Artists + Collaborators

Jamila Glass

Artistic Director

• Founding Company Member in 2005
• Artistic Director in 2021
• Co-Founder Los Angeles Choreographers Institute in 2024

Latest creations for LACDC: 

• Take What You Need (2025) - Choreographer
• It's Not You, It's Me (2024) - Choreographer | Interview | Rehearsal Trailer
• ECHOES (2024) - Director | Watch the Film | Behind-The-Music 

Filmmaker and Choreographer Jamila Glass is known for creating cinematic journeys of movement, shaping characters, and building worlds that reflect what makes us human. In addition to creating work as the Artistic Director of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (where she joined in 2005 as a founding member), she has choreographed extensively in film and television. Her choreography work includes projects on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, BET, and PRADA, earning recognition in The New York Times, L.A. Times, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, and Mashable.  She also choreographed and co-directed two commercial campaigns for Splice, the music industry’s leading royalty-free sample library, and recently began a collaboration with Airbnb Originals, which creates extraordinary experiences exclusively for Airbnb.

Glass began her formal training as a nine-year-old scholarship student at The Discovery Dance Group in Houston, Texas. She continued dancing in her spare time as a vocal music major at the multi-Grammy award-winning High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Jamila graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Cinema-Television (Film & Video Production) and a Minor in Advertising.

As a performer, she has worked with Ryan Heffington, Galen Hooks, Nina McNeely, Kathryn Burns, David Dorfman, Adam Parson, and Mecca Vazie Andrews.  Other credits include Netflix Original film Mascots from Christopher Guest, American Horror Story, Paul McCartney, Kelly Rowland, Colbie Caillat, Foster the People tour, Mastercard, American Apparel, Samsung, & The New York Times bestselling photography book Dancers Among Us.

Beyond the stage, Jamila, a director/screenwriter, has produced films through her production company The Cutting Room where she has directed 21 critically-acclaimed short dance films, a television pilot, and 2 music videos that have garnered international praise, including film screenings in London, Paris and Lebanon. Her previous work as a freelance editor includes documentary shorts, national radio commercials, and an award-winning independent television network. Her directorial work for LACDC includes ECHOES, INSECTOS: arte y vida (both commissioned by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain), and then life was beautiful, and SUMMON (featuring the music by Emmy and Oscar award-winning and Grammy-nominated Kris Bowers).  

As a curator with LACDC, Glass has partnered with the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain for the past four years, fostering artistic dialogue between Spanish and American dancers and choreographers through annual commissions.  She is also the co-founder of the Los Angeles Choreographers Institute, an intensive leadership development program incorporating a holistic approach to the business side of dance-making.  She previously served as LACDC's Media Director and Summer/Winter Intensive Director, elevating the company's visibility across continents.  

Jamila has taught at Schools: USC Kaufman, Pace University, CLI Conservatory, UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, Loyola Marymount University, Texas Christian University, Hussian College Los Angeles, Riverside Dance Festival (Florida), and Renaissance Arts Academy, and has created work for LACDC, Texas Christian University (twice), Cal State Fullerton (twice), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Co/Motion Creation Intensive (Boston).   Additionally, universities regularly invite her to conduct mock auditions for their seniors and to lead lectures on film directing and working as a choreographer in film and television.

Recent 2025 News: 

• I observed and provided feedback to the 3rd year BFAs in a Contemporary Technique class at USC Kaufman in order to help them prepare for high pressure audition environments.
• I held a mock audition followed by a Q&A at Cal State Long Beach (for the fifth year in a row) with their dance seniors.
• Jamila taught technique classes and created a work on students ages 10 to 22 at the Riverside Dance Festival summer intensive in Vero Beach, Florida.  While there during a two-week residency, she also developed and premiered a 24-minute LACDC work called Take What You Need.
• Jamila taught an exclusive multi-day workshop at CLI Conservatory in Massachusetts aimed at preparing students for audition season.  In a mock audition setting, dancers gained firsthand experience of what it's like to audition for the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company.  
• Glass taught two lectures at Loyola Marymount University on illuminating the creator's perspective, focusing on filming, choreography, and direction and incorporating insights from her extensive experience working on set.
• Jamila taught a workshop for the seniors at University of Southern California’s Kaufman School of Dance in order to help them prepare for audition season.  It was a full circle moment to return to her alma mater and teach in the state-of-the-art building that is now right across from where she used to take her USC film school classes.
• After first creating a work for Cal State Fullerton's dance program in 2022, they invited Jamila to return to the campus in the Spring of 2025 to complete another choreographic residency. 

