profiles
margaret jenkins

Joseph Copley,
Dancer/Collaborator

Joseph Copley was raised in Waverly, PA where he began his career as a tap dancer. After receiving his BFA from SUNY Purchase, he moved to the Bay Area and joined Oakland Ballet. He has had the honor of working with such iconic artists as Anna Halprin, John Sanborn, Carol Teten, and Heklina. Outside of MJDC, he is also a member of Amy Seiwert/im'ij-re, Mark Foehringer Dance Project/SF, Dance Through Time, SF Boylesque, and San Francisco Opera Ballet. Joseph joined MJDC in 2004.

Margaret Cromwell,
Dancer/Collaborator

Margaret Cromwell is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After earning her BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts, she taught dance and visual art at a secondary school on the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies. She initially moved to the Bay Area to earn her MFA from Mills College in Oakland. She had the pleasure of dancing, teaching, and touring with Axis Dance Company for two years and working with artists such as Margaret Jenkins, Joe Goode, Victoria Marks, Kate Weare and Sonya Delwaide. She was very honored to join the MJDC in 2008.

Chad Dawson,
Dancer/Collaborator

Chad Dawson was born and raised in New Orleans, LA where he began his dance training at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase in 2008. Since arriving in San Francisco he has had the pleasure of working with Heidi Schweiker, RAWdance, Mark Foehringer Dance Project/SF, Nol Simonse, Erika Chong Shuch, Gretchen Garnett and Dancers, and Stephen Pelton Dance Theater.

Kelly Del Rosario,
Dancer/Collaborator

Kelly Del Rosario was born and raised in Mililani, Hawaii. He began his studies in dance in 2001 at the University of Hawaii and received his B.F.A. in Dance in 2005. Del Rosario has also studied Capoeira in Hawaii, California and Brazil since 1998. Upon graduation he moved to San Francisco where he worked with Shift>>>Physical Theater, Kara Davis of Project Agora, Liberation Dance, Sarah Bush Dance Project, and Robert Moses' Kin. This is his second season with the MJDC.

Steffany Ferroni,
Dancer/Collaborator

Steffany Ferroni was born in New Jersey. As a young dancer, she studied on full scholarship at Steps on Broadway in New York City. She continued her education at North Carolina School of the Arts and moved to San Francisco in 1997, where she has worked with Liss Fain Dance, Janice Garrett & Dancers, Mary Carbonara Dances and Heidi Schweiker. She joined the MJDC in 2005. Special thanks to her husband Gabe and her family for all of their love and support.

Chinchin Hsu,
Dancer/Collaborator

Chinchin Hsu was born and raised in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and loves to move, create and share. She has trained in ballet, various modern techniques, Tai-chi, Chinese martial art, jazz and improvisation while playing the violin. Chinchin is a graduate of Tsoying High School, and received her BFA with highest honor from New World School of the Arts. In 2008, Chinchin moved to SF and has worked with ODC/SF, KUNST-STOFF/ SF, Anne Bluethenthal & Dancers, Here Now Dance Collective, Project. B. and Kara Davis of Project Agora. Thanks to her beloved husband and family for their support through time. She joined MJDC in 2012.

Risa Larsen,
Dancer/Collaborator

Risa Larsen was born in Portland, OR, and raised in southern Sweden. Her dance training began with African and Middle-Eastern dance. In her teens she studied classical ballet with Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet Theater in Sacramento. She earned her BFA in dance from the National College of Arts in Oslo, Norway. Risa danced in NYC then moved to San Francisco, where she worked with Todd Courage, Janice Garrett, and Hope Mohr among others. In the spring of 2011, Risa moved to Sweden to perform with Skånes Dance Theater. This is her first season with MJDC.

Heidi Schweiker,
Dancer/Collaborator

Heidi Schweiker first performed in San Francisco in July, 1996, and has been a steady and diverse participant in Bay Area dancemaking since then. A member of Margaret Jenkins Dance Company since 2000, Heidi also performed with Janice Garrett & Dancers for 8 years, as well as in projects with Mary Carbonara Dances, Nancy Karp + Dancers and choreographer Lea Wolf. Her choreography has been seen in numerous local festivals, through choreographic commissions from her alma mater Stanford University, and most recently in Dreams of Speaking, her first self-produced full evening of work. Heidi is on faculty at San Francisco Dance Center, LINES Ballet School and ODC Dance Commons.

Ryan T. Smith,
Dancer/Collaborator

Ryan T. Smith thrives on choreography, R&B and dark chocolate. He received his BA from Brown University performing in works choreographed by artists such as Carla Maxwell, Danny Buraczeski, Anthony Rizzi and Danny Grossman. Smith joined MJDC in 2005 after working with Bay Area artists Kim Epifano, Alma Esperanza Cunningham and Stephen Pelton. He also co-directs RAWdance, an emerging company that can be seen in June at the Belcher Street Studios and in the upcoming West Wave Dance Festival.

company

dancers
--joseph copley
--margaret cromwell
--chad dawson
--kelly del rosario
--steffany ferroni
--chinchin hsu
--risa larsen
--heidi schweiker
--ryan t. smith
collaborators
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