Biography

Maria Rendina Frantz artistic director is an independent artist, dancer, teacher, choreographer and actor has worked in various mediums, including theatre, performance art, film and television for the past 25 years. Maria is an innovator in the field of physical theater since 1980's and began to formulate her unique approach to choreography in 1987 at Teachers College and continues this work today. Ms. Frantz danced professionally with Dance June Lewis & Company and with choreographer Dan Wagoner and several choreographers, before founding her first dance theatre company in 1983, which premiered "This Chicken is Real Chicken" an original Dance / Play at the Merce Cunningham Studio Theater. Ms. Frantz studied extensively with Erick Hawkins, the companies of Martha Graham, June Lewis and Twyla Tharp and studied choreography with Leonide Massine, Bessie Schonberg, Judith Leifer, June Lewis and Pearl Lang. She has since presented her original works in N.Y.C., Washington, D.C., Maine, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, California and in Avignon, France. Ms. Frantz holds a M.A. in Dance from Columbia University, a B.A. in Dance from Point Park College, and currently teaches at the Carrillo Recreation Center for the City of Santa Barbara. She is a member of SAG, AFTRA, the S. B. Dance Alliance, the Performing Arts League and the National Dance Association. Her most recent work "Blessings was presented at the SB Dance Alliance New Works Concert 2004. "Mysteries of Light” her full length physical theater concert was presented at the Lobero Theater in August of 2003, and subsequently broadcast on SB Community Access.

Susan Shaberman has been hooked on modern dance since she was cast as the matador in “Ferdinand the Bull” when she was 8 years old. Her other passion as a child was horses. After raising her own children, she continued her dance training at the University of California, and went on to earn a Masters Degree from Tisch School of the Arts, NYU. Trying to satiate her cravings for more dance, she has studied extensively in the techniques of Graham, Cunningham, Limon, and Hawkins. In 1995 she formed an interdisciplinary company, Interplay, and became known for her trigger pieces, using electronic drum triggers to create instantaneous sound accompaniments, including musical tones, poetry, and musical tones, for her movement. She has performing with the MotionTheatre Dance Company since 1999. Ms Shaberman’s work has been seen on both local and international (Avignon, Mexico, and Edinburgh) stages. Most recently she has performed her work in New York and Boulder, CO. She has yet to fulfill her other dream of owning a horse.

Erlyne Whiteman is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance and the Artistic Director of the The Westmont Windancers (Fall Dance Concerts) at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA. She has a Ph.D. from USC in Dance Administration, a Masters from NIU in Dance Education, and a B.S. in Physical Education from Wheaton College. She directed the Sacred Dance Company--Jubilee Dancers (1980-89) and is currently on the board of Motion Theatre Dance Co. She is involved with the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance, the Sacred Dance Guild, the National Dance Association and the Society of Dance History Scholars. Her technical background includes Ballroom, Latin and Swing Dance, along with Laban, Graham and Giordano Chicago Jazz. She performed this past summer (2008) with Motion Theatre Dance Company & The Hawkins Dance Company at Center Stage Theatre, Santa Barbara. She has also performed with the Montecito School of Ballet as a guest artist and participates in the Chautauqua Summer Dance Program in New York. She has been teaching at Westmont since 1974.