Jamila is represented by Movement Talent Agency and is a member of the Television Academy, the Choreographers Guild and SAG-AFTRA.

Watch her teaching reel, view her class schedule, and check out her latest news.

•   @jamilaglass 
•   www.jamilaglass.com

*Headshot by Zack Whitford

Ayesha Orange

Collaborator

• Rehearsal Director | 2023-Present
• Rehearsal Trailer

Assistant Director: INSECTOS: arte y vida (film), Finding Meemoo (film)

Ayesha Orange is originally from San Pedro, California and has been working professionally for 27 years. She has performed in various award shows such as The Teen Choice Awards, Academy Awards, American Music Awards, iHeart radio, MTV Awards, Grammy Awards, Image Awards, and the Vibe Awards. Television shows like Welcome to Chippendale’s, Key & Peele, the OA, My Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Oprah, Dancing with the Stars, Glee, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen, Lucifer, and Monk. She has also worked with artists including Katy Perry, Jennifer Hudson, Pink, Christine Aguilera, Bette Midler, Mariah Carey, Usher, Ne-Yo, Will-I-Am, and the legendary Earth Wind and Fire. Furthermore she has danced in movies. All three Austin Powers movies, Behind the Candelabra, Muppets, Idlewild, Batman and Robin, Miss Congeniality 2, She's All That, Spider-Man 3, and Charlie's Angels to name a few.

She recently worked as an Associate Choreographer on productions such as Billboard Awards with Kesha, as well as Travis Scott, Dawn FM on Amazon for The Weeknd, Euphoria, SNL, VMA’s, Jimmy Kimmel, the fourth season of Dear White People, and music videos for Kali Uchis, Sia, Rihanna, Fergie, KC Musgrave and so many more.

Throughout her career, Ayesha has been fortunate enough to work with world renowned choreographers, some of the most talented dancers, travel the world, and do what she loves for a living.

•   @aorange
• *Photo by Keenan Reed

AEREA

Collaborator

Composers 

Collaborations with LACDC: The Weight of Water (2024) | Rehearsal Trailer

Through their endless textures and harmonies, Spanish duo AEREA stands as one of the most promising acts in the emerging techno scene. Their broad style excels in combining unique melodies with live vocals -in both Spanish and English. The project was born in 2021 and undergoes a constant sonic evolution, immersing itself in a sharp sound that is close to the worldwide clubbing scene but adding their own perspective, their emotional depth, and increasingly incorporating faster-paces genres. Thanks to this mimesis and their unique way of blending different elements of techno, AEREA has already taken off and they’re closely eyeing the international circuit.

• @aerea000

Headshot by Lucia Lamata

Elías Aguirre

Collaborator

Choreographer | Insecto Primitivio (excerpt), INSECTOS: Arte Y Vida (dance film) | Commissioned by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain 

Elías Aguirre - Multidisciplinary artist, dancer, choreographer, photographer and visual artist.

Graduate in Fine Arts from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), training at the Royal Professional Dance Conservatory of Madrid, Master in Performing Arts (URJC), Graphic Design (TAI), Scenic Photography (with Fernando Marcos), recording and editing of nature documentaries (with Luis Miguel Domínguez) and trained in urban dance, butoh and clown techniques. He was a member of the original Mayumana show and has performed with prestigious music, dance and theatre artists and has participated in several films as a dancer.

