BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY

FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Achinta S. McDaniel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Matt Cook

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Jon Paul

Dancers

Alisa Carreras, Arjun Kochhar, Atticus Dobbie, Bella Allen, Brenan Gonzalez, Chelsea Correa, Emily Carr, Esi Samuels, Felisya Soqui-Garcia, Hayden Rivas, Janae Holster, Malachi Stevens, Moira Saxena, Onye Stevenson, Presley Hawk, Satori Folkes-Stone, Shea Hancock, William Okajima

LIGHTING DESIGN

Brandon Baruch

STAGE MANAGER

Katelan Braymer

MAY 12-13, 2023

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: One hour and 40 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

Dance @ The Wallis is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

RESTLESS AUTUMN. RESTLESS SPRING.

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel, Dancers, Jon Paul MUSIC Speaking in Tongues, Volumes I-IV, Sheila Chandra

MUSIC MIX Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PERFORMERS Bella Allen, Emi Carr, Alisa Carreras, Chelsea Correa, Brenan Gonazalez, Shea Hancock, Arjun Kochhar, Hayden Rivas

The World Premiere of McDaniel’s work was presented in 2022 by REDCAT for the New Original Works Festival. Relying on a chance score, the performers explore the multiplicity of intersectional global majority identities, seemingly incongruous to a basic dance score. Largely a response to the isolation and separation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Restless autumn, restless spring is a return to collaboration and a rediscovery of what it means for artists to unite in a space to reflect on shared experiences and create work together.

Special thanks to Shreya Patel for the use of her score.

SHAADI MEDLEY

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC The Wakhra Song, Navv Inder, Badshah; Mirchi, DIVINE, MC Altaf, Phenom, Stylo G; Chhote Chhote Peg, Navraj Hans, Neha Kakkar, Yo Yo Honey Singh.

MUSIC MIX Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PERFORMERS Bella Allen, Emi Carr, Alisa Carreras, Chelsea Correa, Atticus Dobbie, Brenan Gonazalez, Shea Hancock, Presley Hawk, Janae Holster, Arjun Kochhar, William Okajima, Hayden Rivas, Esi Samuels, Moira Saxena, Felisya Soqui-Garcia

Medley of excerpts from Blue13’s pandemic era immersive work, Shaadi (“wedding” in Hindi), “Before there was Delta. Before there was Omicron, there was…Shaadi.”-EM

Special thanks to Heritage Square Museum, where Blue13 developed the piece in residency in 2021.

DEAR MR. KHAN, CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC Prologue: The Violent Bear it Away, Moby. Khan Music: Terpsichore in Ghungroos, commissioned by Blue13 Dance Company, Paul Livingstone. Performed by: Paul Livingstone, Alma Cielo, Enrique Lara.

MUSIC MIX/EDITING Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PROJECTION ARTWORK Sean Cawelti

PERFORMERS Full Company. Prologue Soloists (in order of appearance): Alisa Carreras, Atticus Dobbie, Felisya Soqui-Garcia, William Okajima.

Khan Soloist: Emi Carr

Part one of McDaniel’s Triptych, Terpsichore in Ghungroos, which premiered February 2020 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The prologue was developed 2021-2023 in collaboration with the dancers.

Intermission

SOUNDS LIKE WHOOP. LOOKS LIKE FLASH. (PREVIEW)

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Yo Yo Ma; Breakfast in Bed, Dusty Springfield; Beauty and the East, Bombay Dub Orchestra

MUSIC MIX Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PERFORMERS Bella Allen, Alisa Carreras, Chelsea Correa, Atticus Dobbie, Satori Folkes-Stone, Brenan Gonzalez, Shea Hancock, Presley Hawk, Janae Holster, Arjun Kochhar, Moira Saxena, Felisya Soqui-Garcia, Malachi Stevens

Exclusive to The Wallis audiences: A preview of a new work in development, the piece is about invisible disability, addiction, and keeping up appearances. Please note: we would love to hear your feedback about the piece as we will continue to develop it over the next two years.

Please scan this QR code to leave us a note and learn more about Blue13.

