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Presents

November 6, 2021 & November 7, 2021

Founder:

Linda Gold

Artistic Director:

Jae Lee

Guest Choreographer/Film Maker:

Lauren Hall

Guest Company:

Kybele Dance Theater

Faculty Choreographers/Film Makers:

Seda Aybay, Angela Jordan, Jae Lee, Sophie Monat

Student Choreographers/Film Maker:

Ariana Chavez, Britt Ganiere, Hunter Ha

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Directors’ Note

Through this production, we delight in sharing the creativity of

prestigious faculty and guest artists as well as our own Synapse student

choreographers. You will witness many contemporary voices in dance

expressed by and through our dancers. As you engage in this

performance, we invite you to open your hearts and find truth, beauty,

inspiration, and meaning wherever you might.

Jae Lee

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CONTEMPORARY

Dönüsüm The piece is about seek and urge for change.

Choreographer: Seda Aybay

Music: We will find it by Emily Glass & Dasychira

Dancers: Maoka Doi, Hunter Ha, Hwayah Lee, Myko Lyric, Kana

Nakada

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JAZZ FUSION (Film)

The Letter In the dance film “The Letter”, a mysterious envelope appears for an

unexpecting recipient. Comedy ensues as eccentric dancing minions

encourage the recipient to open the letter.

Choreographer, Director, Editor: Lauren Hall

Music: The Letter performed by Joe Cocker, written by Wayne Carson

Dancers: Bryanna Coleman, Tiffany Elghanian, Britt Ganiere, Anna

Konstantinovsky, Kyla Kramer, Nancy Martinez-Castro, Milo Reyes,

Akiha Taguchi

Additional credits: Characters and theme inspired by the piece “The

Envelope” by David Parsons (1984).

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CONTEMPORARY

Breathe Just breathe. When you are in pain and hurt, just breathe. When you are

filled with joy, just breathe. When you feel you can’t go on anymore,

just breathe in the times of darkness and in the light, through life and

and all it brings just breathe because moments are fleeting and any

breath could be our last.

Choreographer: Britt Ganiere

Music: Fly by Ludovico Einaudi

Dancers: Maoka Doi, Kyla Kramer, Myko Lyric

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HIP HOP/IMPROVISATIONAL MOVEMENT

Sui Inventionis “SUI INVENTIONIS” translated as “self-discovery” in Latin is a piece

that covers the emotional and spiritual journey of peeling the many

facades we as humans present to others in our daily lives to discover our

truest form. This choreography depicts the struggle and battle to free

ourselves of our own perceptions, false narratives, and coming to terms

with our past to move into the future and build confidence in our true

identity as human beings.

Choreographer: Hunter Ha

Music: Freeka by Great Dane, Hyena Intro by THEY, Summertime by

Nvrmind & Bodybap

Dancers: Hunter Ha, Anna Konstantinovsky, Hwayah Lee, Nancy

Martinez-Castro, Bryanna Coleman, Kana Nakada, Milo Reyes, Akiha

Taguchi

Additional credits: Special thanks to Synapse Dancers,

Professor/Director Jae Lee and SMC Dance Department.

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CONTEMPORARY (Film)

Real Women Inspired by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s, Rosas Danst Rosas, Real

Women questions and navigates female hood, womanhood, archetypes

placed onto women, and performance of gender. Real Women

recognizes a global calling towards femininity and claims agency over

our personal identities. We are women who recognize our past, look to

our futures, and decide who we are now.

Choreographer, Director: Ariana Chavez

Music: Lonely Road by Scott Mackay

Dancers: Ariana Chavez, Azuki Kato, Sarah Lewis, Heather Ongpauco,

Jordana Owens, Stasya Statcenko, Madison Tamashiro

Editor, Photography, Color: Brendan Boyle

B Camera Operator: David Keninger

Steadicam Operator: Nick Almanza

Sound Mixer: Andres Chavez

Assistant Camera: Jon Munoz

Special Thanks: Mark Tomasic, Vanessa Van Wormer, Jae Lee

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CONTEMPORARY

Memoria

Choreographer: Sophie Monat

Music: Train at Nine-thirty by Don Nichols, Violin Sonata in D Major:

III Largo by Georg Philipp Telemann

Dancers: Maoka Doi

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CONTEMPORARY

Dedikodu DediKodu” explores shedding the burden of cultural expectations and

judgements in favor of celebrating personal choices over societal

scrutiny. The title comes from the Turkish word for ‘gossip.’ However,

it has been visually separated into ‘dedi’ meaning ‘said’ and ‘kodu’

meaning ‘set’ as a play-on-words used to illustrate how we often

succumb to what is said about us, falling into the prescribed version or

ourselves, a version others foist upon us.