In 2008 Elías Aguirre began to create projects, both solo and in collaboration. Some of these projects have received important international awards and have been performed in festivals on five continents.  In 2010 he became a member of the resident companies of the Madrid City Council.

His works are characterized by the convergence of contemporary dance techniques, urban dance, gestural theatre and a constant inspiration in the "invisible nature". Some of the most outstanding works are: 87grillos, light park, white room, Longfade, Lucha o vuelo, Flightless, Shy Blue, Pez Esfinge, puk e nuk, Rarewalk. Insecto Primitivo, Open Body Talks, Empusa Poem, Seismic Orchestra, Flowerheads, Drain turtle, La Senda del Manso and others in collaboration such as entomo (with Álvaro Esteban) or Escuálido Marsupial (with Manuel Rodriguez).

Awards: 1st Prize ADAE 2009, 1st Prize Certamen Burgos-New York 2010, 1st Prize Iberoamerican Alicia Alonso 2010, Prize Ayuntamiento de Madrid 2010, 2nd Prize Certamen Coreográfico de Madrid 2011, Prize best choreographic material Unidanza 2012, 2nd Prize and prize of the public Danzaxtema 2020, etc.

Guest professor in many international centres in Asia, Europe and America. In Spain, Conservatories (Madrid, Malaga, Burgos), Universities (UEX, UEM, URJC), Higher Centres of Dance and Dramatic Art (CSD of Madrid, ESAD of Extremadura and Centro Actúa de AISGE). 

He currently combines his performances and choreographic creations with dance workshops, exhibitions, talks on photography and video-dance (Imbermoves) and the direction of the dance festival "Cuerpo Romo" (6 editions).

He has received support from the Comunidad de Madrid, the Ayuntamiento de Madrid and creative residencies at the Teatros del Canal. In addition to other institutions for performances abroad such as: Instituto Cervantes, Embassies, Consulates, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), AECID, AISGE, INAEM and SGAE. 

At the moment he runs his own dance company in Madrid, Cía. Elías Aguirre, which is part of resident companies in Madrid city. He also codirects a dance project entomo with Álvaro Estebán. Created in 2009, it has been showing at international festivals around the world.

•   @eliasaguirreimbernon
•   eliasaguirre.es/en/

Alex Aller

Collaborator

Composer | Insecto Primitivio (excerpt), INSECTOS: Arte Y Vida (dance film) | Commissioned by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain 

Music producer and composer based in Madrid. He writes music for film and dance, and as a solo artist he combines his neoclassical releases with an electronic music project under the name of Jus Kno’.

In 2020, he composed the original music for the film "La Calle del Agua" directed by Celia Caso, that would become the sensation of FICX 2020 by being the most awarded film in the history of the festival, with a total of 7 prizes.

In 2021, he presented “Shoal" alongside the choreographer Dana Raz, and “Me parece que sufro lo que en mi profesión se llama nostalgia” by choreographers Javier Ara and Kike Astley. This last piece was awarded with the dance prize of the Theatre Institute 2021.

In 2022, he presented four new dance pieces, “Krum” premiered at La Laboral Theater with Dana Raz, “Cocoon” with choreographer Gonzalo Díaz, an extended one hour version of “Me parece que sufro lo que en mi profesión se llama nostalgia”, and a brand new piece with choreographer Iker Karrera for the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company. 

As a solo artist, he has edited two EPs as well as different singles and in December of 2021 he released his first album “Explorations”. Due to this album he joins the family of Wise Music Group, home of artists such as Olafur Arnalds, Hania Rani or Ludovico Einaudi.

Instagram: @alex.aller
Website: Alex Aller YouTube

Erica Ammerman

Collaborator

Lighting Designer, Production Manager

Collaborations with LACDC: ECHOES, where the water is warm

Erica Ammerman is an LA based lighting designer, production manager, and tap dancer. Recently, she has been assistant designing regionally at the Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, and South Coast Repertory. Other recent projects include Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights (Master Electrician) and Pretty Perfect Lives Off-Broadway (Production Manager). She is very passionate about bringing together her love for both lighting design and tap dance. Erica has designed for the Hollywood Tap Festival All-Star Concert since the festival's inception and hopes to continue designing for all forms of dance. You can see her work in LACDC's most recent video: ECHOES.

