November 6 & 7, 2026, 7:30pm
Angelus Novus
Choreography: Sarah Elizabeth Stanley
Music: Like a Miracle by Missy Mazzolli and Victoire
Dancers: Alexia Hernandez, Kaylee Shirk, Valezka Vega, Emma Yagi
My wing is ready for flight,
I would like to turn back.
If I stayed everliving time,
I'd still have little luck.
-Gerhard Scholem, Greetings from the Angelus (translation Edmund Jephcott)
Thanks for the Dance
Choreography: Niobe Engman in collaboration with the dancers
Music: Leonard Cohen
Costume embellishment: Trace Barba
Dancers: Maria José Arizmendi, Anthony Najera
In memory of my grandpa, Jim Gage
What Remains
Choreography: Bethany Brazelton
Music: Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye
Dancers: Ayla Alstrup, Aiace Argentieri Isola-Iles, Benjamin Brannan, Bethany Brazelton, Niobe Engman
Nani/ Nani
Choreography: Rachel Berman after Kanoe Miller
Music: Nani Nai/ Nani Venuse by Nā Palapalai
Costume Design: Puahina
Dancers: Kayla Fauese, Stephanie Fuentes Flores
Beauty is yours, oh Venus
Controlled Chaos
Choreography: Valezka Vega
Music: Pilgrim (Paula Temple Remix) by Fink, Maquina de Humo and War Machines by Michael Wall
Dancers: Kenny Althaqeb, Maria José Arizmendi, Tessa Cardoza, Katie Carian, Alexandrea Diaz, Kaylee Shirk, Claire A. To
* Intermission *
(There will be a 15 minute intermission)
heIshethemwe
Choreography: David McMahan
Music: Lesley Barber, Crystal Castles
Dancers: Aiace Argentieri Isola-Iles, Bengamin Brannan, Katie Carian, Tessa Cardoza, Alexandrea Diaz, Faith Fjelstad, Kayla Fauese, Danna Garcia, Karen Kaneko, Monet Lace, Chia Wei Pai, Emmerson Palmieri, Blanca Piedra, Claire A. To, Melodi Urso, Riley Wimberly
A Modern Man
Choreography: Shana Menaker and the Dancers
Soundtrack: George Carlin
Costume Design: Beatrix Li and Kaylee Shirk
Dancers: Ayla Alstrup, Kaylee Shirk, Emma Yagi
Understudy: Breanna O'Neill-Metzdorff
Fragility Within
Choreography: Maria José Arizmendi
Music: Goldwing by Billie Eilish, Headlock instrumental and vocals by Imogen Heap
Dancers: Benjamin Brannan, Katie Carian, Michael Carreno Reyes, Alexandrea Diaz, Danna Garcia, Anthony Najera, Valezka Vega
Synthpop Suite
Choreography: Zachary Groenewold
Music: Midnight Danger, iANO
Dancers: Leah Browne, Niobe Engman, Faith Fjelstad, Karen Kaneko, Blanca Piedra, May Me Yone Shwe, Mifuyu Tsuji, Riley Wimberly
For the courtesy of audience members and performers:
- Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and not accessed at any time inside the theatre (before, during or after the performance and during pauses).
- Video recording and photographing by audience members is strictly prohibited.
- Parents, please take small children outside immediately if they are unable to sit quietly.
- Anyone creating a disturbance by shouting out inappropriately, or who cannot comply with theatre policies will be asked to leave the theatre.
Thank you for your courtesy to the dancers on stage and to fellow audience members.
BIOGRAPHIES
MARIA JOSÉ ARIZMENDI (Student - They/ Them) started their dancing journey in Garden Grove, where they joined the high school dance team. There, they had the opportunity to choreograph pieces for fall and spring performances and end of the semester school assemblies. In 2024, they received a nomination for the OC Artist of the Year Award and advanced as a semifinalist for the dance category. They intend to transfer into a California State University this spring after completing an Associate in Arts degree in dance at OCC. This is their first choreographic work for OCC.