1947

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC Kamariya, Lijo George, DJ Chetas, Darshan Raval; Magnetic, Tabla Beat Science; ShivranjaniPleasing Shiva at 432 Hz, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rakesh Chaurasia; Palmistry, Tabla Beat Science; Sound Effects: Sound Effects Library, Todster, Digiffects Sound Effects Library; Voiceovers: Indira Kaur Sawhny, Harbans Kaur Singh, Bhupinder Singh Sawhny

MUSIC MIX/EDITING Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel, Kate Poppen

PERFORMERS Full Company. Soloists: Arjun Kochhar, Hayden Rivas, William Okajima

You may know of India’s independence from the British - an August date celebrating freedom obscures the dark reality of that time. In 1947, over one million people died during the horrific and bloody migration caused by the partition of India and Pakistan. “There is no crime in anyone’s blood any more than there is goodness in the blood of others. Criminals are not born. They are made by hunger, want and injustice.” — Khuswant Singh, Train To Pakistan

ACHINTA S. MCDANIEL (Founding Artistic Director) Project Leader, Kaufman Faculty, is a powerful voice of the Indian diaspora, a pioneer of American dance, and the Founding Artistic Director of Blue13 Dance Company. A prolific choreographer, performer, and instructor, McDaniel’s powerful style draws from techniques including Bhangra, Kathak, and Bollywood, Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Modern Dance, to create spectacular and theatrical dance. Her choreography is highly dramatic and a real reflection of her upbringing: Eastern and Western, exotic, mysterious, wild, rebellious and unconventional, traversing commercial, concert, and community engagement, and challenging monolithic representations of Indianness. Her work questions hierarchies of pop culture vs. high art, and is at once disobedient and joyful. She is known for her experimentation with international styles and for inventive staging of her signature contemporary Indian forms. McDaniel’s work is fearless and inventive, ever-exploring the boundaries of contemporary dance as a South Asian American woman. McDaniel, a Professor at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, was born in New York and grew up studying dance in Cleveland, Ohio, where she got her start as a choreographer at Hathaway Brown School at the age of 14. She danced in ensembles at Cleveland State and Case Western Reserve, thereafter graduating from New York University with a degree in Choreography, Dance, and Theatre. She later studied classical Indian Kathak in Bangalore, India with guru Maya Rao. Returning to New York in 1999, McDaniel founded Blue13 Dance Company, performing and teaching across the Tri-State area until 2001, when she relocated to Los Angeles. Achinta has evolved Blue13 for over two decades, creating the United States' first professional contemporary Indian dance company. McDaniel also lectures, teaches, and choreographs for educational institutions across the U.S. McDaniel has choreographed and danced in the music videos of DJ Snake (Colin Tilley) and The Strokes (Warren Fu), and choreographed for Bollywood and American films and artists alike. McDaniel works as a TV choreographer ("So You Think You Can Dance," "New Girl," "The Amazing Race") designs live productions at Walt Disney World on both coasts, and choreographs a multitude of projects in comedy, contemporary, and Bollywood and Bhangra dance styles. She has worked as a choreographer for commercials and brands, including Madden NFL, Heineken, and Snapple, and has worked with artists Timbaland, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and A.R. Rahman at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl. McDaniel is passionate about teaching and sharing her unique perspective with students of all levels and abilities. She is an expert in audience and community engagement, working with The Music Center, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many more. McDaniel’s recent work includes the acclaimed work Terpsichore in Ghungroos, presented at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and the world premiere of Restless autumn, restless spring., presented as part of the 2022 REDCAT New Original Works Festival. She created her newest work, 1947 based on the partition of India and Pakistan, on 44 dance majors for the Kaufman School of Dance in Spring 2022.

JON PAUL (Associate Director) has been studying, performing, choreographing, and teaching with Blue13 since 2011. As a principal dancer with the company, he performed with Blue13 for Google, Dreamworks, and Fox’s "New Girl." As Associate Director, he has assisted Achinta S. McDaniel with projects for artists such as A.R. Rahman and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, TV shows such as ABC’s "Speechless" and "So You Think You Can Dance," productions at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Ford Amphitheater, and Heritage Square Museum, and engagements at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and California Adventure theme parks. Working with McDaniel and Blue13 has provided Jon Paul with training and experience in a variety of classical, semi-classical, and folk styles of Indian dance, as well as an expanded vocabulary in Western modern and contemporary styles. Through his work with Blue13 Dance Company and beyond, Jon Paul has established himself as a versatile and knowledgeable dancer, choreographer, and instructor. He has worked with artists such as Lance Bass and Marques Houston, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, and world famous ballroom dancers Julz Tocker and Katerina Fedosova. He has starred in productions of A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly, Brigadoon, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Commercially, he has danced for Oscar Meyer, Honda, and Radio Disney. Jon Paul has choreographed for Olympic medalists Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, brands such as BCBGMAXAZRIA, and musical theatre productions such as The Wiz! and Godspell. Jon Paul is a former instructor at Debbie Reynolds' Dance Studio, and a current faculty member at C-Spot LA. He has appeared as a guest instructor at Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and has taught and choreographed for studios and dance teams across the country, showcasing his unique style which is influenced by western jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, whacking, vogue, and house dance.