•   @erica_ammerman 

Photo by Ann Closs-Farley

Mario Glez

Collaborator

Choreographer | 2023 Creative Residency | Commissioned by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain and Acción Cultural Española (AC/E)

Collaborations with LACDC: The Weight of Water (2024) | Interview | Rehearsal Trailer

Mario González is a performer and choreographer from Badajoz, who grew up in the city of Seville and is currently based in Madrid. He began his dance studies in 2008, traveling around Spain to discover and learn about the urban dance scene.

Subsequently, he decided to continue his studies at the Centro Andaluz De Danza, delving into the world of contemporary dance, which allowed him to explore and identify with new forms of movement while still building upon his previous studies.

His passion for learning led him to travel and work in countries such as Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden and the United Kingdom, where he collaborated with artists from different backgrounds, helping him to broaden his horizons and discover new and emerging forms of expression.

Currently, Mario is living in the capital of Spain, although he travels throughout Europe focusing on developing his interest in teaching. He trains the new generation of dancers at the 180 dance school, in addition to teaching in a multitude of national and international workshops. His drive for creation has led him to generate dance pieces such as "Phase" (a solo piece created in 2018 and performed in several festivals such as SoloDos (Ourense, Spain) or ID Night (Hereford, UK), "Club" and "Si la cabeza hablase" (Creations for 180LAB), "Overthinking" and "Relation" (both Video-dance with trajectory in various international film festivals such as "Queer Mvmt Fest'', "DanzaTTack" or "Choreoscope" among others), "La Tarde'' (performed at the DanseEncore festival in Canada), as well as other creations for companies like DhhD Milano (Italy) or Padova Danza (Italy). He has also choreographed commercial events for well-known brands such as Oracle, L'Oréal or Coca-Cola, as well as music videos for artists like Orovega or Cepeda.

On the performing side, Mario has worked with Elias Aguirre Company (Spain) on pieces such as “Pez Esfinge", "FlowerHeads" and "Empusa Poem”, Hani Dance & Cía Z art Company (Germany & Luxembourg) on "Out of Range”. He has also danced for artists like Aitana (at the Los 40 Music Awards) and worked in TV shows like VSO (choreographed by Iker Karrera).

As an artist and creator, Mario thrives on living new experiences, collaborating with professionals in the art field and challenging himself, aiming to generate content that inspire and impact those who receive it as well as himself

•   @marioglez_
• *Headshot by Claudia Herran

Iker Karrera

Collaborator

Choreographer | Table for One | Commissioned by the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain

Iker Karrera began to develop as a dancer at a very young age attending jazz and hip hop classes in his homeland, Hondarribia. Since then, his evolution as a dancer has led him to share stages with leading singers and dancers inside and outside our borders. As a choreographer, Iker founded his own dance company in 2016. His piece #7fm stands out, which has been awarded nationally and internationally and has been performed in the main European capitals and at numerous festivals such as the Battery Dance Festival in New York.

No pleasure, has been his latest production and also the most ambitious; the piece has been part of the Danza a Escena 2021 circuit and has been performed in theaters throughout the national territory.

In cinema, he has choreographed the new musical Voy a pasármelo bien directed by David Serrano, and in advertising, his choreography Haunted by Love for Vogue Spain has been awarded at the La Jolla International Film Festival in California. In 2018 he was part of the renewed television show Fama ¡a bailar!, initially as a teacher and, in the latest edition, as a director.

He has also worked with the Oscar winners AR.Rahman and Shekhar Khapur choreographing their artistic collaboration, Why? The musical, at ExpoDubai 2020.

As a teacher, Iker has taught contemporary and jazzfunk classes all over the world in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Mexico, Paris, Rome, Naples, Prague and Brussels, among others. He has been invited to the María de Ávila Superior Conservatory of Dance and the Fortea Professional Dance Conservatory.

