BodyVox Company Dancers
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Elenaluisa Alvarez (She/Hers)
Elenaluisa Alvarez started her dance career in Peru with the Municipal Ballet of Lima. In college she was mentored by Galina Panova before participating in the Masa program with KCDC in Israel. Returning to the US, Elenaluisa joined Bowen McCauley Dance Company and Vaught Contemporary Ballet, where she had the honor of performing at the Kennedy Center. She spent one season with Wonderbound in Denver before moving to Portland to join BodyVox. She has performed works by David Ingram, Lucy Bowen, Katie Vaught, Mats Ek, Rami Beer, Albert Galindo, Ilana Goldman, Sarah Tallman and Garrett Ammon amongst others.
Elenaluisa is also the Director of the BodyVox Youth and JAG Program.
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Theresa Hanson (She/Hers)
Theresa was born in Gainesville, FL where she began her dance career with Dance Alive National Ballet. She moved to Orlando in 2015, performing for Universal Orlando, New Generation Theatrical, Dance Theatre of Orlando and various production companies. Theresa moved to Portland in 2018 and joined BodyVox a year later. You may have seen her play the piano in “1920” or lead a zany 80’s aerobics class in “Serious Cupcakes.” Favorite BodyVox pieces include Cosmosis, Little Miss Tough It, and Shadow Savage. She also performs burlesque under the name “Resa la Revv.”
Theresa is also the BodyVox Rehearsal Assistant.
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Daniel Kirk (He/His)
Daniel Kirk has extensive performance experience both nationally and internationally. His technique ranges from classical ballet to contemporary to innovative theatrical and aerial work.
After nine years with Oregon Ballet Theatre, he has performed many ballets by director James Canfield and the late Dennis Spaight. Considered to be one of the finest partners, Lewis Segal of the L.A. Times has called him a classically gifted artist as well as a paragon of dance. Daniel and Eric Skinner are co-founders of the skinner/kirk DANCE ENSEMBLE, a contemporary dance company in Portland. Daniel is a founding member of BodyVox.
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Brent Leubbert (He/His)
Brent was born in Portland and raised in the area. He attended Point Park University and graduated with a BFA in Dance. Since then he has worked with the Pillow Project, Attack Theatre, Eowyn Emerald & Dancers, skinner|kirk dance ensemble, Washington Dance Creative, and BodyVox. Through these companies he has been lucky enough to tour internationally to France, England, Germany, and China as well as around the US including extensive touring in Alaska.
Brent is also the BodyVox Artistic Associate.
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Brian Nelson (He/His)
Brian is a movement theater artist originally from Tridell, Utah. He is thrilled to be returning to Bodyvox. He holds a BFA in Ballet with a minor in Modern Dance from the University of Utah. Theater credits include: The National Tour of Cats, Tuacahn, Pioneer Theater Company, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Dance Credits include: Ririe-Woodbury, Now-ID, and the Municipal Ballet.
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Aaron Peite (He/His)
Aaron Peite grew up in a small mining community in rural northern Idaho. Aaron started his dance training at the age of 15 with Joni Damiano Bartel. Later, Aaron graduated from Idaho State University (ISU) with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance: Choreography and Performance. While attending ISU, Aaron's primary professors were Kathy Diehl, Lauralee Zimmerlee, and Sergiu Brindusa. Aaron was fortunate enough to also learn and perform works by guest artists like Bill Evans Dance, Hubbard Street Chicago, Lenora Lee Dance, Falcon Dance Company, and others.
Aaron moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2019 and was offered an apprentice position with Shaun Keylock Company (SKC), where he later became a company member. While with SKC, Aaron had the opportunity to perform original works by Shaun Keylock as well as be part of an archival project restaging the work of Greg Bielemner. SKC also provided opposites for Aaron to perform solo work at Ten Tiny Dances and was selected as one of the two dancers in The Portland Opera's premiere of When the Sun Comes Out.s here
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Kennedy Sizemore (She/Hers)
Kennedy began her dance training at the age of two in her hometown, Fairburn, GA. Graduating from Carla’s Dance Factory in 2017, she continued her rigorous training at AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, CA. She graduated with a BFA in Dance Theatre and has taught at numerous studios in the Atlanta area as well as attended many different intensives including, Juliano Nunes/FLOCK at Orsalina 28 in Moncalvo, Italy, and Ballets Jazz Montreal 360 intensive in Montreal, Canada. Kennedy is elated to share the knowledge she has so thankfully gained throughout her years of training. She is strong in her beliefs of supporting all artists and their hearts as they find themselves and their artistry through this beautiful channel that is movement.
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Gabriel Gaffney Smith (He/His)
Gabriel Gaffney Smith is a modern-day renaissance man with an artistic resumé spanning multiple mediums. Raised in beautiful upstate New York, Smith began dancing at the Saugerties Ballet Center at the age of 12 and went on to dance professionally for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and BalletMet. During his 20-year career, Gabriel enjoyed performing works by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Ohad Naharin, James Kudelka, Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, George Balanchine, Edwaard Liang, Julia Adam, Amy Seiwert, Michael Pink, Andrea Schermoly, Alex Ketley, and David Nixon. As an accomplished fine artist, Smith’s intricate wood carvings have been showcased in museums, private collections, and galleries across the country.