ALISA CARRERAS was born and raised in LA. She is an alum of the Theater Dance and Performance Studies program and UC Berkeley. Go Bears! Upon graduating in 2016 she was awarded the Mark Goodson Grant for Theatrical talent. Alisa is trained in Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet, Modern and Bollywood. She has performed at many prestigious venues including the Ford Amphitheater, The Music Center, Culver City and Los Angeles City Hall, Descanso Gardens, Disney's California Adventure Park, and the Hollywood Bowl. Alisa is thrilled to be returning to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for the second time with Blue 13 Dance Company.

FELISYA SOQUI-GARCIA started her dance journey at the age of 3 due to a medical condition and now it’s her career choice! She started in the competition realm and quickly changed gears when she got her BFA at the University of Arizona’s dance program. Since then, she has been honored to do local performances, commercials and more recently, a performance in Bolzano, Italy. She is excited to see what this next chapter brings, and to be a part of the great community and family that is Blue13 Dance Company!

PRESLEY HAWK has been dancing since the age of three and has trained in various styles including contemporary and heels. She enjoys expressing herself through makeup, fashion, and dance. Hawk’s goals include implementing creative direction for dance films and music videos. She is proud to showcase her authentic self in all things. Hawk joined Blue13 in 2023.

ESI SAMUELS is an artist from the Bronx, NY with roots in Ghana and Montserrat. She began her training at the Ailey School and continued on to join the MOVE|NYC| Young Professionals Program. All while immersing herself in New York City's Afro Dance community. Esi is a current student at USC Kaufman School of Dance and a member of DWP Academy's USA team.

ARJUN KOCHHAR is a dancer, poet, author, artist and storyteller from New Delhi, India. Currently, he is pursuing a BFA degree at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, with a minor in Public Relations at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. A Harvard University awardee for journalistic excellence, he independently published his debut collection of prose and poetry in 2020 titled Afsana, which was ranked among Amazon India's top 5 poetry bestsellers. It paints a picture of the harsh realities that come with wrestling social evils in contemporary orthodox society. He co-founded a chapter of the United Nations’ Girl Up Foundation and serves as a founding youth ambassador to the internationally acclaimed Barefoot College International. Combating age-old systems of oppression through art and artistry, Arjun has chosen to be woven into a legacy of changemakers striving for a bigger, brighter and bolder tomorrow. He hopes to wield unrivaled power in his voice and body to uplift the unheard and bring peace and tranquility to the spine-tingling ways of life that devastate the discriminated.

ONYE STEVENSON grew up in Dallas, Texas where she trained and competed with her studio Prodigy dance and performing arts centre. Onye grew up training in contemporary, jazz, modern, hip hop, tap, ballet and latin ballroom dance. She is a current second-year BFA student at the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School Of Dance, within her dance education she has learned and performed many different works by artist such as Peter Chu, Jiri Kyllian, Dani Rowe and Toyin Sogunro.

WILLIAM OKAJIMA is a third year student at USC’s Kaufman School of Dance. He studied with Desmond Richardson, Micaela Taylor, Bret Easterling, and Jermaine Spivey during his early years at Kaufman. In 2020, he graduated from Orange County School of the Arts High School, under the direction of Jim Kolb and Cindy Peca through the Commercial Dance Conservatory and Montage. He received his primary contemporary training with Westside Dance

Project under the direction of Jessie Riley, and classical ballet training with Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. In his training, he has performed and competed in pieces set by Jermaine Spivey, Bret Easterling, Spencer Theberge, Alex Ketly, Micaela Taylor, and Al Blackstone. Currently he is doing work in Los Angeles as a dancer, and is being casted in various commercials and music videos.