Guest Company: Kybele Dance Theater

Choreographer: Seda Aybay

Music: Bolero covered by Pink Martini

Dancers: Seda Aybay, Nick Albuja, Morgan Goodfellow, Karlo

Ramirez, Rachel Walton, Andrii Strelkivskyi

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CONTEMPORARY (Film)

Nested Memories A portrayal of memories from Normandy…

Choreographer, Director, Editor: Jae Lee

Music: Preludes, Op. 28: No. 4 in E Minor by Frederic Chopin

performed by Eric Lu

Dancers: Liam Gifkins, Maya Hutchinson, David Litton, Laura

Morales, Alexandra Perlman

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JAZZ FUNK

Rhythm of the Night Own the night. Dance to the rhythm of life.

Choreographer: Angela Jordan

Music: Ritmo by Black Eyed Peas & J. Balvin

Dancers: Kyla Kramer, Myko Lyric, Kana Nakada, Akiha Taguchi

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PRODUCTION CREDITS

Synapse Founder ................................................. Linda Gold

Artistic Director: ...................................................... Jae Lee

Dance Production Specialist .......................... Endah Redjeki

Dance Administrative Assistant ........................Jocelyn Alex

SMC Marketing Coordinator ........................ Ming-Yea Wei

Graphic Design ............................. Vivian Chu, Jonathan Ng

Web/Social Media ..................................................…………

……………………........... Paul Trautwein, Marissa Moreno

Program Information Contributed………………………….

………………………………...by Synapse Choreographers

Program Editor .......................................................... Jae Lee

Videographer........................................... Vishvak Prakkruth

Video Editor…………………………………Jane Lawalata

TD Lead………………………………….Siamanto Ismaily

Light Board Operator……………………………...Joy Bice

Sound Board Operator………………………….Tom Carter

Lighting & Stage Technician………………….Carlos Lucio

Production Manager………………………..Robert Rudolph

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A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:

SMC Media Center/Graphic Center Department, SMC Marketing

Department, SMC Web/Social Media Department

SMC College President, Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery

SMC Board of Trustees

Rob Rader (Chair), Dr. Louise Jaffe (Vice Chair), Dr. Susan Aminoff,

Dr. Nancy Greenstein, Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez, Dr. Sion Roy,

Barry A. Snell, Ali Shirvani (Student Trustee)

LA Philanthropic Committee for the Arts

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For over 40 years, Synapse Contemporary Dance Theater has

contributed to the cultural life of Los Angeles by offering innovative

dance presentations on campus, in schools, and in area theaters. Past

performances include the Broad Stage, Getty Center, Highways

Performance Space in Santa Monica, The Cast Theater in Hollywood,

Electric Lodge in Venice, The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in

Topanga Canyon, Inter-College Consortium and University Exchanges,

College Dance Festivals in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California,

Georgia, and New Jersey as well as travel-study tours to New York

City, England, France, and Switzerland. Dances from Synapse

Contemporary Dance Theater (Dance 55A), were presented at the

American College Dance Association (ACDA) Baja Conference at

University of California, Irvine (Spring, 2019) and were honored to be

selected for the gala performance.

Linda Gold (Founder) was the first full-time faculty in Dance at SMC,

and was able to initiate a full curriculum Dance Program (now

Department), Dance Major, numerous dance series, university transfer

agreements, travel-studies in Dance and Synapse Contemporary Dance

Theater. She has taught in the Mentor Program, been advisor to Dance

Club, arranged interdepartmental performing/arts events, community

outreach, intercollegiate dance consortium and has served on a variety

of college committees. She has performed with the Joffrey Ballet

Company, Wolf Trap Company, Contemporary Dance Ensemble,

Dance/L.A. and won critical praise from international tours with her

own Concert Ensemble. She has received grants for her creative work,

presented papers at scholarly conferences and adjudicated dance and

film competitions. Professor Gold has a BFA in Dance and a Special

EducationTeaching Certificate from the University of Cincinnati, an

MA in Performance and Choreography from UCLA, and is completing

work on her doctoral degree from the University of Helsinki.

