ODC/Dance Announces Five New Company Members

ODC/Dance is pleased to announce the addition of five new dancers: Jaime Garcia Castilla, David Calhoun, Christian Squires, Calvin Thomas and Miche Wong.

Audiences can expect to see this outstanding group of new dancers perform in KT Nelson's Path of Miracles at the newly restored Presidio Theatre on October 11; at the Fall for Art fundraiser at McEvoy Ranch September 29; in ODC/Dance's annual holiday favorite, The Velveteen Rabbit, November 29-December 8; at New York's Joyce Theater in January 2020; and in the company's much-anticipated ODC/Dance Downtown at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in March 2020, among other events.

"Change fuels innovation," says ODC Founder and Artistic Director Brenda Way. "In welcoming five new dancers, we look forward to the artistic impact of their diverse and extraordinary talents on new choreography and their re-interpretation of repertory."

Jaime Garcia Castilla was born in Madrid, Spain, and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Professional Dance. He was named an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet in 2001 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet the following year. He was promoted to soloist in 2006 and to principal dancer in 2008. He created roles in Elo's Double Evil; McGregor's Borderlands; Morris' Beaux, Joyride,and Sylvia; Page's Guide to Strange Places; Possokhov's Classical Symphonyand Fusion; and Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour. As a guest artist, Jaime performed at "Ballet Stars From San Francisco," the Lively Arts Foundation Gala in Fresno, California, in 2012, and at the Pas de Deux Gala in Valladolid, Spain, in 2011 and 2012. He danced "Flames of Paris" and "The Ocean and Two Pearls" from The Humpbacked Horse in Osaka, Japan, in 2006.

David Calhoun is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, where his dance training began at the age of 11. He has spent summers studying at Ballet West, Kansas City Ballet, Hubbard Street, Bates Dance Festival, The Graham Intensive, LINES Ballet, Springboard Danse Montreal, and NWDP's LAUNCH. David graduated in 2017 with his BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in Ballet and Modern on full scholarship from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. While in his undergrad, David had the opportunity to dance with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Memoria and Storling Dance Theater's Underground. Upon graduating, he moved to San Francisco to join dawsondancesf where he danced for two seasons under the esteemed direction of Gregory Dawson. He has since danced for Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance, Mark Foehringer Dance Project, and SFDanceWorks. David's love for the mind-body connection led him to obtain his 200hr RYT and he currently teaches yoga in the Bay Area.

Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Christian Squires' dancing has taken him across the country. He began his professional career in Boston Ballet's Second Company (BBII), followed by three seasons with the Boston Ballet. Seeking a change and to expand his repertoire, Christian made the move to the West Coast and joined Oregon Ballet Theatre for another three seasons prior to joining Smuin Ballet. He is also creative director at Post:Ballet.

Hailing from Maysville, Kentucky, Calvin Thomas received foundational training at the Otto M. Budig Academy of Cincinnati Ballet. He has supplemented his studies at Boston Ballet School, The School of American Ballet, Ballet Austin Academy, and The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. His careerbegan with the Cincinnati Ballet and Ballet Austin. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2011 he has performed with Company C Contemporary Ballet, New York Theatre Ballet, Oakland Ballet Company, Dance Theatre of San Francisco, Kiandanda Dance Theater, Mark Foehringer Dance Project, and Garrett Moulton Productions. His repertoire includes works by Thang Dao, Gregory Dawson, Yuri Zhukov, and Maurice Causey among others. When not dancing he still enjoys time in the studio sharing knowledge and teaching the next generation of dancers. He has recently developed a passion for coaching from the inspiration of his mentor, Shannon Bresnahan.

Classically trained, Miche Wong has danced for locally and internationally recognized modern dance companies. In 2013, she became the only foreign company member of Guangdong Modern Dance Company under the direction of Willy Tsao. She returned to the Bay Area in 2016 and joined Garrett + Moulton Productions as a company dancer along with Ziru Dance, LevyDance, Capacitor, among others. Miche's movement theories have constantly evolved since her early training at UC Santa Barbara (BFA '09) and Contra Costa Ballet Centre. She currently teaches for studios in the Bay Area, including the Lines Ballet Training Program.

For more information about ODC/Dance and the new dancers, please visit www.odc.dance

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