:::: transcenDANCE :::: Youth Arts Project ::::

REBECCA BARAJAS is a student at SDSU. She has been part of transceDANCE since it started. She is also part of the leadership program of transceDANCE. Rebecca or better known as Becky loves to dance and has been doing so since she was young. Her love for dance is what keeps her working normaly. She has also taken part in other programs like ELEVATE. She loves dance and she will keep on doing it for the rest of her life.

AISHA CLIPPER is 18 years old and a senior at Hoover High School. She has been dancing with T-dance for 3 years now and enjoys every minute of it. She intends on going to college once she graduates. She has currently been accepted to the University of California Santa Cruz and is thinking of attending in the fall. Aisha hopes to keep dance apart of her life, for as long as she can.

RONALD DAVIS is a kind talented young man who currently attends Lincoln High School. His hobbies are singing, dancing and having fun with his friends. He has been dancing all his life but, trained for only 3 years. This will be his 3rd year in the TranscenDANCE performing group. Ronald strives to become one of the best dancers this world has ever seen. He is also a current member of the C. Anthony Cole Reperatory Dance Theatre where he trains in ballet, jazz and modern. Ronald Davis was recently accepted to the University of the Arts that included a scholorship; a place in which he will be trained to persue his dream as a performing artist/choreographer. Ronald has been collaborating through out San Diego in different dance setting, contributing to create Hip Hop dances. This is Ronald last year in transceDANCE. He hopes to build a ground for him self to grow as a profound dancer who everyone would love to work with.

SACARA NORTHARD is 19 years old. Sacara loves to play pranks on people and get into trouble with her Directors. She is attending San Diego city college and since her attendance there at the start of fall 2007 she has taken part in one of the productions that reflected the Black Renaissance name Aint Misbehavin’. She has also taken part in many of the Hoover high school productions when she attended there graduating class of 2007. She has now been with transcenDANCE for two years going on her third year. She loves the arts and she wouldn’t find herself in any other place with out it.

RODRIGO JIMENEZ is a 16-year-old junior at Herbert Hoover High School in the City Heights community. Born and raised in San Diego by immigrant parents from Mexico City. After graduating high school he plans on attending a four-year university hoping to graduate as a double major in sociology and political science. Rodrigo got his first year taste of the arts when he was nine years old with a community produced performance at the Performance Annex in City Heights. This is his first year in the TranscenDANCE Youth Arts Project and he hopes to continue to be a part of the program. Rodrigo has dedicated the majority of his time to community activism working with various organizations to create programs for the benefit of the City Heights youth. “TranscenDANCE has offered constant support to me throughout my activist journey; they have guided me through my discovery and understanding of the arts in order to utilize them for the good of my community.”

JASMINE FORBES is a 16 year old junior attending Grossmont High school. This is Jasmine's second year with TranscenDANCE. Ms. Forbes was born in San Diego on August 24th 1991. Since birth, literally, Ms. Forbes has been involved with West African Dance, and studies under Suzanne Forbes, and has taken master classes from Yousoff Kumbassa. As a child, Jasmine took ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theatre classes, and performed musical theatre and jazz throughout her youth. Jasmine has became very aware of her skills in dance, professionalism, and performance, and is now working towards becoming a paid performer, choreographer, and teacher in many forms of dance. Jasmine is currently a student at San Diego City College strictly taking dance classes. So far at SDCC, Jasmine has studied under Terry Shipman, a modern choreographer/teacher, Patricia Rincoln, and Silfredo Lao, an Afro-Cuban and Salsa choreographer/teacher. At Grossmont High, Jasmine studies under Marta Jiacoletti, an extraordinary dancer/choreographer/teacher. After graduating highschool, Jasmine plans to either go straight to a University with an exeptional dance program, or do two years at SDCC, and then transfer to a university. Jasmine has been a dancing machine, and has been loading on dance classes on top of T dance rehearsals just so that she gets ahead and reaches her goals of being a worldwide performer.

RAUL LOPEZ is a very talented young artist who is trying to grow his skills as a dancer actor and singer. Raul is a 16 year old young man that attends hoover high school in City Hieght. His hobbys include singing dancing and acting and being a part of transcenDANCE. This being his first year in the group and him being one of the youngest members he's able to look to his peers for guidence and moral support. Raul began his first dance class at Hoover were he begin hip hop as a freshman. Later that year year he was introduced to modern and ballet. Raul has grown up in a family that also loves to perform. Raul has many plans for his future. He plans on attending college and talking classes in dance perfomance, dramatic arts, english AND ONE DAY YOU WILL SEE HIM EITHER ON THE BIG SCREEN ON BROADWAY, OR AS A BACKROUND DANCER!

LUIS COLON was born in Hartford Connecticut in June nineteen of 1988. Now is nineteen and taking high school diploma program. Is his first year in TranscenDance Company. His favorite dance style is bboying for two in half years which originated in Brooklyn , New York in the eighties. It’s an outlet from violence and gangs. In the future wants to go to another country and teach the arts of dance. Currently involved in SDAYO ( San Diego Asian Youth Organization) which is connected with the San Diego police department .where youth can volunteer to help to community. He’s been in SDAYO for four years. performance and media arts

DIEGO LOPEZ is a teenager of fourteen years old was born on February 11, 1993. Brought into a wonderful family, Dance just doesn’t come from anywhere, but has followed through in his family from his mother, to his sister, to him. He hopes to continue to bring dance into his family.He has been dancing since his earliest memories. It has always been interesting to him. Diegos first dance experience was when he was six years of age. The excitement he felt brought happiness to him and since that day he has continued to dance. Now he attends and dances at Hoover High School because, dancing is more than just a hobby to him but a passion. It has an important existence in his life and hopes to further continue the art and expression of dance. Although others just see dance as prancing around, it is more than that. It can be motivational and inspirational. Dance is what you make of it.

With every season that ends we sometimes have to say goodbye to some students as they move forward in life with their careers or continued education. We are extremely proud of all those that have graduated from our program and have become leaders in thier own community. We would like to celebrate their triumph now by acknowledging them below in our transcenDANCE Alumni Hall of Fame.

IVETTE BOLANOS

Ivette Bolanos