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Artistic Director

Jae Lee began her dance training in South Korea where she earned a BS

degree in ballet from the Han Yang University. In Korea, she was a

member of the Lee Ballet Company and danced professionally from 2001

to 2002. In 2003, Lee attended the State University of New York, College

at Brockport and earned an MA degree in dance. Lee also holds an MFA

degree in dance with an emphasis in choreography from the University

of California, Irvine. She has been actively participating in the American

College Dance Association (ACDA) and her choreographies have been

selected to be performed in 'best of festival' Gala Concerts. In 2014, Lee’s

contemporary ballet, Interwoven (2013) was selected for the Gala

Concert at ACDA, and one of her newly choreographed contemporary

modern pieces “Entangled Somewhere… (2017)” was also selected to be

performed in the Gala Concert, as well as the first alternate choice for the

National Festival to be held at the Kennedy Center for the Performing

Arts in Washington, DC. Lee is a recipient of the Luis Nazar Chair of

Excellence in the Performing Arts, and currently, she is a full time faculty

member at Santa Monica College Dance Department.

Guest Artist

Lauren Hall, a choreographer, teacher and dance media artist based out

of Los Angeles. She has choreographed for music videos, television, and

has over 15 years of experiences teaching and setting work in college

dance programs like Southern Methodist University, Chapman

University, CSU Long Beach, and Santa Monica College. She received

an MFA in dance from UC Irvine, a BFA in dance from Marymount

Manhattan College, and currently directs a high school dance program in

L.A.

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Faculty Choreographers

Seda Aybay, born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Seda Aybay founded

Kybele Dance Theater's (KDT) in Los Angeles in 2003. As the Artistic

Director and Choreographer, she has produced, choreographed, and

performed multiple works that have toured Nationally. Her choreography

has received awards such as 2020 Palm Springs international Dance

festival finalist, 2019 TrailBlazer title from the Los Angeles Department

of Cultural Affairs, 2018 YAGP Outstanding Choreographer-- LV, 2017

YAGP Outstanding Choreographer– LV, 2016 McCallum Choreography

Festival, 2016 Front and Main Dance Festival, 2016 YAGP Outstanding

Choreographer– LA, 2015 Elite Original Choreography Award, Dance

Under the Stars Festival, MAD BAD Festival. In 2018, Seda was invited

to USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance artist in residency and was a

recipient of the Marcus Residency at Washington University in St. Louis.

Angela Jordan holds a B.A. and M.F.A. in Dance from UCLA. She is

a recipient of several fellowships and has conducted research in Havana,

Cuba and Guinee, West Africa. Jordan has choreographed and danced in

music videos, TV shows, and independent films. Jordan has taught at the

Bates College Dance Festival, ACDFA, UCLA, Lula Washington Dance

Theater and Long Beach City College. She is currently on staff at Cal

State Long Beach, Santa Monica College, El Camino College, and the

Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

Jae Lee (see Artistic Director bio)

Sophie Monat, born in London, England and began her professional

career in Europe where she danced with the Lille Opera Ballet in France

and the National Ballet of Portugal. Following eight years as Ballet

Mistress to the New Jersey Ballet, she served as Director of the

Classical/Contemporary Dance Department at the O.C. School of the

Arts and was also Ballet Mistress to the State Street Ballet in Santa

Barbara. Ms. Monat was a member of the full-time faculty at the

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CSULB Department of Dance and currently teaches for Santa Monica

College and the Westside Ballet. She also works extensively as a guest

artist and has taught and choreographed for ballet companies, dance

festivals, and universities including Stanford University, ODC/San

Francisco, the Lyon Opera Ballet, Loyola Marymount University, and

State Street Ballet. A three-time recipient of the finalist award at the

McCallum Theatre’s Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, Ms. Monat

formed her dance company, Monat Dance, in 2009. Most recently, Ms.