BRENAN GONZALEZ is from Lake Worth, FL, and began his dance training through his love and passion for hip-hop styles at the age of 4. He is a 2021 graduate from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts with a major in dance. He is a second-year BFA student at the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Through his expansive movement vocabulary in a multitude of dance genres — including hip-hop, house, various ballet techniques, Horton technique, Taylor technique, Dunham technique, percussive dance, contemporary, countertechnique, and improvisation — the idea of hybridity within dance is a significant aspect of his movement study and research. Brenan is a two-time YoungArts awardee, including a 2020 honorable mention and a 2021 merit award in the modern/ contemporary discipline. Brenan has multiple self-choreographed works and artistic collaborations for the Southern California Choreographic Collective, as well as various works within USC Kaufman’s student choreographic showcases. Brenan attended the 2021 A.I.M Winter Intensive, where he was granted the opportunity to work with Kyle Abraham and the A.I.M company dancers. Brenan has worked with other notable dance artists such as Justin Peck, Bret Easterling, Peter Chu, Max Pham, Achinta McDaniel, Patrick Corbin, Peter Stark, Darrell Moultrie, Lloyd Culbreath, Hope Boykin, and more.

JANAE HOLSTER is a dancer and visual artist based in L.A. They have danced for Nickelodeon, the J-pop group Arashi and most recently Disney’s Descendants. Janae could also be seen dancing in the 2022 Monsters Freakshow, directed by Luther Brown and they are on track to receive a Dance BFA from the USC Glorya Kaufman International School of Dance in 2025.

ATTICUS DOBBIE was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to New York at the age of three. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California where he is pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance as a part of the class of 2024 at the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. There he has had the opportunity to perform repertory by artists including Kyle Abraham, Justin Peck, Dwight Rhoden, Micaela Taylor, Achinta McDaniel, Hope Boykin, and Max Pham. Atticus is a graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Arts and a proud of alumnus of Downtown Dance Factory and the MOVE|NYC| Young Professionals Program. He has additional training at the Miami City Ballet School and The Juilliard School. Atticus is a YoungArts National Winner in Modern/Contemporary Dance, as well as the recipient of the USC Trustee Scholarship.

HAYDEN RIVAS is delighted to be performing at The Wallis again. From South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Hayden is a rising senior pursuing a BFA in Dance and a Masters in Legal Studies at the University of Southern California. He has performed throughout Canada, the United States of America, and the Bahamas and was a guest artist at A.I.M by Kyle Abraham's recent program at The Joyce in New York City. He recently served as associate choreographer for USC's production of Sondheim on Sondheim and his short films have played in film festivals all around North America. Film/TV: Disney's Descendants 3, "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist", "So You Think You Can Dance." More info can be found at www.haydenrivas.com

MOIRA SAXENA is a dancer from Palo Alto, California. She started dancing at the age of six in her hometown. She has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary, House, and Heels. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of California, Santa Barbara and later her Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University. She has worked professionally as a dancer in Santa Barbara, New York City, and Los Angeles.

MALACHI STEVENS is a passionate artist from Maryland who is currently enrolled at USC Kaufman. Started training at Divine Dance Institute and went to Baltimore School for the Arts. They are extremely grateful for this opportunity to perform and express life through dance.

EMI CARR also known as Emi, is a born and raised Jersey girl who aspires to be nothing less than phenomenal. Emily is an educated, empathetic, and driven hybrid artist. With dance being her foundation since age two, she has spent several years exploring and refining not only the craft, but its discipline, its academia, and how it can be applied to her surrounding world. From being a Child Star of Tomorrow for the Apollo Theater to filming on set with FOX TV for “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 15, to being crowned 2018 Miss Dance of the United States and more, Emily has been able to gain all kinds of experience and knowledge from the many humbling opportunities she has received. As she continues to build her artistic resume and expand her network, she believes it is important to pass on her knowledge and passion for the dance/entertainment industry with the youth. Post graduating from the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman International School of Dance, Emily currently is a teaching artist with Everybody Dance LA as well as an artist in residence with Ms. Debbie Allen. Emily is grateful for her fruitful career thus far. She finds pure joy in being able to share the gift of dance to the world through all of its many outlets. In combination with her other passion of anthropology, Emily hopes to succeed in becoming a prominent figure within the dance and entertainment industry. She aims to leave behind a legacy that will continue to trailblaze and positively influence generations to come!

