Welcome to transcenDANCE's
20th Anniversary Celebration!
In honor of our 20 years of providing a safe space for young people to engage in transformative creative work while connecting with a loving community of peers and adult mentors, in August we launched our 20-year anniversary fundraising campaign.
A group of major donors and funders came together to support this special campaign with a generous match. Thanks to them, every dollar of the $200,000 we raise now through December 20, 2025 will be matched 100%, bringing us to a campaign total of $400,000!
Your donation will help us maintain the depth and quality of our programs, continuing our ability to meet young people’s need for connection, creativity, and opportunity.
Thank you to Clare Rose Foundation, our Premier Event Sponsor!
Thank you to our organizational funders!
This activity is funded in part by City of San Diego Cultural Affairs.
One Dream, Twenty Years
PROGRAM
Opening Video
KPBS Promo by emota, 2010
IMAGINATION
Storyteller: Miesha Rice
Dancers: Youth Performers
Choreographer: Viviana Alcazar
Music: Penguin Cafe Orchestra
CELEBRATION
Storyteller: Miesha Rice
Dancers: Teen and Alumni Performers
Choreographer: Seiha Vor
Music: Chris Brown, Ciara, Jay-Z, Ludacris, MIMS, Missy Elliot, N'Klabe, Timbaland, Usher, Ying Yang Twins
LONGEVITY
Storytellers: Eli Lara, Miesha Rice, Kira Shannon
Dancers: Teen Performers
Secondary Dancers: Laylah Cabrera, Haragni Chuna, Vivian Do, Larriza Gillego, Aiyana Gonzalez, Andrea Gutierrez, Angelica Lopez, Gracie Sanchez, Jenn Tran, Janine Uribe
Puppet: Tonnie Sammartano
Choreographer: Tonnie Sammartano
Music: Mikis Theodorakis
PARTNERSHIP
Award MC: Steph Walsh
Awardees: Viviana Alcazar, Kristopher Apple, Dr. grace shinhae jun, Terry Parish, Miesha Rice, Tonnie Sammartano
Dancers: Nerly Bates-Gray, Haragni Chuna, Ron Davis, Jonathan Garcia, Carlos Hernandez, Seiha Vor, Itza Perez, Janine Uribe
Choreographer: Nerly Bates-Gray and Dante Finch in collaboration with Tonnie Sammartano
Music: Oona
PERSEVERANCE
Vocalists: Nerly Bates-Gray, Rebecca Bellingham, Jay Coker, Larriza Gillego, Maya O’Campo
Vocals Director: Rebecca Bellingham
Music: Adapted from Ella’s Song by Sweet Honey in the Rock
Dancers: Linzy Clara Ramos, Niza Galindo, Ananda Mosi, Carolina Olea, Yesenia Ramirez, Kimberly Reyes, Noemi Swearingen, Jenn Tran
Choreographer: Viviana Alcazar
Music: Sweet Honey in the Rock
STRENGTH
Video: emota, Terry Parish, and Zack King
Storytellers: Marya Nguyen, Miesha Rice, Ruth Victor
Dancers: Junior Performers
Choreographer: Keomi Tarver
Music: Leikeli47
SANCTUARY
Video: emota, Terry Parish, and Zack King
Dancers: Alumni Performers with select Teaching Artists
Choreographer: grace shinhae jun
Poetry: Miesha Rice
Guitar and Vocals: Jesse Mills
Music: Meshell Ndegeocello, The Smiths/Jeff Buckley, Jesse Mills, DJ Seinfeld & sogumm
This piece pulls from my work “Bitter Sorrow,” which was originally performed in 2012. Recreated as “Sanctuary” the piece honors Cat Corral for creating and providing a safe space for all the artists and dancers that come to transcenDANCE.
EVOLUTION
Video: emota, Terry Parish, and Zack King
Award MC: Terry Parish
Awardees: The Clare Rose Foundation & The Center for Creative Youth Development, The Danah H. Fayman Family, Pat Zigarmi
Storytellers: Ivette Berger, Miesha Rice
Dancers: Teen Performers
Puppet: Tonnie Sammartano
Choreographer: Seiha Vor
Music: Daft Punk, Justice
FREEDOM
Video: emota, Terry Parish, and Zack King
Vocalists: Rebecca Bellingham, Jay Coker, Maya O’Campo
Vocals Director: Rebecca Bellingham
Music: Elana Arian
Dancers: Teen and Alumni Performers
Choreographer: Ron Davis
Music: Beyonce ft. Kendrick Lamar
UNITY
Storyteller: Miesha Rice
Movement Soloist: Tosha Hartzog
Poets: Linzy Clara Ramos, Larriza Gillego, Itza Perez, Lucia Padilla, Jenn Tran
Poetic Guidance & Curation: Miesha Rice
Testimonial: Itza Perez
Call and Response: Nerly Bates-Gray
Dancers: All Cast
Choreographer: Keomi Tarver
Music: Homeboyz Muzik
One Dream, Twenty Years
CAST
YOUTH PERFORMERS
Laylah Cabrera
Layla Castellanos
Mason Clark
Vivian Do
Valerie Flores
Surem Fuste
Aiyana Gonzalez
Andrea Gutierrez
Nicci Lopez
Naomi McMillian
Giavanna Mendez
Luna Nieblas
Arwen Patterson
Zenaiya Phelps-Munoz
Danna Pluma
Cercis Reviczky
Alyssa Rojas
