and/or led Eveoke’s Outreach Performing Group since 2002, performing in over 350 school assemblies and reaching at least 130,000 K-12 youth in that time. This is one of Erika’s favorite commitments at Eveoke Dance Theatre!
Ericka Moore
Ericka Aisha Moore believes in the impact of art (dance) to empower individuals, which therefore empowers community. The first person to show her the power of art and how it could change lives was Gina Angelique. Ericka would like to thank Gina for all of her wisdom, mentorship, and choreographic genius. Because without Gina’s influence she feels her life would not be as rich. Since starting to study dance (jazz, ballet, modern, and hip-hop) seriously at the age of 15, Ericka has been driven to perform and to create pieces that speak about the world she lives in. For example, Funkalosophy, her second full-length show created in 2002, reveals how the hip-hop subculture contributes to an activist dance theatre, while empowering youth and others with a voice concerning their political and social issues. Funkalosophy was reset in 2003 and 2004. The 2004 production was the longest running dance theatre production in San Diego, running 6 shows per week for 9 weeks. Ericka has been a professional dancer for Eveoke Dance Theatre since 1997, performing in over 21 full-length shows as a principal dancer. She has alos danced with the Colette Harding Contemporary Dance Company and with Peter Kalivas in the The PGK Project. Currently, Ericka is Master Teaching Artist, Director of the Apprentice Company and Resident Choreographer for Eveoke Dance Theatre. Her most recent full length choreography credits include Soulos Green, Lyrics Beats and Bricks, Voices: Mapping the Hood, and Las Mariposas. Ericka is on the dance faculty at Palomar College and teaches at Canyon Crest Academy. Ericka is also a seasoned sound designer and has worked with Eveoke Dance Theatre, Stone Soup and Sledgehammer Theatre.
Charlene Penner
Charlene’s life is dedicated to the evolution of individual and community consciousness. Since early childhood her quest has been to follow her “Art & Practice of Medicine”, to open her passion and love to serve the soul’s path. On this journey she graduated from Medical school in 1976, learned and practiced many massage modalities and energetic movement forms, engaged in the deep personal expression of Butoh Ritual Dance, and most recently built a sound resonating chamber on her land, welcoming any one to come and play with the healing vibration of sound, made so palpable in the Cistern Chapel. Charlene has been featured in several Eveoke productions including Soul of a Young Girl…Dances of Anne Frank (2000 & 2006), Women Rebels (2003), Mothers (2004), Parting the Sea (2005), Hips (2006), RISE- the California Earth Project (2007), and Las Mariposas (2010).
Molly Terbovich-Ridenhour
Molly began her dance training at the young age of five. She graduated with an MFA in Dance at Arizona State University and has a BFA in Dance from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Molly spent her time in graduate school focusing on dance performance, education and administration. While attending Stephens, she trained intensively in ballet and modern. She has worked with dance artists such as Janice Dulak, Michael Simms, Paul Mosely, Alan Sener, Douglas Neilson, Jeff Slayton, Sean Curran, Susan Rethorst and Ronald K. Brown. Since moving to San Diego in 2003, Molly has worked with Butterworth Dance Company, Keturah Stickann, Bradley R. Lundberg, Michael Mizerany, Peter Kalivas, San Diego Opera, and co-founded Stella Nova Dance Company. Molly currently works as a freelance arts administrator coordinating events such as the annual 5X5 Modern Dance Workshop and Celebrate Dance Festival while also serving as the Chair of the Steering Committee for Rising Arts Leaders, San Diego’s Arts and Culture Emerging Leaders group. www.mollyterbovich.com
Guest Artist…
Diondra Eubanks
While growing up in Oceanside, Diondra began her dance training studying Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Ballet at El Camino High School. After being introduced to many forms of dance, she continued her training at local dance studios and Palomar College. After receiving her BS in Kinesiology-Physical Education from CSUSM and becoming a Club Coordinator for F19 fitness centers, Diondra is able to continue to her dance training and be a part of many performance opportunities as a member of Eveoke’s Apprentice Company. Diondra is extremely excited to be a part of Eveoke’s teacher training program under the direction of Erika Malone. In this program, Diondra has learned many teaching skills on how to become an effective teacher and how important it is to have intention behind dance movement.