BELLA ALLEN is from Los Angeles, where she attended the Orange County School of the Arts and the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. From 2012–2018, she performed with and was a member of Westside Dance Project, under the direction of Jessie Riley. In 2021, Bella organized an event in collaboration with the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Presented by USC Visions as a part of their 2021-2022 Arts in Action initiative, “Dance as Radical SelfCare” was an event that facilitated conversations about movement’s impact on our well-being as individuals and its role in community building. In 2022, Bella earned her BFA from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Upon graduation, Bella began freelancing in Los Angeles. Over the course of her career, she has performed works by Barak Marshall, Jermaine Spivey, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Peter Chu, and William Forsythe, amongst others. She is honored to perform with Blue13 this evening.

SHEA HANCOCK was born and raised in Stockton, CA. She is currently a second-year BFA student and Glorya Kaufman Endowed Scholar at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in the class of 2025. Within her education at USC Kaufman, she has learned and performed works by artists such as Jiří Kylián, Hope Boykin, Peter Chu, Tessandra Chavez, Toyin Sogunro, and Max Pham. Prior to college, Shea assisted for Hollywood Connection Dance Convention, as co-captain of their Teen Company then as their Senior Dancer of the Year. With a background in contemporary, tap, ballet, modern, jazz, and hip hop, Shea has been given opportunities to further her training through intensives with Chuthis., Hubbard Street Dance Company, New Years Training Camp, The Paul Taylor Summer Intensive, Camp Protege, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, to name a few.

CHELSEA CORREA is from Old, Bridge New Jersey, and began dancing at Dance Stop Dance Education Center at the age of three until deciding to pursue dance at a collegiate level. During her time at her home studio, she attended the Juilliard Summer Intensive in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, she was named a 2021 and 2022 YoungArts National Competition Award Winner as an Honorable Mention in the Modern/Contemporary category. She is a current BFA student at the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, minoring in Mind-Body Studies and holding PAI certifications in Pilates Mat and Reformer I and II. Thus far, she has worked with choreographers and dancers such as Kyle Abraham, Jodie Gates, d. Sabela Grimes, Achinta S. McDaniel, Patrick Corbin, Bret Easterling, Jennifer Lott, Moncell Durden, Ebony Haswell Frazier, Saleemah E. Knight, and many more. Chelsea has performed works by Jiří Kylián, Justin Peck, Peter Chu, Danni Rowe, and Achinta S. McDaniel. She has trained in intensives at Complexions

Contemporary Ballet and BalletX, working with Desmond Richardson, Clifford Williams, Christine Cox, Matthew Neenan, Jennifer Archibald, and Cali Quan.

SATORI FOLKES-STONE Los Angeles born and raised Satori Folkes-Stone is an inaugural alumna of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Soon after graduation she made her 2020 Broadway debut in Ivo Van Hove’s Westside Story. Her other performance credits stretch from film to stage including works by Zachary Woodlee, d. Sabela grimes, William Forsythe, Amy O’Neal, E. Moncell Durden and Stephanie Klemons. Satori hopes to continue making her own work in the pursuit of care for the communities she holds dear. This past fall she participated in the Social Impact Residency at The Kennedy Center’s “The Reach”. As summer nears she excitedly awaits joining the cast of nicHi douglas’ (pray) presented through Ars Nova and National Black Theater.

BRANDON BARUCH (Lighting Designer) is an Ovation Awardwinning lighting designer specializing in theater, opera, dance, and immersive performance. Previously with Blue13 Dance: Shaadi. Other design credits include Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Mark Taper Forum); The Duat (Center Theatre Group Digital Stage); The Dry Years (Ghost Road Company); Radio Golf (A Noise Within); Restless autumn, restless spring (REDCAT); Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (Opera Santa Barbara); Four Larks Frankenstein (The Wallis); Katabasis and Homeric Hymns (Getty Villa); Love Actually: The Unauthorized Musical Parody (Chicago and Off-Broadway); Asterion (The Grotowski Institute, Wrocław, Poland); Overland Industry's Iceland (Ford Amphitheatre); Bataré (West Coast Tour); Dana Foglia Dance VATIC (LA, Long Beach, and NYC); Duke Ellington's Queenie Pie (Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theater); and The Legend of Black Herman, a live magic show commissioned as a companion piece for artist Derek Fordjour's solo exhibition at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles. Brandon also creates solar powered designs for Liquid Light Flight, a yearly trapeze and aerial arts festival at Wild Arts Collective (New Paltz, NY), a community of makers devoted to igniting new ideas, living sustainably, and sharing access to artful spaces immersed in nature. www.brandonbaruch.com