Monat was one of six artists invited to participate in the Cohan

Collective, a choreographic residency directed by Robert Cohan,

Founding Artistic Director of the London Contemporary Dance Theatre.

Student Choreographers

Ariana Chavez, a Los Angeles native, has a B.A. in Gender Studies

from UCLA and has organized with nonprofits to create change for

women. After UCLA she decided to attend SMC to pursue dance as a

career to create impact in her communities. She previously gained

training in classical ballet at Lauridsen Ballet Centre, and modern at

Katnap. She then joined Los Angeles Swing Pose where she learned and

performed alongside Chester Whitmore, protege of the Nicholas

Brothers. After SMC she plans to continue her dance training and create

a career as a dancer, choreographer and movement director.

Britt Ganiere, is a student choreographer and dance major at SMC. She

has been dancing since she was two and trained in ballet, modern, jazz,

contemporary, musical theater and hip-hop. She has attended Joffrey

Ballet summer intensive and also has taught dance classes in high

schools as a certified dance teacher assistant.

Hunter Ha, a current freshman/dance major at Santa Monica College &

an alumni from the renown LA County High School For The Arts.

Hunter started his dance training at age 5 and has trained under some of

the most renown masters of dance including Debbie Allen and many

other figures in the industry. He is a professional dancer and young

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creative mind who aspires to bring positive change, create new visions

and narratives in the commercial industry and is determined to pursue

projects specifically for dance on film, television, and live shows.

Recently, Hunter has graduated from LA County High School for The

Arts with the Class Of 2021 and has trained with CALARTS “CSSSA”

program and American Ballet Theater’s Collegiate Program.

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Department Chair: Judith Douglas

Full-time Dance Faculty: Judith Douglas, Jae Lee, Marissa Moreno,

Sri Susilowati, Mark Tomasic, Vanessa Van Wormer

Part-Time Dance Faculty: Seda Aybay-Owens, Laura Canellias,

Keali'i Ceballos, Sophie Gados, Angela Jordan, Karen McDonald,

Cynthia Molnar, Cihtli Ocampo, Raquel Ramírez, Charlotte Richards,

Roberta Wolin-Tupas

Dance Accompanists: Mark Litver – lead accompanist, John Carbone,

Dylan Halacy, Yelena Osipova, Alla Plotkin, Gnenemon Soro, Malik

Sow, Miho Sparling, Nonna Ter-Avanesova, Frederick "Derf " Walker

Dance Production Specialist: Endah Redjeki

Dance Department Administrative Assistant: Jocelyn Alex

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SPRING AUDITIONS 2022

SYNAPSE CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATER

Synapse Dance 55A

This course offers performance experience and is organized as a modern

dance company for concerts and dance productions. Students participate

as dancers and choreographers. Styles range from modern to

postmodern, contemporary ballet to modern jazz and hip hop fusion.

Student Choreographers:

Thursday, Feb 15, 2022 at 3:00pm (sign-in at 2:30pm) at CPC 310

Students must present two minutes of live dance material they wish to

be developed for the Fall production.

Dancers Audition:

Thursday, Feb 17, 2022 at 3:00pm (sign-in at 2:00pm) at CPC 310

GLOBAL MOTION WORLD DANCE COMPANY

Global Motion Dance 57A

This course offers performance experience and is organized as a world

dance company. Dancers and choreographers audition, rehearse, and

perform on stage traditional and contemporary forms of world dance.

Styles include dances of Africa, Asia, Latin America, México, Europe

(ballet) and USA (jazz, tap, hip hop).

Student Choreographers:

Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at 6:00pm (sign-in at 5:30pm) at CPC

310.

Students must present three minutes of their work to be developed along

with a description of origin and authenticity.

Dancers Audition:

Friday, February 18, 2022 at 3:00pm (sign-in at 2:00pm) at CPC 310

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DANCE DEPARTMENT SPRING 2022

PERFORMANCES

Synapse, Contemporary Dance Theater

Friday, May 27, 2022 at 7:30pm

Saturday, May 28, 2022 at 4:00pm and 7:30pm

Global Motion, World Dance Company

Saturday, May 14, 2022 at 4:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 7:30pm

For the latest updates on current and future SMC Dance

Department events, please visit the following sources:

www.smc.edu/dance