After more than 15 years of teaching experience, Iker decided to create his own school and artistic project, 180, motivated by his firm belief in the transformative power of dance and its ability to connect and inspire people.  Since 2020 and together with Fernando Lázaro, he has also been in charge of the academic direction of the official studies of the Som Academy school of performing arts.

Currently, he has just received the XVIII Gipuzkoa Dance Prize for his entire career and meanwhile, Iker combines directing his own school with choreographing and directing the new pieces of his company.

•   @krera

Ashley Kayombo

Collaborator

Ashley Kayombo (costume design)
Collaborations with LACDC: where the water is warm - Fall World Premieres | Dancing in Snow (costume co-designer with Robert Huerta)

Ashley Kayombo (she/her) is a Los Angeles native who found dance in her early teen years. She continued her dance studies throughout college where she has also been able to premiere work at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica. She graduated with a B.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach in 2022.

While taking a hiatus from her studies, she started pole dancing in 2019 and quickly fell in love with the art form. She currently works as a pole instructor and performer where she has had the opportunity to perform in various shows and venues. She most notably has been able to work with many music artists including Party Next Door, Future, Gunna, Snoop Dogg, Kehlani, Alina Baraz, and Usher for the 2024 Superbowl Halftime Show.

Although dance is her primary artistic pursuit, she has also found joy in costume design. This medium has allowed her to further explore and refine her artistry as a whole through the marriage of visual and physical expression. Grace, sensuality and femininity are the foundations of her movement practice as she strives to further explore her artistry and continue taking up space in areas where those in her community are usually pushed out of.

•   @ashleympk
• *Headshot by Monique Gardner

Myles Lavallee

Collaborator

Choreographer | 2023 Creative Residency 

Collaborations with LACDC: Leaving With Hope (2024) | Interview | Rehearsal Trailer

Myles Lavallee was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ, where he trained at various dance studios. He grew up competing in dance competitions and won many awards including JUMP’s Teen National Title and NUVO’s Teen 1st Runner Up. In high school, he attended Arizona School for the Arts before moving away to NYC to study at the School of American Ballet. In 2011 Myles joined Ballet Arizona where he danced for four seasons. In 2014, he moved to Canada to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and in 2016, Myles joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for two seasons. Some of the choreographers he had the pleasure of working with and performing their works include, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, and George Balanchine. He was commissioned twice to choreograph for Ballet Arizona's Innovations program, and created pieces in both LGBC and HSDC choreographic workshops. Myles now lives in Los Angeles as a freelance artist and choreographer and travels frequently to teach and work with dancers around the country. He has been awarded the outstanding choreography award at YAGP’s Semifinals in '22, '23, and '24. He has last been seen guesting with Para Mar Dance, Post Ballet, Ishida Dance, Heidi Duckler Dance, & BODYTRAFFIC, as well as in several music videos and on Netflix and YouTube. He has recently been in process with LACDC for a new creation that will debut in the fall of '24. Myles is extremely passionate about teaching, choreographing and sharing his love for dance! 

•   @myleslavallee
• *Photo by Beau Campbell

Slade Mctaggart

Collaborator

Composer 

Collaborations with LACDC: Leaving With Hope (2024) 

My name is Slade Mctaggart. I’m from Murphy, North Carolina. I currently reside in Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve been producing music for 2 years now. When I first started producing, I wanted to compose mainstream music. However, when I heard “ambient” music, I fell in love with the different textures and atmospheres made, rather than the structure and tonality of mainstream songs. From ambient music, I have learned to not just listen to the music, but to feel the music and sounds that can be heard in your soul.

When I am not producing, I enjoy being outside in nature with my girlfriend, hanging out with my cats, as well as watching movies and tv shows. I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends, who are very supportive of my work. I am thankful and honored that LACDC has chosen my work to be featured!