RACHEL BERMAN (Full-Time faculty/ Dept Chair - She/ Her), originally from Hawaii, has had a diverse career in all aspects of the field of dance, the bulk of which was a decade spent performing principal roles with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. She has also performed with, among others, Ballet Hispanico, May O’Donnell, The American Repertory Dance Company, The Joyce Trisler Danscompany, and the hula companies of Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu and Pua Aliʻi ʻIlima O Nuioka. She has appeared in numerous television productions and was featured in the Academy Award nominated documentary DANCEMAKER. Ms. Berman has re-staged Mr. Taylor’s works on universities and professional companies throughout the United States and has been on faculty at several institutions. She is the co-director of LA MOVES - a summer dance Intensive at USC.
BETHANY BRAZELTON (Student - She/ Her) has nearly 15 years of dance experience and is pursuing her Associate in Arts degree in Dance and Dance Instructor Certificate of Achievement at OCC. Passionate about storytelling through movement, she strives to create work that evokes emotion and reflection. She has participated in numerous dance projects and was most recently featured in Culture OC for Ashley Jones’ TAP-AS show. This is her second choreographic work for OCC.
NIOBE ENGMAN (Student - She/ Her) began her dance training in Arizona, where she studied ballet, tap, and jazz. She attended the University of Arizona where she began studying modern as well. She had the opportunity to perform in Doug Nielsen’s Show me the Place and Wreck a Pair. She also spent a few years in L.A., dancing at Movement Lifestyle. She is working towards her Associate in Arts degree in dance at OCC. This is her first choreographic work for OCC.
ZACHARY GROENEWOLD (Part Time faculty - He/ Him) is a dance educator and choreographer based out of Southern California. He has been on Faculty at Chapman University, Cal Poly Pomona, Orange Coast College, Mt. Sac, University of La Verne, and Golden West College. His teachings specialize in Commercial Dance, Street Dance, and Contemporary dance techniques. Zach was a member of the San Diego based company Axxiom Dance Collective. During his time with Axxiom Dance Collective, he was selected to represent the company as a soloist. In 2010, Zach became a member of Team Millennia and in 2012 his dancing and leadership skills earned him the position on the team’s artistic board. Concurrently, Zach was also fortunate enough to perform and choreograph in a variety of venues including LA Fashion Week, OC Fashion Week, the World of Dance Industry Awards, and Vidcon. In 2024, his work we're only as sick as our secrets, performed by Orange Coast College students, was awarded runner-up at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival. His choreographic works representing Orange Coast College at the American College Dance Association were selected for national performance at the Kennedy Center in 2018 (Focus) & 2025 (Law of the Jungle). He is a sought-after choreographer and guest teacher, with credits across the country, as well as internationally, reaching all the way to Taipei, Taiwan. Zach obtained his master's degree in dance education from the University of Northern Colorado.
DAVID MCMAHAN (Part Time faculty - He/ Him) is a Southern California native and studied at Orange Coast College and the University of Arizona School of Dance before earning his MFA from the University of California, Irvine. His studies with first-generation Pilates Elder Ron Fletcher inspired a lasting commitment to helping people move with strength, clarity, and ease through the Pilates method. David currently serves as Director of Training for Club Pilates, one of the world’s largest Pilates networks. In this role, he oversees teacher training and professional development across the international franchise network, advancing educational standards and creating programs that support teacher growth while honoring the integrity of the Pilates method. Previously, David led enterprise learning and development initiatives at Xponential Fitness, supporting education programs across multiple boutique fitness brands. He also served as Director of Training and Technique for Pure Barre and Director of Continuing Education for Fletcher Pilates. In addition to his corporate roles, David teaches at Orange Coast College and is a former President of the Pilates Method Alliance Board of Directors.
