Stage Manager and Touring Production Assistant - is a MFA candidate in Dance at the University of Oregon and in her third year as a GTF in the Department of Dance. She is now in the process of completing her degree, in which she is researching the idea of play and creativity being effectively integrated into a curriculum in dance in higher education. Prior to her arrival at theUO, Ayumi extensively trained in modern dance in the city of San Francisco, and in 2009 earned a BA in Dance from San Francisco State University. During her undergraduate studies, she was selected for two years to perform with the University Dance Theatre, a repertory company, and also acted as Student Director throughout her graduating year. Ayumi has had works featured in student concerts, and was awarded Outstanding Choreography for a piece presented in the fall of 2008 at SF State. She has attended many ACDFA events around the country and has participated in workshops with Robert Moses Kin, Janice Garrett, and ODC company dancers. Ayumi also has had the opportunity to dance for choreographers in the Bay Area such as Cathleen McCarthy, Susan Whipp, Paco Gomez, Byron Seddens, Amara Tabor-Smith, Rozelle Polido, as well as artists with the Counter Culture Collective. At the UO, she has continued to teach multiple levels of modern, jazz, and tap. She has presented several new works in student produced concerts, as well as the Emerging Artist Series in Spring 2012 for the School of Music and Dance. Ayumi also received the Graduate Student Research Award from the School of Music and Dance for her progress in her recent thesis research in play and dance.
Cecilia Berghäll was born in Helsinki, Finland. After moving to England at the age of three, she began studying ballet, tap, and jazz. Her studies continued when she moved to Oregon at the age of 11, where she later began teaching for the Lake Oswego Academy of Dance. Currently a junior and double major in Dance and Cinema Studies, Cecilia is a recipient of the Lotta Carll Scholarship (2012-2013). She has performed in both faculty and student works at the UO, including guest artists, Holly Johnston and Mark Haim. Cecilia hopes to keep exploring her love of dance and studying the relationship between her two majors. Her ultimate goal is to join a professional dance company.
Doug Hooker is a senior Dance major at the University of Oregon originally from Keizer, OR. While pursuing his degree he has actively engaged himself in professional performing opportunities, such as dancing with Gratis Dans in Portland, Oregon and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps in Santa Clara, California. Continuing to perform, he has also choreographed movement and taught at various high schools in Oregon, as well as at the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in Canton, Ohio. Doug has recently returned to the UO after taking a year to perform on tour with the Broadway show Blast! He toured both nationally and internationally, including in Japan and the 2012 World Expo in South Korea. This is Doug’s second season performing with UORDC and is ecstatic to have the opportunity to be on stage with the amazing performers and friends of this company!
Born in Colorado Springs, Liz Jones, since the age of three has had a passion for movement and creativity. She danced all throughout her elementary, middle, and high school years. Liz is currently a junior at the University of Oregon where she double majors in Dance and Human Physiology. She has performed in several dance concerts at the UO since 2011, and in the spring of 2012 Liz had the opportunity to perform at the American College Dance Festival in Madison, Wisconsin. This year, she is the co-director of fundraising for the ASUO student group, Dance Oregon. She is also a recipient of the Lotta Carll Scholarship (2012-2013). In the future Liz hopes to dance professionally, and use her knowledge of the human body to explore the physics of movement through dance.
Liz Clark was born in the Philippines, but has spent most of her life in Eugene, Oregon. Her love for dance has been greatly influenced by her grandmother who was also a dancer in her youth. When Liz moved to Oregon, she joined the Philippine American Dance Troupe where she performed various Philippine folk dances every year during the Asian Celebration. In her sophomore year of college, she became a part of a local hip hop crew in Eugene and started immersing herself in hip hop culture. This same year Liz also began traveling to Los Angeles to take hip hop classes from both old school and new school teachers. She is currently a senior Dance major at the University of Oregon where she continues to train in modern and ballet technique. She also teaches various hip hop styles at Flex Studios in Eugene. Liz is a recipient of Philippine American Association Scolarship (2007) and the Lotta Carl Scholarship (2012-2013.) Liz plans to move to LA sometime after she graduates, in hopes to work commercially and join a modern dance company.
Megan Duling was born in McMinnville, Oregon, but now considers Sacramento her hometown. She began dancing at the age of two in Big Springs, Texas, and later trained under Karen and Fernando Schaffenburg from the age of six to eighteen at the Sangre de Cristo Ballet Theatre in Pueblo, Colorado. Megan is a junior Dance major, and has performed in the Faculty Dance Concert 2011-2013, Spring Student Dance Concert 2012, and the UORDC at home concerts 2011 and 2012 and recently had the opportunity to perform at Dance for a Reason as well as choreograph and perform with local entertainers. Since attending UO, Megan has been the recipient of the Lotta Carl Scholarship for 2012 and 2013 as well as the Eagles Club scholarship in 2010. Active in Dance Oregon, Arts Collaboration and SSDC, this is Megan’s second season with UORDC. After graduation, Megan would like to explore possibilities in the collaboration of dance and other art forms in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Nick Herman came to the University of Oregon from Portland, OR as a Marine Biology major. After taking an introductory class, he fell in love with dance and enrolled in four dance classes the following term. A year later he switched his major to Dance. Nick has performed in both Faculty and student concerts at the UO, and had the opportunity to perform at the American College Dance Festival in Madison, Wisconsin. In the summer of 2012, he attended the American Dance Festival at Duke University in North Carolina where he was cast into a new work created by Reggie Wilson, presented at the ADF formal concert. Nick looks forward to finshing his Dance major at UO over the next two years and continuing his career in dance after graduation.
Olivia is a Senior Dance major this year, a recipient of the Lotta Carll Dance Scholarship (2012- 2013), and on the board for the ASUO student group, Dance Oregon. She was born and raised in Bend, Oregon and from a young age was dedicated to her training in gymnastics and classical ballet. Along with dance, she has pursued her love for theatre at the UO, working on productions and touring with Annelie in the Depths of the Night, Fall 2010. She has performed in multiple UO faculty and student works and attended the American College Dance Festival for 3 years, recently performing in Baja California. Most recently she is thrilled to have choreographed “I’m A Lady, How ‘Bout You” with DO President Linnea Birdwell, which explores the grace and strength required to be a dynamic woman and dancer. Olivia plans to continue to pursue her love for performing and teaching, and one day she hopes to join a professional dance company.