•   @sladewyd

Photo by Hannah K Bruce

Jillian Meyers

Collaborator

Choreographer | 2023 Creative Residency

JILLIAN MEYERS is an Emmy nominated choreographer, academic educator, and world class performer, who works at the nexus of commercial, stage, film, and site-specific experiences. 

She began her professional career touring internationally with Janet Jackson and has since performed everywhere from global arena tours and major televised events — including American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Good Morning America, Oprah, The American Music Awards, The Billboard Awards, The Emmys, and The Oscars — to intimate stages and unconventional spaces around the world.

Now a sought after choreographic voice across a wide range of projects, Jillian is known for her musicality, attention to detail, and collaborative process. She received an Olivier-nomination alongside Michelle Dorrance and Tiler Peck for their work on “Timespell," which is returning to the stage in New York this October. Recent credits include “I’m Just Ken” at the 2024 Oscars, Hozier's "All Things End" music video, and the TV series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (Associate Choreographer), and film credits Hollywood Stargirl (Choreographer), Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas (Co-Choreographer), Babylon (Associate Choreographer), and LA LA Land (Assistant Choreographer). Jillian's work spans collaborations with artists such as Paula Abdul, Kesha, The Lumineers, Half Alive, Active Child, and Hozier, as well as campaigns for brands like Apple.

Jillian wears many hats and makes many faces, both reconciling and indulging in all of these disciplines in her collaborative ongoing genre-bending project, The Seaweed Sisters.  — Join the sea-cosystem!

A dedicated educator, Jillian teaches her class Rhythmic Tendencies bi-weekly at Movement Lifestyle, leads workshops throughout Los Angeles and abroad, and serves as a professor within Pace University’s Commercial Dance Program. Jillian is honored to advocate for the future of the field as a Board Member of the Choreographers Guild. 

•   @jillymeyers
•   www.jillianmeyers.com
• *Headshot by Kelly Masumiya

Idoia Rodriguez

Collaborator

Choreographer | 2024 Creative Residency | Commissioned by Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain 

Collaborations with LACDC: ECHOES (2024) | Watch the Film | Behind-The-Music 

Idoia Rodriguez (Pamplona, 1996) is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, specialising in Urban Dance. During her development in these modalities, there are several titles that accredit her as one of the most recognised Spanish freestyle urban dance dancers at a national level: Battle des Festayres (France), Break On Stage (Bilbao), Vegas Rock (Granada), among others.

She has worked with companies such as Ertza with "Dye Dye", which received the Max Award for "Best street performance" in 2022 and Mari Paula with "Cuerpografías" and "Al Relente". as a teacher in artistic training and youth awareness workshops in educational centers through the Oholtzara Salto a Escena program.

With Cía. Riart, they have created "Henko", "Dérive" and, currently, "El valor de lo invisible" (in the process of creation, within the DNA 2023 programme). In addition, she is in S'poart Company with "Vivantes", with Zuk Performing Arts Company with "Quosque Tándem Abutere", with "Cromlech" and, as a soloist, with "Rise".

One of his hallmarks as an artist is creativity and the search for identity in expression by mixing different disciplines. He founds his own expressive language, characterised by the mastery of the floor, the strength and originality of urban dances, and the fluidity and plasticity of contemporary dance.

She also holds a degree in Early Childhood Education (UPNA), a Diploma in Early Childhood Education Technician, a Diploma in Psychomotricity Technician, a Postgraduate Degree in Emotional Education in Education, a Degree in Leisure and Free Time, and completed a training course in Music Therapy.

•   @idoiarodriguez
•   @riartcompany
•   www.riartcompany.com
• *Headshot by VF Jose

Spenser Theberge

Collaborator

Choreographer | 2023 Creative Residency

Collaborations with LACDC: of touch of time (2024) | Interview | Rehearsal Trailer

Spenser Theberge is a multi-hyphenate performer and creator, working across the fields of choreography, dance, movement direction, text, costume design, pedagogy, and installation work. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and a former company member with the Nederlands Dans Theater I & II and The Forsythe Company, as well as a guest artist with Kidd Pivot, the Goteborgs Operans Danskompani, the ARIAS Company, RGWW, and Dimitri Chamblas.

