Category: BFA Faculty

Born and raised in New York, Dexandro Montalvo is a San Francisco based director, choreographer, dancer, and dance educator. A professional dancer with Robert Moses’ Kin (RMK) and various other companies for over six seasons, his choreographic commissions include works for RMK, Liss Fain Dance Company, LINES Ballet’s Training and Summer Programs, The Black Eyed Peas, DanceWorks Chicago, MINI (USA), Mini Amp Live, SF Ballet School, Concept o4, Dance Mission’s Dance Brigade, Sleepy Hollow Performing Arts Center, Cardinal Ballet, University of SF Dance Ensemble, Marin School of the Arts, & the ODC Dance Jam. Dexandro and his choreography have appeared on the MTV, BET, Telemundo, and Fox networks. He is a past Artistic Director of the Dance Theatre of San Francisco (in his tenure DTSF won two of the four Isadora Duncan award nominations including “Outstanding Choreography” for his ballet, “Pent”). Additionally, he was awarded a 2019 Saint Louis Inner Circle Award for “Such Sweet Thunder”, won an Izzie Award for his choreography in “Art Behind Bars” in 2014, and was nominated for another with “Impluse” in 2015 (RMK commission).

As a dance educator, Dexandro currently teaches at SF Ballet, USF, Dominican University of California (LINES Ballet BFA Program), LINES Ballet Training Program, and ODC Dance Commons. Dexandro also serves as Assistant Director and Rehearsal Master of ODC’s pre-professional teen company. He has also taught at many other schools including Stanford University, SUNY Purchase College, and Sleepy Hollow Performing Arts Center. Dexandro holds a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase College.

Learn more at DexandroMontalvo.com

Alonzo King LINES Ballet | BFA at Dominican and Summer Program

Maurya Kerr is a choreographer, educator, performer, and the artistic director of tinypistol, where her choreographic work has been honored by numerous awards, grants, and commissions. She was an ODC artist-in-residence from 2015 to 2018, and completed her MFA through Hollins University in 2016, writing her thesis on people of color and their access to, or prohibition from, wonderment. Maurya was a member of Alonzo King LINES Ballet for twelve years and teaches extensively in their educational programs. She most recently performed in The Foundry’s ‘Deep South’ and BodyCartography Project’s ‘felt room’ at SFMOMA and the University of Minnesota’s Weisman Museum. In 2017 Maurya Kerr co-founded the tiny little get down, a quarterly dance party intended to defiantly and subversively fortify otherness through embodied joy and the power of the collective.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet | BFA at Dominican and Summer Program

Photography | © Andrew Weeks

A former Alonzo King LINES Ballet dancer, Gregory created dawsondancesf in 2007 as an outlet for his choreographic vision. The Company debuted at the California State Summer School of the Arts. With movement that is physical and deliberate, the company uses the Classical idiom, in unpredictable ways. Dawson relishes utilizing the sculptural grace, and physicality of motion, thus allowing his dancers to fully utilize every ounce of their kinetic, and animal energy.

Shortly after forming the Company, Dawson created “which light in the sky is us” for Company C Contemporary Ballet, (nominated for an Isadora Duncan Award for choreography) became Assistant Director of the California State Summer School of the Arts In the fall of 2011, Dawson became Artistic Director of Dawson Wallace Dance Project in Denver, Colorado, where the Denver Post named him “the best choreographer in Denver.” Dawson received a CHIME grant, partnering him with choreographic mentor Elizabeth Streb for one year. In September 2013, dawsondancesf re-established the company in SF with the premiere of “fabricca matterasso d’argento” at Zaccho Dance Theatre. Following this, Mr. Dawson created “birds eye view” (a collaboration with the Richard Howell Quintet) for the 2014 Black Choreographers Festival, which received an Isadora Duncan Award in 2015. “MONOCHROME” at the BAN7 Festival 2014 in San Francisco.

In the Fall of 2014, Dawson premiered “in this moment” with Richard Howell and“intrinsic motion project”, and in 2015 completed it’s 5-week residency at CSSSA. In spring of 2015, dawsondancesf premiered “Intima” produced by Al’myra Communication, which collaborated with AliKaf – visuals, and Ashraf kateb – music. dawsondancesf made it’s debut in New York City in the Fall of 2014, with a return in September 2015, at Baruch College. In 2015 dawsondancesf premiered “Punctus Contra Punctum”, at Grey Area SF. In fall of 2016 dawsondancesf in collaboration with Sidra Bell NY presented an evening in SF at ODC Theater with the premiere of “lovechild”and in Summer 2016, “Altered Larynx”. In the Fall of 2016 dawsondancesf was invited to Pixar studios in Oakland to perform for the premiere of CoCo. In the Winter of 2017 the company was presented by YBCA for the premiere of “les verities”. In the Spring 2017, “RITE 17” was premiered at Grey Area SF, and in the Fall of 2018 “Floating in Mid-Air” premiered at the Bayview Opera House. In Winter 2019 dawsondancesf premiered “Champion and Lovers” at Dance Mission Theater in SF.

Dawson has made over 70 works since founding the company in 2007. “MANGAKU” is his fifth with Howell and the 18th work for dawsondancesf. The rest include commissions for other companies: Boston Conservatory, Menlowe Ballet, Robert Moses’ Kin, Tacoma Metropolitan Ballet, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and compositions for all of Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s education programs.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet |  BFA at Dominican and Summer Program

Photography | © Devi Pride Photography