Introducing our 2021 Dancer Roster:
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Danielle Archuleta 
Company Member 

Danielle Archuleta is originally from Littleton, Colorado. She received her early training at Belliston Academy of Ballet and went on to attend summer intensive programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Miami City Ballet, where she continued her training in their pre-professional program under the direction of Lordes Lopez and Arantxa Ochoa. In Miami, she had the opportunity to perform Balanchine's 
Western Symphony and Valse Fantaisie and a principal role in Ballabile (from Napoli). Upon graduating from Miami City Ballet, she joined City Ballet of San Diego. Where she performed in Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, Serenade, and danced the role of Clara in Elizabeth Wistrich's The Nutcracker. In 2019, Danielle accepted a position with Ballet Austin II where she performed in several productions, including Stephen Mills' The Nutcracker and Joshua Manculich's Menagerie. Danielle is excited to continue to learn and develop as an artist at Zikr Dance Ensemble. 
​Kindly sponsored** by Charles Smith for the 2021 Fall Season 

Zac Bigbee
​Company Member

Zac Bigbee was born in Taos, New Mexico where he exhibited oil paintings at several galleries, studied Wing Chung style Kung Fu, and competed in slam poetry. His ballet training began with Amber Vasques of New York City Ballet and Megan Yakovich of Colorado Ballet. He went on to study mathematics and Russian language and culture at the University of Arizona and continued his training on scholarship at LINES Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory, and Nederlands Dance Theater. He has also attended the Royal Danish Ballet’s Summer Course, and spent time in Israel researching Gaga at the Suzanne Dallal Center.  Zac is also a self-taught cyr wheel practitioner and has trained in aerial acrobatics in Russia under Viktoriya Zhukotzova of the Moscow State Circus. He has danced for Cocodāco in Chicago, Zikr Dance Ensemble in Denver, Canyon Concert Ballet, Colorado Ballet and Convergent Ballet in Phoenix and serves as guest faculty at Tarab Retreat International and Ballet Taos. At the Russian American Foundation, he provides translation services for the Bolshoi Ballet Academy's summer schools. As co-producer on the Inertia and Mechanical Nature: Movement VII projects with Ballet Taos he set original choreography, and contributed to marketing and visual effects while also performing. He also served as film director for project 20/20 - a series of benefit concerts for local arts. As an artist Zac is captivated by the continuously evolving mechanical and neurological perfection of classical ballet. His initial infatuation with classical dance, having now given way to a deeper, smoldering passion, has led him into a search for the essence of classicism. This search is informed by his western education in mathematics as well as visual art and, recently, by exposure to classical traditions, especially movement techniques, foundational to great civilizations from across time. There is something profoundly universal about the human experience that defies its specificity even as it creates it. This is what he seeks to better know and share in his work with students, collaborators, and viewers in hopes that we may all become more deeply human.
​Kindly sponsored* by Divinely Endeavored for the 2021 Fall Season 

Vincent Chavez
Company Member

Vincent Chavez was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he grew up competing on the local Rodeo circuit.  Once he chose ballet over broncos, he received his formal dance education and training from the Dance Theater Southwest (Albuquerque), Ballet Hispanico (New York), Academy of Nevada Ballet Theatre (Las Vegas) and Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program (San Francisco).  As a result of his strict training and creative educational experiences, Vincent was chosen to perform with leading dance companies including Robert Moses’ Kin, Oakland Ballet Company, ZiRu Dance, Nevada Ballet Theatre and New Mexico Ballet Company to name a few.  His artistry has earned him the opportunity to work with several renowned choreographers; Robert Moses, Graham Lustig, Michael Lowe, James Canfield, Garrett+Moulton, Gregory Dawson, Christopher Huggins, Molissa Fenley, Val Caniparoli and Amy Seiwert included.  In addition to his notable dance career, Vincent works independently as a San Francisco Bay Area Dance Artist, teaching, choreographing, collaborating, and performing throughout the United States. In recent years, he has been commissioned to choreograph works highlighting his strong sense of family for Oakland Ballet Company, ZiRu/Silicon Valley Dance Festival and Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers. 