Spenser's creations are multi-disciplinary and genre-defying, continuously exploring identity, authenticity, and spectatorship. His work ranges from proscenium performance to museum installation to site-specific locations, and whether solo or ensemble creations, the conventional expectation of dance performance and audience relationship is always challenged. Spenser's independent work, as well as collaborations with partner Jermaine Spivey, have been commissioned and presented by LA Dance Project, The Broad Museum, the Philip Glass Days & Nights Festival, MOCA Geffen, REDCAT, The Korzo Theater, Springboard DanseMontreal, Place des Arts, The Juilliard School, the Queer Biennial III in LA, NAVEL, and Gothenburg Opera Danskompani with co-creator Arika Yamada. These projects have been additionally supported by Hollins University, PACT Zollverein, Nuova Officina della Danza, and the CalArts School of Dance.

As a movement director and performer, Spenser has worked with artists, brands, and organizations such as Taylor Swift, UGG, Rami Malek, Matthew Peacock, Ryan Pfluger, the Tune-yards, Seaworthy Jewelry, and the New York Times Magazine.  He has also designed costumes for Andrea Miller, the ARIAS Company, and performing artist Frances Chiaverini, and is the text writer behind Alexander Ekman's award winning "Cacti" and "Hubbub".

Spenser is on the dance faculty at California Institute of the Arts, and has been a guest teacher at The Juilliard School, USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, Purchase College, Reed College, the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, and the Hochschule fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst. He also teaches at workshops and intensives across North America, Europe, and Asia. Spenser is a YoungArts award winner, a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and a Princess Grace Award winner.

•   @spensermyles
•   www.spensertheberge.com
• *Photo by Jacob Jonas

Maxwell Transue

Collaborator

Composer

Collaborations with LACDC: of touch of time (2024) | Rehearsal Trailer

Maxwell Transue is a composer and sound designer specializing in making immersive, thematic music and sound by weaving together layers of organic and synthetic elements, complex rhythms, and atmospheric textures.  His work is featured internationally in films, live theater, dance works, marketing content, and music artist recordings.  His music and sound is currently being used in works by dance companies BeMoving and Kaufman School of Dance, and by choreographers and filmmakers Bret Easterling, Jermaine Spivey, Spenser Theberge, Robert Bruce Hope, and The Kusanagi Sisters. As an independent artist Maxwell has performed alongside major artists such as Slow Magic, Low Leaf, Goodnight Cody, and Monster Rally. Maxwell DJ's, and produces house and electronic dance music under the artist moniker, Jurassic Spine.

•   @jurassicspine
•   www.maxwelltransue.com
• *Headshot by Gahyae Ryu

Anna Tse

Collaborator

Anna Tse is a self taught videographer and photographer, based in Los Angeles, CA.

Having had worked with a number of dance companies in LA, Tse is now the director of media for Jacob Jonas The Company, videographer/photographer for The TL Collective, LACDC, Mike Tyus, BigKid Dance, Volta, and a co-founder of the dance film company HEAVY BOOTS. More recently, Tse was the Director of Photography for Micaela Taylor’s short film “Misfit” commissioned by American Dance Festival (ADF). Tse directed and shot for a multitude of music videos including RYX’s “Thousand Knives,” Jackii Kenedy’s “Mine,” WIMP’s “Fragrant” and more. Tse has had the pleasure of capturing video/photo BTS for artists like Sia, Sofia Reyes, MUNA, Awgust, ZAUR and has filmed live studio work for ‘Wild Up’. She is an incredibly versatile cinematographer with an acute passion for the relationship dance can have with the camera, but nonetheless she’s excited to collaborate with artists across the board ranging from fashion designers to musicians and visual artists. Her print work can be seen in the LA Times and Dance Magazine.