SHANA MENAKER (Part Time faculty - She/ Her) began dancing at the age of three in order to learn the difference between right and left. While receiving her BFA from Tisch School of the Arts, she joined the Sara Rudner Performance Ensemble, touring the United States, Canada, and Europe. Shana has danced as a freelance performer with a number of choreographers including Douglas Nielsen, Louis Falco, Douglas Dunn, Alvin Mayes, and Heather Ahern. She earned her MFA in Dance from California State University, Long Beach. For more than twenty-five years she has taught Modern, Improv, Yoga, and Pilates at OCC, University of California, Irvine, Soka University, and Chapman University. Shana embraces a deep love of all art forms, while seeking a spirit of originality and creative play.
SARAH ELIZABETH STANLEY (Part Time faculty - She/ Her) is a dancer and anthropologist. She has performed with DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion, x2 Dance Collective, the Esperanza Dance Project, and the Paul Taylor School. Additional performance credits include works by Alvin Ailey, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Keith Johnson, Bill T. Jones, Jose Limón, and Marjani Forte Saunders. As a freelance artist, Sarah has performed at The Metropolitan Museum, Lincoln Center Festival, and Spoleto Festival USA. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA from California State University, Long Beach. Sarah has taught Modern Dance, Ballet, Jazz, Partnering and Floorwork, Composition, and Dance for the Camera at Orange Coast College, California State University, Long Beach, and various private studios across Southern California. Sarah is earning a PhD in Anthropology at The University of California, Irvine where her research considers the intersection of dance and healing.
VALEZKA VEGA (Student - she/her) Began her dance journey at OCCTAC (Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center) at a young age. She was part of The Wooden Floor dance community for nine years. She is finishing her Associate in Arts degree in dance at OCC and intends to transfer this Spring to a BFA program in dance. This is her first choreographic work for OCC.
We Need Your Support!
Your tax-deductible contribution will help offset costs for future OCC Dance Department performances. Your donations will be used wisely; they can assist the department in purchasing materials for costumes, paying for live music, commissioning guest choreographers and introducing our students to master teachers and guest artists. Donations might also provide scholarship opportunities for our dance students. For more information, contact Rachel Berman at 714-432-5691. If you wish to set up an endowed dance scholarship, contact the OCC Dance Department or Patricia Falzon at the OCC Foundation.
OCC DANCE FACULTY
Full-Time
Rachel Berman
(Department Chair)
Part-Time
Emily Chapman, Delyer Coffman, Brande Dunn, Monti Ellison, Amythyst Fritzler, Rosa Garcia, Zachary Groenewold, Hiroko Hojo, David McMahan, Shana Menaker, Noelle Snavely, Linda Sohl-Ellison, Sarah Stanley, Rebecca Wong-Burdett
Instructional Associate for Dance
Joe Lawrence
Part-Time Dance Musicians
Billy Meza, Malik Sow
PRODUCTION STAFF
Concert Directors: Rachel Berman, Zachary Groenewold
Technical Director/ Lighting Design: Chris Cuthill
Sound Engineer: Melanie Lopez
Stage Crew: Chris Cuthill, Lewis Gomez, Melanie Lopez
Program: Joe Lawrence
Printing: OCC Print Services
Tickets: OCC Bursar’s Office
A Very Special Thank You to
Chancellor: Whitney Yamamura, Ed.D.
Dr. Angelica Suarez, President of Orange Coast College
Larissa Nazarenko, Dean of Visual and Performing Arts
for their continued support!
* Coming Events *
FALL STUDENT DANCE SHOWCASE
Thursday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m.
Robert B. Moore Theatre
OCC's Dance Department extends an invitation to an informal end-of-the-semester
presentation of classroom material and works in progress. The Student Dance Showcase
shows the department's wide range of dance styles including Jazz, Modern, Ballet,
Tap, Hip-Hop, Contemporary, African, Folklórico and Composition.
For more information, please contact Rachel Berman,
Dance Department Chair, at rberman3@occ.cccd.edu