​Kindly sponsored** by Troy Edelen for the 2021 Fall Season 

Sam Crouch
Company Member

Sam Crouch is a Michigan Native residing in Chicago, Illinois. In 2016, he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Western Michigan University.
Through WMU he had the opportunity to perform Ohad Naharin’s Excerpts from Minus 16, Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi, Antony Tudor’s Continuo, and Lew Christensen’s Con Amore.
In Chicago, Sam was privileged to work with The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dance In the Parks, Aerial Dance Chicago, Hot Crowd and Grit Dance.
He has also travelled to work with, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Quixotic Fusion, and Wellspring Cori Terry and Dancers.
​He is very excited to be returning for his third season with the Zikr Dance Ensemble. 
Sam is kindly sponsored* for the 2021 Fall season by Rachel Brown. 

Marian Faustino
​Company Member

Marian Faustino began her career in the Philippines, training and performing with the country’s two premiere dance organizations: Ballet Manila and Ballet Philippines.  She has danced soloist & principal roles in full-length classics which include The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, La Bayadere, Giselle, Swan Lake and Le Corsaire; and has been a part of the creative process for a number of original neo-ethnic Filipino works that have been showcased across the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Russia, and the United States. As a representative of the Philippines, Marian was also awarded semi-finalist and finalist certificates respectively from the Moscow and Nagoya International Ballet Competitions. After relocating to the United States in 2011, Marian danced for Dance Theater of Tennessee, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, and was a pioneering member of the collaborative contemporary ballet company, Wonderbound where she spent five seasons collaborating with Denver artists of all mediums, from the Colorado Symphony to Curious Theater Company.  Marian is a recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission, and was a finalist for the Denver Art Museum Creative-in-Residence Grant.  As a freelance artist she has danced with The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Malashock Dance San Diego, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Owen Cox Dance Group, Briah Danse, and Zikr Dance Ensemble.  As a dance educator throughout the Denver area, Marian has more than her extensive professional experience as a resource.  She graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Child Development, holds certification in Progressing Ballet Technique, Discover Dance Education, and has recently completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training.  
Marian is kindly sponsored* for the 2021 Fall season by Mary Lou Taylor. 

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Avalon Kirby
Company Member

Avalon Kirby started dancing at age of five and began her pre-professional training with Elizabeth Shipiatsky at the age of 11. In her time at Classical Ballet Academy and Ballet Melange she received numerous awards at local, regional and international competitions. She was a prize winner and selected to be in the final round of the Grand Prix Kyiv International Ballet Festival in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Avalon received first place in the Pas de Deux category at YAGP Denver in 2020 and placed in the top 12 or higher as a soloist many years. She was also recognized in the top 10 or higher at Denver Ballet Guild on several occasions. Avalon joined Ballet Melange as a trainee in 2018 where she has enjoyed performing in many full length ballets including favorite roles: Giselle in Giselle, Big Masha/Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Radish in Cipollino and Medora in Le Corsaire. While pursuing her own professional career, Avalon discovered a parallel passion for teaching. She became a certified Vaganova instructor in 2018. She currently teaches ballet and pointe as well as choreographing and staging classical and neoclassical works.  Avalon also teaches contemporary dance and has choreographed contemporary work for CBA performances and YAGP soloists. This is her first season with Zikr Dance Ensemble.

Avalon is kindly sponsored* for the 2021 Fall season by Nakai Freeland.   

Maya Lukasik 
Company Member

Maya Lukasik began her dance training at the age of four with Amy Earnest and Lance Hardin, and then subsequently with Michelle Dolighan-Rodenbeck. Inspired by her older sister, she competed for the first time in YAGP Denver at age 10, taking home the Hope Award. She continued to train throughout the years, attending summer intensive workshops with ABT, Next Generation Ballet, and the Royal Ballet. Between these summer intensive programs, she was with Classic Dance Academy in Centennial, performing roles such as Sugarplum Fairy in Nutcracker, Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty, and Cupid in Don Quixote. She also competed in several other competitions, including Denver Ballet Guild, where she won the gold medal and the David Parvin Award for the Outstanding Young Artist; World Ballet Competition, where she was invited to perform in the gala; and ADC/IBC, where she won the bronze medal in contemporary despite having a broken toe. Graduating from high school this past summer, Maya she looks forward to increased freedom and flexibility to explore passions both within and outside of dance, including creative writing, philosophy, photography, and guitar and piano. She is thrilled and humbled to be part of the Zikr family this fall season! ​

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​Alessandra De Paolantonio
​Company Member 