Gracie Sanchez
Ella Sow
Lucy Thompson
Sadie Tucker
JUNIOR PERFORMERS
Penelope Balderas
Aurora Blossom
Zoey Cuevas
Gemya Davis
Mayte Gomez
Victoria Hayes
Mikylah Jimenez
Zia Jun-Mills
Alanna Kent-Smith
Anisa Leon
Ileena Pelayo
Kassandra Ramirez
Aedyn Rice-Wilson
Marissa Tavarez
Olive Valdez
Jayden Webb
TEEN PERFORMERS
Jay Coker
Ella Desrosiers
Ana Sophia Francisco
Brianna Hernandez
Aliana Hopkins
Zoeheila Jimenez
Gisselle Marquez
Nariyah Morgan
Xitlali Nieblas
Lulani Padilla
Sway Pilcher
Helena Prendergast
Skyelar Rice
Audrina Rodriguez
Ismaeel Wali
Alex Garcia
ALUMNI PERFORMERS
Nerly Bates-Gray
Ivette Berger
Haragni Chuna
Linzy Clara Ramos
Ron Davis
Esmeralda Flores
Niza Galindo
Dennya Galindo Cardenas
Jonathan Garcia
Larriza Gillego
Tosha Hartzog
Carlos Hernandez
Eli Lara
Angelica Lopez
Ananda Mosi
Marya Nguyen
Itza Perez
Maya O’Campo
Carolina Olea
Lucia Padilla
Alma Perez
Yesenia Ramirez
Kimberly Reyes
Adali Rios
Kira Shannon
Noemi Swearingen
Jenn Tran
Janine Uribe
Ruth Victor
Seiha Vor
Dalana Williams
One Dream, Twenty Years
HONOREES
20th Anniversary Honorees
Viviana Alcazar
Kristopher Apple
Nerly Bates-Gray
Clare Rose Foundation & The Clare Rose Center for Creative Youth Development
Ronald Davis
The Danah H. Fayman Family
Dr. grace shinhae jun
Terry Parish
Miesha Rice
Tonnie Sammartano
Jennifer Tran
Seiha Vor
Patricia Zigarmi
One Dream, Twenty Years
CREATIVE &
PRODUCTION TEAM
Creative Team
Choreographer
Viviana Alcazar
Vocals Director
Rebecca Bellingham
Artistic Director
Cat Corral
Choreographer
Ron Davis
Performance Poetry Director
Miesha Rice
Choreographer, Puppet Performer
Tonnie Sammartano
Choreographer
grace shinhae jun
Choreographer
Keomi Tarver
Choreographer
Seiha Vor
Production Team
Technical Director & Lighting Designer
David Atchison
Music Director & Sound Engineer
Kristopher Apple
Costume Designer
grace shinhae jun
Costume Coordinators
Alejandra Carrillo, Niza Galindo
Film Segments
emota
Film Producer
Terry Parish
Archival Film Editor
Zack King
Graphic Designer
Vince Martinez
Puppeteer
Jason Johnson
Stage Managers
Viviana Alcazar, Alejandra Carrillo
Stage Manager Assistants
Ananda Mosi, Noemi Swearingen, Keomi Tarver
Photography
Hana Tobias, Seiha Vor
Videography
Ruwan Randeniya, Angela Wong
Pre-Party Live Music
Ritmo de Plebes
Afterparty DJ
Jojo Vandereb - JojoFashoThough
One Dream, Twenty Years
transcenDANCE Team
trancenDANCE Team
transcenDANCE STAFF
Alejandra Carrillo – Program Director
Haragni Chuna – Program Assistant
Linzy Clara Ramos – Program Assistant
Cat Corral – Co-Founder & Executive/Artistic Director
Niza Galindo – Program Coordinator
Brooke Dempsey - Accountant
Vince Martinez – Graphic Design & Marketing
Colleen Prieto – Grants and Communications Specialist
Robert Prieto – Data and Information Technology Specialist
Maia Starling – Finance Manager
Jenn Tran – Student Nutritional Support
Janine Uribe – Program Assistant
Seiha Vor – Co-Founder, Lead Teaching Artist
Jazmin Wali – Mental Health Therapist
Steph Walsh – Managing Director
Angela Won – Program & Business Administrator
transcenDANCE TEACHING ARTISTS
Viviana Alcazar – Contemporary Dance Teaching Artist
Akayaa Atule – African Dance & Culture Teaching Artist
Rebecca Bellingham – Vocals and Choir Teaching Artist
Kanna Burch – Children’s Dance Teaching Artist
Dyno Corrales – Breaking Dance Teaching Artist
Leo Francisco – Children’s Dance & Visual Arts Teaching Artist
Niza Galindo – Contemporary Dance Apprentice Teaching Artist
Miss Piggy Mananquil – Breaking Dance Teaching Artist
Alma Perez – Hip-Hop Dance Apprentice Teaching Artist
Ilana Queiroz – Capoeira Movement & Culture Teaching Artist
Miesha Rice – Performance Poetry Teaching Artist
grace shinhae jun – Contemporary and Hip-Hop Dance Teaching Artist
Keomi Tarver – Contemporary and Hip-Hop Dance Teaching Artist
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Maren Dougherty – President
Arlene Yang – Vice President
Kelsey Luu – Board Secretary
Linde Hotchkiss – Board Treasurer
Alison Aragon
Alina Caceres
Charlene Cornelia
Lorenza Fabre Vega
Uzoamaka Ashira Orjiako
Tonya Stevens
Lorelei Westin
One Dream, Twenty Years
EVENT COMMITTEE
20th Anniversary Event Committee
Uzoamaka Ashira Orjiako, Chair
Alina Caceres
Maren Dougherty
Kelsey Luu
Lisa Ordoñez
Phyllis Tabula
Steph Walsh