Savage Jazz Dance Company Dancer Biographies
DANCE ARTISTS
Alison Hurley
Alison Hurley began taking ballet in, Toulouse, France, where she was born, continuing her ballet studies (R.A.D. method) with Barbara Gabriel, after moving to the U.S. She began studying jazz and contemporary dance with founding SJDC member, Zafra Miriam in 1992, and attended the 1993 and 1994 SJDC Summer Intensives. Ms. Hurley began training with Mr. Savage in 1994 and joined SJDC in 1995. She has taught repertory and ballet for SJDC Summer Intensives and has assisted Mr. Savage in setting repertory on Oakland School for the Arts (OSA), Oakland Ballet, and Peninsula Ballet Theatre. She worked for Ms. Karen Brown (former ballerina at Dance Theatre of Harlem) and Donald McKayle as Rehearsal Mistress for OSA dancers performing in Mr. McKayle’s “Ella”. Ms. Hurley was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Individual Performance for SJDC’s 2006 Season at ODC Theater (SF). With SJDC, she has been honored to work with Robert Moses, former Martha Graham Dance Company member Marni Wood, Maia Siani, and Broadway veteran Alex Sanchez.
Damon Mahoney
Damon Mahoney began his dance training in Santa Barbara and then Los Angeles, studying ballet, lyrical jazz, modern and hip hop. He began his performing career with Oakland Ballet in 2005. He has since worked with a variety of companies including Savage Jazz Dance Company, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Moving Arts Dance, Los Angeles’ Luminario Ballet and San Diego Opera. He has recently been made a member of San Francisco Opera’s Resident Corps and has danced as a soloist in their 2010 season. In addition to dancing Damon is a Pilates Instructor, Acrobat and Fire Performer. He most recently appeared with Oakland Ballet for their Nutcracker and in several works for Menlowe Ballet.
Jarrod Mayo
Jarrod Mayo began studying dance with Terry Smith Dance Studio and Dancemakers Studio and began training at Oakland School for the Arts (OSA) in 2004, under the direction of Dance Emphasis Chair, Reginald Ray-Savage, where he received training from Mr. Savage, former SJDC dancer Maia Siani, Broadway veteran Alex Sanchez, and former Martha Graham Dance Company (MGDC) dancer Christopher Dolder. While at OSA, Mr. Mayo has also been honored to have had the opportunity to take masterclasses and/or receive coaching from Donald McKayle (choreographer; former dancer with MGDC, Merce Cunningham), Karen Brown (former Dance Theater of Harlem [DTH] Principle Ballerina; former Artistic Director of Oakland Ballet), Renee Robinson (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer since 1981), Corrine Nagata (former SJDC dancer; North Carolina School for the Arts graduate; former teacher for Arthur Mitchell at DTH, Jacques D'Amboise at the National Dance Institute, and at The Ailey School), Alison Hurley (SJDC dancer since 1995), Alicia Lundgren (former student of Mr. Savage; Ailey School/Fordham University B.F.A. program graduate; former dancer with Ailey II and Dallas Black Dance Theater; PHILADANCO dancer since 2008), and Ethan Kirschbaum (former SJDC dancer; Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. program Magna cum Laude graduate; former dancer with Hubbard Street 2; Donlon Dance Company [Germany] dancer since 2010). Mr. Mayo first performed with SJDC in 2007 and graduated from OSA, as a Dance Emphasis major, in 2008. In 2010, Jarrod appeared on the reality show, “So You Think You Can Dance”, making it to the Las Vegas round.
Genna Beattie
Genna Beattie began her training under the instruction of Mr. Savage and founding SJDC member Zafra Miriam. She attended the SJDC Summer Intensive several times and has taught jazz dance at Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. Genna joined SJDC in 2010.
DANCE APPRENTICES
Julian Pham
Julian Pham is a student of Reginald Ray-Savage and is very excited to be dancing with SJDC. He has danced with Push Dance Company, ahdanco, and the Erika Shuch Performance Project.
Sumarri Wilson
Sumarri Wilson was born and raised in Oakland CA and started her training with Oakland Ballet before beginning to take private ballet lessons at Glenview Performing Arts Academy for 5 years. She began attending Oakland School for the Arts at the age of 12 and has been under the training of Mr. Savage for 6 years. She has been accepted into various summer intensives including Dance Theater of Harlem and the Alvin Ailey Summer Program. She is honored to currently be apprenticing with Savage Jazz Dance Company.
Evan Samuel Kharrazi
Evan Samuel Kharrazi is an honor student of dance at the Oakland School for the Arts, Maccabi Gold Medalist, and previous Junior Mr. Dance of California. He attends Oakland Midrasha and is the recipient of the Isaac Sevi Holocaust Memorial Award for artistic interpretation. Mr. Kharrazi has attended Cornell University Summer College and will be attending Juilliard’s dance intensive this summer. Mr. Kharrazi has studied with many notable choreographers including auditioning for Broadway’s Billy Elliot and acceptance into the Boston Arts Academy. Mr. Kharrazi has been dancing for seven years and is honored to be an apprentice in the Savage Jazz Dance Company.
Melissa Schumann
Melissa Schumann began her dance training in Fairfield CA with Anita Darbonne and Sarah Kalmar-Hayward in 2003. Although she began her dance training with classical ballet, she quickly discovered a love for contemporary ballet and jazz. Melissa began her training with Reginald Ray-Savage in March of 2008. She has attended summer programs at Diablo Ballet, City Ballet of San Francisco, Debbie Allen Dance Academy in 2007 and 2008, and this past summer at The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. In August of 2009, after returning from Ailey, Melissa was invited to apprentice with SJDC.