Alessandra De Paolantonio grew up in Mendham, New Jersey and began her formal training at Ballet Forte and New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble. Alessandra attended The University of North Carolina School of The Arts, under the direction of Susan Jaffe majoring in ballet during her senior year in high school. She then pursued a BFA in Ballet at the University of Utah graduating in 2019. While at the University she worked with choreographers and professors such as Penny Saunders, Pablo Piantino, Lesley Telford, Matthew Neenan, and Gabrielle Lamb. After graduating Alessandra moved to Chicago to train at Hubbard Street Professional Training Program under the direction of Alexandra Wells from 2019 to 2020. She then continued her training at the COMMON Conservatory under the direction of Terence Marling from 2020-2021. Currently Alessandra is dancing in Chicago and is a company member with Zeitgeist Dance Theater under the Direction of Francisco Gella and Yusha Sorzano, and is excited for her first season with Zikr Dance Ensemble.  

Brandon Penn
​Company Member

Brandon Penn was born and raised in Richmond, VA. At the age of 10 he began his dance training at the Pine Camp Cultural Arts Center where he studied with Annette Holt, Rodney Williams and Willie Hinton, learning a variety of styles. He later enrolled into the School of Richmond Ballet where he studied under Igor Antanov and Malcolm Burn. After spending three years at the Richmond Ballet, Brandon was accepted as a trainee of the company whilst completing his senior year. After graduating, he spent one year at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase College Conservatory for Dance, studying under Larry Clark, Taryn Russell, and Ted Kivitt among others. After a year at SUNY, Brandon Penn was offered a position with Atlanta Ballet 2. After two years there, Brandon was offered a company position with the Columbia City Ballet. Later, after much experience and repertory under his belt, Brandon accepted a principal contract with the Fort Wayne Ballet where he just finished his second season. He would like to immensely thank his family for all of their love, support and words of wisdom. This is Brandon’s first season with Zikr Dance Ensemble. 

Brandon is kindly sponsored* for the 2021 Fall season by 
Vivian Shields, Chandra Coleman Braggs, Lawanda Young, Gloria Cooley, Tamika Murrell, Lawanda Walker Thomas, Theodore Braggs, Norman Jones, Kyle Grinnage, Brenda Anderson, Muriel Moss and Melinda Williams. 

Erina Tanaka
Company Member 

Erina Tanaka began her training at age 8 in New York, with Logrea Dance Academy and Westchester Ballet Company. At the age of 15, she was accepted into SLK Ballet School, under the direction of Sara Knight. During her training, Erina was selected for an exchange program with the English National Ballet School in London in the spring of both 2015 and 2016. She has also spent summers training at ABT, Bolshoi Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet. Upon graduating SLK Ballet, Erina spent two years as an apprentice with Eugene Ballet. There, she had the opportunity to perform the Spanish and the Arabian pas de deux in Toni Pimble’s The Nutcracker as well as Cygnets in Swan Lake. She was also featured in Val Caniparoli’s Tutto Eccetto Il Lavendino, Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, and Gerald Arpino’s Italian Suite. After spending two years at Eugene Ballet, Erina moved to Canada to join Canada’s Ballet Jorgen, as a company dancer. At Canada Ballet Jorgen, Erina danced featured roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Josie Pye in Bengt Jorgen’s production of Anne of Green Gables- The Ballet. Erina is very excited for her first season with Zikr Dance Ensemble. 
 

Paulina Teran
Company Member 

Paulina Teran (she/her) was born in Laguna Hills, California, where she started taking dance classes as a toddler. Later, when she moved to Colorado, she started training more seriously at International Ballet School with Mark and Sandra Carlson and Slava Mesropov. While training there, she performed many principal and soloist roles with the school. In 2017, Paulina moved to Paris and trained at L’Atelier d’Art Chorégraphique with Clairemarie Osta and Nicolas Le Riche. Soon after, Paulina received her first contract with the Estonian National Ballet, where she performed full-length classical ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle. In 2018, Paulina moved to Germany to dance with Leipziger Ballett. In her time there, she was able to expand her knowledge and experience in contemporary dance. She performed in many classical and contemporary works including Uwe Scholz’s Symphony No. 7; Stanton Welch’s Tu Tu; Mario Schroder’s Magnificat, Schwanensee, Geshöpfe, Sacre; Jean-Philippe Dury’s Der Nussknacker; and Martin Harriague’s America. She also participated in Intershop, where she performed pieces choreographed by fellow company members at Leipziger Ballett. This is Paulina’s first season with Zikr Dance Ensemble.

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*Bronze Level Sponsor