•   @tse_cheese

José Venditti

Collaborator

Composer 

Collaborations with LACDC: ECHOES (2024) | Watch the Film | Behind-The-Music 

José Venditti is a composer, and sound and visual artist based in Madrid. His work explores
the boundaries of musical social constructs, confronting the familiar and comprehensible
with the unknown and abstract, creating tensions through these sonic clashes.

Using sound as his primary creative material, José’s practice spans live performance, music
and sound composition, sonic actions, and live-cinema. He places particular emphasis on
the origin and processing of the sound sources he uses, challenging the dichotomies
between organic and mechanical, analog and digital, natural and artificial, real and fiction.

José plays the saxophone, working with its sound through the deconstruction of classical
patterns, exploring new sonic aesthetics by blending digital processing with electronic
instruments and synthesizers.

He has released various works on labels such as Audiotalaia, Crystal Mine, and Autoplacer,
and co-directs the studio/office Coro.

José has presented his works and artistic projects at international events and venues including Performa 2021 NYC, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), MACBA (Barcelona), Heritage Space Hanoi (Vietnam), Sonic Dreams Festival (Ireland), Festival Internacional de Arte Sonoro de Montevideo(Uruguay), Museo de la Memoria de Montevideo (Uruguay), Teatros del Canal, Centro Botín (Santander), Espacio Fundación Telefónica (Madrid), SEMINCI Valladolid, and PlatoHedro Medellín (Colombia).

•  @jose_venditti
• www.josevenditti.com
• www.itscoro.com

*Headshot by Álvaro Manof

Reena Ye

Collaborator

Lighting Designer

Collaborations with LACDC: Leaving With Hope, The Weight of Water

Reena Ye was raised in New York City, where she found her love of storytelling in the Broadway scene. As she entered high school, she developed a passion for using lighting to provide depth and detail to stories and different forms of art. Reena continued to chase her dreams by studying lighting design and stage management at the University of Southern California, and her career has exploded from there.

Now a Los Angeles-based lighting designer, Reena works across the fields of dance, theater, music, and corporate events. Through these various fields, she has developed a unique style of lighting that both adds to a piece while allowing for a personal twist. As a Chinese-American designer, she strives to bring her multicultural point of view into every project she works on.

•   @reena.ye
•   www.reenaye.com

*Headshot by Jacob Hollens

Ric Zimmerman

Collaborator

Lighting Designer

Collaborations with LACDC: Recent - It's Not You, It's Me, of touch of time | Additional - Beautyfear, Delicate Skins, EBBA, GLHF, FAM, Naneh, NOMAD.LORE., The Only Constant, SE4SONS, Sporty, summer, Tainted, and Well Weathered.

Ric’s dance designs have taken him around the continental US, Mexico, Canada, Russia, China and Brazil. Selected dance collaborators: Helios Dance Theatre, Troupe Vertigo, Navarasa Dance Theatre, Royal Flux, Rhapsody in Taps, Danza Floricanto, EDGE, Viver Brasil, Theatre Bethune, Louise Reichlin and Dancers, Synapse, Keshet Chaim, and Lula Washington Dance Theatre as well as concert pieces for choreographers Doriana Sanchez, Frit and Frat Fuller, Terri Best, Nicole Berger, Genevieve Carson, Yusuf Nasir, Jaci Royal, and Marinda Davis, among others.

Theatrical collaborators include Rogue Machine, Circle X, The Fountain Theatre, Theatre of Note, Company of Angels, Theatre Forty, The Vagrancy, The Visceral Company, Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, The Neighborhood Playhouse, Vanguard Repertory, The Madrid Theatre and many more. Corporate design work includes such clients as Panasonic, Samsung, Verizon, Boeing, Microsoft, Google, Airbnb, BMW, Chevron, the NHRA, Center Theatre Group and the Hard Rock Cafe. Music lighting credits include Lea Salonga, Judy Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Seun Kuti, The Fishtank Ensemble, Esperanza Spalding, the Klezmatics and The Bird and the Bee as well as hundreds of local concerts. Ric has twice been honored as Lighting Designer of the Year by StageSceneLA. He received his BA in Music Composition from Loyola Marymount University.