Core Artists
Beth McEnery (choreographer/dancer) is a dedicated mother, student and educator. Beth has been part-time Dance faculty at Sonoma State University and Mendocino College, and has been commissioned to create dances for schools throughout California. For over 12 years, Beth has collaborated with Ruth Griffin, creating a vast and varied program of dance duets. Beth taught and trained in New York City for 10 years at the Jose Limon Dance Center and Ruth Currier Dance Studio. She now brings her passion for movement and learning to her kindergarten classroom at Village Elementary School.
Mercy Sidbury (choreographer) moved to San Francisco in 1976 as a member of Oberlin Dance Collective. She spend the next 25 years dancing, teaching and choreographing in the Bay Area, in addition to a short stint in New York City. A ten year member of the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, she toured nationally and internationally with the company before leaving in 1988 to pursue a variety of other dance challenges, including teaching at Sonoma State. She subsequently received awards and grants for performance and choreography and feels privileged to have been a part of the thriving Bay Area dance community. She moved to Sonoma County in 1999 and currently spends her time teaching movement education based in the Pilates Method at her home studio, and dance technique at Mendocino College. She wishes to thank Amanda and all the fabulous dancers who are dedicated to bringing more dance to our beautiful county.
Virginia Matthews (choreographer/dancer) began her dance career at Sarah Lawrence College under the mentorship of Bessie Shoenberg and trained at The Merce Cunningham Studio in New York City. She was a founding member of The Margaret Jenkins Dance Co. in San Francisco, and continued her professional career as co-artistic director of Dances for 1 and 2, establishing her own dance company in 1983. Since moving to Sonoma County, she has worked extensively with youth and adults through her classes at Downtown Dance/Art Space, Analy High School and The Sebastopol Community Center. She founded All City Dance, a teen dance company and is now involved in creating The Continuum Dance Project, a performing company encompassing ages 8 to 60. Her choreography has been performed throughout the U.S. and in other countries since 1974. She is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts award for choreography.
Nicole Imholz (choreographer/dancer) attends Dominican University and is pursuing a teaching credential for elementary school. She received her B.A. in Dance from Sonoma State University in 2008, and has had a wonderful experience dancing around the Bay Area with various choreographers. She is eager to continue learning, exploring, and creating movement.
Kristen Daley (dancer/choreographer) graduated summa cum laude from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University where she received a B.F.A. in Dance in 1992. In 1994, she joined the Doug Elkins Dance Company (NYC), for whom she performed and taught, both nationally and internationally until 2001. She has also worked with Mark Haim, Matthew Nash, and Locate Performance Group. Kristen was a member of the Chamber Dance Company in Seattle, Washington from 2001-2003 dancing the works of Isadora Duncan, Hanya Holm, Hannah Kahn, Susan Marshall, Bebe Miller, Mark Morris and Anna Sokolow. She has been a guest artist at Ohio University, New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, Dance Works Rotterdam and SummerDance Santa Barbara. Kristen received her M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Washington in 2003 and is currently on faculty as Associate Professor of Dance at Sonoma State University.
Gloria Rubio (dancer/choreographer) has always had a deep love for dance, but it wasn't until her college years that she began her formal training and she has been at it ever since! The proud holder of an Associates Degree in Dance, Gloria is currently in her last year as a double major in Dance and Psychology at Sonoma State University. Gloria has studied many forms of dance, but the greatest concentration in her training has been focused in the areas of Modern/Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet and Salsa. She has had the honor of studying with Beth Megill, Kristen Daley, Nancy Lyons, Scott Wells, Suzanne Lappas, Kathleen Hermesdorf, and Sheldon Smith, as well as workshops with Joe Goode, Deborah Hay, Jawole Zollar (Urban Bush Women), and Diavolo Dance Theater. While at Sonoma State, she has had the privilege to perform and choreograph for the dance department's Dance Ensemble, choreograph for two theatrical productions, and direct and organize two site-specific movement projects. She also teaches salsa and contemporary dance at McGrath's Performing Arts in Rohnert Park. A strong believer in the healing powers of dance, her future plans include the pursuit of a Master's degree in Dance/Movement Therapy.
Mira-Lisa Katz (dancer/choreographer), , a
native of Seattle, has been dancing in the Bay Area since 1977. She has
performed with Lucas Hoving, Mary Reid, the Isadora Duncan Dance
Project, the Yoga Garden Dancers, Virginia Matthews, Nancy Lyons, and
many other local choreographers. Mira earned a Ph.D. in Language,
Literacy & Culture from U.C. Berkeley in 1999, and is Associate
Professor of English at Sonoma State University. She teaches and writes
about literacy, language education and embodied learning.