KATELAN BRAYMER (Stage Manager) Katelan Braymer is a Lighting Designer and Technical Director for Theatre, Dance and Opera. LA Designs: Drift, BlueNav, MISFIT, 90Sugar, Time, ROSEWOOD (Michaela Taylor); Daughter of the Wicked (Lions Bay); It's Alive, It's Alive, Fefu and her Friends, Hir, Underneath, Silent, Forgotten, Kiss, A Taste of Honey, The Hairy Ape (Odyssey Theatre); Terra (LACDC); Safe and Sound, Gnarled, Trophy (Kevin Williamson); notes on change_ (Erica Sobol); and JACK (Taylor, Berg, Whyte). NY Designs: Land of Sweets, Company Debut (Movement Headquarters Ballet). Current US/ International Tours: All The Sex I've Ever Had (Mammalian Diving Reflex). Past Tours: David Rousseve, Geoffe Sobelle, Lionel Popkin, and Dan Froot. Films: Mad Woman (Marc Ancito), Harbor (Ivana Horvat), and Tracers (First Two Rounds). Katelan has been a Lighting Assistant at the LA Opera since 2011. KatelanBraymer.com

BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY is an American dance ensemble based in Los Angeles, CA. They are devoted to creating a shift in the perception and practice of American dance through performance, community engagement, and education. For over 20 years, Blue13 has connected with audiences through aesthetically and culturally daring dance. Their highly energetic and theatrical modern dance style is inspired in part by the classical and cultural art forms of the Indian subcontinent. They have taken this work to seven countries through over 100 performances. As a first-generation South Asian American, Blue13’s Artistic director, Achinta S. McDaniel pulls precision, humor, and deep emotion from her ensemble. She creates work that is as rebellious and as unconventional as its architect. Blue13 hires dancers of many backgrounds. A continual exploration of technique and storytelling through dance are central to its growth. The moody and rhythmic work turns the cultural stereotype of Indian dance on its head. Outreach and education are also woven deeply into the company’s mission. They are experts in audience engagement and engage communities through workshops, audience “flash mobs,” and interactive public dance events. Blue13 has toured internationally with engagements at Royce Hall (Los Angeles), Symphony Space (NYC), Mohammed V Theatre (Rabat, Morocco), and at UNESCO (Paris). They have been presented by UNC Wilmington, Tahoe Arts Project, Taal Festival (Cleveland), Northern Alberta Children’s Festival (Canada) and many others. Beyond the concert stage, Blue13 provides choreography for film, television, and commercial events worldwide. They were featured on FOX’s "New Girl" (2016), "So You Think You Can Dance" (2022) and other television programs on MTV, CBS, NBC, WE, Sony TV, and on PBS. Blue13 has also worked with renowned artists and celebrities including A.R. Rahman, DJ Snake, Zooey Deschanel, Dave Franco, Timbaland, Anupam Kher, Rasika Shekar, and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

Blue13 Dance Company Staff

Achinta S. McDaniel FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Matthew Cook EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jon Paul, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Rae Shrum DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

Kylie Conlon PROGRAMMING INTERN

SPECIAL THANKS

Blue13 Dance Company is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture. We’d also like to thank The Perenchio Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Aaron Copland Fund, Natasha Neufeld, Dre Jackson, Jaikaran Sawhny, Arun Mathai, Anthea Bhargava, Michael Graham, Erin O'Malley, Vishal Uttam, Sanjana Seelam, Dale and Don Franzen, Bhupinder and Nilli Sawhny, and Earl S. McDaniel III.

Visit blue13dance.com and follow us on IG or FB @blue13dance to keep up with Blue13 Dance Company.

Next: Playdate, an AAPI residency program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with public events June 23-24, 2023, Stomping Ground LA.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO