HERE BECAUSE
with
THE SEATTLE PROJECT
The Seattle Project and Velocity Dance Center present here because, a multidisciplinary, full-length, performance work that will showcase a union of dancers who oftentimes aren’t able to collaborate and bring together communities who oftentimes don’t intersect. We are here because of the many individuals that created the framework for the Seattle dance community to become what it is today. We are here because of the local communities that want and need art. We are here because of where we want creation and performance to go. This piece will serve as a reminder of how previous generations have influenced the way things are now. And in turn, how the current generation is influencing the way things will be moving forward. This piece is about community. This piece is for Seattle.
SPECIAL EVENT!
netWERK
MAR 9 | 8:30 PM
12th Ave Arts | 1620 12th Ave
netWERK is back! Are you an artist looking to meet other local artists? Looking for someone to collaborate with? Or just looking to make some artistic friends? Join us for netWERK – a networking and artist mixer event hosted by The Seattle Project and Velocity Dance Center. This is an opportunity to be in community with one another, connect with new people, and enjoy music and drinks. netWERK will take place immediately following The Seattle Project and Velocity Dance Center’s 7:30pm performance of “here because”. Anyone is welcome to attend netWERK, even if you don’t attend “here because”. But trust us, you won’t want to miss that show!
ARTIST BIOS
Amanda Morgan is from Tacoma, Washington. She studied at Dance Theatre Northwest and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and she attended summer courses at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Boston Ballet School, and the School of American Ballet. She participated in PNB School’s exchange with the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, where she also performed with Dresden Semperoper Ballett. Amanda joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2016 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2017 and to soloist in 2022.
In addition to her dance career, Amanda is a newly established choreographer. She has choreographed for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Next Step Program, premiering her works “Pages” (2018) and “The Argument” (2019) at McCaw Hall. She also was selected to be a choreographer in the Seattle International Dance Festival in 2019. In 2019, Amanda won a residency at Northwest Film Forum and Velocity Dance Center, giving her the opportunity to create her own show at Northwest Film Forum. Later in 2019, she launched her project titled “The Seattle Project”. In February of 2020, she had her first show “The How of It Sped” premiere at Northwest Film Forum, in July of 2020 she created and premiered her piece “Musings” for Seattle Dance Collective’s Continuum Program, in April of 2022 she premiered “truth be told” at Northwest Film Forum, and in May of 2023 she first full-length work “Chapters” at the Northwest Film Forum. In October of 2020, Morgan made her first piece for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Digital Season. Ms. Morgan was named “25 to Watch” in Dance Magazine for the 2020 year. She also has been featured on the National Endowment for the Arts podcast in February of 2021.
Zane Ellis is the founding Managing Director of the Seattle Project and has been a collaborator since its inception.
Zane has trained and performed professionally with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Ballet Austin and Pacific Northwest Ballet. He has performed in mainstage works by choreographers such as Angel Corella, Stoner Winslett, Ronald Hynd, Jerome Robbins, and George Balanchine. He has also originated roles in new works by Peter Boal, Sarah Pasch, Calista Ruat, Margaret Mullin, Nancy Casciano and Amanda Morgan. As a choreographer, Mr. Ellis has been commissioned to choreograph multiple new works for The Richmond Ballet Trainee Program. Zane has curated and provide creative direction for The Seattle Project Performances “The How of it Sped” (2019), “Truth be Told” (2022), and “Chapters” (2022). Along with, public performances through the “Arts in Parks” Program (2022), and Volunteer Park’s “Dance! Dance! Dance” (2022).
Zane is currently the Development Manager for Base: Experimental Arts + Space, a nonprofit organization dedicated to elevating risk and invention in dance, performance and multidisciplinary art. He is also the Program Operations Manager for A Way Home Washington, a statewide movement to end youth and young adult homelessness in Washington.
Jane Cracovaner
Symone Sanz
Rodrick Barnes
Zsilas Michael Hughes
PROGRAM SUPPORT
The premiere of here because is underwritten by Michael Weidemann.
This project is presented through Velocity’s Co-Production program. Co-Productions are a core presenting program, and supported by Velocity’s season sponsors and community of individual donors.
Interested in joining the community of support that is making this Co-Production possible? Contact erin@velocitydancecenter.org to learn how you can be involved.
ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION
12th Avenue Arts is fully accessible for wheelchairs and walkers. The lobby, bathrooms and theater spaces are at street level, and seating is available without the need for an elevator or stairs.
ACCESS NIGHT | SATURDAY, MAR 9 – Masking will be required and ASL interpretation will be provided at this performance.
For specific questions and accommodations, please contact Shirley at operations@velocitydancecenter.org
Jane Cracovaner
Jane received her BFA from the Hartt School. Here she performed works by Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Gregory Dolbashian, and Loni Landon among others. Jane has taken part in the HJS Intensive in Amsterdam, ImPulsTanz, Northwest Dance Project’s Launch and was a scholarship student during the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance’s summer program. Beginning her career as a freelance dancer in NYC she worked with various artists including Gabrielle Lamb’s Pigeonwing Dance and Joshua Beamish’s MOVETHECOMPANY. She is currently dancing with Whim W’Him Seattle Contemporary Dance.
Rodrick Barnes
Rodrick Barnes is a freelance dancer based in Seattle, Washington and Houston, Texas. He graduated from Kinder High School For The Performing and Visual Arts and shortly after that he knew he wanted to become a professional dancer and choreographer as he tours the world. Rodrick has worked and trained with Roderick George, Derrell Moultrie, Christian Warner, Kidd Pivot, Kurt Douglas, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Sidra Bell, Courtney D. Jones and many more. Rodrick hopes to join Kyle Abraham’s company A.I.M (Abraham.In.Motion).
Symone Sanz
Symone is a dance artist versed in performance, improvisation, and choreography from Los Angeles. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since living in Seattle, she has enjoyed creating work with artists Heather Kravas, Cherdonna Shinatra, and zoe|juniper, among many others. She also teaches Dance Church® classes.
Symone supports the Seattle dance community through her work in arts administration, with a focus in marketing. She currently serves on the board for Velocity Dance Center.
Zsilas Michael Hughes
Zsilas Michael Hughes (they/them/he/she) was born in Flint, Michigan and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. They trained under the kinesthetic conceptual teachings of Arleen Sugano at Rock City Dance Center and on full scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet as a Professional Division student. They attended summer courses at Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dream Big Dance Company, Ballet Arkansas, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, University of Utah, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Zsilas joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2021 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2022.
Zsilas has danced leading roles in works by Justin Peck, Dwight Rhoden, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and more. Notably, they made their Pointe debut in Fairies from Gerge Balnchine’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, showcasing a new image of diversity in ballet.