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BOARD & STAFF KATE HUTTER
 MICHELLE M. MIERZ
EMILIE PENDER Emilie Pender, a native of Los Angeles, CA, joined the Board of Directors of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company in Fall of 2006. Emilie began her formal dance training at the age of four under the Performing Arts Center in Van Nuys. She has since studied and performed with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and was named a Music Center Spotlight Award ballet semi-finalist. Emilie is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a BA in International Relations and currently works as a Project Manager in the real estate development industry. Emilie plans to use her extensive dance experience and passion for the arts to contribute to the success of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company. CASEY COWAN GALE Casey Cowan Gale's extensive experience ranges from co-designing the lighting for the world premiere of Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches to designing the architectural lighting for ABC's Nightline offices in Washington D.C. Her most recent work includes the lighting designs for The Music Man, My Fair Lady, and Mame at the Hollywood Bowl with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, all directed by Gordon Hunt. For her work she has received a Dramalogue Award, the L.A. Weekly Award, and awards from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. She served for 6 years as a lighting designer for Walt Disney Imagineering, where she designed the lighting for various attractions at Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and Walt Disney World. She spent an additional 5 years at Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development researching and evaluating lighting technology for any and all branches of the Walt Disney Company. Currently, Casey is the Director of Lighting Design for the University of Southern California School of Theatre. TERRI BEST Terri Best's career as a dancer, choreographer and teacher spans over 25 years. Her choreography has been featured in the annual Jazz Dance L.A. series at the Luckman Theater, and at the Alex, Ivar, El Portal, Los Angeles Theater Center, and numerous other venues throughout L.A. She choreographed Pacific Resident Theater's production of Noel Coward's Tonight at 8:30 , which received the L.A. Times Ovation Award for Best Production of the Year. TV credits include: The Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Christmas Special, the 15th Annual Golden Eagle Awards , and commercials for McDonald's. Terri is on faculty at EDGE Performing Arts Center, teaches summer sessions at the Colburn School, and conducts master classes throughout the U.S. She has served as an adjudicator for L.A. Danceforce, and on the Advisory Boards of the JDLA Foundation and the L.A. County High School for the Arts. In March 2007, Terri choreographed "The Union" for LACDC's Spring Concert, Uninhibited Space , at the Diavolo Dance Space. She joined the Board of Directors in January 2008. ADVISORY BOARD Julie McDonald, Lee Wochner, Lon Haber, Lucy Lee, and Margo Apostolos COLLABORATORS DANE MARTENS After escaping his tiny hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho, Dane moved to Los Angeles to attend USC. While studying theatre and dance, he saw the potential to build and fortify the USC Repertory Dance Company. With support and teamwork, Kate and Dane were both given the chances to direct their own main stage dance shows for the company their senior year. Currently Dane is working for USC as a graphic designer for the Division of Student Affairs and designing materials for the Odyssey Theatre, Workshop 360, and LA Contemporary Dance Company. ERIC MASON Eric began his rocky relationship with music at age 4, kicking and screaming at the piano as his mother constantly reminded him to practice every day, transforming into a deep passion for music through the process of self-discovery. He has performed as principal cellist for several orchestras, as well as being a member of the SCSBOA All-Southern and CODA/CMEA California All-State Honor Orchestras. He is an alumnus of UCLA with a B.A. in Business and Economics with a Minor in Music and New Media, where he performed as a member of the UCLA Philharmonia Orchestra and worked under artists such as Bill Barminski, and Judy Baca. He attended ArtCenter in Pasadena for post-grad work in Graphic Design, 3D, and Animation. He currently works as a Technical Director for Imaginary Forces ( www.imaginaryforces.com), collaboratively developing best practices for Games and Emergent Media , including the Technical Direction of MTV's Tech Emmy nominated "Virtual Laguna Beach". At Imaginary Forces, Eric also composes music and creates sound design for feature film and commercial work. On his own time, he continues to create art and music, and is interested in pursuing the serendipitous results that collaborative works provide. RYAN HEFFINGTON Ryan is a Horton Award winning dancer, choreographer and designer. Ryan Heffington has rocked the stage and screen with Hysterica Dance Company, FischerSpooner, Peaches, and numerous music videos. High and low art enthusiasts alike have experienced his electrifying work at venues not limited to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and New York runway fashion shows. His nomadic monthly nightclub Fingered showcases only the most avant garde of LA dance and music performances. His design alias, Sir Heffington, has clothed celebrities Beck, Mick Jagger, and Gwen Stefani to name just a few. Ryan currently teaches at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Hollywood. www.sirheffington.com |
Kate Hutter is co-founder and Artistic Director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company as well as an independent choreographer in the Los Angeles area. Kate is an alumnus of the Walnut Hill School and a graduate of the University of Southern California with a BFA in Theatrical Design. She also holds a MFA in choreography from Purchase College, SUNY. Kate has won awards from the USC School of Theatre for Outstanding Choreography 2001-2004 and the Stanley Musgrove Award and the James and Nony Doolittle Award for her unique contributions in the theatre, as well as the MFA Dance Award for outstanding achievement in her program. Kate continues to create new works for the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, choreograph for theater productions, commercials and school commissions, teach open classes at the Diavolo Dance Lab and develop new ways of bringing dance to the public and educating students through LACDC's outreach programming.
Michelle Mierz is co-founder and Executive Director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company. She proudly grew up in West Seattle, WA and is trained as a dancer herself since the age of four, including her four years as a USC FlyGirl. Michelle combines her passion for dance and her business background to serve as the Executive Director of LACDC. Michelle graduated magna cum laude from the USC Marshall School of Business Honors Program/ Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies with a BS. Her professional credits outside of LACDC include Director of Key Accounts for Apex Systems in Los Angeles, one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S, work with the consulting firm, CounterIntuity, as a Project Manager, interim operations manager for the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, as well as Associate Producer with LA Stage Alliance for the 2004 Ovation Awards. Her credits as a professional dance producer and manager include active membership in EmergingArtsLeaders/LA and DanceUSA, and work with the Choreography Media Honors. Home | Credits | Site Map | Contact Us